Redstate

(Do you really want these folks to play nice?)

By Mark Kilmer Posted in Special Features — Comments (5) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Sunday, October 29, 2006.

Harold Ford carried his day on FOX News Sunday, walking away as a self-described "Jesus-lovin', gun totin'" kind of guy, and it doesn't matter that he'd vote for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker and be a part of bringing the larger Dem anti-Bushie machine in power.

Rick Santorum on FNS pointed out that Bob Casey is hiding from the public because "he has nothing to offer." Wallace's producers had invited Junior to appear on the show with Rick, but Casey's peeps, of course, ran away from that.

Schumer seemed subdued as he sat opposite Liddy Dole on FNS, but he perked up when Wallace and Dole tangled at the end.

On TW, Steph pledged allegiance to the efficacy of the generic polls and wanted to talk Foley. John Boehner said that there are 435 individual races and the Democrats had their problems as well.

Steph next spoke to Michael J. Fox, who said that his movement opposes human cloning and egg farms and they support adult stem cell research. The only thing he differs with Steele and Talent on is experimentation using embryonic stem cells, which scientists tell him have the most promise. He did not explain why the awful commercials, though. Importantly, Fox explained that the medication he takes which allows him to communicate also causes tremors like the ones Rush Limbaugh discussed.

Jack Murtha and Duncan Hunter did not appear together on FTN. Murtha went first, and he cited opinion polls as proof that we should get out of Iraq. He's toned down his rhetoric, obviously coached as the election nears.

Hunter went next and said that we should follow the three points that we always use when establishing Democracies: stand up the government, stand up a military to defend that government, then leave. The first we've done and we're progressing with the second.

Schieffer attacked Ken Mehlman about that Tennessee ad with the Playboy Bunny. Howard Dean said that the Dems would not impeach the President, and that such talk was a Republican "scare tactic."

Chuck Rangel and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen appeared at the same time on LE, each from a different location. Blitzer wanted Ros-Lehtinen to go on record as supporting Don Rumsfeld, and she did. Rangel said that tax increases would not be "off the table" should he become chairman of the House Ways and Mans Committee.

Read More for the show-by-show review...

HAROLD FORD ON FNS. Chris Wallace, host of FOX News Sunday, first spoke to Representative Harold Ford of Tennessee, running against Bob Corker for the Senate seat being vacated by Bill Frist. Ford read from the Democrat cue cards, saying that people who are happy with their health insurance premiums and the war in Iraq would not vote for him. He's the candidate of change, he said, and Corker is "bad on terrorism" and taxes.

Wallace asked if the Republicans were playing the race cards, what with the RNC's Playboy Bunny and Corker's radio ads with drums in it. Ford said nothing about race, but he declared that the RNC ad was a "piece of smut," with a naked lady, and was "inappropriate for children."

Wallace asked him about a "15% Lie," which is a theory that fifteen-percent of black Americans answer one way in a survey but vote another. He asked why this wouldn't apply to Ford, that he'll score 15% lower with black voters than the surveys assert. Ford responded: "Well, Mr. Wallace, we'll have to see."

Wallace made the case that Ford is a conservative: pro-life, pro-gun rights, etc. He added that a vote for Ford is a vote for Democrats in power: Reid, Pelosi, et al. Ford countered that he is a "Jesus-lovin', gun-totin'" kind of guy. I did not address how this might conflict with support for Reid (more likely Durbin) or Pelosi (possibly Hoyer).

RICK ON FNS. Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum was Wallace's next guest on FNS. (They invited Bob Casey also, but junior didn't dare to appear in public. Again.) Wallace pointed out that most polls show Rick trailing by double digits, but Santorum claimed to have internal polls "that show a lot different." Rick said he is trying to get the message out of what is at stake in this election, and he cited his Gathering Storm speech.

Rick pointed out that Casey "hides from the public... because he has nothing to offer."

Wallace played a clip of Rick arguing that opposing the use of domestic energy benefits the terrorists. Santorum said that Islamic fascists are taken so seriously because they have oil. Casey, he said, opposes offshore drilling and exploration in ANWR.

Given what just happened with the courts in New Jersey, Wallace asked, is gay marriage an issue in the Pennsylvania race? Rick thinks so, and he pointed out that Casey would remove the ability to define marriage from the people and give it to a few judges. He said that Casey supports gay marriage without the term "marriage," i.e.-- civil unions.

SCHUMER AND DOLE ON FNS. Wallace next spoke with Senate campaign committee chairs Chuckie Schumer and Liddy Dole. Chuck seemed tired, depressed, unanimated. Dole was Dole.

Chuck announced that the Democrats are winning poll after poll, and "this is a referendum of Bush." He pointed out that Republicans refuse to use a certain "4-letter-word" in their campaigns: "Bush."

Dole countered that the President is not on the ballot. She added that "Democrats appear to be content to lose" the war, as leaving without securing Iraq is surrendering to Iran and Syria. She said that each Republican candidate speaks for himself on the war, but this set of campaigns is about local issues. Schumer countered that it was about Iraq, and "people want change, not stay-the-course." Dole countered by saying that "stay-the-course" includes changing tactics daily, as we have done, but I personally fear that the MSM won't allow the clarification.

Wallace told the two that he was returning to social issues, which, he said, were "on the front burner." He played Michael J. Fox in that commercial and a clip of Rush Limbaugh postulating that Fox had deliberately worsened his Parkinson's symptoms. Schumer didn't touch the Fox/Limbaugh thing, but he noted that Kean and Talent were now for embryonic stem cell research. Dole pointed out that they opposed cloning.

Schumer said that the Democrats were now ready to win this election. They had been preparing their Get Out The Vote program since 2005, and now it was at least as good as the Republican GOTV. In her closing remarks, Dole muttered about Ford being for gay marriage. Wallace interrupted to defend Ford, and Dole clarified that Ford wanted to make one State's gay marriage law binding upon all States. Dole and Wallace fought for a while, and Schumer was smiling for the first time at the end of the segment.

RUSSERT & CARDIN VS. STEELE. On Meet the Press this morning, Tim Russert had as his guests Democrat Ben Cardin and Republican Michael Steele, both running for the Maryland Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democrat Paul Sarbanes. At the start of the show, Russert announced that voters care only about Iraq, and that's the matter about which he asked questions. Steele announced that the war is a "mess we need to fix." He said that we have "no clear strategy on the ground." He likes the benchmarks, and pointed out that our Iraq strategy has been an "evolutionary process." He said that the war has been worth it to the extent that we are creating a "beachhead of Democracy" in the Middle East.

Cardin said that Steele has only 118 words about Iraq on his web site. Steele doesn't have a plan, Cardin averred, or a consistent opinion.

"We need a plan," Cardin fumed. "You have no plan."

Russert suggested that Steele is running away from the Republican Party, as he doesn't mention that he is a Republican very often. He doesn't mention Bush. "Why are you running away from Bush?" Steele answered: "I'm not running away from him; I'm running for the United States Senate." He said that he's trying to stay away from the "polarization" brought on by labels.

Russert and Cardin painted Steele as a lock-step-with-Bush Republican, but Steele argued that he opposes his party on No Child Left Behind, having looked more deeply into the matter, and also on the minimum wage.

To Russert's mind, this election is being run on national issues about national ideas and national personalities. The value of this "debate" must be judged with that in mind.

[NOTE: For complete coverage of the debate, including a liveblog, visit DebateScoop.]

JOHN BOEHNER ON TW. George Stephanopoulos, host of ABC's This Week, spoke to House Majority Leader John Boehner. (He was never to speak to Tom Reynolds this morning, and Reynolds did not bail on the show complaining of flu-like symptoms, as asserted this morning by CNN's Frederick Whitfield. The incident which Whitefield cited as proof that the Foley scandal was still an issue actually occurred three weeks ago.)

Steph began by showing a generic Newsweek poll which shows that Democrats nationally hold a 14-point lead on Republicans, if this were one big, disgruntled election. On the screen, he put a prediction by Stu Rothenberg that the Dem's would gain 18-20 seats and one by Charlie Cook that the Dems would gain between 20 and 35. What do you think of that, huh, Boehner? Boehner answered, "George, we don't have a national election." He said this poll was "meaningless," as we have 435 independent races. He expressed confidence in the GOP GOTV operation.

Steph said nope, the people were ticked about Iraq and the Republicans have no strategy. Boehner said that it is "the main backdrop for this whole election," it's everywhere. And "Republicans want to win." Democrats "want to give up and bring the troops home." Boehner said that they are going to speed up the training of Iraqis who want to take more control. Steph stated that not all Democrats want a timetable for withdrawal. (It's his show, he sets the facts how he wants them. Boehner had never said that there were not scattered Dems who balked at the leadership's plan.)

Steph said that Mike DeWine wants Don Rumsfeld gone. Boehner responded, "I think that Donald Rumsfeld is the best thing that's happened to the Pentagon in 25-years. This Pentagon and our military needs the transformation, and I think Donald Rumsfeld is the only man in America who knows where the bodies are buried at the Pentagon, has enough experience to help transform that institution."

Steph abruptly turned to the domestic agenda. Boehner will help the President with tax reform. When it comes to entitlements, he said we as a country need to have a serious conversation about what is fair here, Steph was insistent on hearing if Boehner would pass the President's social security program. Boehner said that the problem was huge and it's premature to talk about solving it.

Steph moved on to the "Foley scandal." Boehner said that he's worked with the Ethics Committee on this and that a report will be forthcoming "soon"; however, he said, the Americans to whom he talks are more worried about lowering their taxes, securing our borders, and giving the President the tools he needs to fight terrorism.

He said that no one knew about the explicit Instant Messages, Foley was despicable. We shouldn't, however, let a few bad members ruin the reputations of every Republican. Steph spat that four Republicans "had resigned under an ethical cloud." Boehner responded as if speaking to a nagging school kid: "George, Democrats have their problems. We can go through them all."

MICHAEL J. FOX ON TW. Fox explained that the medication he takes which enables him to speak and communicate also causes tremors like the ones we saw in those propaganda commercials he shot and what we were seeing with him in the chair talking to Steph. He could skip the medication, he said, and be mask-faced, "a la Mohammed Ali."

"That's the trade-off. ... So I either sound good or look good; I don't get the whole package."

Of Limbaugh, he said that he's out there talking, and he has enough experience to take his licks. He asserted, though, that the Parkinson's "community was really hurt by it." He said that it "brings up the specter of go away, shut your windows, shut your doors, close the curtains, and suffer -- and don't let us know."

Fox said that "we are against" human cloning, egg-farming. "They" are for adult stem cell research. The only thing they differ on, Fox asserted, is embryonic stem cell research, which he said scientists say provides the best hope.

But then why those awful ads? Why the attacks?

He said he doesn't know all that's in the initiative he supports.

They had to pause the interview, Steph said, because Michael needed to take some meds. (He had been visibly sweating.) His medicine then started to kick in, and he said that he "hit a pocket," where he's "pretty calm" for a space.

Steph pointed out that some scientists have been disappointed with the potential of stem cells, and Fox countered that they "have not been able to play with a full deck." They need more lines!

Why those awful ads?

JACK MURTHA ON FTN. Bob Schieffer, host of CBS's Face the Nation, first spoke to Jack Murtha by satellite from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Murtha accused the President of being "overly optimistic" when he says we're winning in Iraq, and everyone wants to change the course. We can't win the war rhetorically, he argued, we have to win it on the ground. Schieffer labeled Murtha as a hawk and said that people took him seriously when he argued to redeploy. He asked Murtha what would happen if we left. Murtha said that we're fighting a civil war in Iraq, and if we withdraw troops, it will stabilize Iraq. He cited the Iraqi people as his source: "At least that's what the Iraqi people are saying."

Jack Murtha said that we've lost the hearts and minds of the people of Iraq. He said that we're trying to "micromanage" Iraq, and we should let Prime Minister Maliki be his own man.

Jack Murtha said that there is "no question" that our troops are turning against the war. He said that we have no "achievable plan" in Iraq, and we've changed our excuse for going into Iraq a number of times.

Jack Murtha said that there is more terrorism in the world because we're in Iraq. He cited as proof that "all the polls say this." His "facts" are supposedly mere public opinion, and he did not document his assertions documented.

DUNCAN HUNTER ON FTN.Duncan Hunter countered that though he likes Murtha, "Jack Murtha is wrong." He said that we are following three points in Iraq: we're standing up a government, standing up the military to defend that government, then we can go. It's what we've done everywhere, he said.

Hunter said that the American military is not turning against the military. He pointed out that Jack Murtha was "operating by polls." He pointed out that the active-duty military supported Bush over Kerry, three-to-one. Another proof, he said, was that members of our military were reenlisting.

He said that we have followed our three points to bring Democracy around the world, but we've never set a timetable. He suggested moving the Iraqi battalions to Baghdad, a combat zone, where they can get training. That will get them ready more quickly than time in a "benign environment."

SCHIEFFER AND MEHLMAN, Bob Schieffer first sneered at RNC Chair Ken Mehlman, in an interview in which Schieffer made more statements than asked questions. He was determined that Mehlman had deliberately played the race card with that nice Harold Ford.

Schieffer asked Mehlman if he thinks the war will turn on Iraq. Mehlman mentioned taxes and the Democrat rejection of the tools that help us win the war on terror. Iraq is a central front in that war. He asked why, in this divisive environment, the RNC is running an ad in Tennessee that points out that Ford is an African American. Mehlman pointed out that the ad was run independently of the RNC. The RNC did pay for it, but he wants to make it illegal for people to use RNC money and claim that it was from the RNC. He said that he did not approve the ad, and he is glad it was pulled. Schieffer said that the RNC lacked values because it used a law to air an ad. He said that the RNC has made the point it wanted to make with that ad.

Mehlman mentioned taxes, tools in the war on terror, and judges as reasons people should back the GOP.

Schieffer said that while he may not agree with Mehlman, he was a decent advocate for his position, and the voters' would decide. Here, Schieffer smirked, and this was the most obviously partisan I have ever seen Bob Schieffer on this show.

HOWARD DEAN ADDRESSES BOB SCHIEFFER. Next up, Bob talked to Howard Dean. Dean said he had no intentions on raising taxes on anyone but the oil companies. He said that Nancy Pelosi, not Charlie Rangel, will control the Congressional agenda. Dean said that the accusation that the Dems will impeach the President is a "scare tactic." Nancy Pelosi, he said, "wants to move the agenda forward." The Dems will give us a "smart" defense policy. The Republicans, he said, have failed to protect us. He admitted that the Democrats will not be able to fix Iraq because the President still runs foreign policy. He said that once we flee Iraq, the Iraqis will do everything for themselves. He said that the Democrats want to leave Special Forces on the periphery of Iraq (Okinawa?). He said that we stayed in Vietnam "for five or ten years longer" than we needed to be.

CHUCK RANGEL AND ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN. On CNN's Late Edition, host Wolf Blitzer spoke to those two. Wolf first asked for Chuck Rangel's opinion on John Boehner's vote of confidence in Don Rumsfeld. Republicans were rejecting Rumsfeld, he said, and this election was about Bush and Rumsfeld. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen countered that this is not about personalities, as we have to win this war. Blitzer wanted her on record on Rumsfeld, and Ros-Lehtinen said that she supports the SecDef.

Blitzer built Rangel's bonafides as a Korean War vet, and asked how the troops in Iraq feel. Rangel said that BushLied. Blitzer said that even though the President lied about Iraq being a hotbed of terrorism under Saddam Hussein, it was now. He asked Ros-Lehtinen if she trusted Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, even though he was "close to the Iranians."

Blitzer argued that we've been trying to help the Iraqis, but we have to pressure them to do something for themselves. Ros-Lehtinen pointed out the President's benchmarks. She noted that the casualties in Iraq cannot compare to those in World War II.

Blitzer quoted Cheney as asserting that Rangel wants to remove the Bush tax cuts. Rangel called Cheney clueless, and he said he never said that he wanted to reverse all the tax cuts. Rangel meant only that you couldn't take reversing all the tax cuts off the table. Bush asked him which Bush tax cuts Rangel would like to repeal. Rangel said that there was no "Rangel-Democratic" way of doing things; it had to be bipartisan.

Blitzer played a clip of Howard Dean threatening to tax oil companies and announcing that they weren't going to impeach Bush. Ros-Lehtinen said: "And the check's in the mail." She mentioned the booming economy. "We wish it were 'it's the economy, stupid,' but those were the old days."

After a commercial, Blitzer pointed out that Dick Armey and other conservatives were put off by the runaway spending. Ros-Lehtinen said that the spending had to be put under control but that she thinks the conservatives were coming home. Blitzer snarked that this shouldn't help Katherine Harris, and Ros-Lehtinen agreed but pointed out that "a lot can happen in 72 hours."

Rangel said that there has to be bipartisanship, but he has to go to too many funerals.

Blitzer mentioned Castro and Cuba, and Ros-Lehtinen said that all we want for Cuba was freedom, and that's not possible with Castro in power. Rangel agreed but said that the embargo doesn't work. The moods in the studio were suddenly very collegial. Wolf ended the interviews, and Ros-Lehtinen interjected that she need Blitzer's mothers vote. Wolf explained that his mother lived in Florida.
-------------------------------------------

And that's that. Have at it!