another manic Monday ...

Today's Buzz (so far) ...

IMHO - In the world of news (in general) and Anderson Cooper / Anderson Cooper 360° news (specifically), Mondays are notorious for being extra busy ... or maybe it's just me??

For example - I just got through hearing Kyra Phillips ever-so-assertively (and rightly so) grill Sheriff Ed Brown from Onslow County, NC - about why Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean was given so much 'latitude' with regards to being accountable for his whereabouts while the investigation into the then-missing Cpl. Maria Lauterbach was being conducted. Let's just say that I'm glad that I don't have any friends or relatives relying on law enforcement in that area for safety!

Anyway - some catch-up with a few 'fun' items that I've been wanting to get to, and some miscellaneous information to pass along - starting with this brand new annoucement released just a little while ago - from both the CNN Pressroom and Multichannel Online:

CNN Launches Nightly "Election Center" Co-Anchored from Campaign Trail

Best Political Team to Provide Round-Up of Campaign News for 8 p.m. Hour
CNN starting today will dedicate the 8 p.m. hour each weekday to the latest election news coverage from the campaign trail in a new program, CNN Election Center. Building on CNN’s successes and ratings wins from both the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primaries, CNN Election Center will be anchored by members of the “Best Political Team on Television” from the New York-based CNN Election Center and on the trail by CNN anchor John Roberts.
The program combines CNN’s unrivaled field reporting and analysis with all of the technology that CNN demonstrated on recent primary election nights. Each evening, CNN will report on substantive issues of concern to the American people with policy-oriented questions that will go beyond the minutia of the horse race and Beltway conventions.

For CNN Election Center, Roberts will anchor live from the field as candidates circulate through Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina, Florida and California as the Super Tuesday primaries approach. In New York, a rotating slate of anchors, including Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Lou Dobbs, John King and Soledad O’Brien, will anchor from the CNN Election Center. Cooper and Roberts will co-anchor the program’s debut edition.

“CNN will offer the electricity of Election Night every night at 8,” said Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S. “The Best Political Team on Television will provide unmatched insight and inside information and will give viewers what they want the most: less horse race coverage and more of the candidates talking about what they would do as president.”

CNN Election Center will air each weekday from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. through the week of Super Tuesday. All times Eastern. The program also serves as a television companion to CNN.com’s Election Center available here.

Joining the program from the trail will be CNN’s Emmy Award-winning political team with Dana Bash, John King and Mary Snow covering the Republican candidates, and Candy Crowley, Suzanne Malveaux and Jessica Yellin reporting on the Democrats. Also out on the campaign trail will be CNN correspondents Jim Acosta, Tom Foreman, Joe Johns, Chris Lawrence and Dan Lothian. Gloria Borger; senior political analyst; Jack Cafferty, commentator; David Gergen, senior political analyst; Bill Schneider, senior political analyst; and Jeff Toobin, legal analyst; will also contribute to the program along with CNN’s nationally known contributors Bill Bennett, Carl Bernstein, Donna Brazile and Roland Martin.

Through 2007 and continuing this year, CNN’s election programming has resonated with viewers who have made the network and CNN.com their source for politics. Two of CNN’s primary debates – the CNN/YouTube Republican debate and the Democratic debate in Las Vegas – stand as the two highest-rated primary debates in cable news history. CNN’s coverage of the Iowa caucuses topped the competition in the youngest demographics, while its New Hampshire primary coverage won across all demographics including total viewers.

An extra hour of Lou Dobbs Tonight will preempt CNN Election Center on Tuesday, Jan. 15, the day of the Michigan primary, with Lou Dobbs Tonight airing from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., followed by a Lou Dobbs Tonight Special Report, “Independents Day: Awakening the American Spirit,’ airing from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Not sure what this means for "Out In The Open" - stay tuned!!


If you're interested in submitting questions to the candidates for the upcoming CNN Presidential Debates in the LA area on January 30th and 31st - co-sponsored by Politico.com - you can do so here.



And if you're confused about what your state's requirements are for being able to vote in upcoming primaries, caucuses or even the general election this coming November, find out here - it's the site sponsored by the League of Women Voters. Just locate your state - and it's all there for you!!


I feel like I've discovered a new "toy" - and I don't have a lot of time to make new discoveries, so I'm really jazzed about this one - it's an 'easy' way to link up to videos from the blog - and I like it (a lot) and hope to be using it much more extensively ... my first "try" was last week with a couple of Daily Show videos, which worked really well - so I'm starting out this week with one that (sorry, Jon) is even more to my liking ...

It's the video of "Anderson's Mom" (aka - Gloria Vanderbilt) 'serenading' him on World News Now in 1999 - it's quite funny, if only for the serenade, but then we saw a series of 'old AC photos' - and I'll post a few screen caps below the video link - with more to come tomorrow and Wednesday:











Update # 1: Place your order for the Mole 2 on DVD ...

I didn't forget that I had mentioned I would offer the recent airing of The Mole 2 on DVD – in exchange for a charity donation. So here's the offer: a $15 check or money order, made payable to either the American Heart Association or WildLife Direct, in exchange for The Mole 2 on DVD (minus Hour 5). I'll put each hour on a separate DVD – and there will be no other cost for shipping or anything else.

I'll keep this offer open until the end of the day on Sunday, January
20th – so if you're interested, please contact me at newsblooz@yahoo.com and we'll work out the details. It's your chance to get a great deal and help out a deserving organization!

If you'd like more information about either charity, you can check
out their web sites as linked above. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me!! :-)


tonight on Anderson Cooper 360°:


Thanks for visiting - updates posted as needed (it IS Monday, after all!) - have a terrific day!