Sunday, Feb. 4, 2001 -- NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (APJP) -- As the litany of Sunday morning political programs approached, we could only imagine the many ways in which the Beltway's not-so-neutral kings and queens of spin would tell us that former Texas governor George W. Bush was doing such a fine and thorough job of setting the agenda, establishing a tone of "modesty and humility," and "succeeding" in getting tax cuts (that would go primarily to His Illegitimacy's most ardent backers.

We knew there'd be a lot of talk about His Illegitimacy's so-called "Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives" -- which should really be called "Executive Office of Evangelo-Pentecostal Patronage Next Door to the NRA Desk in the Oval Office."  Why no talk of this being nothing more than a big televange-business payoff?

We also wondered how long the pundits would go before asking questions about what now looks to be an engineered energy "crisis" that may now engulf a number of Western states.  Suddenly, California does not have enough energy?  Where are the investigative reporters -- are they all busy "proving" that the wife... er, FORMER wife of zillionaire Marc Rich "bought" his pardon (while ignoring the fact that he is now vulnerable to massive civil penalties, an important element of the pardon)?  We doubted we'd hear one critical word about the energy flap -- but plenty about how the Clintons "caved" into pressure to give back gifts that they deserved -- since the Clintons, unlike the Reagans and Bushes (who got far more than they acknowledged), have private digs to furnish for about the first time since they left school for a lifetime of public service.

Of course, the pundits are still addicted to Clinton-bashing.  They'd better stock up on their Methadone now.

And there was some good news -- due to a cable outage, both This Weak and Meet the Fat Boy were not to be seen in the high-rent district of at least one major American city!

Here's what we saw:

FAUX New Sunday
Official subsidiary of the Cheney-Card Cadre starts a "Bash Clinton" segment!

"The White House becomes the Luuuuuv Shack!" gushed Tony Snow at the top of FNS.

What a riot -- anyone get a feeling that the Democrats may show former governor Bush some "tough love?"

A FOX News update made much of the FBI wanting to re-question Wen Ho Lee.

Tony welcomed Shrub's economics tutor Larry Lindsey, already becoming a FNS favorite -- and together they push a tax cut of "no more than" $1.6 trillion on an estimated $5.6 trillion surplus -- but that $5.6 trillion ain't gonna be too real if employers, fearing the damage the Shrub will do to our nation, continue to lay off workers.  Tony did say economic circumstances had changed -- and all Lindsey could say was that it's true, but not a word on it actually undermining the calls for massive tax cuts.  Brit "Fume" Hume pushed a capital gains cut, and Lindsey punctuated the need to end the "marriage penalty."  Hume said that Lindsey's "gotta be prepared" to see everything attached to tax cut legislation.  Tony said entrepreneurs say a cap gains cut would attract venture capital -- would it be vetoed?   Lindsey actually said he favors cutting the 28% cap gains rather than the 40-plus percent that entrepreneurs must pay.  Lindsey also was given the opportunity to claim that the Federal Reserve is "independent" -- and Hume talked about Greenspan's assertion that economic growth is at near zero.  Lindsey LIED when he said that he does not have more data now that he's a member of the government.

And after all the talk of taxes, a slowing economy, and a possible (i.e. Shrub-induced) recession, the only talk about the energy crisis on the Left Coast focused on a "national energy policy" and Lindsey's claim that other states are "sacrificing" power for California.

Yeah -- because California is controlled by those evil liberals and they must be punished, right, Lindsey?

Lindsey: "Power does not come from lightning bolts, power comes from power plants."  We had heard that idiot spin earlier this week.  The truth: power comes from fuel.  Fuel is controlled y a cartel of energy companies.  Most of these companies -- who are manipulating fuel supplies -- are Bush Baby supporters who would benefit from a "national energy policy" written by their lobbyists.

Lindsey took some time to stick up for Bill Gates, saying Microsoft was a trust -- but did concede that any more moves against the maker of buggy software is up to the DOJ.

What a joke -- Ass-KKKroft will probably look the other way.

The next guest: Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM).  Tony was practically begging for bigger tax cuts -- but Domenici said $1.6 trillion is "what we can bear."

Yeah, sure.  Don't count on it with Shrub tanking the economy.

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) said that Social Security will have to be raided -- and that $3.4 trillion of the surplus is tied into the trust fund!  $5.6 trillion minus $3.4 trillion MINUS the interest value, which everyone forgets blows Bush Baby's numbers out of the water!  Domenici called his "deep projections... conservative."   Right -- conservative not in their numbers but philosophy, i.e. kill Social Security as just another entitlement.

What's the proper amount of the tax cuts?  Conrad said $900 billion MINUS interest -- and called Domenici a liar for saying Dems are against tax cuts.   Tony tried to claim that the economy was in great shape in 1988 -- and then got Conrad to admit he thinks that a tax cut would stimulate the economy, and supports a retroactive tax cuts -- but cautioned Tony that using the Fed is faster and more effective than tax cuts.  Domenici lied when he said that GOPers want to pay down the debt.  He tipped his hand with his rhetoric about "giving [money] back to the American people."

Notice the way in which NOBODY is talking about an interesting alternative -- surplus givebacks as opposed to tax cuts.  Conrad at least got a decent "last lick" in concerning the need to pay down the debt and the danger of fiscal imbalances when the boomers retire.

Tony got in a little Clinton-bashing by saying that Clinton "gave back" gifts and asking Conrad if Congress should limit money for Clinton's New York office.  Like a wuss, Conrad said yes.

Good grief.  With the crap that crooks like Hyde, Burton and Barr put the Big Dog through, they should be paying for Clinton's office space out of their pockets.  And if Clinton sues these lying weasels, as we think he should, they just might!  Now THAT would be a use of taxpayer funds we'd love to see -- garnish the House Manglers and nutcase "Melon Man" Dan!

Panel time started after the half-hour break.  Brit claimed that the Cheney-Card tactic of having Bush bring "love" to the Democrats is working better than he had thought.  We think Brit is telling the truth, sort of -- for now, Dems are being nice, but they know they have a weak and bogus POTUS, and will pounce.  Mara said that Dems are going along -- for now.  Juan Williams said the abortion issue will continue to polarize the nation -- but was impressed by Dumbya inviting the Kennedys to the movies and not playing "Hail to the Chief."  Juan also said the Black Caucus told Shrub they'd never accept Ass-KKKroft but want to work on education.  Mara bashed Clinton.

Tony brought up "faith-based initiatives" -- GOP-speak for sending YOUR taxpayer money to Bible-thumping organizations.  Hume loves the idea and slammed the "manifest failure" of government programs and "manifest success" of private organizations -- pap and propaganda!  Mara said that much of the plan hinges on how much proselytizing goes on in these programs.  Juan said there is NO evidence that religious organizations do any better than private organizations -- and Shrub shunned Marvin "Mr. Faith-Based" Olasky and chose an academic to run the show.  Tony bashed the public schools in a vain attempt to defend school "choice."

The panel turned to some of the more honest comments of incoming DNC chair Terry McAuliffe -- the theft of the election, and his comment that if Gore won, "Ass-KKKroft would be home reading Southern Partisan magazine."  Brit scoffed, and Mara said it was intended to fire up Dems who don't control the Oval office and either chamber of the Congress.

Juan tried to claim that the Democrats are engulfed in "racial politics."  Tell you what, Juan: ask a few average black guys which bothers them more -- who runs the DNC, or an illegitimate "president" in the Oval Office.   \That should set you straight.

Catch this -- Tony Snow is introducing something that "may" be a regular FNS feature -- "The EX Files," which will follow (read: bash) Bill Clinton.  Hume slammed the Rich pardon, lying about Clinton suggesting Rich was vulnerable in a civil case.  Well, Hume, he IS.

And Juan said Democrats are embarrassed.   That's BULLSHIT -- one of our writers asked some key Hill Dem staffers.  They could not care less -- with the exception of one, who pointed out that Rudy Giuliani TRIED to prosecute Rich but KNEW he had a case he could NOT win.

The entire segment was a joke for another reason -- the panel yammered about Eric Holder, but did not say word one about the chief of staff for Dick Cheney who was a lawyer for Marc Rich -- and working even harder than Jack Quinn to get Rich off the hook!

Mara said that the gift-giving -- and the revelation that friends of Mrs. Clinton wanted to hold a "shower" for her -- was embarrassing.

Then there was a quiz: Mrs. Clinton talking about someone "bending the law" -- was she talking about Carey, Ashcroft, Rich or her husband?

This unprofessional and cheap shot was not even worthy of Tim Russert.

Fox News.  "Fair and balanced" -- just like Pravda, Der Sturmer and Partisan Review.

The one redeeming aspect of the segment was that Tony looked a little embarrassed as he introduced the segment.

Tony's parting thoughts were on Ronald Reagan at ninety.

From: Wargo Re: Russert's "Harlem Office Space" Comment Dear folks, You initially may have been relieved when "Bleat: The Press" didn't air in your city today, but you may want to find a copy of the show or get a transcript, because I would love to read your reaction to an outlandish question posed to Charles Rangel by Tim "Idaho Potato" Russet. The principal press puppet of the new nitwit administration, Don Imus's chief ass-licker, actually asked Rangel, in a very hip, on-the-edge kind of way, of course, why Bill Clinton didn't rent office space somewhere in Harlem. In reacting to such an outrageously racist presumed "quip," televised across the country (except where you guys are),where do you even begin? With his dim-witticism, the bloated Buffalo Baloney-an suggested several things simultaneously: * Clinton hypocritically feels the pain of the needy, but whoops it up in a regal, palatial office atop the premier venue for many of his celebrity supporters. * Clinton is so unspeakably horrible that his office actually deserves to be housed in the squalor of one of America's foremost slums. * Clinton is goosing the taxpayer. * Clinton knows no shame. But the capper is the all-too-blatant racism. What the incestuous Imus guest is saying, behind all the filters of smiles and neat white collars, is that Clinton should fester amid fetid poverty and squalor that the new regime (Russet, Bush and their GOP ilk) doesn't give a damn about. If you recite the Lord's Prayer, you can slurp down a cup of watered-down soup. Other than that, Other than that, fuck off and get out of here. End of screed. Now start of praise for your site: I love your pages. I visit daily. I appreciate the insight, but on a gut level, I'm overjoyed that some liberals are actively using against the right-wing coup managers the same dirty, officious, unfair, cheap, nasty, vile tactics. Name calling is OK. Thanks for reading. And praise be to God for orchestrating the absolute mess we all must now live with.

The McLaugh-In Group
About the only thing not downsized by GE this week! 

Issue one: Recession... don't worry, be happy!

We know Mad Pope John McLaugh-In is happy -- his boy occupies the Oval Office, and Jack Welch has no intention of laying him off!  McLaugh-In claimed the economy has turned down and there is "hand-wringing... hysteria and panic" in the "pack" press.

What a laugh!  We didn't hear him castigating the press during the Lewinsky flap

Is the media playing a leading role in driving the "recession?"  Ah-ha!  John is trying to dissuade his neoconservative viewership that the Bush Pseudo-presidency is driving the recession -- which it is!  Larry Kudlow kissed John's butt cheeks before he mentioned President Greenspan's "flip-flop."  Eleanor Clift mentioned the layoffs at some TV networks -- most of these layoffs are among educated individuals -- and pinned the recession talk where it belongs, on Bush.  This gave John a chance to claim it's a "Clinton" recession!  Tony Blankley, the only sane conservative Spinmeister on the panel, said the press is driving the hype.  John Fund, arch liar concerning Bill Clinton on the Op-Ed pages of the Wall Street Journal, also provided cover for Shrubya by blaming the press (what a laugh).  Eleanor said the current "recession" is nothing like the Reagan Recession of '92.

Did Fed policy avert a recession?  Larry said the question is flawed on a number of levels, but Eleanor said Fed policy has a bigger effect than, say, tax cuts. 

Issue two: Ass-KKKroft!  John made much of Sen. Chris Dodd's vote for Ass-KKKroft.  Why eight Dem votes for Ass-KKKroft by the Dems?  Tony made the ridiculous assertion that Dodd did it because his dad had been censured by the Senate.  Fund cheap-shotted Dems opposing the bigoted Ass-KKKroft, calling them "Ayatollahs." Eleanor said that Ass-KKKroft got the benefit of the doubt and still got 42 no votes -- and Susan Collins (R-ME) will be in trouble for supporting the Missouri racist.  John said that Bush has "taken care" of the hard right.  Did it bruise Ass-KKKroft or the Dems more?  Larry was right -- it bruised Ass-KKKroft the most.  Eleanor said both sides got bruised -- but now the Dems have a demon.  Tony said Dems were not bruised and Ass-KKKroft made "concessionary sounds" from which "he can backpedal."  Fund lied by saying that Janet Reno left a mess at DOJ.

Issue three: Officers but no gentlemen!  John LIED when he said Clinton's office in New York was all taxpayer funded.  John was LYING -- not only is Clinton paying for some of it, but according to some reports, he had intended to pay for some of it from the get-go -- where's the "liberal," press on THAT?  The segment was designed to bash Clinton -- we ignored the mindless, mad blather.

Predictions!
Larry: cap gains cuts will be part of the tax chopping package.
Eleanor: Bush won't get his education plan out of committee for another six or eight weeks.
Tony: The Bush tax cut will go in one piece, not broken up.
Fund: "The career lawyers at the Justice Department are lining up to tell John Ashcroft the real story of what happened the last eight years."   ha, ha, ha -- that's not a prediction, John, that's an assertion -- and all these "career" morons were working to undermine AG Reno.  They hated her personally, for no reason but that she was a Democrat.
John: Sharon wins in Israel by a margin of 9 points.

Face the Nation

We caught the first segment of Face the Nation.  Bob Schieffer focused on funneling your tax bucks to religious charities.  Steve Goldsmith, who will administer this stealth patronage, said that there will be a bidding mechanism for federal cash.  Bob suggested that Louis Farrakhan might bid -- would he be eligible?  Goldsmith evaded by giving a vague answer about application, eligibility and accountability.  Schieffer pressed: some say Farrakhan preaches hate.  Goldsmith conceded -- he may be ineligible on those grounds.  What about Scientology?

We wish Schieffer had asked about Bush Daddy's pals, the Moonies.

Borger asked what happens when people start getting proselytized? Goldsmith said that if a meal program says you have to pray before you eat, then you pray.

Ah-ha!  So, Pundit Pap reader, forcing religion down people's throat on YOUR tab is a de facto result of this program.  Watch it get shot down in the courts.

Goldsmith also conceded that organizations that get this money CAN discriminate in their hiring.  He tried to insist that religions were being discriminated against -- but it was too late.  The damage had been done -- he all but admitted that this is a scam to line evangelicals' pockets.

Next up was Chuck Colson, Watergate felon turned religious fanatic who runs religious programs.  Does he want federal money?  Colson instead said that organizations are looking to change people's hearts (i.e. PROSELYTIZE).  Colson said that there is a question concerning the "faith-based community" keeping their independence.

Rev. Barry Lynn said that it is impossible for religious organizations to separate their religious from secular activities -- faith-based organizations cannot work like secular organizations.  Lynn also pointed out that Goldsmith ADMITTED this week that there is no evidence that faith-based groups are more successful than secular organizations.  He also concluded that a situation in which many faiths compete for a small slice of the dole is divisive.

"A uniter, not a divider" -- NOT!

Rev. Lynn also cited a court ruling that may block the whole evangelo-cash scam.  He also said that this is the first federal program that says that people can be discriminated against on religious grounds.  Schieffer said that Catholic Charities is wary of this program -- and Lynn praised CC for keeping separate books and not proselytizing!

Reliable Sources
Kalb, Marshall slam the press

The second segment of RS focused on the anti-Clinton "piling-on" in which the press engaged this week.  One of our favorite writers, Slate's Joshua Micah Marshall, talked about Bush Baby spokes-boob Ari Fleischer backing off reports of extensive vandalism in the West Wing and the Old Executive Office Building.  Bernie Kalb suggested that the Shrub's press people had played the press like a Steinway concert grand -- then were forced to back off when no evidence of serious vandalism surfaced.  Marshall essentially said that the Bush team played to the press's tendency to portray the Clintons as downright rotten.  Howie Kurtz asked Chris Caldwell, a writer for the Weakened Standard, about the manner in which the gift story was pumped up (Caldwell, a Clinton hater going way back, said it shows how nasty the Clintons are); Caldwell said Fleischer was being circumspect.  Marshall said there is leaking coming from the White House.

Kurtz mockingly feigned shock at the Shrub team leaking to the press.

The segment was only five minutes in lengthy; we think RS could have done an entire show on the new wave of Faux-gates foisted by the New York Post and Clinton-loathing press reactionaries just this week, and how ridiculous the press looked.  Well, five minutes is better than nothing.

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