Of Concerts and Nobel Peace Prizes

Wow. I take one Friday night off to go to a concert, and the President wins the Nobel Peace Prize. Even though I had prepared a wonderful show filled with four fantastic new interviews just for the occasion, who'd have thunk Obama would make this kind of news as I was headed to Tampa to see U2? Just my luck.

To make matters even worse, the concert was not all that! Oh, I know, it was hyped beyond compare. Sorry Bono. Give me a Bruce Springsteen concert over the 360° tour any day of the week.

With Bruce, you get a bare stage, except for all the instruments and members of the legendary E Street Band. But bare enough so that everyone can see. And of course, video screens, big enough so that, really, everyone can see. You also get a party-like atmosphere that feels like we were all invited! And three hours of non-stop rock and roll fun. A brief mention near the end that we should have health care for all, and a plea to stop at the table for the local food bank that he invites from every city along the tour. That's it...

By contrast, the 360° in the title of the U2 tour refers to the circular video screen, as that was the only thing that was truly in the round. Oh yes, the stage was round, and people were seated all around it. Silly me, I though that the stage would rotate, so that people seated all around would, at some point, be right in front. But that wasn't the case. Bono remained center stage facing the front of the stadium for most of the night, occasionally venturing to one of the sides and rarely to the back, to grace the fans with a few lyrics from one of the songs during the two-hour show.

But it wasn't even two hours of non-stop music. I'm glad Bono is concerned about the world, but to have the clown from Cirque du Soleil speaking "live from the International Space Station" for at least five minutes during the meat of the show, telling us about the wonder of the planet, really pissed me off. After all, U2 is carting this ridiculously massive spaceship set around the country (world?) at a cost of close to a million dollars a day, and what I'm sure is a massive carbon footprint. Can anyone else spell hypocrisy? It didn't even blast off! I was waiting for it to do something, and it never did!

Then there was the video of a political prisoner, the Iranian people after their sham of an election, and other causes that I'm sure are just and good. But Bono, there's a time and a place for everything. I'm probably among the most sympathetic and informed of your audience, and I was getting annoyed. Really annoyed. Just play the fucking music, thank you very much.

And don't even get me started on the Tampa police. It's a wonder my mouth didn't get me arrested.

So, as much as I enjoyed the music, and I did, I wish I would have been live on the air Friday night to talk about the fact that President Obama was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize Friday morning.

There's just so much there....

President Barack Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize, and the Faux News minions cry foul. Rush Limbaugh says he speaks for "all Americans" (since when?) and sides with the Taliban. That should tell his followers a few things.

We've been hit over the head with the fact that there were only 12 days between Obama's inauguration and the deadline for the Nobel Prize nominations. In the first two weeks of his administration, I too thought he could and would try to bring about world peace. Perhaps this is just the impetus he needs to realize he shouldn't send more troops to Afghanistan!

I have not been President Obama's biggest cheerleader recently. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that I may have one of the more critical voices in this tiny sliver of media that truly is liberal. But I criticize because I have very high expectations.

This president was supposed to be different! He was supposed to bring us change, and no more politics as usual. Maybe the Nobel Peace Prize will be a wake-up call to President Obama, with the alarm loudly ringing out "This is what you're supposed to be! You are the Peace President. Now ACT LIKE IT!"

But let's also take a moment to look across the aisle. I know, it's difficult not to avert your eyes when you see a train wreck. The same people who said during the past eight years that it's un-American to criticize the President seem to have selective amnesia.

They burned records by the Dixie Chicks for making an off-hand remark during a concert that slightly bashed Bush. But they're still touting Sarah Palin as their "It" girl, even after she spoke at length on foreign soil of her dislike and displeasure with President Obama.

They demand an apology from Alan Grayson, the first Democrat to show he actually has a spine in a long time, for what I still don't know, while they make Joe Wilson out to be a hero for a breach of decorum never before seen at a Presidential address to a joint session of Congress.

I could continue on this diatribe, but you get the point. They live in the do as I say, not as I do world, and I say it's time to get off. Them, not us.

Enough of this nonsense.

Perhaps President Obama got the Nobel Prize simply because he's not George W. Bush.

That's still worth a prize in my book, any day! Just please, next time, let it happen on a day when I'm working!

Well, I am working tonight, and we will talk about it... I'll be joined by Democratic strategist and The Hill's Pundits Blog contributor Brent Budowsky, and Juan Cole, President of the Global Americana Institute to talk about it and more..

Listen live from 11pm-1am ET by clicking here, join in the live chat here, and call in at 866-303-2270.