Opinion: Finally, a tortured Tucker Carlson confesses he ‘overspoke’ about Michael Vick’s execution

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Remember last week when political commentator Tucker Carlson ignited a one-day online brushfire by suggesting that alleged NFL quarterback Michael Vick should have been executed himself for promoting dog-fighting, personally torturing dogs and manually drowning those he deemed unfit to live? We had video of TC’s hyper-moment here.

Well, never mind.

After a few days of thought and, no doubt, counseling, Tucker admits he was ‘too emotional’ and ‘overspoke.’ Now, maybe Carlson can show his face in Philadelphia again someday, though probably best to avoid Eagles games.

Vick served about 19 months in federal prison for his homicidal canine capers. What should....

...Carlson’s punishment be? How about sentencing him to watch Vick play this playoff weekend against Green Bay? And every single replay too. YOU Take the Job; No, YOU Take the Job

Remember the item here Tuesday about the nation’s top talker considering calling in fellow Chicagoan William Daley as his new White House chief of staff to salvage the next two years? Because there’s a real shortage of Chicagoans over there now.

Well, according to Huffington Post, Daley’s not the only one seeking to avoid that thankless job. There are now four COS candidates.

Daley is the rich brother of retiring Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. According to party plan, that Daley will be succeeded in City Hall by former Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.

The other three candidates are Pete Rouse, Obama’s longtime designated hitter and currently acting chief of staff; Tom Vilsack, who’ll do almost anything to avoid returning to Iowa in January; and defeated South Dakota Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle, whose unpaid back income taxes of a mere $140,000 so unjustly kept him from heading Health and Human Services two years ago.

Speaking of Defeated Democrats

The U.S. House of Representatives reopens today under new management, a lopsided Republican majority under the leadership of Ohio’s John Boehner, who gets the speaker’s huge gavel back from what’s-her-name from San Francisco.

As usual, the new speaker will address the chamber, which should be really exciting.

Boehner has bused in two loads of family and friends to share the moment and the Republican’s return to the podium he surrendered four years ago this week.

Boehner and his transition team have tried to hold expectations low for the lower house, given that Democrats still control the Senate and another one is the president, who really sets the town’s political agenda.

Among the numerous reforms instituted by Boehner, today’s proceedings will be live-streamed here on Facebook starting at 9 a.m. Pacific time (noon Eastern and 5 p.m. GMT) with member-voter interactions there and via Boehner’s Twitter page.

The Senate convenes today, too. But because those folks are so much more important, after today’s grueling ceremonies, they’ll knock off for another two-week recess.

Speaking of Live-Streaming

A new national survey just out from the smart folks over at the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press finds that the majority of Americans who say they get their news from television is shrinking.

And the minority of Americans who say they rely on the Internet for news is expanding.

Currently, 66% say they rely on TV for news. In 2007 that number was 74%. In 2002 it was 82%.

The percentage who mine the Internet for most of their news now stands at 41%, up 17 points in 36 months.

Among those under age 30, the Internet for the first time has passed TV as their main news source.

Even among oldtimers aged 30 to 49, the Internet is poised to become the majority choice. Today, 48% choose the Internet for news. That number is up fully 17 points since 2007. Which -- oh, look! -- is the exact same year that The Ticket began publishing.

What a coincidence!

-- Andrew Malcolm

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