Free Republic

Nothing Barbara West has done in her 22 years at WFTV-Channel 9 has generated the attention of her interview last week with Sen. Joe Biden, Barack Obama's running mate. The contentious chat has become an Internet sensation -- 1.2 million hits on YouTube during the weekend and more than 500,000 on WFTV.com -- and generated controversy about how journalists question their subjects. "The thing that stuns me is that this has become about me," said anchor West, 60. She appeared Monday night on The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News Channel and Larry King Live on CNN and plans to be...

Wade West, husband of WTV-Channel 9 anchor Barbara West, wants to clear up confusion in the blogosphere. "I'm being listed as a primo political guy. Incorrect," he told me Tuesday morning. He is not -- repeat not -- working as a Republican media consultant. Barbara West told me on Monday she had failed to update her station bio to reflect his current business. These days, Wade West has a company that stages charity auctions. He stressed that he didn't work exclusively with Republicans. He worked with Paul Wellstone, the late Minnesota Democrat, in combatting human slavery. West also worked with...

Yesterday on my way to lunch I passed one of the homeless guys in that area, with a sign that read 'Vote Obama, I need the money.' My waiter had on a 'Obama 08' tee shirt. When the bill came, I decided not to tip the waiter and explained to him while he had given me exceptional service, that his tee shirt made me feel he obviously believes in Senator Obama's plan to redistribute the wealth. I told him I was going to redistribute his tip to someone that I deemed more in need--the homeless guy outside. He stood there...