Rush Resigns.

In the wake of his controversial statements regarding Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, Rush Limbaugh has resigned from his position on ESPN's NFL pregame show. ESPN has accepted the resignation. Limbaugh issued a statement late Wednesday night in which he wrote:

"My comments this past Sunday were directed at the media and were not racially motivated. I offered an opinion. This opinion has caused discomfort to the crew, which I regret. "I love NFL Sunday Countdown and do not want to be a distraction to the great work done by all who work on it.

"Therefore, I have decided to resign. I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the show and wish all the best to those who make it happen."

George Bodenheimer, President, ESPN and ABC Sports, issued the following response: "We accept his resignation and regret the circumstances surrounding this. We believe that he took the appropriate action to resolve this matter expeditiously." [Link via Counterspin]

In the truth is stranger than fiction department.....A Tampa band named "Hell on Earth" is protesting assisted-suicide laws. To prove their point, they will feature a live assisted suicide onstage at their concert this Saturday night in St. Petersberg, Fla. If you can't attend in person, don't worry, you can watch it on the internet.

.... the suicide show will be played before a "select few people" at an undisclosed location in St. Petersburg on Saturday and be shown live on the band's Web site. ....[Band Leader BillyTourtelot] would not disclose any details about the terminally ill person or say how the person planned to kill himself.

He said the point is to raise awareness that physician-assisted suicide should be legalized in Florida. Tourtelot said he is not worried about the legal ramifications. Violating the new city ordinance is punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. A Florida law already makes it manslaughter, a felony, to assist in a suicide. But Tourtelot insists the band is not assisting the act.

"This person will be doing this self-deliverance totally by themselves, on their own accord," he said.

The band is known for unusual stage shows. A past show featured the band grinding up live rats in a blender.

News analyst Danny Schecter has a new column up on Media Channel about how the networks intend to cover the 2004 elections. He begins,

Network television thrives on wars and elections. With the last war over for now, politics is becoming THE BIG STORY once again as the 2004 presidential election draws near. Special election programming is being planned, graphics are being commissioned, and reporting teams are being embedded within campaigns. And just as war coverage was enhanced with news gizmos and state of the art technology, election journalism is being retrofitted with NGT -- the next groovy thing....

Yet, Schecter says, the more techno the networks go, the more people tune out. Fewer people are watching election coverage. He has some ideas to improve the situation--like getting rid of the "endless panels of mostly white men in suits, sitting around tables prognosticating" who are usually wrong.

In a footnote, Media Channel says that it has been signing up correspondents from overseas in its effort to provide "political coverage that does not claim for promotional effect to be "fair and balanced." Just accurate and informative."

Filmmaker and author Michael Moore has a very good Patriot Act page on his official website. Actually, the whole website is excellent.

His movie, Bowling for Columbine, just came out on DVD. If you haven't seen it, you can order it here.

Bowling for Columbine
Buy Today!

President Bush, already suffering from low poll numbers on his handling of Post-War Iraq and the economy suffered another setback today when the Republican-dominated Senate voted to overturn the recent FCC rule changes that would have allowed media congomerates to own even more media outlets.

The Senate approved, 55-40, a resolution that would roll back the Federal Communications Commission rules allowing television networks to own more local stations and permitting conglomerates to own a newspaper, television stations and radio outlets in a single market.

Supporters of the rule changes included Viacom, CBS and NewsCorp (Fox).

Critics, ranging from the National Rifle Association to Consumers Union as well as Democrats and Republicans in Congress, charged that the rules would narrow the choices of viewpoints and cut local news coverage.

Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison
Buy Today!

Cocaine Blues (aka TRANSFUSION BLUES) (T.J. Arnall)
Johnny Cash - 1958

Early one mornin' while makin' the rounds
I took a shot of cocaine and I shot my woman down
I went right home and I went to bed
I stuck that lovin' 44 beneath my head

Got up next mornin' and I grabbed that gun
Took a shot of cocaine and away I run
Made a good run but I ran too slow
They overtook me down in Juarez Mexico

Late in the hot joints takin' the pills
In walked the sheriff from Jericho Hill
He said Willy Lee your name is not Jack Brown
You're the dirty heck that shot your woman down

Said yes, oh yes my name is Willy Lee
If you've got the warrant just a-read it to me
Shot her down because she made me sore
I thought I was her daddy but she had five more

When I was arrested I was dressed in black
They put me on a train and they took me back
Had no friend for to go my bail
They slapped my dried up carcass in that county jail

New Michael Moore book coming out in October:

A description:

In case anyone in Washington hasn't noticed, Americans are fed up with the status quo. In this, the first shot fired over the bow of the 2004 Presidential election, Michael Moore aims to unseat the man who slithered into the White House on tracks built by the bloody hands of Enron and greased with the oil of his daddy.

DUDE, WHERE'S MY COUNTRY? tells us precisely what went wrong, and, more importantly, how to fix things. In a voice that is fearless, funny, and furious, Moore takes readers to the edge of righteous laughter and divine revenge. Tapping into the collective and widespread discontent of everyday Americans, DUDE, WHERE'S MY COUNTRY? provides an incisive look at Republicans, Democrats, and the robber barons of corporate America as it maps out what regular citizens can do to storm the halls of power and reclaim their stolen country.

Dude, Where's My Country
by Michael Moore

Buzzflash interviews Paul Krugman, New York Times Journalist and author of the new book The Great Unraveling: Losing Our Way in the New Century.

Buzzflash writes:

Thank God for this Man! A Princeton University professor who pens a column for the New York Times, Krugman is probably the most visible mainstream media commentator, among a handful, who "gets it." He views the Bush Cartel as "revolutionary power...a movement whose leaders do not accept the legitimacy of our current political system." In short, Krugman understands that the Bush gang is anti-democracy at its core.

Fox News has dropped its lawsuit against Al Franken. Smart move to cut their losses now. They could also use some better legal advice next time an issue like this presents itself.

Fox News was denied a preliminary injunction today that would have required Franken to remove the words "fair and balanced" from his book title.

State Supreme Court judge Denny Chin ruled that the title was a parody with little likelihood of confusing consumers. "This case is wholly without merit both factually and legally," Chin said. A spokesman for Fox said the network is considering its legal options. Floyd Abrams, who represented defendants Franken and Penguin Books, said he may file a motion to dismiss. "This is a complaint that never should have been filed," Abrams said.

Here's more.

Oral arguments will be held Friday in the Fox News Channel's lawsuit against Al Franken.

Pre-sales of Franken's books have increased dramatically since news broke of the lawsuit. Publisher Penguin books has moved the publication date up to the end of this week from its original September 22 release date--and ordered 40,000 more copies.

In related news, Al Franken has sent an apology letter to John Ashcroft--for real. And actor Paul Newman disses the lawsuit.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has responded to an inquiry by Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) advising that it will not sue small music downloaders.

Coleman was the late Paul Wellstone's opponent in the November, 2002 elections. He is also a friend of Bush. He now serves as Chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs' Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

Coleman intends to hold hearings on the RIAA's plans to sue music downloaders. He thinks the industry is overreaching, and laws against downloaders are too strict. The issue is close to home for Sen. Coleman: He has downloaded music from Napster. A former prosecutor, he also once was a roadie for a band.

Good for Coleman for taking this on.