Joe and Mika from MSNBC’s Morning Joe did a behind the scenes White House tour with Robert Gibbs earlier this week. Check it out:

Remember that story Bobby Jindal told in his big speech Tuesday night — about how during Katrina, he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a local sheriff who was battling government red tape to try to rescue stranded victims?

Turns out it wasn’t actually, you know, true.

“Michael Steele! You be da man! You be da man!”

Recession-related reasons aside, right-of-center young people looking for steady work with an ideological bent are having an unusually difficult time. For much of the past decade, young conservatives enjoyed an array of job opportunities in the Republican-controlled Congress and at insulated, well-funded nonprofit organizations. But since Democrats gained control in 2006, many prized slots on Senate and House committees started going to the new majority. And now, there’s no Republican administration in power to offer jobs to its own.

Young conservatives could apply for regular jobs, they acknowledge, but they also believe that their 20s are a safe age — likely no children, often unmarried — to start low- to moderate-paying jobs that potentially could launch prestigious careers in politics or public policy. The tough job market only reinforces their sense of being marooned.

At Heritage, one of Washington’s premier conservative think tanks, the organization’s Young Leaders Program job bank is receiving résumés from 20-somethings nationwide. But employers are not tapping the source as much as in past years, a sign that the potent conservative think tanks and other machinelike organizations of the Bush years might be waning. “It’s gone from maybe three or four calls a day to one or two,” said David Barnes, the program’s assistant director. “It’s bad.”

Justin Rand, 24, formerly a “confidential assistant” in the White House’s drug policy office, exited right before the election to work on John McCain’s campaign — so, he hoped, he could remain at the White House. After McCain’s loss, Rand could no longer stay in Washington because, among other reasons, he couldn’t find a job. He has since moved in with his parents in Jacksonville, Fla.

Last night, Pres. Obama gave his (non) State of the Union addresses before a joint session of Congress. Below is video and text.

Watch CBS Videos Online

TRANSCRIPT (after the jump):

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Last night, Gov. Bobby Jindal gave one of the most tepid and embarrassing N(non)SOTU responses these eyes have seen. Not only did he offer no new solutions from a party struggling to find itself after two crushing cycles of defeats that have left them without the House, Senate or White House…he also stumbled on his first big introduction to the American people.

Clearly, the GOP wants a new messenger to deliver an old message and that was evident last night. For example, take this passage from Jindal’s speech:

To solve our current problems, Washington must lead. But the way to lead is not to raise taxes and put more money and power in hands of Washington politicians. The way to lead is by empowering you – the American people. Because we believe that Americans can do anything.

Huh? Empowering you? Who is you? Are ‘you’ one of the 600,000 people who lost their job last month? Are ‘you’ one of the 7.6% of Americans who are out of work? Are ‘you’ able to suck it up and just deal? No, ‘you’ are probably one of the 95% of Americans who will receive a tax cut from the stimulus legislation and ‘you’ are looking to the President and his party to help lift this country out of the ruins of this crushing economic meltdown. These smears on Democrats and false statements from GOP leaders don’t help the GOP move their agenda or their message down the road. They lose credibility because they are tone-deaf. They don’t need a smiley new messenger, they need to re-tool their agenda and present solutions.

I’m not sure how this plays in middle-America, but from where I sit, the speech fell flat. Considering Jindal has already visited Iowa and is expected to seek the GOP nomination in 2012 – this was a failure to launch.

Jason Linkins from the Huffington Post made a perfect comparison and one that I made to my fellow speech watchers during Jindal’s performance. Jason writes:

If it wasn’t such a dead-on comparison it would be catty to say out loud…but there’s no denying it: Bobby Jindal was totally channeling Kenneth The Page from NBC’s 30 Rock tonight. (With maybe a touch of “Moviefone guy.”)

Seriously, it’s uncanny. Close your eyes and see if you can detect any specific difference between Jindal’s opening paragraphs…

…and this special web-extra from 30 Rock, featuring Kenneth.

A couple weeks ago, I started an online effort via Facebook on behalf of Sam Seder when it was announced that MSNBC was seeking a new host for its 10:00pm EST time slot. I’ve known Sam for a while and I really respect his many talents.

Late last week, the Los Angeles Times ran a story where they profiled the organizing that is taking place on Facebook, aimed at persuading NBC executives to install a solid progressive host into the 10:00pm EST time spot. Check out the article below.

In the process, MSNBC has been criticized for melding opinion with news, even as it excited the political left.

“For years, while everyone has always talked about this liberal media bias, we haven’t seen it on cable television,” said Peter Slutsky, a Democratic consultant who started the Facebook campaign for Seder with his brother, Matthew. “I believe strongly that MSNBC has been so successful because it has decided to drive a firm position to the left.”

I really do believe that MSNBC has earned its progressive audience by engaging them with top-notch talent and firebrand hosts like Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow. I also believe that MSNBC will respond to grassroots organizing and from hearing their audiences opinions.

“This is the next step in the future of Internet activism,” said Seder, who has worked with Maddow at Air America. “I think there’s a real hunger out there for new voices who will speak more truth to power and who are less ensconced in the establishment machine. Someone like Maddow really represents that. She did not come up through the classic channels, and that’s encouraged and emboldened people.”

That’s what drove Slutsky to start up the Facebook campaign on behalf of Seder.

“This whole idea of going to journalism school and working your way through satellite stations — it’s a good way to do it, but stars are born all kinds of ways,” Slutsky said. “Having the power of the Internet behind you is just as powerful as having a Hollywood agent on your side.”

I also have a great deal of respect for Cenk Uygur from The Young Turks – he’s been a good friend of DoubleSpeak over the years and I would be absolutely stoked if he were to get the spot. Either way, no matter who ultimately gets the post,be it Sam, Cenk or another host,I am excited to see Facebook-driven organizing and stories about the progressive activist base in newspapers like the Los Angeles Times. This is a big step for all of us.

You can read the rest of the story here.

If you’re so inclined, you can join the Facebook group: Hey MSNBC – Bring Sam Seder To 10:00PM ET.

If you want to weigh in and tell MSNBC what you think, email them here.

has just announced that ‘he sought to raise campaign funds at the request of the governor’s [Blago] brother at the same time he was pushing to be appointed.’ More from The Page.

who is the current Ohio Secretary of State has just announced that she intends to run for the U.S. Senate in 2010. You can listen to her interview on DoubleSpeak here.