S.C. Lt. Gov. Calls for Constitutional Convention

(If player fails to load, click post title)

Background: Lesson Plan: A New Constitutional Convention?

Party Politics: Beneath the Latest Fox News Poll

The headline on the most recent Fox News poll is that 79% of those surveyed say that "it's possible the economy could collapse".

I haven't been able to locate the underlying data, which Fox has published for other polls in the past, but I have to say that the potential wordings and the misleading manner in which responses could be grouped makes the headline more than a little suspect.

Yes, in theory the economy could collapse, but right now, we have no idea how many people think this to be a likely scenario or a probable outcome and how many just agree that it's possible.

So, once you discount the top line, you're presented with some other data and though it's purely political, one thing that jumped out is that only 16% of those surveyed by Opinion Dynamics think the Republicans in Congress have a plan to "fix the economy" and only 25% of Republicans believe that their party has a solution.

Kurtz: Behind the Curtain of Fox's 5 O'Clock Show

At eleven o'clock Eastern, Howard Kurtz is going to participate in one of his regular Q&As with online readers, but after this morning's column, where he shines a somewhat negative, but fairly even-handed light on Glenn Beck, one might expect the midday session to be swarmed by Beckheads and become something of a chore for the moderator.

A few takeaways;

• A FNC VP was assigned last fall "'to help keep an eye on that program' and review its content in advance".
• He "has surrounded himself with loyalists from Mercury, some of whom remain on that company's payroll".
• During rehearsals, "Beck has teared up or paused at the same moments as he later did during the show".

All together, Kurtz's column is an interesting read for anyone interested in the media phenomenon that is Glenn Beck.

The Colbert Bump: Jason Chaffetz

Freshman Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) received a little attention for sleeping in his office and for the "cot-sides chats" he filmed for the internet, but his first day appearance on the Colbert Report, where he leg-wrestled the host, undoubtedly helped launch the Congressman's media exposure through the roof.

CNN, FNC, MSNBC, CNBC... the alphabet of news channels have been calling. So much so, he recently had to turn down five appearances for one day; Producers just keep calling because he's ready, accessible and has shown a willingness to speak on any topic.

Because of his Q-quotient and the impressive way he has handled the local D.C. media, who often contact him due to his position as ranking member on the subcommittee overseeing District operations, Republican leaders have been putting his face toward the front and some conservatives have suggested that he run for Senate.

Of course his first year hasn't all been a smooth ride and a profile in the Deseret News does a good job of mixing the good with the bad, but one might suspect that not too long after his show returns from hiatus, Stephen Colbert will be claiming the credit.

Related: The original "Better Know a District", plus three extras
Update: The Salt Lake Tribune has filed a similar, yet different story.