Ten men a-losing,

Nine people vying,

Eight years a-sobbing,

Seven houses standing,

Six guys a-playing,

Five bold things,

Four scientists,

Three million jobs,

Two little girls,

And Joe Biden for VP!

From the AP:

“Two of the top qualities Robert Gibbs brings to the job of White House press secretary aren’t found on his resume: He won’t flinch at telling it like it is to the next president or telling it like he thinks it ought to be to the media.

Gibbs has been at the side of President-elect Barack Obama since his Senate campaign in 2004. A Southerner and tough fighter, Gibbs has been a passionate defender of Obama who can virtually channel the Illinois senator’s thoughts.

“I look forward to serving both the president-elect as he works to get our economy moving again and the press to get what they need to cover that and other important stories,” Gibbs told The Associated Press on Saturday.”

Some Robert Gibbs trivia:

- He’s the same age as me, despite looking about 50. Bless.

- He studied political science at North Carolina State University.

- He resigned as John Kerry’s press secretary during his 2004 presidential campaign; and joined Obama’s staff the same year.

- He’s known as “the enforcer”. Presumably because he “enforces” stuff.

- He’s a goalie.

- He gained some kudos during this year’s election for this now infamous “anti-semitic” exchange with Sean Hannity:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Two of our least favourite lying liars, Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh*, have started to refer to “the Obama recession”. Because this current economic crisis isn’t the fault of the Bush administration, or Republican policy, or Reaganomics. No. It’s the fault of the man who isn’t even President yet:

Ladies and gentlemen: the misinforming of the American people continues. *Sighs*.

(Hat tip: Bob Cesca.)

*holy trinity completed, of course, by Bill O’Reilly

It should be noted that Nancy Reagan didn’t express outrage at the remark and demand an apology. Sean Hannity, however, did.

Albert Brooks, writing on HuffPo, is annoyed that Obama’s apologised, and told him to just be himself.

Now, I’m all for the latter – and completely agree with Brooks’ sentiment that America should “lighten up”. (Although asking Sean Hannity to “lighten up” is, of course, futile. What with Indignation At Ridiculous Things being Sean Hannity’s modus operandi.)

I also really, really liked Brooks’ work in Broadcast News.

But it strikes me that apologising because he realises he may have upset someone’s feelings is Barack Obama being himself. And failing to apologise for things has, in fact, been one of the hallmarks of the Republican administration (come to think of it, it was also a hallmark of Blair’s administration).

I haven’t heard an apology from George W Bush for the deaths of thousands of soldiers and innocent civilians in Iraq. An apology for the torture of people in his country’s name. An apology for his government tearing up the Constitution, doing away with habeas corpus and spying on its own citizens. An apology for squandering a budget surplus and helping to bring about America’s worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

And I haven’t heard Sean Hannity demand one, either.

Funny, that. Although not quite as funny as a Nancy Reagan séance joke, obviously. That was a doozie!

He takes a look at the results of a survey which asked Americans to name three things: the controlling party of the US House of Representatives, the US secretary of state and the British prime minister.

The results may, as they say, surprise you:

Aping urbanity
Oozing with vanity
Plump as a manatee
Faking humanity
Journalistic calamity
Intellectual inanity
Fox Noise insanity
You’re a profanity
Hannity