Harry Reid Apologizes For Calling Obama “Light Skinned And With No Negro Dialect”

What was he thinking? Yes, this was said in private conversations during the 2008 presidential campaign.  Now, Harry Reid is apologizing.

“I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words,” said Reid in a statement. “I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African Americans for my improper comments.”

Revelations of these comments come in the new book by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann called Game Change.  The authors will be on radio with me this coming week.  These revelations come as Reid is in a fight for his political life.

…a new poll…

Dick Lugar Speaks Out Against Cheney

Dick Lugar, the Republican senator from Indiana, has always been a good, decent guy, and he did the right thing when he said that Dick Cheney’s comments about President Obama have been “unfair.” (via Think Progress)

“It’s unfair,” Lugar said in an interview for Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital with Al Hunt,” airing this weekend. “I think the president is focused.”…To the contrary, Obama has demonstrated “firmness” and “decisiveness,” Lugar, who represents Indiana, said. “That’s been the antidote to the criticism.”

…

Jordanian Double Agent Who Killled Self And 7 US Intel Agents Left Video

The Jordanian who killed the CIA officials in Khost was named Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, although the man in the video says0 he’s Dr. Abu Dujana al-Khorasani.  But al-Balawi’s father says it is his son in the video.

The video shows the purported Jordanian suicide bomber sitting next to Baitullah Mehsud’s successor and the new Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, chief, Hakimullah Mehsud, and reading from written text.

“This… attack will be the first of revenge operations against the Americans and their drone teams outside the Pakistani border, after they killed the Amir [chief] of Tehrik Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Baitullah …

Grand Jury To Probe White House Gate Crashers

A grand jury wants to determine whether fraudulent statements were made to government officials by Tariq and Michaele Salahi prior to their unexpected appearance a White House state dinner.  Two hair stylists who spent hours with them the day of the event, November 24, have also been subpoenaed.

The House Homeland Security Committee has also voted to subpoena the couple to force them to answer questions about the security breach. The Salahis have said they would invoke their Fifth Amendment rights not to answer questions if forced to appear before the panel.…

On Friday’s Radio Show…

• Alan examines Rudy Giuliani’s pattern of false claims about Obama, Bush and terrorism.

• Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern thinks “till death do us part” should be enforced by law! She’ll defend her bill to make many divorces illegal.

• It’s the Friday Night Free-For-All!…

The Answer to Airline Security: Mind-Reading

Beyond x-rays and metal detectors is the move toward reading the minds of potential evil-doers (h/t Healed Planet)

The aim of one company that blends high technology and behavioral psychology is hinted at in its name, WeCU — as in “We See You.”

The system that Israeli-based WeCU Technologies has devised and is testing in Israel projects images onto airport screens, such as symbols associated with a certain terrorist group or some other image only a would-be terrorist would recognize, company CEO Ehud Givon said.

The logic is that people can’t help reacting, even if only subtly, …

Looks Like Mark Sanford’s “Try To Fall Back In Love” With Wife Didn’t Work

Mark Sanford famously said he’d “try to fall back in love” with his wife after he took a hike to Argentina.  He can’t be too lovesick over Jenny Sanford, since he’s not contesting her divorce motion.

In a one-page response filed Friday in Charleston County, the governor admits to allegations of adultery his wife Jenny made in her divorce petition last month. Sanford submitted the response on his own, without an attorney.

Jenny Sanford filed for divorce saying the couple had been unable to reconcile after her husband returned from a mysterious disappearance in June to reveal a yearlong …

Stephanopoulos Says He Should Have Pressed Giuliani On His Claim Of No Attacks Under Bush

George Stephanopoulos says he should have pressed Rudy Giuliani on his comment, “We had no domestic attacks under Bush, we’ve had one under Obama” (via TV Newser).  Giuliani also said President Obama was making a mistake to try the Christmas day bombing suspect in civilian court.

The Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, which helped catapult Giuliani to national prominence, occurred during the first year of George W. Bush’s presidency. That same year, five people were killed when anthrax was mailed to a variety of government and private offices. And that December, Richard Reid was stopped during an attempt …

Portugal Is More Progressive Than New York Or New Jersey

Portugal, a country that is 84% Roman Catholic, has approved same-sex marriage, making it the sixth European country to do so.  That means Europe has more countries where gay marriage is legal (6) than we have states (5).  It also means that New York and New Jersey, which both recently rejected same-sex marriage,  can’t hold a gay pride candle to Portugal.…

Ron Paul Says Tea Party Will Not Revive GOP

Texas Congressman Ron Paul, loved by the tea partiers, says they are not the answer to GOP woes.

“I don’t think you can talk about the tea party as a party,” Paul said during an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. “It’s made up of a lot of different people. And I don’t even see them as being Republicans.”

“I think they’re unhappy. They’re unhappy with the establishment party. And that’s made up of the Republicans and the Democrats,” Paul said. “If the Republicans don’t catch on to that, they can’t build their party.”

Responding to tea party …

Palin Aide Feared VP Debate Would Be “Debacle Of Historic And Epic Proportions”

A new book by political reporters Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime, details how close the debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden came to being a wipe-out.

McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt (right) said Palin’s opening line, “Hey, can I call you Joe,” was suggested after she repeatedly got his name wrong in practice sessions, referring to him as “O’Biden.”

He said he had been warned by a campaign staffer that Palin was doing very poorly in her preparation.

“He told us the …