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WATCH: Coulter's Obama Joke Falls Flat

2012-02-10T20:00:55Z

Ann Coulter compared President Obama to rapper and reality star Flavor Flav at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday.

The inflammatory line was one of several Coulter sprinkled throughout her speech, a version of which she reliably gives at CPAC
every year. The 2012 edition of the address did not contain any outright shockers, such as when she called John Edwards a "faggot" in 2007. She did, however, stay current by making a very crude joke about Bill Clinton.

Her Obama line came during a series of riffs about the president. She alleged that the mainstream media "is gaga" about him, and said that he would make "a lovely next-door neighbor, as long as you're not Chinese cause then he'd be constantly borrowing stuff" -- a joke that received loud applause.

Then, she dropped her pièce de résistance. "Voters with forty years of politically correct education are ecstatic to have the first black president. They just love the idea even if we did get Flavor Flav instead of Thomas Sowell." Unfortunately for her, the joke fell pretty flat; there seemed to be quite a few more groans that laughs. Coulter quickly moved on.

The 2012 Speculatron Weekly Roundup For Feb. 10, 2012

2012-02-10T20:00:36Z

Fans of the National Basketball Association have a saying about the league's playoff series: It's not a competition until the visiting team shows up and beats its opponents at home. This week, the 2012 race for the GOP nomination finally got interesting in the same way. It's not much of a surprise that former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum won -- in the end -- the Iowa caucuses. He'd camped out in that state all year. In South Carolina, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich demonstrated that he knew just what buttons to push to turn the voters on and get them out to the polls. And former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was well at home in places like New Hampshire -- where he actually lives -- and Las Vegas, where he drew on the support of the state's large Mormon community.

This week, it was anticipated that Santorum was going to have a decent night on Tuesday. There was a mostly meaningless "beauty contest" primary in Missouri that only he was taking seriously, and in Minnesota, the social conservatives who form that state's conservative base were more Santorum's flavor. But when Santorum completed the sweep that night by notching a win in Colorado, that got people's attention. Romney was not supposed to lose that state. Sure, Santorum's success in the Centennial State was due in large part to the fact that Romney hadn't bothered to turn on his super PAC Money Spigot Of Certain Death, but the story remained that Santorum had stolen a win away from the presumed front-runner on Romney's home turf.

But the changes wrought in the past week weren't limited to the horse race. A far more interesting dynamic surfaced in the national news cycle, where a range of events -- the Komen/Planned Parenthood kerfuffle, the Proposition 8 ruling, and the hot controversy over the Obama administration's ruling on contraception coverage -- brought the 'culture war' back in a big way. As NBC's First Read put it: "You know the economy must be improving when cultural and social issues come roaring back into the national spotlight." And over at Business Insider, Michael Brendan Daugherty took it a step further, cautioning readers to "forget jobs" as an election year issue:

Everyone thought that the 2012 election would be about jobs, jobs, jobs.
They were wrong.

First corporate profits went up. The market has been strong for almost two months. Unemployment is falling. And there are even signs of life in the housing industry.

Yes, America still has long term debt problems. And Americans are saddled with lots of household debt.

But the last three weeks prove that what gets Americans really fired up is the culture war.

The confluence of Santorum's success and the rise of culture war issues raises an interesting question. If the economy actually improves, does Romney still have an argument for why he should be president? And if events require the GOP contenders to earn the nomination based on fealty to true red-blooded conservatism, isn't Santorum in a better position? Can Gingrich earn the mantle based upon his past triumphs? Or is Texas Rep. Ron Paul already using his well-trained army of supporters to steal enough delegates to earn a seat at the table?

And in a wonderful example of serendipitous timing, the week has swung from the midwestern nominating contests back to Washington, D.C. and the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). At CPAC, the vagaries of the economy never matter much. Whether the economy is booming or breaking down, at CPAC you're always supposed to lower taxes on the wealthy, gut government programs and slash entitlements. All of that is a given. When candidates come to CPAC, they're coming to the Temple, to prove that you deserve to be ordained in the spirit of Saint Reagan. And at CPAC, these culture war issues matter greatly in how well you're received, and how much support from the conservative movement you're likely to take with you as you return to the trail.

Romney, Gingrich and Santorum all made the pilgrimage to CPAC. Paul didn't make the trip, opting instead to keep working on the trail. (CPAC is old hat to Paul, so the decision to keep working at winning votes on the trail is the smart play.) We invite you all to follow our CPAC coverage by clicking here, and here. And, of course, we invite you all to enter the Speculatron for the week of Feb. 10, 2012.

[Would you like to follow me on Twitter? Because why not?]

Study Confirms Overwhelmingly White, Male Cast Of Sunday Shows

2012-02-10T19:36:28Z

A new study confirms, yet again, one of the more troubling features of the Sunday morning talk shows: that they are dominated by white men.

The study, released by the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts on Friday, is part of a new initiative by a wide coalition of Latino groups to bring more diversity to the Sunday shows. The NHFA tabulated every guest and commentator on "This Week," "Meet the Press," "Face the Nation" and "Fox News Sunday" from March-November of 2011.

The lack of diversity on the Sunday shows is, of course, hardly news, but the seemingly cast-in-stone makeup of the shows at a time of rapidly increasing diversity is always noteworthy.

The results were less than favorable. The last census showed a country that is 72 percent white, 16 percent Latino, 12 percent black and just under 5 percent Asian. The Latino population also grew 43 percent from 2000 to 2010.

Yet those figures are not represented on the Sunday program. According to the study, the guests on the shows are 88 percent white, 8 percent black, 3 percent Latino and just 1 percent Asian or Native American.

The roster of commentators was similarly skewed: 83 percent white, 7.6 percent black, 4 percent Latino and .67 percent Asian or Native American.

Women also represented just 22 percent of guests.

"Today's political pundits are nearly identical to the ones that sat on the same chairs 40 years ago," the NHFA said in the report. "The hosts, guests, journalists and commentators are primarily male and white. Women and people of color are underrepresented and there is a glaring absence of Hispanic contributors."

There's Something Weird About Newt's Dream Team

2012-02-10T18:55:36Z

In preparation for the Conservative Political Action Conference, Newt Gingrich announced his "Dream Team" of supporters Friday afternoon, and the lineup included such bastions of political savvy as Rick Perry, Herman Cain, and... Chuck Norris.

Bowflex-hawking endorsers aside, the Photoshop job on the promotional image is truly a sight to behold. Between the array of facial expressions and the ominous shadowy abyss that only Newt's tie seems to be able to combat, there's certainly something for everyone -- but what really stood out to us was the formation they're all standing in.

It seemed they were borrowing from a certain hit BBC show that's gained a tidal wave of popularity in recent weeks, and we thought, "Why not just come out and say it? Newt Loves 'Downton Abbey'!"

We went ahead and mocked up a little Dream Team of our own for Mr. Gingrich, because if Herman Cain had an endearing hat to help us remember who he was, Newt should have a neurotic bunch of early 20th-century British aristocracy rolling around as his posse. It's foolproof.

Newt's Dream Team:

The "Downton Abbey" Cast Photo:

Newt's New Dream Team:

Ann Coulter CPAC Speech: In Support Of Romney, 'Let's Try Square For A While'

2012-02-10T17:53:04Z

Ann Coulter is provocative and offensive and wonderful at self-promotion. And if it weren't for all those attributes, she could very well claim a fourth: an effective surrogate for Mitt Romney.

The conservative best-selling author gave her usual speech at CPAC on Friday. Instead of calling John Edwards a "faggot" (like she did years ago), she declared that Bill Clinton saved the Constitution by repeatedly ejaculating on White House interns. It was a stupid laugh line really not worth repeating, save to point out how likely it is to overshadow the impassioned plea she made earlier in the speech to get the crowd to drop its revulsion of Romney.

"You know how [Democrats] are going to run against our candidate, because it is the only way that they run against any Republican: Call them dumb or stupid. And there is one presidential candidate we have right now who frustrates both of those. That is Mitt Romney," said Coulter. "You can't call him dumb. You can't call him crazy. You can call him square, and that seems to be what a lot of right-wingers don't like about him."

"You ask them, 'What is it?'" she went on. "'Well, he's kind of a Ken doll, sort of stiff.' I think we have had enough of hip. Hip has nearly wrecked the country. Let's try square for a while."

The crowd cheered wildly. This was a broad case for backing the former Massachusetts Governor. But even when the questions turned to the specifics, Coulter seemed well equipped to make the pro-Romney case.

How can he be entrusted to repeal President Obama's health care law when the one he passed in Massachusetts was so similar, someone asked.

"He has been clear and forceful on that from the beginning" that he wants full repeal, Coulter said. "If you can't believe that, you might as well speculate: What if Obama starts reading Milton Friedman and becomes a free marketer? Yeah, I guess it could happen."

Romney, she went on, had the "strongest position on illegal immigration," which she called the second-most important issue. From there, she pivoted to all the failed Tea Party candidates whom the party ran in Senate races in 2010. Newt Gingrich, she argued, was not more conservative than Romney. Moreover, it really wasn't the right election to mess around.

"This is the future of the country," said Coulter. "This is no time to be, 'Oh, try this.'"

These are effective points, delivered by someone who is truly part of the conservative movement. Moments later, however, Coulter began making lewd Clinton jokes that sounded like the ones told 15 years ago.

WATCH: Chris Matthews On 'Indefensible' JFK Bombshell

2012-02-10T16:59:21Z

Chris Matthews revealed that he believes Mimi Alford, the former White House intern who claims she had an affair with President Kennedy when she was 19, on Friday's "Morning Joe."

Alford recently disclosed stunning details about their 18-month relationship in a new book. She said that she lost her virginity to JFK and that she spent nights in the White House with him when the First Lady was out of town.

Matthews, who penned a biography of JFK, has expressed his ardent admiration of the late president before. But on Friday, even he denounced Kennedy's alleged actions. "There's no defense of it," he said.

He called aspects of JFK's personality "indefensible," and blamed the president's philandering on his "cold detachment" from people's feelings. Matthews described his ability to compartmentalize parts of his life as "inhuman."

Joe Scarborough said that Alford's story did not surprise him, and cited rumors about the president's affairs with two other White House interns and Joe Kennedy's advances toward his sons' dates.

Matthews said that he met Alford forty years ago, and did not doubt her claims. "When I read her account, it's dream-like and it doesn't seem real, but it did happen," he said. "I really believe her story."

The Leveson Inquiry: The Story So Far

2012-02-10T16:50:30Z

LONDON (AP) — J.K. Rowling described how press intrusion made her feel like a hostage, Hugh Grant traded insults with a newspaper editor and a former tabloid reporter insisted that only evildoers had any need of privacy.

The first phase of Britain's media ethics inquiry ended this week after 40 days of dramatic hearings that heard from 184 witnesses — celebrities, journalists, editors, academics and lawyers — and revealed wildly differing perspectives on the murky workings of the tabloid press.

Prime Minister David Cameron set up the inquiry, led by Lord Justice Brian Leveson, in response to a scandal that began with illegal eavesdropping by Rupert Murdoch's News of the World. Murdoch shut down the 168-year-old tabloid in July after evidence emerged that it had accessed the mobile phone voicemails of celebrities, politicians and even crime victims in its search for scoops.

The first section of the inquiry looked at the culture, practices and ethics of the British press.

Here's what we've learned so far:

PHONE HACKING WAS JUST ONE FORM OF WRONGDOING — AND THE NEWS OF THE WORLD WASN'T THE ONLY PERPETRATOR

As the inquiry opened, victims' lawyer David Sherborne said it was not just the disgraced News of the World, but "the whole of the press, and in particular the tabloid section of it, which we say stands in the dock."

Illegal eavesdropping was just one of the improper techniques of which papers stood accused. Celebrities — and non-celebrities thrust into the spotlight — described paparazzi stakeouts, late-night pursuits and relentless attention that left them angry and paranoid.

Hugh Grant testified his apartment had been broken into, details of a hospital visit leaked and the mother of his baby daughter hounded by paparazzi. He accused the Mail on Sunday of hacking his phone ("A mendacious smear," countered Paul Dacre, editor of sister paper the Daily Mail).

Singer Charlotte, Church, the subject of intense media interest from childhood, said her mother had attempted suicide partly as a result of a News of the World story about her father's extramarital affair headlined "Church's three in a bed cocaine shock."

Journalism professor and former tabloid editor Roy Greenslade said that even for newspaper veterans, the daily accumulation of evidence had been startling.

"I think all of us who have worked in popular newspapers were not massively surprised but there were, even so, eye-opening moments — harassment of people, pursuit of people and intrusions into their private lives," he said.

As for phone hacking, other newspapers were accused — but without firm proof. Daily Mirror editor Richard Wallace said hacking "might well" have been going on at the Mirror in the early 2000s, though CNN celebrity interviewer Piers Morgan said he didn't believe he had ever listened to hacked voicemail messages while he was editor between 1995 and 2004.

But he offered no explanation for how he heard a voicemail message left by former Beatle Paul McCartney for his then-girlfriend, Heather Mills.

JOURNALISTS AND CELEBRITIES HAVE VERY DIFFERENT IDEAS OF PRIVACY

Celebrity witnesses expressed outrage that fame made every aspect of their private lives fair game for the press. Rowling said the tabloids' attitude was: "You're famous, you're asking for it." The press camped on her doorstep, phoned her husband pretending to be tax collectors, even slipped a note into her 5-year-old daughter's schoolbag.

"I felt such a sense of invasion," Rowling said. "(It was) like being under siege and like being a hostage."

Others described a similar sense of violation.

But representatives of the tabloid press saw it differently — as a codependent relationship involving attention-starved celebrities and story-seeking journalists.

The Daily Mail's Dacre said that "a lot of celebrities, celebrity chefs, sportspeople make a lot of money by revealing their lives to the public. I believe newspapers should be given some latitude to look into their lives when they err."

Former News of the World reporter Paul McMullan put it more bluntly: "The only people I think need privacy are people who do bad things," he said. "Privacy is evil."

THE SCANDAL HAS TAMED THE TABLOID PRESS, AT LEAST TEMPORARILY

The inquiry was triggered by widespread revulsion in July when the public learned about the hacking of the phone of Milly Dowler, a 13-year-old girl who was abducted and murdered in 2002.

Since then, Britain's rambunctious tabloids have been noticeably more muted, running few of the exposes of celebrity sex-and-drug scandal that were long their trademark. It seems editors are running scared.

Celebrity publicist Max Clifford — who pocketed nearly 1 million pounds ($1.58 million) of Murdoch's money when his own hacking case was settled — told the inquiry that in the last few months "there are several major stories that would have dominated the headlines ... that haven't come out."

THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN, BUT THERE'S LITTLE AGREEMENT ABOUT HOW TO FIX IT

Almost every witness agreed that the current system of newspaper self-regulation through the Press Complaints Commission does not work.

The commission can impose penalties and order apologies in response to complaints about stories — but it has no legal powers, membership is voluntary and it is composed mainly of newspaper editors.

Sherborne, the hacking victims' lawyer, said that the current setup was "tantamount to handing the police station over to the mafia," and victims have called for stronger — if often undefined — measures to curb wayward journalists.

But journalists and newspaper editors fear such pressure could lead to some form of state regulation of the media. They would prefer to see a new independent regulator with stronger powers.

Financial Times editor Lionel Barber told the inquiry that the current PCC code "is pretty robust but it needs to be enforced and it needs to be credible."

He stressed, however, that the press must remain independent — "We will make mistakes and reputations may be damaged, but the principle of free expression is really critical."

NEWS CORP. IS SORRY — AND HAS DEEP POCKETS WHEN IT COMES TO COMPENSATING VICTIMS

The phone hacking scandal has rocked Rupert Murdoch's global News Corp. which has made strenuous public efforts to salvage its reputation.

The company has paid damages to settle lawsuits by about 60 people, including many of the inquiry's witnesses. Each settlement came with an apology in court for the damage and distress the illegal activity had caused.

The company has established a standards and ethics committee to root out wrongdoing, set aside a 20 million pound ($32 million) fund to compensate victims and has already paid out several million, including 2 million pounds to the Dowler family.

This week News Corp. revealed that the hacking scandal has cost it $87 million, most of it in legal fees.

And the story is far from over. About 60 more hacking lawsuits are being prepared.

The Leveson Inquiry has many more months of testimony in store. The second phase of hearings, looking at the media's relationship with the police, opens Feb. 27.

___

Online:

The Leveson Inquiry: http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/

Jill Lawless can be reached at: http://twitter.com/JillLawless

PHOTO: New York Times Photographer Wins Major Award

2012-02-10T16:47:13Z

New York Times photographer Samuel Aranda was announced the winner of the iconic World Press Photo competition on Friday.

The 55th annual jury of the World Press Photo contest selected Aranda's photograph of a woman consoling an injured male relative in Yemen as 2011's photo of the year. The woman is covered almost entirely by her burqa, by exception of small parts of her face and arms. Aranda took the photograph in a Sanaa mosque that was being used as a hospital by demonstrators protesting against Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The Times' Lens blog described the winning photograph as having the "mood of a Renaissance painting." The photograph was taken early into Aranda's two-month assignment in Yemen. "The woman is not just crying. It was something more. You can feel that the woman is really strong," Aranda said of the female subject in his photograph.

The World Press Photo competition is one of the most famous competitions for photojournalists in the world. The award-winning photographs are made into a traveling exhibition, which visits 45 countries over the course of the year. Click over to the World Press Photo website to view all the winners and exhibit schedule.

Maddow Fights Back Against Fox News Pundit's Ugly Attack

2012-02-10T14:08:39Z

Rachel Maddow used her Thursday show to respond to columnist and Fox News pundit Cal Thomas' comment that she should never have been born.

Speaking at a panel about the Obama administration's ruling on contraception, during the annual CPAC conference in Washington on Thursday, Thomas said that Maddow was the "best argument in favor of her parents using contraception." The comments drew a rebuke from Fox News host Greta Van Susteren, who said Thomas should personally and publicly apologize to Maddow. Gay-rights group GLAAD also started a "#gladmaddowwasborn" hashtag on Twitter.

The Obama ruling, which is being overhauled in the wake of a furious campaign from the right, had required most religious organizations (except for churches) to cover their employees' birth control. Though Republicans denounced the ruling as secular tyranny that violated the Constitution, Maddow noted that many of them had not always been so against the idea. She played a clip of Sen. Olympia Snowe arguing for exactly the ruling Obama instituted. She also pointed out that 28 states, and a great many Catholic universities and law schools, already cover contraception.

"Their rules are precisely what was proposed by Olympia Snowe and other Republicans in 2001, but yet they were being denounced as some sort of liberal abomination," Maddow said. "It is in fact such a liberal abomination, that anybody who disagrees with Republicans' position on this today, according to the folks at Fox News, should never have been born at all."

She then played the clip of Thomas talking about her.

"Mr. Fox News person speaking there, I am sorry that you feel that way about me that you wish I had never been born," she said. "Personally, I'm glad that you were born. Otherwise how would Republicans get the special Fox News bat signal that it's time to be outraged now, about what used to be Republicans' own policy idea?"

WATCH:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Kyle Dyer Recovering After Dog Bite On Face During Segment

2012-02-10T13:58:17Z

By Associated Press

DENVER -- A television anchor who was bitten in the face by an 85-pound Argentine Mastiff during a live broadcast was released from a hospital on Thursday.

Kyle Dyer of KUSA-TV was bitten Wednesday while doing a story about the dog's rescue from an icy pond by a firefighter in suburban Lakewood.

Dyer was interviewing firefighter Tyler Sugaski and the dog's owner, Michael Robinson, when the dog, named Max, bit her on the face. Sugaski tended to Dyer in the studio until paramedics arrived and took her to the hospital.

KUSA reported Thursday (http://on9news.tv/wPZXRg) that Dyer was released from Denver Health Medical Center, where she had reconstructive surgery to her lip.

Robinson was cited with failure to have his dog on a leash – Max was off-leash when he fell into the pond – allowing his dog to bite, and failure to have a vaccinated dog. Robinson insisted that Max's vaccinations are up to date.

"Max is a gentle, loving, family dog," Robinson said. "This incident truly is unfortunate and does not reflect Max's disposition towards people."

"Our family and friends pray for a quick recovery and look forward to seeing Ms. Dyer back on-air soon," he said.

Max was impounded at the Denver Animal Shelter, where he was expected to be released back to his owner after a precautionary 10-day quarantine, said Doug Kelley, director of Denver Animal Care and Control.

"We're just checking where the dog has been to make sure there is no other (bite) history or anything else we need to know about," Kelley said.

WATCH: Cooper Rips Karl Lagerfeld For Adele Comments

2012-02-10T13:43:32Z

Anderson Cooper hit out at designer Karl Lagerfeld on his Thursday show over Lagerfeld's comment that singer Adele is "a little too fat."

Lagerfeld backtracked almost immediately after his statement was published, issuing another one apologizing and saying he had been taken "out of context."

During his nightly "Ridiculist" segment, Cooper called Lagerfeld an "Edward Gorey cartoon character" and wondered what context could possibly have made things better.

"She is a little too fat, but only in the brain!" he tried. "She has a really fat brain filled with knowledge!" Cooper then ran through some of Lagerfeld's more eye-opening statements, such as that women who really want to change their looks for good should just get plastic surgery. He also read a quote of Lagerfeld saying, "do we have to know your opinion?"

"I could not have said it better myself," Cooper said.

If there's one reason the CNN host is feeling particularly protective of Adele lately, it could be that he recently profiled her for an upcoming episode of "60 Minutes." She even sang "Rolling In The Deep" personally to him. That's enough to make anybody defend her for life.

Watch Adele sing to Anderson Cooper on "60 Minutes":

WATCH: Greg Kelly Back On 'Good Day New York' After Rape Claim

2012-02-10T13:30:30Z

NEW YORK -- The New York City police commissioner's TV host son resumed his morning show duties at "Good Day New York" on Friday, telling viewers it had been a tough couple of weeks but he was ready to get back to work after being cleared of the prospect of criminal charges of raping a woman he met for a drink.

It was Greg Kelly's first day back on the job since he took a leave of absence from the show after the allegations surfaced late last month.

Sitting next to his co-host, Rosanna Scotto, a relaxed-looking Kelly said, "It's great to be back. Folks, thank you very much."

"It's was a tough couple of weeks, obviously, for a lot of people. I'm very, very grateful for all the support I got here from my friends at Fox, support from my family, friends, those I care about."

He also thanked his viewers who "have weighed in through social media. Positive remarks. Thank you very much."

Prosecutors on Tuesday said they had not found cause to charge Kelly with a crime.

The woman told authorities that Kelly raped her in her lower Manhattan office after they went out for drinks on Oct. 8, assaulting her while she wasn't capable of consenting to sex, a person familiar with the investigation said. She told authorities she became pregnant from the encounter and had an abortion, according to a law enforcement official. Neither the person nor the law official was authorized to speak publicly, and they spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

The New York Police Department turned the matter over to the district attorney's office when the woman walked into a police station Jan. 24, citing the potential conflict of interest in investigating a son of the commissioner, Raymond Kelly.

During his brief remarks on the show Friday, Kelly did not mention the allegations.

At one point, he put his hand on Scotto's and said he was especially grateful "to this lady who sits next to me every day."

The show airs on the local Fox affiliate, WNYW-TV. A former Marine, Kelly has appeared on "Good Day New York" since 2008.

___

Associated Press writer Colleen Long in New York City contributed to this report.

WATCH: Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony Talk Working Together On 'Ellen'

2012-02-10T13:27:14Z

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony may no longer be man and wife, but that hasn't stopped them from collaborating on their reality show, "Q'Viva! The Chosen." The seemingly jovial couple talked about working together during upcoming episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

"We laugh a lot," Lopez told Degeneres, though director and choreographer Jamie King had a different impression.

"Not always," he said, laughing along with the couple. "I find myself in the middle, kind of refereeing, sometimes. It's fantastic."

The couple went on to discuss a playful slap Lopez delivered to Anthony while filming. Lopez claimed, "They put a sound effect in there for the live broadcast!"

All jokes aside, Anthony recently talked to "Entertainment Tonight" about teaming up professionally with his former wife, and he admitted they are working through some of their relationship issues on the show.

"We don't have communication issues, we just don't communicate," he told Nancy O'Dell. "When you don't do it, you don't have a problem ... The way it played out was really gratifying and really fulfilling. Now we're figuring out how this plays in."

Check out clips of the couple on "Ellen" above, and Anthony's "Entertainment Tonight" clip below!

WATCH: Bill O'Reilly Slams Suspended CNN Pundit

2012-02-10T13:23:15Z

Bill O'Reilly tore into suspended CNN pundit Roland Martin on his Thursday show, criticizing him for disparaging comments he has made about conservative news hosts and organized religion.

CNN suspended Martin indefinitely for a series of tweets he sent on Super Bowl Sunday. Martin tweeted that people should "smack the ish" out of male fans of David Beckham's Super Bowl ad. He also made fun of a Patriots player who arrived wearing pink. Martin's tweets were perceived as advocating violence against members of the LGBT community.

O'Reilly called Martin's suspension "ironic" and thought that "karma may have caught up" with him. O'Reilly said that Martin has branded people, including Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and O'Reilly, as bigots. He added that Martin called Tea Party supporters "stupid," and organized religion "desperately sexist."

Wayne Besen of gay rights organization Truth Wins Out joined O'Reilly on the air. O'Reilly said that Martin claims his tweets were really about soccer and not about the LGBT community. "He's saying he's mocking soccer players, not gay people," O'Reilly said of Martin.

Besen disagreed with O'Reilly, claiming the tweets were definitely about gay people. After a short back and forth about Martin's intentions, O'Reilly said, "I couldn't care less about Roland Martin. I don't follow him. I dont care what he says. I think he's a moron."

WATCH:

WATCH: Obama Shoots Down Reporters Over Controversial Ruling

2012-02-10T13:19:32Z

President Obama shot down reporters pestering him for a comment on his controversial ruling on contraception during a Thursday photo op in the Oval Office.

Obama was meeting with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, but at least one reporter was not interested in debt crises or the future of the European Union.

"Is there anything on the contraception controversy that you can share with us?" he asked.

"Come on, guys," Obama shot back.

The ruling, which mandates that most religious employers pay for their workers' contraception, has suddenly become a political flashpoint, and the Obama administration is reportedly set to come up with a compromise sometime on Friday.

On Thursday's "Hardball," Chris Matthews played the footage of the encounter in the Oval Office.