A New Day For Justice

Plus: What you can’t watch on the FAA’s new flat screens...itchy and scratchy coming to an airport near you...the biggest loser, billionaire edition...how much of your tax dollars did the head of the Interior Department spend on his new bathroom (and why did it include a freezer?)...Ann Coulter drools more bile...you already watch Dancing With The Stars, now clue into Dancing With The Obamas...Hooters keeps it classy...and why Dick Cheney doesn’t like rap music. It’s Tuesday and this is Mic Check Radio. Keep on dancin’.

Celebration Excuse

Dot-dot-dash and raise a glass to Mother Teresa and FDR.

1838

Samuel Morse first successfully tests the electrical telegraph. Dot — dot — dash to you too.

 1912

New Mexico joins our star-spangled union.

1929

Mother Teresa arrives in Calcutta to begin her work amongst India’s poorest people.

1931

Thomas Edison submits his last patent application.

1941

President Franklin Roosevelt delivers his Four Freedoms speech in the State of the Union Address. Which one’s your favorite?

1942

Pan-American Airlines becomes the first commercial airline to schedule a flight around the world. Suddenly, Phileas Fogg’s wager seems a bit outdated.

2005

Edgar Ray Killen is arrested as a suspect for the 1964 murders of three Civil Rights workers.

One-hit-wonders have birthdays too, you know.

1981: What’s Mike Jones been up to lately? Well, why don’t you call him and ask for yourself? Seriously, it’s (281) 206-4336.

1970: Gabrielle Reece, supermodel and volleyball star.

1968: Thank god for John Singleton, director of Boyz N the Hood and Baby Boy. Without him, BET late-night programming would be, well, Drumline on repeat.

1955: Though his name sounds like he should join Chace Crawford on the cast of Gossip Girl, Rowan Atkinson is just lowly Mr. Bean.

1412: Joan of Arc is the hottest female martyr ever. Hands down.

Daybook

POTUS

10 AM

Gives a speech at a military appreciation parade and farewell ceremony, Fort Myer, Va.

1:40 PM

Announces the designation of three areas in the Central Pacific as Marine National Monuments, DC

NEARLY POTUS

Vice President Joe Biden

According to Politico, “Joe Biden is traveling to Southwest Asia later this week – not as vice president-elect but with a bipartisan Senate delegation as outgoing chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.”

OTHER PEOPLE

Vice President Dick Cheney

Noon
Participates in the swearing in ceremony for the new members of the U.S. Senate. Senate Floor, U.S. Capitol.

ON THE HILL

9AM

Official tally of the electoral college votes

WATCH MORE TV

The View: Actress America Ferrera ("Ugly Betty)
Ellen: Marisa Tomei, Deepak Chopra, Foreigner
Regis & Kelly: Kate Hudson
Oprah: Dr. Oz day
Stewart: Michael Wolff, Vanity Fair columnist and author of The Man Who Owns the News: Inside the Secret World of Rupert Murdoch
Colbert: Matt Miller, CAP fellow (whoo hoo!) and author of The Tyranny of Dead Ideas: Letting Go of the Old Ways of Thinking to Unleash a New Prosperity
Letterman: Actor Kevin James ("King of Queens")
Leno: Queen Latifah, Adam Carolla, Pussycat Dolls
Conan: Kate Hudson
Kimmel: Comedian Mike Birbiglia

 

Eavesdrop

STEAL THIS AUDIO

Who: Members of the House Financial Services Cmte.

What: In the wake of the Bernard Madoff investment firm scandal, which allegedly defrauded investors of $50 billion, Congress held a hearing looking into SEC oversight.

  • Rep. Spencer Bachus on the SEC needing a better regulatory structure: The Madoff affair is yet another indication that what is needed is a statutory and regulatory structure for the 21st century. We don’t have that. Had we had that in place I think we may not have had this hearing today.
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  • Rep. Ron Paul on how job of SEC isn’t working: This circumstance I think really makes my point; that the approach is completely wrong. That the regulatory agencies of pre-empting people from doing bad things just don’t work. There are millions and millions and millions of transactions…you can’t do it; all they do is give a false sense of security. This is a perfect example of it. The SEC was involved with Madoff over the last decade. And it sort of gives the stamp of approval and must be like ‘oh, that must be ok’. So everyone’s guard is let down. This creates the moral hazard that allows people to make these mistakes and not to assume responsibility for themselves. Does that mean that we should ignore the problem? No! The problem comes because people commit fraud!
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  • Rep. Scott Ganett on the Ponzi (Madoff) scheme: You know I think it’s safe to say that Mr. Madoff put together the largest Ponzi scheme in the history. I doubt that even the Ponzi scheme’s namesake who is Charles Ponzi ever foresaw that someday someone would be hoodwinking investors to the tune of $50 billion. So maybe it is appropriate to the size and the longevity of the scheme, that we change the name of the Ponzi scheme that we all use in the future to the Madoff scheme.
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  • Rep. Gregory Meeks saying Madoff’s a crook: To me, what we are confronted with today, is a situation first of all, is when we talk about the Madoff scandal, is really we are dealing with a crook. We are dealing with an individual who took people’s money and lost it! He’s a crook! And he deserves to go to jail!
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Mic Check is produced every weekday by Christy Harvey, Sara Langhinrichs and Nicole Murphy, and is a project of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Read more about Mic Check.

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