SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:46 P.M. ET: 

I DISSENT – From thewrap.com:  "During a CNN internal town hall Tuesday, network chief Jeff Zucker said it’s not a conflict of interest for an executive of the network to host the president and First Lady in their home, an insider familiar with the event told TheWrap.  Responding to an anonymous email question from a CNN staffer regarding an unnamed D.C. executive who hosted the Obamas — along with other parents of Sidwell Friends School [in D.C.] — in their home for dinner, Zucker said there’s no issue."  No, it's a conflict of interest.  Hosting a social gathering that includes the president and first lady raises appearance issues, especially for a network regularly accused of liberal bias.  I wouldn't permit it.

MORE NETWORK INTRIGUE – From hollywoodreporter.com:  "Victoria Jackson, a six-year veteran of Saturday Night Live, is publicly wondering if her opposition to gay marriage prompted Lorne Michaels to treat her differently from the other cast members who attended the 40th anniversary of the show Sunday. Jackson, on her Facebook page, Twitter and in interviews, has mostly raved about Michaels and thanked the creator of SNL numerous times for hiring her in 1986, though she is also saying that she was the only cast member at Sunday's event to be banished to an overflow room.  Some bloggers noted the oddity and were wondering if Michaels or someone else involved with the seating arrangements might have been sending a political message to Jackson, who is a Christian conservative, a Tea Party favorite and an extremely vocal critic of President Barack Obama."  Of course it was a message.  SNL should've shown more class.  Not ready for prime time.

EXPECTED – From CNN:  "Washington – The Justice Department is preparing to bring a lawsuit against the Ferguson, Missouri, police department over a pattern of racially discriminatory tactics used by officers, if the police department does not agree to make changes on its own, sources tell CNN.  Attorney General Eric Holder said this week he expects to announce the results of the department's investigation of the shooting death of Michael Brown and a broader probe of the Ferguson Police Department before he leaves office in the coming weeks."  We'll wait for the fine print, and judge the case on the facts, but appearances are a little wobbly here.  It looks like Justice, under Holder, had to find something in Ferguson to justify the investigation and to cap Holder's tenure.  But let the facts speak.

February 18,  2015