By Hunter Walker 10/25/12 9:02am

The Thrilla in Wasilla

Sarah Palin (Photo: Getty)

Sarah Palin Invokes Governor Cuomo and Eskimos to Deflect From ‘Shuck and Jive’ Controversy

Former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin sparked a controversy yesterday when she posted a note on her Facebook page accusing President Barack Obama of engaging in a “shuck and jive shtick” with “lies” about the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya last month. The term “shuck and jive” originated in the Deep South and has been used as a derogatory description of African-Americans. After Ms. Palin faced accusations her use of the phrase was racist, she fired back with another Facebook note that pointed to past uses of the term by Governor Andrew Cuomo, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, and MSNBC’s Chris Matthews.

“For the record, there was nothing remotely racist in my use of the phrase ‘shuck and jive’–a phrase which many people have used, including Chris Matthews, Andrew Cuomo, and White House Press Secretary Jay Carney to name a few off the top of my head,” Ms. Palin wrote. “In fact, Andrew Cuomo also used the phrase in reference to Barack Obama, and the fact that Mr. Cuomo and I used the phrase in relation to President Obama signifies nothing out of the ordinary.” Read More

By Hunter Walker 9/27/12 1:50pm

Positive Vibrations

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As Polls Swing Obama’s Way, Romney Advisor Recommends ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’

With polls, particularly in the crucial swing states of Ohio and Florida, starting to show a strong lead for President Barack Obama, one Romney advisor is urging his friends to whistle a happy tune. Michael Biundo, Mitt Romney’s deputy national coalitions director, posted a note to his Facebook page with a video of the insidious 1988 Bobby McFerrin hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”

“Somebody I know, (not naming names mind you) needs this song,” Mr. Biundo wrote.

Though Mr. Biundo kept it coy and didn’t refer to anyone in particular, based on his close connection to Mr. Romney and the many headlines generated by the recent polls, it’s hard not to read his message as a comment on the state of the presidential race. Read More

By Colin Campbell 8/13/12 2:54pm

social media strike

Naomi Rivera (Photo: Facebook)

Naomi Rivera’s Opponents Pile Onto Secret Facebook Story

Yesterday morning, the New York Post reported that Bronx Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera had an online alter ego Daniela Rivera, a Facebook account where she was more open about her private life, including her relations with a former staffer in her office who reportedly held another full-time government job at the time. Understandably, Ms. Rivera’s electoral rivals in the September 13th Democratic primary are eager to highlight the potential conflict of interest further.

The seemingly strongest and most well-funded of those challengers, businessman Mark Gjonaj, released a statement this afternoon citing New York State’s ethics code for lawmakers and declaring “the public has the right to expect a full investigation into the conflict of interest by all appropriate government agencies.” Read More

By Hunter Walker 7/19/12 2:21pm

Flame Wars

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Congressional Aide Calls For BuzzFeed Editor to Write ‘Suicide Note’ in Angry Comment on Post About Bagels

Alex Laska, a communications aide and staff assistant to Democratic Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes apparently takes bagels pretty seriously. After reading a listicle entitled “84 Things That Aren’t On An Everything Bagel” on the online meme-machine BuzzFeed.com, Mr. Laska posted a comment expressing his wish the writer of the list, Katie Notopoulos, would commit suicide.

“I want the next thing Katie Notopoulos posts on here to be her suicide note,” Mr. Laska wrote via his personal Facebook page, which identified him as an employee of the House of Representatives. Read More

By Colin Campbell 5/17/12 4:06pm

Status Updates

Mark Zuckerberg (Photo: Getty)

Working Families Party: ‘Zuck, I Thought We Were Friends’

While others are focused on Facebook’s co-founder’s citizenship-based tax evasion, New York State’s Working Families Party leaped into another loophole debate associated with the profits accumulated from the company going public.

“You’re not gonna Like this. Facebook plans to Like tax loopholes this week — in a big way,” the organizations’ executive director, Dan Cantor, said in an email blast sent to supporters, some of whom may have groaned with the “Like” rhetoric. “And it’ll cost taxpayers billions.” Read More