Vee

Well, my initial understanding was that's what happened - she did a big press blitz about it at the time, then she started turning up with Tina on any show Tina did to promote her new tour/album/whatever. It was weird, lol. She did go directly from ER to Tina Turner, they happened at the same time (and she got the gig with Tina while prepping to leave, that much is true). But as it happens, I looked into it today and in an interview from when she returned to the show for another typically-grim guest spot near the end of the show's run, she does say this, which is more complex than it was presented at the time of her original exit:

Michael Michele was only hired to give Benton a Black love interest because Eriq LaSalle killed the pairing with Corday, feeling an interracial romance sent the wrong message to Black female viewers. I always hated that story turn. So much of Luca's early story hinges on pining for Carol, but I liked the character from the start. Later I got sick of him. Malucci had ups and downs; I would like him, then hate him. Just when I accepted him in full, they wrote him out in a very loud way that was typical of many later character exits which led to my not watching. Gloria Reuben left to sing backup for Tina Turner - no joke. It was surreal to watch her leave the show then turn up on Oprah, etc. as one of Tina's backup singers.

I don't believe there are enough Dem Senators who will block key legislation if pushed. Some may be grateful for the cloak of Manchin, but if pressed they'll fold. I think Biden and Schumer are both pressurizing these two knowing that if they break - which 1/6 may have done - the others follow.

Wow:

@DRW50

Another informative look at another exasperating person. It is worth noting that it says Sinema, while opaque and dismissive of her constituents, could be moved on the filibuster. I had forgotten she used to be Code Pink, which somehow does not surprise me.

A legitimate dilemma, the way Brownstein poses it. I do not agree with Axelrod's thinking, though. He was the architect of a number of mistakes in '09 and while Obama's thinking evolved, his didn't.

This is a legitimately informative deeper dive into Manchin, intolerable as he is. Interesting that Warren has his ear. Virtually all the discussion of his current thinking is pre-dating last week's events. There is another DB post this morning that has no author on the byline and is largely Do Something Twitter lines screaming about a podcast interview. It accomplishes nothing so I am not going to post it. While some of that interview re: the WH's thinking is informative, it doesn't tell us much more than we already know. I'll just reiterate what I've said: I understand some of the WH's concerns, but "just vote" is not a viable strategy to break GOP voter suppression operations, and the White House needs to do more and be more vocal, not worry about looking bipartisan enough. And while various officials inside (or leaking to the press to launder their opinions and push an angle) may have varying opinions, I personally do not believe Biden will stand silent for very long. He never has in the past - the Jim Crow framing was his, and it works.

I believe another poster indicated Debbie Allen said as much in the ADW thread. I do hope it happens eventually. I believe Issa Rae was part of the push for a revival alongside Allen.

Living Single supposedly had a hold-up with one of the cast before they could get going, and Kim Coles said it "wasn't who people think". That's all I know there, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if the networks also slow-walked it out of racial bias. NY Undercover almost had a big revival with Malik Yoba and Lauren Velez back, but the network passed. OTOH, I think the only thing keeping A Different World off the revival slate is Cosby sadly refusing to relinquish an onscreen name credit.

Dave Weigel is a useful idiot for the dirtbag left and always has been. Any time he approaches realistic insight he double-checks it with them to make sure he's still cool. He is not a good barometer for rational progressive thought online.

As I'm pretty sure you were told the last time you made this exact same point, people have been clowning Easton's endless characters for years on this forum. Same goes for Roger. Neither need to be on the show. It is a disgrace that these two men have had 3-4 different contract roles on GH, a show they were imported onto and forced into frontburner roles over and over, while many of its veterans or key players can't get a contract or solid story. There's no excuse for that, at all. It's cronyism. I watched OLTL for 20 years, I loved a lot of Howarth's work on that show, it's my #1 soap of all time. None of that matters. There's no excuse.

I thought so.

Good luck with this discussion!

I personally feel we don't really have a choice at this point but to do some sort of filibuster reform if we want to get a lot done. S1 is not going to pass without nuking it (if it can pass) and at least some form reform is the only path to begin to safeguard elections. I don't think it's as apocalyptic a long game as some think atm - a lot of politics are cyclical - but I also don't think we can keep rolling over for the same old senatorial chestnuts and excuses shrugging shoulders saying 'what can ya do? Vote!' I vote every time. I engage in the off-season. But no amount of grassroots action is going to change McConnell's very old game or roll back voter suppression. And I don't believe there are ten Dem Senators who will stand in the way of filibuster reform. Plenty of people can talk a big game on background, especially via the lens of Politico which tries to launder opinion and push policy via a Republican-leaning POV. I don't for a second believe there are ten Dem Senators who will stand in the way of reform if Schumer and Pelosi get behind it, which I believe they will. I also don't think it's lose-lose. I think that is the nihilist splinter of the progressive movement's favorite go-to - all Dems suck, Bernie would've won, all Dems are bad at messaging, you'll all lose anyway next time and in 5-10-20 years we will pick up the pieces. If you live in that sphere on Twitter that looks like reality, but it's not reality. Every time a Democrat wins these guys kick the can down the road - oh you won the primary but Biden won't win; oh, you won the general but you won't win the Senate. Oh, you won the Senate but there's still Manchin. It's moving the goalposts over and over. I can share common cause on certain things while disliking these people, but how many more absolute failure narratives do I have to tolerate that keep being deflated and proven wrong before someone else admits they were?

Hounshell is getting ratioed to the depths, despite the usual attempts by the right to astroturf the issue on social media. It's going to be another tan suit for the public and go nowhere outside the right and Beltway hacks.