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Last Day for Axel & Leslie Show

From Sebastian's Blog:

Today's the last day of the Axel and Leslie Show, featuring Sebastian, Jamie, and Debra. Next week is a special blend of retrospective shows featuring the person synonymous with retro in Atlanta. After that, I have a faint inkling of the future. I know it will be Super Delightful, but I don't know how much they'll want my input, or if I'll want to remain under the potential content requirements.

Update September 22, 2006, 7:54 AM
Here's audio of Axel and Leslie talking about it (433KB, 1:53).  The implication is clearly that Leslie will remain a part of the new morning show. Axel will be returning to afternoons on Monday.

Update September 22, 2006 9:31 AM
Sebastian emailed to clarify his blog, writing:  "I don't have any special inside knowledge, and 'content restrictions' was just a jab at myself for my generally needing to be reigned back in anything I do publicly."

Update September 22, 2006 6:06 PM
Sebastian took down his blog so I'm removing the link.  I also cleaned up my last update.

Recent News Pile Demonstrates 99X Double Standard

So, how does Wally describe Cynthia McKinney in this morning's 8:12 News Pile?  "You stupid garbage, piece of garbage."  How about Axel and Leslie?  They agree--"Crazy."  Yet when a Homeland Security official is arrested for attempting to seduce a minor, the story passes without comment.   

Cynthia McKinney acted badly.  She showed a lack of impulse control that does not befit a member of Congress.  Never-the-less, few African Americans would fail to understand the frustration of rising to the level of a U.S. Congressional Representative only to be treated like a potential criminal.  Charges of racial discrimination regarding the Capital Hill Police (via MetroBlogging Atlanta) are nothing new, and McKinney is not the first one to bring them up. According to BBC Journalist Greg Palast, "[Cynthia McKinney]" was beaten in the August 2002 Democratic primary. More precisely, she was beaten to death, politically, by [a] fabricated quote."   

Not surprisingly, the Georgia Republican Party is attempting to paint Cynthia McKinney as the "face of the state Democratic Party" to distract voters from the corruption of a probable Perdue/Reed gubernatorial ticket.   

Moral of the story?  If you're going to commit a crime and you want good coverage on 99X, you had better be a Republican.

Update 03/05/2006 3:12 PM

Here's an interesting video showing McKinney's perspective.  It was filmed before the incident occurred.

Axel Attributes DPW Opposition to Democrats Playing Politics

In this morning's 8:30 News Pile Axel Lowe (filling in for and likely successor to Fred Toucher) accused Democrats of playing politics in their opposition to the Dubai Ports World deal, despite the fact that Republicans are also opposed to it.  Axel suggested that Democrats would have accused the president of "profiling" had he come out in support of the deal.  In fact, Republicans Susan "Collins (ME), Lindsey Graham (SC), and Trent Lott (MS), Reps. King, Tom DeLay (TX), and Curt Weldon (PA), New York Gov. George Pataki, and Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich, among others", have all come out in opposition to the deal.   According to the Washington Post:

Republican lawmakers have been flooded with phone calls and letters from constituents encouraging them to fight Bush over the port deal, even at the expense of GOP unity on combating terrorism -- possibly their best political issue. As a result, Bush and Republicans are divided over a national security issue as never before and bracing for a possible showdown that could force Bush to either delay the sale or veto a Republican bill against it, according to congressional and White House officials.

With the president's ratings mired around 40 percent approval, some Republican lawmakers who face tough reelection bids in November have been looking for ways to distance themselves from Bush without appearing to be soft on terrorism. The president, who once enjoyed near unanimous support from GOP allies on Capitol Hill, has seen a steady rise in Republican criticism over Iraq, Iran, warrantless domestic spying and now the port deal.