Huckabee Must Cross Picket Line to Appear on Leno Tonight --->>>

[Stephanie]

I guess Huckabee was the best Leno could do while his show is being picketed. Who else would cross a picket line but an asshat Republican?

Huge props to David Letterman, who agreed to a fair deal for his writing staff.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aeeeziLIZax4

Letterman to Return Scripted; Leno to Face Picketers (Update1)
By Sarah Rabil

Jan. 2 (Bloomberg) -- David Letterman's ``Late Show'' returns to CBS television tonight with fresh material and his team of comedy writers, as rival Jay Leno likely faces picketers outside the NBC studio for his unscripted performance.

Letterman's Worldwide Pants company reached a labor agreement with striking entertainment writers on Dec. 28, allowing his show and Craig Ferguson's to resume production with their writers. NBC's Leno and Conan O'Brien, as well as Jimmy Kimmel on ABC, come back tonight without their writing staffs.

...

The writers will target NBC Studios and the ``Tonight Show'' taping as well as the ABC studios where Kimmel's show is taped for their first picketing of the new year today.

...

Leno, whose show airs at the same time as Letterman's, won't be able to write or perform any work that would normally be done by writers, leaving the guild member to improvise and interview guests willing to cross picket lines.

Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is scheduled to appear on Leno's ``Tonight Show,'' according to his campaign Web site. NBC spokeswoman Wendy Luckenbill didn't return a phone call seeking comment.

[napi21]

1. I thought Leno had negotiated a deal with his writers.

Apparently he owns the show and he had to authority to negotiate with the writers himself. What did I miss?

[Stephanie]

3. Nope, that's Letterman.

Letterman's production company Worldwide Pants owns both his show and Craig Ferguson's. They negotiated a separate agreement with the WGA, so both their writing staffs are back to work today. Leno's show is owned by NBC so he can't negotiate on his own.

[spanone]

5. story right, wrong players....letterman owns his show...NBC owns leno

[aquart]

7. Leno is a contracted employee who owns nothing.

He has no rights to negotiate. Basically, the Tonight show staff is being held hostage for his good behavior. NBC threatened mass firings with no guarantee of jobs being there after the strike. Also, his own union has a clause forbidding sympathy strikes. If they called him back, he had to go. Same for Stewart and Colbert who issued an extremely pissed off statement about going back to work.

Guests, however, have no obligation to cross a picket line. That's where things are going to get dicey.

If people watch Letterman instead of Leno, because the scripted jokes are better and the guests are A level, then the Tonight Show might not recover from the viewership loss. NBC is probably going to watch the ratings closely the next two weeks.

I'M GETTING CRAIG FERGUSON BACK!!!!!!! Happy, happy, happy!

[Stephanie]

8. I'm very curious to see who crosses the picket line tonight.

Keep an eye on Conan, Kimmel and Leno. Anyone who crosses those picket lines is a scab, period.

[aquart]

10. Yep.

No reason to promote their movies and candidacies with non-union shows when they can line up for Letterman and Ferguson.

I think Letterman should have a reverse picket line tonight. People should be their to cheer his guests.

[Stephanie]

12. that's a good idea - why don't you send it to the WGA?

www.wgaeast.org

[high density]

19. Bob Saget and Dwayne Perkins are on Conan's show tonight

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aokxfZa6N43A&refer=home

(Bob Saget seems to be whoring for the return of his NBC game show, "1 vs. 100")

[Beaverhausen]

2. I drive by that studio on my way to work. I saw tons of picketers today - more than usual

I gave them a honk and a wave!

[Adsos Letter]

4. Does Huckabee care about unions ...other than the civil kind...

:shrug:

[Stephanie]

6. doubtful

His fans probably love to see some union-busting. They are clueless about what unions have done to improve their lives.

[Adsos Letter]

9. I figured as much...

unions tend to place power in the hands of the worker.

:D

[ChoralScholar]

11. My dad has a union sticker that says:

"From the same people who brought you the WEEKEND: UNION-YES"

[Adsos Letter]

14. Yup...

too many people don't understand the role unions played in giving workers an avenue for redress of grievances...and to break the stranglehold of the corporatists of earlier years.

Strong unions in this country are a necessity, now as much as then.

:D

[Graybeard]

13. Can Hucky be a bigger dickhead?

Add union buster to his credentials...no surprise. That passive smile he always has really creeps me out. I always expect him to show that he has a chainsaw hidden behind his back.

[book_worm]

15. Meanwhile Dave will have Robin Williams on his show!!!!

[NastyRiffraff]

16. Not surprising about Huckabee

or any Repub for that matter. Republicans as a group not only don't care about unions and labor in general, they are hostile to them.

[Stinky The Clown]

17. Call tonight's Tonight the March of the Scabby Assholes

I wish much ill to both Leno and his guests.

[lame54]

18. I'm sure he's looking forward to it

[spanone]

20. guess huckabee won't be courting the union vote....a true rethug...fuck the workers