Maya Rudolph Returns to Saturday Night Live to Sing With Barack Obama

Wouldn't it be great if this is what we saw next week?

I have to say, though, this sketch mostly reminded me how much I miss Maya Rudolph's presence on SNL since she left to be a mommy. Speaking of which, did anyone notice that Amy Poehler was conspicuously missing this week? (SPOILER ALERT: It's a boy!)

Also, below the fold watch Joe Biden and John Murtha saying crazy things.

John McCain Agrees with Jack Murtha About PA Rednecks… No, He Doesn't… Wait… No… What?

John McCain certainly is on a roll these days. Earlier, we posted a clip of him using a word that you're not supposed to use at time when you're really not supposed to use it.

And there's also this: Here's an actual transcript from a John McCain rally at Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania yesterday:

"Senator Obama's supporters have been saying some pretty nasty things about Western Pennsylvania lately. And you know, I couldn't agree with them more. "

And then it gets worse. You have to watch this…

McCain was theoretically referring to Rep. John Murtha's recent description of Western Pennsylvania as "a racist area," which his campaign has stridently condemned. However, McCain apparently couldn't agree with Murtha more.

Could this be the much-anticipated "senior moment" that the world has been waiting for?

Jack Murtha Flip-Flops Again: Pennsylvanians Aren't Racists, They're Rednecks

First Rep. Jack Murtha said his constituents in Western Pennsylvania were racists. Then Rep. Jack Murtha said he was sorry for calling his constituents racists, while simultaneously implying that, you know, they're racists.

Now Rep. Jack Murtha would like to clarify all of the above: people in Western Pennsylvania aren't racists. They're just rednecks.

There's a difference!

"What I said, that indicted everybody, that's not what I meant at all. What I mean is there's still folks that have a problem voting for someone because they are black," Murtha said.

Murtha said the history of southwestern Pennsylvania is rife with racism.

"This whole area, years ago, was really redneck," Murtha told Channel 4 Action News.

Murtha believes there is one segment of the population which is holding on to its racist beliefs and he said it's difficult for them to change. Murtha said it may be even more difficult for them to vote for Sen. Barack Obama for president.

That one segment of the population, of course, is the redneck segment. Not the racist segment. Got it?

So if you're sitting in Western Pennsylvania right now, wondering whether you're a racist or a redneck, here's a handy self-test program.

And if you're wondering whether you're a politician who should stop insulting your constituents, try this simple test: Check your driver's license for the name "John Patrick Murtha."

Jack Murtha Apologizes for Calling His Constituents Racist by Still Implying They are Racist

If you paused your Director's Cut of Remember the Titans to read this piece, I've got some bad news for you: There are racists in our midst.

Specifically they're in Western Pennsylvania, at least according to that region's Congressman, Jack Murtha. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports…

"There's no question Western Pennsylvania is a racist area," said Mr. Murtha, whose district stretches from Johnstown to Washington County. "The older population is more hesitant."…

It hasn't been easy for Mr. Obama to build a base across the state, Mr. Murtha said, despite the Illinois senator being "one of the most brilliant organizers I've ever seen." Part of the reason is that Mr. Obama is a minority candidate, he said, but recently voters seem to be putting that issue aside.

This comes on the heels of Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell telling the paper earlier this year, "I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate."

Well the racists have fought back hard against both Murtha (for calling them out) and Rendell (for being Jewish.) This has resulted in a Murtha apology, wherein he still implies his constituents are racist…

Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha, a supporter of Barack Obama's presidential bid, apologized Thursday for calling western Pennsylvania "a racist area."

"While we cannot deny that race is a factor in this election, I believe we've been able to look beyond race these past few months, and that voters today are concerned with the policy differences of our two candidates and their vision for the future of our great country," he said in a statement issued by his office.

A nice gesture, but Murtha's constituents are probably already decided about the presidential election and the fate of Murtha himself. At the end of the day, he will have to let the racists be racists.

And really, is it so bad that they want to elect John McCain simply for being Panamanian?

Ex-Marine Sues Congressional Bear Jack Murtha

The biggest claim to fame for Congressman John Murtha (D-PA) for many years has been his uncanny resemblance to an enormous bear.

Now, we learn that Murtha has been sued by an ex-Marine whom he accused of committing a My Lai-style massacre in Iraq. The bear had this to say on the floor of the House of Representatives back in 2006…

There was no firefight. There was no [improvised explosive device] that killed these innocent people. Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood.

Now, Justin Sharratt, a former Marine who was present in the fight Murtha referenced, is suing Murtha for slander and "intentional infliction of emotional distress." He claims that the bear lied about the incident and as a result directly damaged his life.

Murtha is himself a decorated veteran who in recent years has been an outspoken critic of the Iraq War.

He was unavailable to comment, as he was busy devouring live salmon directly out of the river.