John McCain Talks A Lot, Says Nothing...

...and other fantastic feats of humanity! Marvel at how the government bails out Bear Stearns and forgets the American people! Look on in awe as contractors at the State Department snoop at your passport information! See how drug production in Afghanistan skyrockets! Mourn at how the airlines strip you of your rights! Today is March 26th, and this is Mic Check. Hell in a hand basket, anyone?

Celebration Excuse

Jefferson doesn’t believe in the Atkins Diet, another crazy cult commits group suicide, and British people finally learn how to drive. It’s March 26 and Mic Check’s craving some carbs.

1804

Jefferson leads a crowd at a public Senate party in consuming a “mammoth loaf” of bread to eat with the remnants of an enormous block of cheese.

1934

A driving test is introduced in the UK, which makes sense considering its entire citizenry drives on the wrong side of the road.

1953

Jonas Salk announces his polio vaccine. Mark the occasion by riding your bike with both legs intact.

1920

Say hello to disillusionment and despair: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s first novel is published, giving wealthy, good-looking young people a reason to whine about their lives.

1997

Case 289,903 in why your mom taught you to be afraid of cults: 39 Heaven’s Gate cult members are found dead, supposedly committing suicide in order to leave their bodily “containers” and enter an alien spacecraft hidden behind the Hale-Bopp comet.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

1874: Robert Frost, American poet not down with fences.
1911: Playwright Tennessee Williams, who liked to mix vodka and mental illness with beautiful heroine characters.
1930: First woman to be U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
1940: First woman to be Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

Daybook

Stumpin’

Sen. John McCain addresses the Los Angeles World Affairs Council on the situation on the ground in Iraq and his discussions with world leaders.

Congress

Senate

Not in session.

10:30 a.m.

Energy Subcommittee: Field hearing on challenges associated with rapid deployment of large-scale carbon capture and storage technologies.

House

Spring District Work Period.

2:00 p.m.

International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight Subcommittee: Field hearing on “City on the Hill or Prison on the Bay? The Mistakes of Guantanamo and the Decline of America’s Image.”

TV

Watch at work

Oprah: The Cleanup Reveal: Inside the Lives of Hoarders, Part 2 (R 11/16/07)

The View: A Day of Hot Topics

Regis & Kelly: Kate Bosworth, Tom Cavanagh, guest co-host Megan Mullally

Martha: Advertising executive and talk show host Donny Deutsch

Ellen: Paris Hilton, Lupe Fiasco, chef Homaro Cantu, New York Giant David Tyree (R 2/8/08)

Stay up late

Letterman: “Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams, Judy Greer, Langhorne Slim

Leno: Abigail “Little Miss Sunshine” Breslin, SNL writer Seth Meyers, Steve Earle

Ferguson: Pamela Anderson, designer Christian Siriano, Judith Smith-Levin

Conan: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, comedian Ed Helms, Bjork (R 9/27/07)

Kimmel: John Cusack, model Sofia Vergara, the Jonas Brothers

Stewart: Archeology author and professor Brian Fagan (R 3/17/08)

Colbert: Drug Policy Alliance director Ethan Nadelmann, journalist Howard Kurtz (R 3/12/08)

 

Eavesdrop

STEAL THIS AUDIO

John McCain’s Housing Speech

Who: Sen. John McCain

Where: The OrangeCounty Hispanic Small Business Roundtable in California

When: Yesterday afternoon

What: Sen. McCain gave a 1,655-word speech about his plan to fix the mortgage crisis which is currently crippling the American economy. His “plan,” however, turned out to be a plan to plan to make a plan. Then have some meetings about making a plan. To then maybe make a plan. A full year after other leaders began calling for action on the mortgage crisis, Sen. McCain instead gave a speech the New York Times said “did not provide specifics about any immediate plans to deal with the crisis.”

The Audio

  • I will consider any and all proposals based on their costs and benefits.
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  • I’m prepared to examine any new proposals and evaluate them based on these principals.
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  • It’s time to convene a meeting of the nation’s accounting professionals to discuss the current mark to market accounting systems.
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  • We should also convene a meeting of the nation’s top mortgage lenders. Top mortgage lenders, working together.
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Popularity Contest

America voted, and these are the top on-line stories yesterday.

ABC: Clinton: I ‘Misspoke’ on Bosnia Trip Recollection

NBC: New warnings about entitlements shortfall

CBS: Top 10 Reasons To Have Sex Tonight

FOX: High School Cheerleader Dies of Breast Surgery Complications

CNN: Huge Antarctic ice chunk collapses

NYT: The Long Defeat

WASHPO: Pentagon Admits Mistaken Arms Parts Shipment

USAT: Boomers’ hope: That the ‘kids’ are all right

LAT: U.S. mistakenly ships missile parts to Taiwan

REUTERS: Thinking the unthinkable: what if it’s not that bad

BBC: Cod oil ‘cuts arthritis drug use’

Masthead

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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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