This incident last Tuesday had nothing to do with the rehearsal or Paula being “confused,” as some people are trying to claim as excuses.

Here’s her explanation from Ryan’s radio show the next morning (when Paula presumably wasn’t as “confused” as she was Tuesday night:

- Paula: “I was reading the critique of what I was writing for Jason Castro, and on the same page that I wrote, was also David’s, and I got lost on my notes, and that’s as simple as it was. I did catch the last minute of Jason Castro” (the rehearsal she watched on the monitor).
- Ryan: “So what you are saying is, you were talking about two different people, but accidentally you said ’second song.’ ”
- Paula: “Yes.”

Obviously it was not David Cook’s note she was reading. “I felt like your usual charm was missing for me. It kind of left me a little empty. And the two songs made me feel like you’re not fighting hard enough to get into the top 4,” as if David would have to “fight hard” for a spot there, but then she says David is “fantastic” and she’s looking at “the next American Idol”?

C’mon. This is obviously a lie to cover up the fact that they have been trying to get rid of Jason for weeks now. I like Paula and she was just doing what she was told. Her only mistake was exposing this charade to the public.

Maybe the kids are sending more and more text messages per capita this season. But I think it’s also possible that the Nielsen numbers are missing a substantial number of viewers, perhaps in group settings.