Newsroom Recap: They Know About Generators, Right?

Brian’s in the newsroom and he sees Jim. They small talk until Brian sees Jim looking at Breitbart’s webpage. Jim explains he’s using it to prep for the mock debate they’re staging for the RNC to showcase this glorious new format and he’s Michele Bachmann’s stand-in. Brian asks about the format but Jim gets squirrelly, saying he’s not sure what he can say about it. It’s questions. And answers. And podiums. It’s not Higgs Boson.

Mackenzie’s drinking down at the only bar in Midtown when Sloan comes in, all excited about going to some economic conference. She just stopped in to tell Mackenzie she needs some extra time on “Tuesday” to cover the House vote on raising the debt ceiling. Sloan says it’s just a cosmetic vote…and why haven’t they been covering it since January? The House started beating that drum right after the election. Mackenzie, showing those laser-like journalistic instincts, wonders why she’d need that time if it’s a cosmetic vote and Sloan explains the whole debt ceiling debacle and how the US lost its AAA credit rating.

You’re related to someone, right? You couldn’t have gotten this job on your own.

Not to mention…that was huge news. At least as likely to draw in viewers to a show like News Night as the Anthony trial. Mackenzie tells Sloan she can’t have the time even though it’s a huge, hard news story because the debate “is the prize.” Hold up. That doesn’t even make sense. Why are they talking about debates? The Iowa straw poll isn’t even until August. Why can’t it just be about saving the show? The women briefly spar back and forth but Mackenzie says no. Unless Sloan can predict what will be news on Tuesday, she can’t have the extra time. So very dumb.

Meanwhile, over at another table, Jim and Neal are prepping for this mock debate. Jim spews some Bachmann nonsense then sees on Breitbart that Weiner’s twitter account was hacked. A) Breitbart didn’t have the story until the next day. B) He certainly didn’t report it as the account being “hacked.” C) I found all this out by googling “Weiner Twitter” and the Huffington Post’s timeline was the second link down.

Back with Sloan and Mackenzie and they’re rehashing everything about Will and Brian and Brian being Mackenzie’s ex because Sorkin must have realized he was being too obtuse earlier then Mackenzie offers to find Sloan the time to “do her story” unless some other nonsense comes along. Just in time for Jim to tell her about Anthony Weiner’s dick.

Tuesday morning at ACN and while Will, Mackenzie and Brian watch Weiner embarrass himself on Wolf Blitzer, Will calls the Congressman to tell him he’s getting bad advice and to “call.” God. Why would he have Weiner’s phone number? Regardless, Mackenzie doesn’t want to cover the story but Will doesn’t want to look like he’s going easy on liberals. More arguing, more yelling, more pontificating about how it’s not a story, then Will brings up the mighty, mighty debate format that they must use and Mackenzie gives in.

Hey Weiner, if you’re a dick and I’m an asshole…there’s a joke in there, somewhere.