Jimmy Carter Racism

Jimmy Carter Racism

Former President Jimmy Carter drew widespread criticism Wednesday for claiming that Rep. Joe Wilson's infamous outburst last week was "based on racism" and that an "overwhelming portion" of similar demonstrations against President Obama are rooted in bigotry. Obama's supporters have attributed racist motives to opponents of his health care plan for weeks, but Carter is the highest-profile person so far to push that claim.

While anti-Obama demonstrators have been seen carrying over-the-top or racially insensitive signs, administration critics say Carter is flat wrong to claim that those fringes make up the bulk of Obama's detractors. "I think it's very destructive for America to suggest that we can't criticize a president without it being a racial act," former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told FOX News. The suggestion that race is behind Obama criticism has been made by New York Gov. David Paterson and Reps. Charlie Rangel of New York, Diane Watson of California and Hank Johnson of Georgia, among others.

But a poll released Wednesday by Rasmussen Reports showed that just 12 percent of voters believe that most opponents of Obama's health care reform plan are racist. The survey, taken Monday and Tuesday of 1,000 likely voters, found 67 percent disagree with that contention, while 21 percent are not sure. The survey had a margin of error of 3 percent. Carter, though, said in an interview with NBC that race is the driving factor.

Linda McMahon

Linda McMahon

Linda McMahon, the chief executive officer of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., announced today she is resigning to run for Senate in her home state of Connecticut. McMahon, a Republican, will look to unseat Democrat Christopher Dodd in the 2010 election. Although not nearly as flamboyant as her husband -- WWE Chairman and ringmaster Vince McMahon -- Linda McMahon is considered the brains behind the brawn. She has been CEO of WWE since 1997 and is respected on Wall Street. She and her husband have been focusing on making over WWE from a raunch-fest to more family-friendly entertainment, albeit a family that likes to throw each other around a ring and talk in double entendres (for more on how the WWE has been repositioning itself, read our Aug. 24 story).

With deep pockets and a fairly established presence in the state, McMahon could be a force in the race. According to the The Hill, a Washington political publication, McMahon's likely opponents for the Republican nomination are former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons and former Ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley. Interestingly, former Connecticut governor and Sen. Lowell Weicker is on the WWE's board of directors.

Inside the WWE, McMahon's exit comes as the company is in the midst of an expansion. Vince McMahon, who will assume his wife's CEO position, indicated last month that he wants to launch a cable network and is also pushing harder to make more movies with his stable of wrestling talent.

America’s Got Talent 2009 finals

America’s Got Talent 2009 finals

America’s Got Talent 2009 finals Neal E. Boyd is the winner. Neal E. Boyd piped many a talented people to post to win America's Got Talent reality show. Despite being tired he is ecstatic beyond imagination and says it was a dream come true for him. America's Got Talent is a British owned American reality television series on the NBC television network. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of US$1 million.

The show debuted in June 2006 for the summer television season. Starting in the third season, the Talent top prize included US$1 million, payable in a financial annuity over forty years (or the present cash value of such annuity), and a show as the headliner on the Las Vegas Strip. The show concept can be traced back to the American talent contest Major Bowes Amateur Hour, broadcast in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s.

Among its significant features were that it gave an opportunity to talented amateurs or unknown performers, with the results decided by an audience vote. The format is a popular one and has often been reworked for television in the United States and the United Kingdom. The current incarnation was created by Simon Cowell, and was originally due to be a 2005 British series called Paul O'Grady's Got Talent but was postponed due to O'Grady's acrimonious split with broadcaster ITV.