MEDIA MICROSCOPE MONDAY

Our good friend Paul Waldman from Media Matters will join us to help parse some of the recent bias in the media.

Then we’ll take a historical look at the first President Bush. PBS is airing American Experience, George H. W. Bush tonight, a deep and detailed look at the 41^st President. Producer Austin Hoyt will tell us what the historians find.

You can watch the full program online here. The thorough website also has all the facts you need on G. H. W. Bush, a detailed timeline of his impressive life and dozens of family photos. Father and son really did look alike at some point.

As it is Media Microscope Monday, we'll hear about bias in the news. It wouldn't be fair though to focus only on the bad. So, when Fox News does something right, why not point that out too? This Fox story points out that John McCain's connections to controversial pastors John Hagee and Rod Parsely makes him no less connected to outrageous religious figures than Barack Obama but for some reason, McCain is getting a pass on that, while Barack Obama is being skewered. Yes, from Fox News.

Daily Kos looks at the many McCain gaffes that have been played down or totally overlooked by the press. The most surprising omissions are the cases where McCain is factually flat out wrong, usually by denying he said something in the past.

FROM THE NEVER ENDING CAMPAIGN
In one of the closest elections that still didn't matter at all, Barack Obama wins the Guam primary by seven, (as in three less than ten) seven votes, total. The four delegates for Guam will be evenly split, so nothing changes. Even the bragging rights don't really mean anything because it's Guam.

In an election that does matter, Louisiana Democrat won a Congressional special election. The real news here is that it was in a heavily Republican district, indicating that even the strongholds of the GOP are vulnerable.

IN THE MELANGE
Is America done? Has the era of American global leadership and hegemony come and gone? How short it was. Fareed Zakaria released an excerpt from his book on the decline of American glory in this week's Newsweek.

In a twist on the party line on Iraq, the government there, the one installed by the US, says that they want to study how (and if) Iran is meddling in their country no more just trusting what the US intelligence claims. Is this the beginning of a divergence between allies?

JUST BECAUSE

Fun with photos. See some highlights of what Soviet playgrounds looked like. We're talking strange potbellies statues with legs spread wide, depressing fake bicycles and a stuffed dog stapled to a board for some reason and more.

What do you think would cost more, a tennis lesson from Andre Agassi, tickets to the Presidential Inauguration (includes meeting the new Prez) or breakfast with Alan Greenspan? They are all up for auction. Past guest of the Lionel Show, Kerry Kennedy, heads the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights and they’re running a very impressive fundraiser right now. Check out this auction with rare, lavish and influential items up for the highest bidder. There's even a college internship position being auctioned off.

And much much more …

CALL LIONEL LIVE – 866-303-2270

Leave a caustic message on the Drunk Dial Line 24/7 – 212-871-8283

Snail Mail
The Lionel Show
641 6^th Ave
4^th Floor
New York, NY 10011