Jim Lehrer

If we don't have an informed electorate we don't have a democracy.

So I don't care how people get the information, as long as they get it.

I'm just doing it my particular way and I feel lucky I can do it the way I want to do it.

-Jim Lehrer

James Charles Lehrer
May 19, 1934 – January 23, 2020

In 1959, Lehrer began his career in journalism at The Dallas Morning News in Texas. Later, he worked as a reporter for the Dallas Times-Herald, where he covered the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963. There, he was a political columnist for several years, and in 1968 he became the city editor.

Lehrer began his television career at KERA-TV in Dallas, Texas, as the Executive Director of Public Affairs, an on-air host, and editor of a nightly news program. He moved to PBS in Washington, D.C., to become the Public Affairs Coordinator, a member of Journalism Advisory Board, and a Fellow at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). He worked as a correspondent for the National Public Affairs Center for Television (NPACT), where he met Robert MacNeil. In 1973, they covered the Senate Watergate hearings and the revelation of the Watergate Tapes broadcast, live on PBS. Lehrer covered the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment inquiry of President Richard Nixon.

In October 1975, Lehrer became the Washington correspondent for the "Robert MacNeil Report" on Thirteen/WNET New York. Two months later on December 1, 1975, he was promoted to co-anchor, and the program was accordingly renamed "The MacNeil/Lehrer Report". In September 1983, Lehrer and MacNeil relaunched their show as The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, which was renamed The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, following McNeil's departure in 1995. The program was renamed the PBS NewsHour in 2009.

Lehrer underwent a heart valve surgery in April 2008, allowing Ray Suarez to anchor in his stead until Lehrer's return on June 26, 2008.

Lehrer stepped down as anchor of the PBS NewsHour on June 6, 2011, but continued to moderate the Friday news analysis segments and be involved with the show's production company, MacNeil/Lehrer Productions.

Lehrer received several awards and honors during his career in journalism, including several Emmys; the George Foster Peabody Broadcast Award; a William Allen White Foundation Award for Journalistic Merit; and the University of Missouri School of Journalism's Medal of Honor. In 2004, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Journalism degree by McDaniel College.

Lehrer was involved in several projects related to U.S. presidential debates, including the Debating Our Destiny documentaries in 2000 and 2008, which feature excerpts of exclusive interviews with many of the presidential and vice presidential candidates since 1976. Nicknamed The Dean of Moderators by journalist Bernard Shaw, Lehrer moderated twelve presidential debates, spanning from 1988 to 2012. As of 2016, Lehrer served on the board of the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD).

The last debate that Lehrer moderated was the first general election debate of the 2012 election. He originally had sworn off moderating any debates after 2008; however, the CPD persisted, and he accepted as he was interested in the new format. The debate was held at the University of Denver and covered domestic policy issues. Lehrer's performance as a moderator, in which he frequently allowed the candidates to exceed the given time limits, received mixed reviews; while he received criticism for his lenient enforcement of time rules and open-ended questions, his approach also received praise for letting the candidates have some control in the debate on their own terms.

Good Night Mr. Lehrer

Stay Tuned


Tony Figueroa

Your Mental Sorbet: John McCain and Sarah Palin Do QVC - SNL

Here is another "Mental Sorbet" 

A little spark of madness

that we could use to momentarily forget about those

things that leave a bad taste in our mouths

On the eve the presidential election, John McCain and Sarah Palin (Tina Fey) address the nation on QVC, and sell some campaign merchandise too. [Season 34, 2008]

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa

Your Mental Sorbet: Saturday Night Live - The Clinton's Halloween Party

Here is another "Mental Sorbet" that we could use to momentarily forget about those things that leave a bad taste in our mouths.

From Season 33  Episode 4 | Aired on 11/03/2007

Sen. Obama stops by the Clintons for a Trick and a Treat

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa

Your Mental Sorbet: Saturday Night Live: Palin / Hillary Open

Here is another "Mental Sorbet" that we could use to momentarily forget about those things that leave a bad taste in our mouths.

I was watching Game Change on HBO and was thinking about this.

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa

This week in Television History: The 1st Emmy Awards were presented on January 25, 1949.

The 1st Emmy Awards were presented on January 25, 1949. The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences held the ceremony at the Hollywood Athletic Club located at 6525 Sunset Blvd. The first Emmy Awards only honored shows produced and aired in the Los Angeles area. The very first Emmy handed out was for Most Outstanding Television Personality and it went to 20-year-old ventriloquist Shirley Dinsdale. Dinsdale stared in the children’s show Judy Splinters that aired on KTLA. By the Way is KTLA LA’s first TV Station.

In 1955 Ed Sullivan organized a group of East Coast TV professionals and established a New York-based Television Academy. Two years later, the Los Angeles and New York groups united to form a new entity, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, with Sullivan as its first president.
"Emmy" name was origionally "Immy," after the image-orthicon camera tube, which was instrumental in the development of television. Emmy is a winged woman holding an atom. The wings represent the muse of art and the atom and its electrons the science and technology of the new medium. The statuette was designed by television engineer Louis McManus, whose wife served as its model. Because the statuette took the form of a woman the name "Immy" was feminized and became "Emmy".

To quote the Bicentennial Minute, "And that's the way it was" January 25, 1949

Stay Tuned



Tony Figueroa

Two words... Mission Accomplished

This Election Day I popped open my bottle of champagne, toasted with friends and know what HOPE taste like. The bottle of Jack Daniel’s will be re-gifted. I also had some Rolling Rock beer in honor of Tim Russert.

To President Elect Obama I want to quote Tim Russert, "Go get ‘em".

To the rest of us I want to quote Alan Brady (Carl Reiner on The Dick Van Dyke Show episode Coast-to- Coast Big Mouth), "Oh, happy days are here again!"

Stay Tuned and God bless America


Tony & Donna Figueroa

Election 2008.

This Election Day I want to pause for a moment and reflect on our last Election Day. Sherman set the Wayback machine to November 2nd 2004. The exit polls were optimistic. We invited some friends over to watch the returns. I bought a bottle of champagne and a bottle of Jack Daniel’s. Depending on who won the election, one of those bottles would be opened. Every time Ohio was mentioned on the news, everyone in the room gave my wife Donna (A Cincinnati girl) a dirty look. I could have started a drinking game where every time a pundit said Ohio, Battleground State or "Too close to call", we would have to take a shot.

The next day we were off to the Red State of Ohio to visit my wife’s family. It seemed like a good idea at the time. We’d leave the day after Election Day. How complicated could it be? A few days after I booked the flight online, we started hearing things like "Ohio is gonna be the next Florida". When we arrived in Ohio, I called my mom back in California who was devastated by the election results. She wanted to know if we were participating in the recount protests at the Cincinnati Board of Elections. This was the first we'd heard of any such protest. The local media (TV and print) had not mentioned anything about them. The newscasters sounded like they were in that Twilight Zone episode "It's a Good Life". It's very good that you made Bush win Anthony. Now wish the Democrats into the cornfield. (The story takes place in Peaksville, Ohio by the way)



On the first afternoon in Cincinnati, we were visited Donna’s Republican Stepford wife sister and her 2 boys, ages 3 and 5. Donna’s sister mentioned that her older boy Mathew had participated in a mock election in his kindergarten class. I asked him, "So Matthew who did you vote for?" Mathew said with pride, "I voted for George Bush!". His mother pointed out that John Kerry won in his class. So, I guess there is hope for America's youth. I was reading a newspaper when Matthew climbed into my lap. There was a photograph of George W in the paper, so I asked him who that was. "I don't know," said Mathew. I returned, "Well you voted for him silly." Mathew paused then said with pride, "George Bush". Then I pointed out another photo. "Who's that?" I said. Mathew said with pride, "George Bush". I said, "No", and had the boy look at the photo again. After studying the picture Mathew said, "I don't know". The man in the picture looks like an older version of Mathew. "His name is Barack Obama' I told him, "Maybe when you're old enough to vote in the real election, you'll be voting for him". Then Donna's sister chimed in with, "Well Matthew don't vote for him. He's a democrat". Donna erupted, "Excuse me?" She then backtracked with, "Oh ...uh Matthew ...Just vote your heart." So that was the problem, many people in OHIO voted with their hearts and not their brains!

A few days later on Veteran’s Day we were going to watch Saving Private Ryan, but the Cincinnati ABC affiliate refused to air the movie because the "F" word was used twice. The same channel whose newscasters presented the Bush victory as a great thing was now afraid to air Saving Private Ryan for fear of what the Bush appointed FCC chairman might do. This is crazy. If someone from my Blue State of California said something critical of the current war, someone from the Red State of Ohio would say, "YOU DON’T SUPPORT THE TROOPS!" But I think you insult our troops by not showing a great film that honors everyone who has ever served our country because the "F" word is used and our kids might hear it. This ABC affiliate seems to be okay with our kids seeing all the blood and guts. So instead we went to see Lewis Black in concert. It was like every freethinking liberal in Ohio was there. If you ever get to see Lewis Black Live in concert, go. He opened the show responding to the Cincinnati ABC affiliate not showing Saving Private Ryan with something like, "YOU PEOPLE ARE F***ING NUTS!" or was he responding to the way people in Cincinnati put chili on spaghetti? No one in the audience thought his language was indecent, given the context in which it was presented. We are entering very dangerous territory when we look at a great piece of filmmaking like Saving Private Ryan, or a brilliant comedian like Lewis Black and just take inventory of the words and not pay attention to the context.

In defense of my wife's hometown and home state, there are many kind generous people there. Many wondered how Bush had carried Ohio. Something for us to remember. There are a lot of people in the red states who think like people in the blue states. In the airport gift shop, I saw a little stuffed winged pig with the motto, "Ohio... Where pigs fly." After gathering our luggage at LAX, we stepped outside to find a cab. I took a deep breath, and gagged. It was great to be home.

For this Election Day I’ve purchased a bottle of champagne and a bottle of Jack Daniel’s. Depending on who wins, one of those bottles will be opened. I will also be having some Rolling Rock beer in honor of Tim Russert.

To quote Tim Russert’s dad Big Russ, "Only in America".

Stay Tuned And

Tony & Donna Figueroa

Ron Howard's Call To Action

I love this for many reasons.

Stay Tuned & VOTE

Tony Figueroa


Ron Howard wants to talk about the election.
So does Andy Griffith and Henry Winkler.

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

Finally! A reason to vote for McCain!!

The SHATNER AWARD goes to Carly Fiorina

On December 20th 1986, William Shatner was the guest host on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. In his opening monologue Mr. Shatner mentions that one of the most interesting aspects of the STAR TREK phenomenon has to be the conventions. The monologue dissolves into a sketch set at the16th Annual STAR TREK Convention being held in a convention room of a local Holiday Inn. The highlight of the sketch is when Mr. Shatner growing tired of the Trekker’s nerdish questions says,

"You know, before I answer any more questions there's something I wanted to say. Having received all your letters over the years, and I've spoken to many of you, and some of you have traveled... y'know... hundreds of miles to be here, I'd just like to say... GET A LIFE, will you people? I mean, for crying out loud, it's just a TV show! I mean, look at you, look at the way you're dressed! You've turned an enjoyable little job, that I did as a lark for a few years, into a colossal waste of time!"

A meeting of the SHATNER AWARD committee was held at the Don Knotts room of the Burbank Holiday Inn, September 22nd 2008 at 7:48 P.M. As always the SHATNER AWARD committee was informed that in order to be compliant with Robert's Rules of Order they must use actual dates instead of STAR DATES.

In accordance with out bylaws The SHATNER AWARD will be given to those individuals or groups who need to be told to, "GET A LIFE!" because "IT'S JUST A TV SHOW".

• New Business: McCain campaign surrogate Carly Fiorina called Tina Fey's portrayal of Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live "disrespectful" and "sexist."
  
  

Based on this video where Ms. Fiorina said that the skit "continues the line of argument that is disrespectful in the extreme, and yes, I would say, sexist in the sense that just because Sarah Palin has different views than Hillary Clinton does not mean that she lacks substance." We proudly present Carly Fiorina The SHATNER AWARD for needing to be told to, "GET A LIFE!" because "IT'S JUST A TV SHOW".

The motion passed by a vote of 14 yes, 02 no and 01 GET A LIFE.

The Shatner Award committee has attempted to contact Carly Fiorina but she seems to have disappeared.

Respectfully submitted

Tony Figueroa,
Committee Chair

The Dream

Last night we saw the first act of a 45 year old dream that looks like it was directed by Frank Capra and written by Aaron Sorkin.

To quote Tim Russert's Dad Big Russ, "What a country!"

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa

Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Ad

This is an ad for The Paris Hilton Presidential Campaign.
Paid for by Funny Or Die.

So There!

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die