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By Leonard Maltin I understand why millions of people go gaga over the new Twilight movie or Toy Story 3 , but some of the best and brightest filmmaking doesn’t come from the mainstream–and sad to say, most Americans ignore outstanding independent and foreign films right under their noses. Even smart people I know have gotten lazy about seeing these films when they open in theaters, waiting for them to turn up on cable, pay-per-view, or DVD.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee weighed in on the gamut of likely 2012 Republican presidential candidates during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday.” And while the Arkansas Republican offered diplomatic praise for his colleagues — while candidly admitting that he too was thinking of mounting a bid — his remarks stood out for their coldness to one: Mitt Romney. “The Massachusetts healthcare bill essentially is the blueprint for Obamacare,” said Huckabee. “That is going to be an issue he has to confront.

California voters face a clash between corporate cash vs. progressive populism. Nothing less than the biggest statehouse, the biggest Senate seat, and the future presidency of America is at stake here in the Golden State. Corporate cash vs. progressive populism Can corporate cash always beat progressive populism? Absolutely not - but it will be spent at historic levels over the next 5 months. Corporate cash funded the nominations of Meg Whitman (R-eBay) for governor and Carly Fiorina (R-Hewlett Packard) for senator.

So Joe McGinnis ( The Selling of the President ; Fatal Vision ; Going to Extremes ) has moved next door to Sarah Palin (”You betcha!”; “In what respect, Charlie?”; “All of them.”). And Palin’s first, instinctive, most characteristic response has been to leeringly imply the author’s temptation to pedophilia, to send hubby over to act ( in McGinnis’ words ) “increasingly hostile,” and then to complain as though she is being ill-used.

When the greatest jazz bass player of all-time takes the stage on Thursday night, May 20th it will part of an All Star jazz concert at Harlem’s world famous Apollo Theater. It’s called “A Great Night In Harlem” and that’s certain to be an understatement. I wish I could be there, for no other reason than to once again see and hear the great Ron Carter.

The indispensable George Lakoff has been very illuminating on the topic of the political brain this week. He explains how what appears irrational to liberals is experienced without a whiff of irony by the conservatives. One of the glaring inconsistencies I’ve noticed is the Tea Partiers’ insistence that the bank bailout was wrong and evil, coupled in the same breath with a denunciation of higher taxes on the rich.

The spotlight has been bright, not necessarily kind to former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. According to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll , 71% of Americans do not feel that Palin is qualified to be President. That includes a sharp drop in Republican support, where 45% believe she is qualified compared to 66% who thought she was last fall. Overall, 37% have a favorable view while 55% have an unfavorable view of the former Alaska Governor.

January was an exceptionally busy month in the world of electoral politics, as evidenced by the “bursting at the seams” nature of the Wrap over the past few weeks. Something tells me that February is going to be just as hectic…and, to make these lengthy recaps a little easier to follow, may I introduce a brand spanking new format for the nightly Wrap… THE U.S. SENATE AK-Sen: Murkowski Looks Good For Re-Election, Says PPP A new poll out from PPP (pdf) gives freshman Republican Lisa Murkowski a solid 52-25 lead over a generic Democratic opponent.

We’re trapped in a world That’s troubled with pain. But as long as a man Has the strength to dream, He can redeem his soul and fly. - Elvis Presley Another scandal is breaking on Wall Street. When AIG was bailed out by the taxpayers, Timothy Geithner’s New York Federal Reserve allegedly told it to alter a Securities and Exchange Commission disclosure. The Federal Reserve bureaucrats did not want Americans to know that AIG was funneling some of the bailout money to pay off debts at Goldman Sachs. At 100 cents on the dollar.

When Lyndon Johnson convinced Congress to pass Medicare and Medicaid in 1965, few suspected it would take four more decades to again pass health reform to cover more Americans that would reach the White House for signing. Medicare and Medicaid didn’t instantly improve health care, but it did strengthen the safety net that protects folks when extraordinary things happen. Yet despite that historic achievement, and the magnitude of the accomplishment, the very real flaws in the bill have been far more in focus than the benefits or the history. Democrats appropriately wanted more.