Too much Obama coverage? Some TV viewers have had enough!

Remember the big hoopla over the McCain robo-calls during the campaign?

Well, they're back. No, John McCain isn't getting a head-start on 2012, but robo-calls talking about Obama have made a comeback.

Unlike the McCain calls, these automatic phone calls aren't casting doubts on whether Barack Obama is experienced enough to lead. Rather these calls are promoting all of the Inaugural coverage.

Robots

Huh? It seems that some TV viewers aren't big fans of Verizon right now. They claim the company is mass robo-calling their customers promoting wall-to-wall coverage of Obama Inauguration events.

Not everyone's happy about it.

Upset

Take Brian Maloney over at RadioEqualizer. He got one of the calls and is steaming mad.

The blogger recently switched from Comcast to Verizon FiOS and was pretty happy about the switch. That is until a robot called him.

"[Verizon] left a rambling, pre-recorded message on my home answering machine imploring me to watch his “historic” inaugural, using a tone that assumed we are all liberal Democrats and Obamists," he fumed.

"That’s the worst aspect of the Obama cult/fad/American Idol victory (or whatever you believe this is really about): we are all compelled to participate," Maloney wrote. "Like it or not, Obama is being shoved down our throats through a daily pressure campaign that permeates every aspect of our lives. Resistance is truly futile."

Doom

Gulp. Resistance is futile?

It gets worse, according to Maloney. You know what's really happening here, he says? We're going the way of Turkmenistan!

"That’s EXACTLY how it’s done in North Korea, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Cuba and other assorted basketcase banana republics across the globe," he says, apparently having knowledge of robotic calls in third-world countries.

"Is this still America?', he asks.

Not alone

Turns out he's not alone. Boston Herald columnist Howie Carr has had enough of it too.

"It was the all-Obama Comcast channel that drove me over the edge," Carr begins.

"Finally, I thought, this was the last straw. I would cancel Comcast and switch my cable service to Verizon. But before I could make my move, somebody called and told me that Verizon was robo-calling its customers and telling them to watch their Obama-mania special".

Carr says he's had it with the Obama-mania and he's only turning his TV on once today and that's to watch football.

We're predicting an Arizona - Baltimore Super Bowl by the way. On second thought, make that Philadelphia - Pittsburgh. No. It'll be Arizona - Pittsburgh. Unless it's Philadelphia - Baltimore. Well, it'll be one of those.

Rundown

Anyway, for those of you who aren't quite convinced we've turned into the United States of Turkmenistan and might want to tune into some of the festivities, here's a lineup of events today (thanks to TV Guide):

Sunday, January 18

• 2:30 pm/ET: HBO presents We Are One, a star-studded celebration on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Beyoncé, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Carell and Jamie Foxx are among the well-wishing celebs expected to be on hand to perform and read historical passages.
• 7 pm, ET/PT and 11:30 pm, ET/PT: The show will be rebroadcast to cable and satellite subscribers as an open feed.

Monday, January 19:

• 8 pm/ET, Disney Channel: Kids' Inaugural Ball: We Are the Future. Michelle Obama will host the concert honoring military families. Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers are among the night's big performers

Tuesday, January 20:
Expect all major networks to broadcast festivities throughout the day:

• 10 am/ET: Inaugural festivities kick off, including invocation by the Rev. Rick Warren and a performance by Aretha Franklin. Biden will be sworn into office by Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, followed by musical selections of John Williams
• Noon ET: Obama takes the Oath of Office, delivers inaugural address
• 8 pm ET/PT, ABC: watch the action at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball, where Beyoncé will sing the first song when the new president and first lady take the floor at their first stop on their party circuit. Performers will include Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Shakira, Sting, Faith Hill, Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder and Maroon 5. At 10, programming will turn to inaugural balls
• 8 pm/ET, BET: The pre-taped Yes We Will: BET's Inauguration Celebration, hosted by Nick Cannon
• 9 pm/ET, CBS: Katie Couric hosts a special on Obama's road to the White House, followed by a live webcast reviewing the day's events on CBSNews.com and CNET.com
• 10 pm/ET, MTV: will broadcast the Youth Inaugural Ball
• 10 pm/ET, NBC: Brian Williams takes viewers into several of the night's inaugural balls