Grapevine: Mixed reviews for Eastwood's RNC appearance

What are people saying about convention speech?

And now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine...

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The reviews are in, and mixed, for Clint Eastwood's Republican convention speech last night when he addressed an empty chair meant to represent President Obama.

The Associated Press called it bizarre, rambling, and odd.

Film critic Roger Ebert tweeted in part -– quote -- "Clint, my hero, is coming across as sad and pathetic."

Country singer Charlie Daniels tweeted -– quote -- "Clint Eastwood made my day."

Ann Romney called it "unique."

President Obama tweeted this picture, with the caption -- quote -- "this seat's taken."

The Romney camp defended Eastwood telling the Daily Beast's Howard Kurtz -- quote -- "We know it played well in the hall. I think it played well in the living room. We're not really concerned about how it played in the green room."

The speech also prompted people to upload photos of mostly empty chairs with the hashtag #eastwooding.

New York State of Mind

New York state Democrats are dealing with a scandal involving sexual harassment and hush money. A confidential settlement that included more than $100,000 of taxpayer money went to women accusing a New York assemblyman of sexual harassment.

The assembly speaker negotiated that deal.

The lawyer for the women, along with a good government advocate and Democratic state senator have called for a special investigator in the case.

News compilation site Fark, joked -- quote -- "War on women rhetoric falls silent as feminist NY Democrats give a resounding no-comment and hey-look-at-the-time to secret hush money payments to sexually harassed female Democrat assembly staffers."

Watch Your Language!

Finally, the State Department wants employees to watch what they say because it says common phrases could easily be interpreted as derogatory.

Chief Diversity Officer John Robinson writes in a department magazine, about the historical context of some everyday phrases.

He warns -- "Hold down the fort" is a potentially insulting reference to American Indian stereotypes.

"Going Dutch" could make Dutch people feel cheap.

"Rule of Thumb" could be offensive to women.

And advocates for the disabled could have a problem with the term "handicap."