It’s “awkward public outbursts by public figures” week! Woo-hoo! We can start with Michael Moore, who always has had a penchant for public stunts and the embarrassment of his foes, and his new movie, Capitalism: A Love Story, is no exception. (Watch the trailer here.) Ted gives us a quick review (more on his blog), pondering the unchecked dangers of a free market system and wondering if Moore gives us a compelling argument for socialism. Maegan and Teresa, well, they’re less on board; they’re sick of Moore’s tactics and believe this new movie will only help fuel the “Obama is a muslim socialist terrorist” meme on the Right. But there’s no stopping that anyway, right? Because it’s the truth, and we all know how fast that travels…

Next up in our hall of fame of rudeness is South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson, whose outburst during President Obama’s health care speech – “You lie!” – has been roundly criticized. With Wilson’s half-hearted apology and his Democratic challenger raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in its aftermath, this is just another distraction from the real debate. But who cares? It’s a me-centric world, and Joe Wilson’s got a right to get his part of the Reality TV pie!

Oh, and Kanye? Mr. West’s public outburst on stage at MTV’s VMAs this week made for great TV and for an embarrassing moment for everyone involved. Was it staged? Are there no rules of civility in pop culture? (See: MTV’s The Hills.) No matter. What’s more important is that Obama called Kanye a “jackass” (why is this in quotes, MSM? You know what it means, right?) during an off-the-record interview. Well, crap. Can’t Obama speak his mind with a live-mic on? (That did doom a certain California State Senator last week…) Is there even an off-the-record anymore? Can public figures trust anyone these days, or are they doomed to paralyzing total restraint in the fear that someone, somewhere is recording?

Finally, Obama’s doing the full Ginsberg this Sunday, hitting each of the morning talk shows, all except one – Fox News. Boo. Wouldn’t it be better if Obama took questions from a hostile host for once? I’d buy popcorn and watch. But this does seem like a big ol’ case of overexposure; do we need to see Obama so much on TV? What about online? What about through social media? Youtube videos? What’s with the social media snub, Mr. President?

Listen to the show here, subscribe to the iTunes podcast, or use the Blog Talk Radio player to the right.

Wilshire & Washington, the weekly Blog Talk Radio program that explores the intersection of politics, entertainment, and new media, features co-hosts Ted Johnson, Managing Editor of Variety; conservative blogger Teresa Valdez Klein (www.teresacentric.com), and liberal blogger Maegan Carberry (www.maegancarberry.com). The show airs every Wednesday at 7:30am PST on BlogTalkRadio.com.

A serious question for all those watching the Sonia Sotomayor hearings: Nobody, especially Sotomayor, is really going to say anything new or dramatic, so can we skip it? No? D’oh! A wise Latina might let us, but we all know how the Republicans feel about them.

On this week’s Wilshire & Washington, we confront bipartisan hackery head-on in policy, journalism, and words, and we welcome Jon Henke to our digital broadcast booth. Henke is a political and policy consultant, who’s worked for Fred Thompson, George Allen and Senator Mitch McConnell; he’s also been a blogger since 2003 at QandO.net and recently launched TheNextRight.com.

We start out on the notion of bipartisan policy, which is in some ways bad for everyone: It demands compromise and therefore will annoy the heck out of supporters and push forward half-baked policies. Or, as Henke eloquently puts it, “cutting the baby in half.” Eww. Thanks, Jon. But is this sort of buying-votes-through-compromise actually a form of collusion? Can’t partisanship be actually productive? Perhaps we could start by crossing lines to confront legislative bundling and transparency: Why can’t Congress remove irrelevant amendments in huge omnibus bills or at least vote on them separately? (Apparently, some earmarks in DC are written on napkins. Great work, guys.)

As is our want, we can’t go a whole show without talking Twitter and its effect on politics, with Ted chuckling at Maegan’s obsession. Henke offers a novel suggestion: allow politicians to only make statements in 140 characters or less and only in categorical imperatives. It would certainly quicken press conferences, but what would @TheHyperFix do to amuse himself? Teresa suggests that while dialogue in social media politics is exciting, the rampant nature of trolls often quickly devolves the conversation from any logical merit. Is there room for organizational mechanisms in comment sections, Gawker-style?

We also address recent articles about HuffPost and Politico as the future of journalism, which have led some to suggest the future holds only partisanship. Henke thinks it’s a good thing. Isn’t there a lot of profit – not necessarily monetary – to be had in partisan journalism? Financial rewards for being crazy partisan are there, of course (see Beck, Glenn), but opinions are a commodity at this point and what we really need is new information and investigation on both sides. Darn. That’s what the objective press provides, isn’t it? Maegan notes that it’s about time more outlets start competing with Arianna and Josh Marshall, and Jon addresses the GOP’s lame rightroots efforts at doing so. It does look like journalism will become far more specialized, just like it has in the tech industry.

We wrap the show with Ted weighing in on Bruno. How offensive was it? Neither Maegan nor Teresa have seen the flick, nor do they want to. Is all this furor over its release just a lot of people not having a sense of humor? It did, after a huge opening on Friday night, crash and burn a little at the box office over the weekend. Will Americans leave their sensitivities at the door? Is it worth seeing Ron Paul and terrorists punked?

Listen to the show here, subscribe to the iTunes podcast, or use the Blog Talk Radio player to the right.

Wilshire & Washington, the weekly Blog Talk Radio program that explores the intersection of politics, entertainment, and new media, features co-hosts Ted Johnson, Managing Editor of Variety; conservative blogger Teresa Valdez Klein (www.teresacentric.com), and liberal blogger Maegan Carberry (www.maegancarberry.com). The show airs every Wednesday at 7:30am PST on BlogTalkRadio.com.

As the SCOTUS nomination of Sonia Sotomayor continues to dominate the news cycle, CNN’s Leslie Sanchez joins us to get right to the heart of the matter: what’s up with Newt Gingrich withdrawing his “she’s racist” comments? Can’t the guy just stand up for what he believes? But seriously, how many controversies does Sotomayor need to go through just to get on the Supreme Court? Any errors on her tax returns? Let’s just check to make sure, okay?

Sanchez, a Republican strategist and former advisor to President George W. Bush, gives us some serious thoughts about the historic nature of Sotomayor’s nomination to the Latino community, how the GOP can talk about identity politics without turning people off, and how it’s actually President Obama who made this nomination all about race and ethnicity when he spoke so glowingly of her empathy and background. She also addresses the relevancy of those comments about a “wise Latina” – it is justice for all, without favoring one group over another.

The second big story of the last week is Doctor George Tiller, the Kansas-based abortion doctor who was killed in his own church by an anti-abortion activist. A devastating story all around, Sanchez speaks to the controversy over how certain media pipelines push angry vitriol against figures like Tiller and how that can lead to violence. Finally, Sanchez weighs in on former VP Dick Cheney’s thoughts on gay marriage. Does this mark a point of moderation for the GOP on the issue or is this fight just going to get worse? And how do Latino voters enter into the equation?

Listen to the show here, subscribe to the iTunes podcast, or use the Blog Talk Radio player to the right.

Wilshire & Washington, the weekly Blog Talk Radio program that explores the intersection of politics, entertainment, and new media, features co-hosts Ted Johnson, Managing Editor of Variety; conservative blogger Teresa Valdez Klein (www.teresacentric.com), and liberal blogger Maegan Carberry (www.maegancarberry.com). The show airs every Wednesday at 7:30am PST on BlogTalkRadio.com.

Yesterday was a big day in the battle over gay marriage. The California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, but also unanimously agreed to keep in place the 18,000 marriages that took place before the November election. Protestors gathered all across the state to condemn the decision, and we’ve got audio from the West Hollywood protest, featuring Kathy Griffin, Drew Berrymore, and LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. But these protests weren’t anywhere as big as those right after the election, and this brings up the question: how does the movement sustain the enthusiasm and organization that it lacked during the “No on Prop 8″ campaign?

A big question mark on this issue is President Obama, whose support of civil unions was often believed to be a feint for a truly progressive stance. That belief hasn’t bourn out, as the President has been virtually silent on both Prop 8 and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. What gives, Mr. President? You can commend yourself for nominating a Latina to the Supreme Court while you totally ignore another minority group that desperately needs leadership? Maegan and Teresa discuss what would be the best way forward for marriage equality, including legal arguments and possible best practices.

That big nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor is a big deal, of course, and while it’s pretty unlikely Sotomayor is going to be denied, could she turn out to be the Democratic version of David Souter? And what is the media doing paying any attention to what Mitt Romney says about this issue? He has nothing to do with Sotomayor’s confirmation. It’s all the media’s push for drama. But since we love the drama, what can the GOP hang their opposition of Sotomayor on? Racism? Playing identity politics, which Teresa denounces as a big part of why she doesn’t consider herself a Democrat?

Finally, we touch on Mr. Bow-Tie Himself, Tucker Carlson, and his feeble-looking attempt to counter The Huffington Post? With The Daily Caller, is the Right starting to believe that talk radio is being marginalized, so they have to jump into the online realm? Can the conservatives match the relentless nature of Arianna Huffington and her work with the internet newspaper? Carlson’s got his work cut out for him, certainly.

Listen to the show here, subscribe to the iTunes podcast, or use the Blog Talk Radio player to the right.

Wilshire & Washington, the weekly Blog Talk Radio program that explores the intersection of politics, entertainment, and new media, features co-hosts Ted Johnson, Managing Editor of Variety; conservative blogger Teresa Valdez Klein (www.teresacentric.com), and liberal blogger Maegan Carberry (www.maegancarberry.com). The show airs every Wednesday at 7:30am PST on BlogTalkRadio.com.

As the recently released film, “The Soloist,” has focused the country’s attention on the hidden beauty in Los Angeles’ Skid Row, music photographer Scott Schultz has taken things a step further by embedding himself within the community, where he discovered a thriving scene of artists – songbirds and warblers alike – making the most of their situation at Skid Row Karaoke. After months of visiting with residents and participating in their performances, Shultz has begun a photo essay for LARecord.com which shows the faces of poverty in a new light. Schultz joins hosts Ted and Maegan to share the story of how he discovered this group of people who gather each week in the basement of a church to sing, dance, and take their minds off their troubles. (Since the last time they had updated music was in the mid-90s, it’s not surprising that the most popular song is Will Smith’s “Wild Wild West.”)

The pictures, which can be seen here, are inspiring and remind us that Skid Row is more than just a street corner where people with bad luck end up. It’s a community, with photography groups, basketball clubs, and other organizations. The big question is, can these images, and The Soloist, change people’s perception of homelessness or inspire them to take action?

Schultz encourages anyone interested in donating new karaoke tunes or heping out in another capacity reach out to him at scott@larecord.com. He also recommends visiting the Downtown Women’s Center or Food Not Bombs.

In other news we discuss the gossip surrounding Jon Huntsman, the GOP Governor of Utah, who was named Ambassador to China. He’s a telegenic figure, a moderate and popular Republican, and a possible threat to Obama in 2012, so is this a shrewd move by the President, eliminating a major challenger? Is he the best person for the job? (Who cares? What are his politics? That’s FAR more important than qualifications!) Could this work against Democrats in the long run, elevating Huntsman and giving him real foreign policy credentials for a 2016 run? And why is Huntsman agreeing? A curious situation, all around.

Maegan also addresses a new study released by the Center for American Progress, showing overwhelming support for progressive issues among younger voters. It’s from a liberal think-tank, so you have to take it with a grain of salt, but still, it’s an interesting development. And finally, the first Twitter lawsuit has emerged, where a conservative blogger, #tcot founder Michael Leahy, is suing someone for tweeted libel because she mocked his tax situation. If successful, it would set a huge precedent for online rights, and Maegan and Ted ponder its possible ramifications on the online world for both “citizen” and “real” journalists.

Listen to the show here, subscribe to the iTunes podcast, or use the Blog Talk Radio player to the right.

Wilshire & Washington, the weekly Blog Talk Radio program that explores the intersection of politics, entertainment, and new media, features co-hosts Ted Johnson, Managing Editor of Variety; conservative blogger Teresa Valdez Klein (www.teresacentric.com), and liberal blogger Maegan Carberry (www.maegancarberry.com). The show airs every Wednesday at 7:30am PST on BlogTalkRadio.com.

With Supreme Court buzz dominating DC, gender issues are suddenly back in style despite the President’s recent declaration at his 100 Days press conference that protecting abortion rights was not a high priority on his agenda. Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women, joins us for a fascinating discussion about equality in Obama’s alleged post-gender, post-race administration. Is this really a new era? Maegan wonders if we’re perpetuating tired, unnecessarily adversarial talking points from the 1960s and stalling our progress on womens rights in general. Should we reframe our approach to the issues? On the SCOTUS front, Teresa asks why it is assumed that a male judge can’t understand the same issues with the same “empathy” as a female judge. If we want smart, competent judges, why does it matter what gender they are? Is this all just the result of a generational gap in which there’s a disconnect on the part of younger, privileged women from the realities of history? And for the Grand Finale: What of the possibility of a gay or lesbian appointment, or selecting someone who isn’t a member of the “intellectual elite?”

Speaking of misogynist, homophobic culture wars: Ted, Maegan and Teresa also tackle the fascinating issue of the Ms. California and her eyebrow-raising stance on marriage rights. While you were looking at her boobs, Carrie Prejean apparently thought it was OK to share her opinion, but was it in an appropriate context? Do the promoters of the contest have the right to strip her of her title for making these statements, or are we just a masochistic nation that loves to persecute pretty blonde girls, as Britney Spears suggested in her cover of Bobby Brown’s “My Perogative”?

Oh, and this weekend there’s a tiny little thing called the White House Correspondents Dinner, with host Wanda Sykes and possibly President Obama. (Gay women are taking over the world, it seems!) Should we really be cracking light-hearted jokes about the dilapidated state of our union these days, and is it appropriate for the MSMers to be so chummy with people in power? (We hear Judy Miller has awesome seats in the coat room this year.)

Listen to the show here, subscribe to the iTunes podcast, or use the Blog Talk Radio player to the right.

Wilshire & Washington, the weekly Blog Talk Radio program that explores the intersection of politics, entertainment, and new media, features co-hosts Ted Johnson, Managing Editor of Variety; conservative blogger Teresa Valdez Klein (www.teresacentric.com), and liberal blogger Maegan Carberry (www.maegancarberry.com). The show airs every Wednesday at 7:30am PST on BlogTalkRadio.com.

Torture memos here, torture memos there, torture memos everywhere! On the left, they’re screaming bloody-murder for public hangings of all people involved; on the right, they want Obama’s head for letting out this confidential information. We’re all embarrassed and horrified, but is that a reason for not talking about the fact that the United States DID torture? How do Lynndie England and her crimes at Abu Ghraib fit into this equation? Can you chastise one and not the other? And if letting out the memos is bad for morale, isn’t torturing people bad for morale too? Maegan feels these the authors of these memos should be subjected to some sort of justice, and Teresa tries to remind us that if we want to do it right, we must be patient. Rome wasn’t rebuilt in a day, after all.

Besides torture, wiretapping is all the talk in DC right now after CQPolitics.com broke the story about Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) being wiretapped and getting caught offering to lobby for AIPAC. How much of it is true? Could this be a tempest in a teapot? Is this just another story the media is trumpeting without much evidence? Ted admits this is a big part of the media environment now, with everybody being under a tremendous amount of pressure to break a story.

And the big news yesterday is Gavin Newsom announcing he’s running for Governor of California, and did it via Twitter and Facebook! He might get new media, but he still has to get his message out there to, um, “regular folks” (aka non-twitterers). Will he make his stance on gay marriage a major part of his campaign? Of course, California is lining up a whole host of high-tech candidates for major office: Steve Westly, Carly Fiorina, Meg Whitman, even Chris Kelly from Facebook. But to command the youth vote, you’ve got to do more than engage the new mediums – you’ve got to speak the language.

Finally, we’ve got a growing controversy, possibly, around Ron Howard’s new film, Angels & Demons, with certain members from the Catholic Church calling it out. While this is surely going to fail in stopping the movie from becoming a massive box office success, a more interesting question is this: do boycotts even work anymore?

Listen to the show here, subscribe to the iTunes podcast, or use the Blog Talk Radio player to the right.

Wilshire & Washington, the weekly Blog Talk Radio program that explores the intersection of politics, entertainment, and new media, features co-hosts Ted Johnson, Managing Editor of Variety; conservative blogger Teresa Valdez Klein (www.teresacentric.com), and liberal blogger Maegan Carberry (www.maegancarberry.com). The show airs every Wednesday at 7:30am PST on BlogTalkRadio.com.

It’s Tea-Bagging-Tea-Party-Glenn-Beck’s-Birthday-Day! Everyone’s going wild about getting tea-bagged today, with parties taking place in major cities all across the country to protest Obama raising taxes and bailing out Wall Street. But what’s interesting to us is how all this is being organized. Twitter, Facebook, and blogs have turned into a huge organizing tool for this group, with #teaparty trending to the top of Twitter’s search. So here’s the big question: how should new technologies, like Twitter and Facebook, be used in campaigns, and how should they be used in government?

Adriel Hampton, a news commentator, new media pundit, and investigator with the San Francisco DA Office, is running for Congress in California’s 10th Congressional District and he joins our hosts Ted Johnson and Maegan Carberry to talk twitter and populism, how the mainstream media has mostly ignored the tea parties, and how government shouldn’t waste this activist energy, no matter which party it belongs to. What’s with Obama stopping his twitter feed just because he’s not in office? Doesn’t that show how the administration isn’t being engaged technologically? Can the Republicans really take this populist “revolt” and somehow organize it for the next election? We also get a friendly call from Steve, a fellow BlogTalkRadio, wondering why the media isn’t taking the tea-bag parties seriously?

Listen to the show here, subscribe to the iTunes podcast, or use the Blog Talk Radio player to the right.

Wilshire & Washington, the weekly Blog Talk Radio program that explores the intersection of politics, entertainment, and new media, features co-hosts Ted Johnson, Managing Editor of Variety; conservative blogger Teresa Valdez Klein (www.teresacentric.com), and liberal blogger Maegan Carberry (www.maegancarberry.com). The show airs every Wednesday at 7:30am PST on BlogTalkRadio.com.