"For Many Iranians, 'Death To America' Are Just Words."

NPR assures.

Just words?! Hey, don't tell me words don't matter!



It's just by chance that the old Obama "just words" speech came to mind there. Pure coincidence that it comes the day after all that talk about Rand Paul and plagiarism. But this was the speech where he lifted his best lines from Deval Patrick.

Just words!

When you send Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel out to do your PR, you must be really desperate.

Did you see this character on "Fox News Sunday" yesterday? If not, you've got to watch this video. Here's the transcript, but you won't get the high anxiety feeling from the text alone. It must be experienced visually and aurally.

Now, I've watched this twice (and read the transcript), and I believe Zeke — older brother of Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel and Hollywood-based talent agent Ari Emanuel — is damned sharp and even honest and he's willing to argue and stand his ground and more. I appreciate that. There is something to be defended here — Obamacare — and so if they aren't willing to acknowledge the fraud and to resubmit healthcare reform to Congress — which I believe is the only morally correct response — then they'd better step up, take the hard questions, and give real answers. And that's what Ezekiel Emanuel is doing there. It's spectacular!

But this is not the kind of harsh, in-your-face talk America is used to! This is the kind of guy you expect to be working hard behind the scenes. A mellower, friendlier face is what we expect. Did you see Deval Patrick on "Meet the Press" yesterday? That's the norm. So soothing! Everything's going to be all right. Ezekiel Emanuel? That was so weird! That was not Everything's going to be all right. That was PANIC!!!!

"Do you want to be near people or away from people?"

The restauranteur asked Governor Deval Patrick, the day after the capture of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. 

"I said, ‘As far away as I can.’ So she put in the corner, me and my book on my iPad, and she starts bringing me things. Some of them edible. In fact all the food was edible. She starts bringing me things to drink as a celebration. And by the end of the meal, I was actually quite drunk, by myself.”

Is this how we get FCC rulings nowadays?

David Ortiz spoke from the heart at today's Red Sox game. I stand with Big Papi and the people of Boston - Julius

— The FCC (@FCC) April 20, 2013

Via The Hollywood Reporter:

After thanking Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick and the city’s police department, Ortiz yelled “This is our f---ing city!” Ortiz added: “And nobody's going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong.”

The game against the Kansas City Royals was broadcast nationally on MLBN, as well as regionally on NESN. It was also carried on local radio stations WEEI 850 and WUFC 1510.

But Ortiz’s f-bomb isn’t going to land him in hot water with the FCC, with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski tweeting his blessing from the government agency’s official Twitter account.

If you're trying to remember what the current state of the law is on "fleeting expletives" and broadcasting, here's an NYT article from last June: "Can You Say That on TV? Broadcasters Aren’t Sure." Photo of Genachowski at the link.

Scott Brown will go back to the Senate, into the seat Kerry will vacate...

... unless this poll is way off.

The strongest potential opponent is Deval Patrick, and he's running 7 points behind Brown.

If Kerry becomes Secretary of State, his replacement could be... Michael Dukakis!

Democratic Governor Deval Patrick will get to appoint someone pending a special election (which would come in late spring or early summer).

Dukakis is — we're told — the obvious choice if the idea is to install a placeholder.