Archive for May 2nd, 2009

Beware of presidents bearing gifts

Democratic Senate majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada spills the beans

Everyone knows President Barack Obama can deliver a great speech, including the president himself, according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

The paperback version of Reid’s book, “The Good Fight,” is coming out May 5 with an epilogue called “The Obama Era.” Reid said he was impressed when Obama, then a freshman senator from Illinois, delivered a speech about President George W. Bush’s war policy.

Reid, D-Nev., writes: “‘That speech was phenomenal, Barack,’ I told him. And I will never forget his response. Without the barest hint of braggadocio or conceit, and with what I would describe as deep humility, he said quietly: ‘I have a gift, Harry.'”

If that’s Harry’s definition of humility, I wonder what he thinks egotistical behaviour is?

Samuel

May 2nd, 2009 at 03:36pm

Mike Jeffreys explains his sacking from 2CC

According to Mike, 2CC have wanted to replace him with Mark Parton since November (which squares with a few rumours which have floated across my desk…that is, rumours about various people at 2CC wanting to get rid of Jeffreys, not rumours about wanting to replace him with Mark Parton. RiotACT got the scoop on that rumour).

Mike responds to a few rumours in his blog post:

It was my choice to leave. Not true. I was called in to the manager’s office last Friday, told I was sacked and asked to return my door key then and there. It was a very brief conversation and came completely without warning.

It was about the ratings. Bullshit. The present breakfast host was on air before and during the most recent ratings period, so any decline in the numbers is as likely to be down to him as me. It may be worth noting that he was on the morning (9am to noon) time slot for an extended period prior to the survey and it really bombed.

It was about the Spalding case. In a way. But it’s the reverse of what has been implied. It’s my belief that if it hadn’t been for the Spalding case I would have been gone back in November as soon as they put Parton on the payroll (RiotACT got it right). But the lawyers told 2CC that success or failure in the case very much depended on my credibility as a witness. With the case out of the way, they fired me.

On the topic of the defamation case, I have to agree with the lawyers. Mike’s comments (for which the station was being sued) were an opinion based on various facts, and a court would have needed to decide whether that opinion was a reasonably held opinion. Mike’s credibility, which in part would have been determined by the support he was shown by the station, would have been a vital aspect in determining the reasonableness of his opinion.

As for Mike’s future, all I can say at this time is “watch this space”, although I would love to be able to say more.

Samuel

1 comment May 2nd, 2009 at 10:48am


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