Uh oh…all the stars didn’t come out on Monday night.Misty May-Treanor, the Olympic gold medal winner, suffered an injury on Friday. Now she’s not on the floor. They promised that Misty will be out later to explain what happened…

Susan Lucci started out the night with what I thought was a very tentative Jive. I like the Jive. It has so much energy…so when you see someone really cautious doing a jive, it’s disappointing. Susan had also injured herself (her ankle was wrapped after an early morning rehearsal accident.) But the judges were kind. 7-7-7. (I thought the judges were very generous)

Lance and Lacey were up next to do a Viennese Waltz…and this week, they wanted to get Len on their side. No fancy, rebel-stuff here. They were going to play it straight. They even tried their routine out during a humorous routine at a local retirement home.

So they took a more traditional approach this week…and it fits them well. Nicely done. But the judges…Bruno likes more rebel. But Carrie Ann thought it was fantastic. Len thought Lance was flat-footed…but he also thought it was his (Lance’s) best dance yet. 8-7-7.

Maurice and Cheryl rebounded from last week’s lower scores with a “Rock Around the Clock” jive that was fun. Carrie Ann thought it was a great job. Len said that was more like it! Bruno said Maurice can “rock when you want to.” 8-8-8! Maurice’s best score ever.

Rocco and Karina swept in to do the Vienneese Waltz….to “What’s New Pussycat?” It was a cute routine, with Rocco starting the routine blindfolded. The dance wasn’t too bad. Len agreed that elements were good, and thought overall a pretty good job.” Bruno then threw water on the mood saying Rocco should have kept the blindfold on! (Ouch) Carrie Ann thought Bruno was crazy…she saw the most improved dancer! 7-7-6.

Warren and Kym hit the floor with the Viennese Waltz…and their rehearsals show that we should see something good!

Watching Warren move, he seems so very comfortable moving around on the floor, so graceful. Man, he is gonna be tough to beat! ANd the judges loved it. Bruno said it was “Big, smooth and beautiful!” Carrie Ann said she was “blown away.” He swept her off her feet. Len thought it was going to be Warren’s stumbling block…but not a chance! 9-8-8 (Told ya Carrie Ann loved them!)

Cody and Julianne met up with Cody’s “Hanna Montana” co-star Miley Cyrus at Disneyland (for her 16th birthday) They are gonna do a Jive. And since it is a Julianne dance, I bet it will be intense.

But it was a little too intense. Carrie Ann said it looked like Cody was counting through the steps. Len and Bruno thought the routine started out very strong…but felt it got repetitive (with a guitar leg playing bit) But the judges gave them a 7-7-7.

Toni and Alec are going to add a little spice to the Viennese Waltz. It’s starts traditional…but them the music picked up for more aggressive part…then slowed, then finished strong. A great use of music and cool choreography! Very unconventional.

But Len didn’t like it….he thought it was too gimicky! Bruno felt it was over-produced. But Carrie Ann liked t! She liked the scandalous approach. 8-7-7

Cloris and Corky worked on building her stamina for the demanding Jive. And the two went for the laughs. Then it happend…Cloris had…A HAIR MALFUNCTION! Corky pulled her wig that was falling off and tossed it away. Silly, fun routine. And Cloris had a good time milking the audience reaction. Crazy Cloris was back! And remember, she’s 83! She’s not going home because she’s having too much fun. 6-5-5

Brooke and Derek wrapped up the evening with the final Viennese Waltz. But their rehearsals show some tension in the practice room. Derek is really pushing her.

And its working. These two have a magic on the floor. The routine was fantastic, danced to a beautiful song about mothers and daughters. And ended, touchingly, with Brooke giving her own daughter at the side of the stage, a kiss. Magic.

Carrie Ann said Brooke is fast becoming her favorite dancer of all the seasons. Len said it the best dance of the season! Bruno complimented the choreography and the beautiful dancer, too. ANd sure enough, the first TEN of the season (from Len no less!) 9-10-9!

Finally Misty came out on crutches with a cast on her leg. Sitting on a stool in the middle of the floor, she explained what happened. The show also had video of the rehearsal…and you can clearly hear a “Pop.”

She tried to keep going but the pain turned too intense. After being taken to the hospital and getting an MRI, the X-Ray confirmed she had ruptured her achilles tendon! OUCH! Misty is now on the sidelines, finished for the season.

On Tuesday she is going in for surgery. Dancing is a tough sport. And poor Maks, with the injury, is knocked out of the competition, too.

So will someone else be eliminated since Misty is out?

The weekly Results Show will air on Tuesday night at a special time due to the Presidential Debate. It will air at 8:00pm before the debate on the East Coast…and after the Debate on the West Coast.

After a brief recap of the Monday night dances, Len, representing the judges, introduced Warren and Kym to do an encore version of their “Matrix” inspired Paso Dobla. They deserved a second look just for their leather dancing outfits!They wasted no time to announce the first two safe couples. First up, Toni Braxton and Alex Mazo! Then a good surprise, Rocco DiSpirito and his partner Karina Smirnoff.

After Jessica Simpson performed her new country song, Rocco and Karina profusely thanked the audience for voting them on.

The next two safe couples: Cody Linley and Julianne Hough…then, keeping it in the family, big brother Derek Hough and celebrity Brooke Burke were announced!

Here is an interesting note. THey did a neat feature about how two of the judges, Bruno and Len not only judge the US version of Danicing with the Stars…but the original British version as well! What a crazy schedule…they do the live shows on Monday and Tuesday in the US, then fly to England after the show on Tuesday night to do the English version. On Sunday they fly back all the way back to Los Angeles. Yikes. Talk about frequent flyer miles.

I have to take a moment here to recognize a couple of the promos ABC aired during “Dancing with the Stars.” One was for “Pushing Daisies” which has its season premiere on Wednesday night at 8PM. Please, if you are at all interested in one of the freshest, most orginial series on TV, check out “Pushing Daisies.” I think it is charming and wonderful…really great TV. Watch it…you’ll like it.

And they also teased the return of “Eli Stone,” which will follow the “Dancing with the Stars-Results Show” beginning in two weeks. Another outstanding, terrific show. Check episodes of both shows now on-line at ABC.com.

Okay, public service message over…Back to the dancers. Next safe: Susan Lucci and Tony Dovolani.

Another behind the scenes peek…this time what life is like in the “Red Room” with the dancers during the show…fun to see the personalities of the stars (Rocco alwys on his phone, Cloris being crazy) and how they all deal with the TV pressure.

Then it’s back to the elimination.

Warren and Kym are announced safe! And Maurice Greene and fan favorite Cheryl Burke!

(Please let Kim Kardashian be voted off…please, please, please.)

Next safe…Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer. Then Misty May-Treanor and Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

Finally, Cloris and Corky are announced safe! That means Kim Kardashian is sent home!

Whew! Thank you America.

Be sure to check back as the remaining stars are back on stage Monday night at 8PM on ABC and RTV 6.

Monday night started with the star introductions…and the stars were wearing plenty of leather. Certainly some of the most unusual costumes. They were unusual enough that Tom Bergeron, in nod to current events quipped, “The Bill didn’t pass in Washington, but I think some of our stars may bail out of their costumes!”Tonight they have the Paso Dobla and the Rumba on their dance card…two of the more sophisticated dances to try especially this early in the competition.

Toni Braxton opened the night with a sensual take on the rumba. I thought she was hot! Len was surprised how good it was! Bruno said she captured the sensuality. Carrie Ann, the lift cop, said it was passionate but there were lifts (Toni’s feet came off the floor.) Darn. Carrie Ann will knock their score. Sure enough…7-8-8.

Brooke and Derek went next with the Paso Dobla. Very impressive…but not quite as strong as last week. Carrie Ann said it was mesmerizing but did note they were a little off. Len liked them too. And Bruno said Brooke was born to dance! 8-8-8.

Rocco and Karina were up with their take on the Rumba. Using his chef’s apron to start, Rocco danced to “You’ll Never Find.” Don’t think the dance will get big scores…Rocco is very stiff. And Bruno hit it by saying “you were just standing there, like the Thing.” And unimpressed Carrie Ann said he wasn’t swaying with the music. Keeping with the cooking theme, Len said Karina gave him the ingredients but Rocco didn’t make a tasty dish. (Even my nine year old son remarked that nobody liked them!) 5-6-5. Ouch!

Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer got to do the Paso…(the Matador’s dance!) These guys didn’t want to be too traditional but they knew Len would be watching. These two are the rebels.

And of course, since they are rebels, they performed to “I Kissed a Girl.” There goes tradition! But I thought the dance was entertaining and energetic. Len scowled calling them out for not doing a true version of the Paso. Carrie Ann said it was clever and they went for it. Bruno said they are always thrilling to watch but they went too hip-hop! The scores: 7-6-7. A suggestion for these two…challenge/mock the judges (even Len) and you’ll be going home.

Kim Kardashian and her partner Mark Ballas were back. After last week, I thought Kim should have been sent home. Please America, send this reality star home. Please. I thought her Rumba was only passable. Bruno was brutal and critical…her rumba was colder than Siberia! Len thinks she has potential…but she doesn’t show it. Carrie Ann thinks she’s trying her best, but suggested she needs to watch the playback of her dance and learn. These scores will not be good. 6-6-5. Not the lowest of the night…but still should go.

Misty and Maks were up next with the Paso. Misty likes to attack. And Maks was tough on her in practice. Talk about intense. Misty is intense on the floor. Carrie Ann loved the energy! Bruno compared her to Zena the Warrior Princess. But reminded her to keep the finesse. Len said it was a good attempt. Everyone liked that Maks really pushed her especially in only the second week! 7-7-7. I thought the scores were lower than I expected.

Maurice and Cheryl were up to the Rumba, the dance of love. Cheryl did a good job dancing around Maurice…but he didn’t do much else. The judges felt it was a little stiff…rough and clunky as Bruno said. Not a good effort. 7-6-6.

Cloris is bac-c-ckkkkkk!

Cloris promises to be focused and serious this week. The dance of the bull-fight. And it looked like she was serious in rehearsal. ANd you know what…she was pretty good. Bruno cited Frau Bluecher (her character from “Young Frankenstein”) and tell you the truth, that’s what I thought when I first saw her in her costume. Len said it was good. Carrie Ann wanted to see crazy Cloris, not the serious version. 5-5-5.

Susan Lucci and Tony practiced the Rumba in between scenes at “All My Children.”

As for the dance, it seemed like Susan and Tony were dancing in half time to the song. I wanted them to pick up the pace. But the judges liked it. Carrie Ann thought it was nice, smooth and elegant. Bruno thought it was a good rumba…but she was too tentative. Len liked the acting of the dance. 7-7-7.

Football star Warren Sapp and Kym Johnson were up for the Paso Dobla. He worked on keeping a straight face. When it came to the Matrix inspired dance, they pulled off an inspired leather clad/spandex dance. Len loved the feel of it…intense. Carrie Ann loved the light and shade. Bruno loved the footwork, too…Fabulous! I love Warren. So do the judges. 8-8-8!

Finally, they saved the youngest for last. Cody and Julianne. Cody is a silly, goofy guy. They had to do a Rumba. Young Cody professed not having too much life experience for such a sensual dance (hey, he is a Disney Channel star.) Bruno call him out like he was a kid in the candy store. Len thought it okay. Carrie Ann liked the innocence of the dance. 7-7-7.

Brooke and Derek and Warren and Kym were at the top of the leaderboard. Last…Cloris and Corky.

Tuesday night one of the couples will be sent home (you know who I would like shown the door…check out the headline!)

See you Tuesday at 8PM on ABC!

UPDATED INFO:

David Letterman’s stunt busting republican presidential candidate John McCain has folks inside CBS upset according to today’s New York Post.

Bigwigs are upset Letterman’s show tapped into the internal feed of CBS Evening News with Katie Couric as McCain was getting makeup applied before a live interview with Katie Couric. That feed was not supposed to be televised.

But they’re complaining off the record. (See what happened when you read the rest of this post.) According to the New York Post, CBS News feels that if they had used an internal network feed to break in on Letterman’s taping, heads would have rolled.

I don’t think anyone at CBS is going to tell Dave what he can’t do…he has a tendency to tell viewers about it. Dave’s not a fan of management…

***** 

In case you didn’t hear, John McCain stood up David Letterman. And Letterman busted him for it.

Here’s the background: Senator McCain was scheduled to appear on Letterman’s show on Wednesday night. Letterman recently had Senator Barack Obama on the program and “Late Show” recorded one of it’s highest ratings of the year. 

So Wednesday night, McCain had his chance.

But McCain called a couple hours prior to the early evening taping to personally tell Letterman he couldn’t do the show that night because he was “rushing back to Washington” due to the economic crisis.

Only problem is…he didn’t rush back to Washington. He rushed over to “CBS Evening News with Katie Couric” to do a live interview on that newscast. And since Letterman is also produced for CBS, his crew punched up the live feed of McCain on Couric’s news set getting make-up applied and aired it with Letterman giving caustic commentary. That gave Letterman plenty to comment on…and made the talk show host even more sarcastic.

Think about it…Letterman’s show was good enough for Senator McCain to announce his run for the presidency several months ago.

Now…? 

Dave’s show can be incredibly silly. But I’ve seen the guy do some incredibily probing, straight-forward and very serious interviews, too. He’s no dummy. He’s well read and knowledgeable…how else can you do his style of comedy?  

Then on Thursday night, Letterman says McCain didn’t rush to Washington as he claimed he was going to do…he remained in New York through Thursday morning before going to Washington!

The TODAY SHOW even asked one of McCain’s spokespeople about the apparent snub and the spokesperson said the campaign didn’t think it appropriate for the Senator to appear on a comedy show.

That really set  the talk show host off.

Here’s a transcript of what he said on Thursday night’s show.

“I don’t know if you know about this or not, but last night….Here’s the deal - we do this little TV show every night right here on CBS. And what we do - you see these chairs right here? That’s because we like to have folks come out and visit. And one of the people who was going to visit with us last night was Senator John McCain.

“What a tremendous hero. What a great American John McCain is. Unquestionably, as President Clinton said earlier this week, gave almost everything but his life for this country. And a tremendous hero and a tremendous role model…and he was supposed to be on the show. So at the last minute he calls up and says, “Uh…I can’t make it.” And I said, “What is the problem?” And he said, “Well, the economy. The economy is about to crater.”
***
So I’m scared. I’m starting to tremble a little bit because he said, “I’ve got to race back to D.C.” And I thought, holy gosh… And I hung up the phone and I said to the staff that had gathered at my feet - waiting for words of reassurance from me…OK, everything’s fine. Don’t worry about it. The Senator is on his way back to D.C. So not only did he not go back right away, he stopped by to see Katie Couric on his way out. And then ok, we looked at it and we said, “OK, I understand that. That’s news and this is nonsense.”

But then after Katie Couric, wham-o, right to the airport? …No. No. No. We found out today that he didn’t really leave until this morning. [Boos from the audience.]

Thank you very much, Ladies and Gentlemen. So what we learned today is that the economy held on long enough - just barely held on long enough for him to get back there.

“Whereas, you can see, 24 hours ago, I felt like a patriot. I felt like I was helping out. I felt like I was doing my part. Part of the cause. Fighting the fight. Not part of the problem, I was part of the solution. I was going to help in my own little way get this economy out of the crater. And now I’m just feeling like an ugly date. That’s what I feel like. I feel like an ugly date. I feel used. I feel cheap. I feel sullied. I feel cratered…”

Is it just Dave being cranky? He’s famous for making issues out of everything. (Remember the years long “feud” between Letterman and Oprah?)

Or by busting a presidential candidate in a lie is Letterman going to sway a very, very close election?

There’s nothing like a talk show host scorned.

Especially one that is one of the nation’s premiere political satirists that just so happens to have a searing monologue every night at 11:35pm.

Did you know there was an election coming up? Hard to miss it recently.

It’s a political year and the world of entertainment is taking note of it with a look back at one of the more interesting and troubled presidents of the past century, Richard Nixon.

I’m old enough to remember Nixon’s presidency. It was marred by the Vietnam war, civil unrest and a little burglary at the Watergate Hotel in Washington that has since brought the word “-gate” to be attached to any whiff of political scandal. (Watergate to Trooper-gate…plu-leeese! No more gates!)

In December director Ron Howard will be releasing one of the more anticipated films of the holiday season, a film called “Frost/Nixon.” The movie is based on the broadway play and is about the prickly relationship and series of television interviews between the disgraced President and the British interviewer that took place several years after Nixon left office. The buzz is that this is one of those movies that could get plenty of Oscar nominations.  

Perhaps because of the upcoming movie, a new edition of Oliver Stone’s “Nixon” has been re-released on DVD. I watched it recently.

Oliver Stone can be brilliant (Platoon, Wall Street, Salvador, Born on the Fourth of July) and wayyy over the top (Natural Born Killers, JFK.) Stone’s next movie is being released October 13 and I’m hearing it’s pretty out there. USA Today quotes Stone as saying it’s a comedy with Josh Brolin in the story of George W. Bush. It’s simply called “W.”

As Oliver Stone has matured he’s one director that I feel has somehow regressed. Over the past couple years many of his films have lost any sense of subtlety…he’ll whack you over the head to make his point. “Nixon” is no exception. And it’s too bad as parts of this movie are facinating.  

“Nixon” was released a couple years ago and has an all-star cast, most notably Anthony Hopkins as Nixon and Joan Allen as Pat Nixon.

Hopkins does a fine job capturing the style and feel of Nixon without resorting to doing an impression of the man. The film paints Nixon as a tragic figure, paranoid and scheming.

Some of it is over the top  such as Bob Hoskins as an openly gay J. Edgar Hoover. During the 1968 election, Hoover’s companion makes a passing statement that ”maybe somebody should shoot Robert Kennedy” and Hoskins does a broad Roger Rabbit style “why did you say that?” look implying another conspiracy theory (Stone can’t seem to get off that “JFK” vibe)

“Nixon” is interesting. But if you want to see a really good movie about Richard Nixon, I would highly recommend “All The President’s Men,” one of the best thrillers/detective stories ever produced.

And its all true.