The Best And Worst of 2008

Keeping in tradition of media's annual best and worst selections -- because this is the slowest news cycle of every year -- we offer the following:

Best: The Kaiser Permanente TV ad which sings "I want to grow up to be an old woman."

Tackiest: Serving McNuggets at a wedding reception.

Worst: Any commercial where a guy named Mays yells at you.

Best: Barack Obama elected the first black U.S. president.

Worst: Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich trying to sell Obama's senate seat to the highest bidder, according to the U.S. Attorney.

Best: The Republican Party nominating Sen. John McCain for president, the only person who stood a chance at beating Obama.

Worst: McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for vice president who proved to be unprepared for the job but was embraced by the party's base.

Best: Michael Phelps with help from his teammates winning nine Olympic gold medals.

Worst: The Detroit Lions.

Dumbest: Congress rushing through the $700 billion financial sector bailout and having no clue how the money would be spent.

Best: President Bush's financial assistance to combat AIDS in Africa.

Worst: Almost everything else Bush did.

Best: Rep. Barney Frank, chairman of a House banking committee, calling Bill O'Reilly ignorant.

Worst: O'Reilly.

Funniest: Jay Leno who commended Bush for the housing market collapse so he could buy his new $10 million home for $2 million.

Lamest: Vice President Dick Cheney's revision of history.

Most Callow: Cheney's response to using torture of captured militants: "So?"

Best: Most of Obama's speeches during the election campaign.

Worst: All of McCain's speeches.

Best Line: Joe Biden describing Rudy Giuliani's sentence structure: "A noun, a verb and 9/11."

Best: Caroline Kennedy as a surrogate for Barack Obama.

Worst: Joe the Plumber.

Most Tasteless: Sarah Palin's press conference while a turkey was beheaded 20 feet to her back.

Classiest: Hillary Clinton's public demeanor after losing the primary nomination.

Sleaziest: Bill Clinton's foundation donors list.

Worst: ESPN for the schilling during the bowl games they broadcast and the opposition they represent against a college playoff format.

Best: Al Costas and John Madden as football announcer and colorman on NBC's Sunday Night Football.

Worst: NBC's Sunday Night Football pregame and halftime shows -- too many talking heads.

Best: MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

Worst: Fox dropping Alan Combs and replacing him with Glenn Beck and Mike Huckabee.

Most Missed: Tim Russert of "Meet The Press."

Happy New Year!