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Melinda Pillsbury-Foster talks with APJ's editor-in-chief Gene Gaudette about Neocon Sociopathy, the John Fund debacle and the future of Congress
americanpolitics.com and correntewire.com present
Pundit Pap
for October 29, 2006
Best Thing That's Happened To Stupid Republican Assertions In 25 Years
by JJ Balzer
Oct. 29, 2006 (apj.us) -- Despite our shorthanded situation, I've decided to cull the lowlights of a truly dismal Sunday of public affairs programming. at least John Boehner and Wolf Blitzer provided some badly needed entertainment.
ABC This Week: Is That a Boehner, Or Is the GOP Just Glad to Be on TV? George Stephanopoulos's first guest was House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), and toward the top of the interview Steph asked Boehner if he agreed with a growing gaggle of non-Neocon conservatives who want War Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to resign.
Boehner, to his great credit, threw down the gauntlet of buck-stops-here with respect to Iraq, once again showing that the GOP are indeed the grown-ups in charge, always ready to take responsibility: "Let's not take the problems in Iraq -- the tough fight that we're in there -- and blame it on anyone."
Okay, so maybe not so quick to assume full responsibility.
More ABC This Week: Rush Out-Foxed Again! The big press buzz from ABC's Sunday political show came from Steph's interview with Michael J. Fox, who debunked reactionary drug addict and radio personality Rush Limbaugh's assertion that "[w]hen you start telling them there's a cure around the corner if only somebody gets elected, you are misleading them, you are creating a false hope scenario -- and that is cruel." Fox: "It's not false hope. It's a very informed hope [that is] informed by the opinion of our leading scientists, almost to the point of unanimity" in providing therapies and possible cures for a broad range of debilitating diseases. Think Progress has the entire interview -- it's well worth a watch if only to see the unassuming, self-effacing Fox debunk Limbaugh in an amazingly candid high-road interview.
The Chris Matthews Show: Normally, I don't watch Matthews, one of the beltway's most shameless masters of tilting whichever way the wind is blowing in between his frequent, Tourettes-like goofy blurted assertions, but this afternoon the 'Net was abuzz with guest panelist Chip Reed's assertion that "the Mark Foley scandal investigation is going to widen a little bit." Watch the full clip over at HuffPo and have some popcorn on stand-by for another page eruption and subsequent cover up.
FOX News [sic] Sunday: Rupert and Roger may not be so happy about Chris Wallace after this morning's bizarre episode of the fastest-moving Sunday political talk show on the idiot box. First, Chris was only mildly skeptical of guest Chuck Schumer's prediction that the Democrats will take back the Senate majority. Schumer also picked on his GOP colleagues seeking reelection as they flee in almost total unity from the leader of their partei: "With the exception of one candidate, no other Republican candidate uses a four-letter word: 'B, U, S, H.' They're running away from him." Watch 'em share the love, Chuck!
Chris also had Harold Ford on hand -- and started the interview by citing a specious poll from the even more specious hard-right web site Real Clear Politics that puts his challenger, John Corker, ahead by two whole points! Ford laughed off the numbers, and cut to the big point: "I'm going to go to Washington and be a part of shaking up an effort, or I should say, shaking up a system that just is failing ordinary working people in the country." Ford also parlayed his own conservative stand on many issues and even used a traditionally GOP talking point against Corker: "My opponent has is that he's wrong on taxes. He's never, ever cut a tax in his entire life, not as mayor of Chattanooga or as finance commissioner for our former governor, Don Sundquist, who actually introduced a state income tax. The two issues nationally Republicans are running on, terrorism and taxes, they regrettably on their part have a candidate who's bad on both of those issues."
Ouch! Between that and the fact he likes women and football, Ford must be causing one helluva case of cognitive dissonance in Tennessee.
And speaking of football and women, two favorite features of FOX's broadcast division, talk turned to negative commercials, particularly the notorious "Playboy" commercial. And once again Ford parlayed it against the Grand Old Party of Moral Wreck-titude: "I don't think race had anything to do with that ad. I just think it was an uncalled-for, despicable, inappropriate ad for children to be watching at 7 and 8 o'clock Central Time with their parents after dinner in the living room."
There was a brief exchange about the supposed uphill fight black candidates have in Tennessee, but Ford ended the interview with a flourish: "What Tennesseans will get will be a Jesus-loving, gun- supporting believer that families should come first, that taxes should be lower and America should be strong. When Tennesseans send us to the Senate, that's what they'll get in my votes and that's what they'll get in the kind of leadership that we have not had in the Senate over the last six years."
The look and tone coming from Wallace was very telling: he was enjoying this interview, and seems to like Ford a lot. "We want to thank you so much for joining us today." Chris sounded like he meant it. (Translation: "Viewers
A little later, Elizabeth Dole actually gave John Boehner a run for his money in this Sunday's "who is the most unhinged Republican on the Boob Tube" competition when, cued by Chris to take half a minute to sum up reasons to support her claim that Republicans would retain the Senate, the former almost-First-Lady went off on an unprompted tirade against Tennessee Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. Chris Wallace looked a little surprised at the obsessed Liddy, trying to no avail to steer the GOP attack poodle back on subject -- but to no avail, as she continued her shrill diatribe unabated.
Face the Nation: ... and the Wrath of Murtha. Bob Schieffer (or "crankypants," as Leah at Corrente likes to call him) was his reliably cranky self today -- but then, so was Rep. John Murtha...
Schieffer: We keep hearing from people who say the American
military is turning against the war. Now, you have a lot of
contacts in the military community -- do you think there is
anything at all to that?
Rep. Murtha: Well, there is no question about it. They're
frustrated. They realize — listen, the plan has changed from
weapons of mass destruction, to al Qaeda, to topple Hussein, to
stabilize Iraq, to democratize Iraq. We need an achievable plan.
We don't have that.
The real fun, though, came during Schieffer's interview with GOP Chairweasel Ken Mehlman. Schieffer made it clear he was not a fan of the RNC's anti-Harold Ford spot -- or Mehlmen's unctuous attempt to disavow any responsibility for the ad: "Mr. Mehlman, the logic... if I think something is wrong, but I take advantage of a law that allows me to take advantage of that, that's pretty lame, if I may say so." You can read the transcript of the exchange at Americablog.
Meet the Press: Ben Cardin Mauls Michael Steele. Yes, it was a long and testy debate, but we agree with Oliver Willis: Cardin walked away with it. Cardin's -- and Russert's -- hammering of Steele on the Iraq issue alone was a thing of beauty. Our favorite moment: Cardin confronting Steele on affirmative action flip-flopping. The entire debate is up at msnbc.com -- watch the first ten minutes and the last fifteen.
CNN Better Late Than Never Edition: Wolf Blitzer Reams Lynne Cheney a New One -- Yes, better late than never, but then we have to give props to Blitzer (for once ) for doing his best to maintain a sense of journalistic decorum while Lynne Cheney acted like an arrogant, elitist jerk on CNN's The Situation Room last Friday. The well-known author of lesbian-themed fiction was on TSR ostensibly to plug her new children's book -- but also knew she'd be discussing politics on what is CNN's weekday flagship DC show.
Blitzer has had two days to mull it over, and today he let loose on the Neocon harpy:
- he was "surprised" at (and caught off guard by) Lynne's "sniping at my patriotism;"
- Blitzer reminded viewers that CNN had specifically labeled the tape of a US soldier under fire as terrorist "propaganda" (in fact, we heard that disclaimer numerous times this week);
- he asserted that CNN had made it clear to Lynne's handlers some hours before the appearance that there would be questions about politics along with the book plugging.
You can see Wolf's surprisingly spine-reinforced retort at Think Progress.
A word to Wolf: you should have seen this coming. CNN -- particularly their DC bureau -- has seemed all too eager to cooperate with whatever talking points the West Wing extrudes since the GOP "grown-ups" took over the White House. And you, Wolf, have lent your position, your gravitas, your authority to a gang of zealots who lied us into the Iraq war, who treat the Executive Branch like a mob bust-out operation while driving the nation into deeper deficit and debt, who betray the identity of a top covert CIA operator for political reason -- who value nobody except themselves, and who see you as either with them or "against" them. And with the GOP scrambling to retain control of Congress -- and taking the low road on every front -- they will attack those seen as being "against" them -- especially those they used to count on to get their message out -- when those former allies dare let a few demonstrable facts demolish their talking points.
Remember what Grover Norquist once said, Wolf? You remember -- that line about what the GOP really calls "bipartisanship" -- specifically with the GOP in charge? They call it "date rape."
Well, that's what Lynne did to you, Wolf.
So just remember, Wolf: revenge is a dish best served cold.
And there's nothing colder than cold, hard facts.
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