Category Archives: Politics

Good Blues at the White House for Once

By Roger Catlin | Published: February 21, 2012
I love the fact that just down a couple miles down street from my house tonight, Mick Jagger will be jamming with B.B. King, Booker T. Jones, Jeff Beck, Keb Mo and Trombone Shorty. Gary Clark Jr., Shemekia Copeland, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks will also be there. And with any luck, Barak Obama will [...]
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Why the Scandal Dominates ‘Clinton’

By Roger Catlin | Published: February 21, 2012
If you wrote a book about Bill Clinton and his presidency, would you spend fully a fourth of it discussing his affair with a White House intern? That’s what happens in “Clinton,” the two night presentation on “American Experince” that uses one of its four hours dealing with the fallout. Filmmaker Barak Goodman defended the [...]
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The Governor and the Talk Show

By Roger Catlin | Published: January 30, 2012
Al Gore was all excited earlier this month announcing the newest show for his Current TV schedule at the TV critics press tour. Who needs another political talk show? Well this one is hosted by former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm. “With the launch of Jennifer’s show,” Gore says, “We will have a full primetime lineup, [...]
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Obama’s Speech Drew 37.8 Million

By Roger Catlin | Published: January 25, 2012
President Obama’s State of the Union address drew 37.8 million viewers Tuesday. It was the smallest audience of the four such speeches he has given to joint sessions of Congress. But, shown on 14 different networks, the address had far more viewers than, say the other dose of political speech that has invaded prime time [...]
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Colbert Rocks You Like a Herman Cain

By Roger Catlin | Published: January 20, 2012
One of the biggest rallies in the South Carolina primary season may be the jokey one scheduled for Friday afternoon from TV’s Stephen Colbert. The Comedy Central host, who portrays a fake conservative on his nightly “Colbert Report” will team up with a former candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination, Herman Cain, for the rally [...]
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A Warning About a Witch Hunt: A TCA Tale

By Roger Catlin | Published: January 5, 2012
Harry Thomason, the TV producer (“Designing Women”) and friend to President Clinton said he got a call just before the former Arkansas governor was sworn the White House from an adviser in the George H.W. Bush administration who was also from Hollywood. It was from Jerry Weintraub, the Hollywood producer, he told reporters at a [...]
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How Politicians First Got on Late Night TV

By Roger Catlin | Published: January 5, 2012
The other unusual thing Harry Thomason said about the Clinton years in a TV Critics Assocition panel on an upcoming two-part film on the former president was the first to break an unwritten ban on politicians on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.” Nowadays, it’s expected to see a politician make a late night appearance [...]
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Mitt Romney Sings The Doors

By Roger Catlin | Published: December 31, 2011
“I’ve been talking about music lately,” Mitt Romney said at a campaign stop in Cedar Falls this week. “I happen to love the patriotic songs of America.” And what of the other songs of America? When asked about his New Year’s Eve plans today, he replied “There’s a celebration of the music of the Doors at [...]
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The Ballad of Herman Cain: The Night I Drove Old Dixie Home

By Roger Catlin | Published: November 30, 2011
Herman Cain is my name and I served up some pizza plain ‘Til so many calories came, I tore up my bio again In the winter of 95, those who served the hungry, made me their guy I lobbied Congress and I met some gals It was a time I remember oh so well The [...]
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‘SNL’ Debate Sketches Write Themselves

By Roger Catlin | Published: November 13, 2011
Things have been so strange in the political world lately that “Saturday Night Live” was able to stage a sketch that barely wavered from the actual event. Just as with some Sarah Palin bits three years ago, writers needn’t do much more than provide the same transcripts from the politicians for the sure fire laughs. [...]
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