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"Shame on you, Barack Obama!"

By Mark Kilmer Posted in Face the Nation | FOX News Sunday | Late Edition | Meet the Press | Special Features | This Week — Comments (24) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

On TW, Joe Biden said that the situation in Kosovo was "not as dire" as the media is making it out to be. He added that it has long been U.S. policy to invade Pakistan without warning Pakistan if we felt Osama bin Laden were hiding there.

Next on TW, Kay Bailey Hutchison said: "I don't want to be vice president."

On MTP, Ralph Nader said that he will run for President. Russert complained that he might again throw the election to the Republicans, but Nader countered that Obama supports Israel.

On FTN, host Bob Schieffer talked first to Governors Janet Napolitano, an Obama supporter, and Jenn Granholm, a Hillary girl, about Hillary going ballistic on Barry about a few old fliers the campaign had mailed. Only Granholm was able to spit the platitude about "two wonderful candidates," but only after taking a few shots at Obama. Napolitano says that she will use her superdelegate vote for Obama even though Hillary won Arizona.

Next on FTN, McCain advisor Charlie Black brushed off the NYT hit piece after calling it a smear. He said that McCain had not even begun to think about who would be a good running mate.

First on LE, John King played a tape of this morning's interview with Mike Huckabee. Huck thinks Nader draws votes from the Dems and that there will be no significant challenge from the right. Huckabee wants Fair Tax and Human Life Amendment.

Next on LE, Tim Pawlenty said that he expects Mike Bloomberg will support John McCain.

Third on LE, Chuck Hagel said that he's out of the process but that he would not support anyone until some later date. (He used to follow John McCain around like a puppy dog but now has wrested the maverick mantle away from the GOP nominee.) He wants to negotiate and to trade with Cuba, calling it a "great country" and comparing it with Vietnam and the PRC. He wants to negotiate the future of Iraq with Iran, and he's backed away from his QUAGMIRE, QUAGMIRE, VIETNAM rhetoric regarding Iraq, but he refused to say that the surge has worked.

Read on for the show-by-show review:

FOUR GOVERNORS ON FOX NEWS SUNDAY. FNS host Chris Wallace this morning talked to four (4) governors: Tim Pawlenty (R-Minnesota), Mark Sanford (R-South Carolina), Hillary supporter Jon Corzine (D-New Jersey), and Obama supporter Tim Kaine (D-Virginia). Pawlenty, who looked like Joel Osteen this AM, said that Minnesota, a blue State, is in a "drift toward [becoming] a competitive State." Sanford said that the "Republican numbers" in South Carolina are "just overwhelming." From Virginia, Kaine said he thinks Obama "has an excellent chance." Corzine admitted that John McCain played to a "centrist element" in Joisey but he remains impressed by the enthusiasm generated by the Democrats. (He's a Hillary supporter, but he had to mean the enthusiasm generated by Barry.)

Asked about the Dem superdelegates, Kaine said that they will vote for the person with the momentum. Corzine agreed but added that he thinks the momentum will be with Hillary.

Asking about the veep possibilities, Wallace mentioned a column which called Pawlenty a liberal on matters of government spending, immigration, and the environment. Pawlenty countered that the writer was a Minnesota radio talker with issues and pointed out that he is a fiscal conservative who is very busy and happy being the governor of Minnesota.

Asked about his veep chances, Sanford repeated the bit about the busy day job but added that McCain has come his way on immigration – i.e., securing the border first.

Kaine was asked about his veep chances on an Obama ticket, and he said that he was borrowing the busy day job answer. He said that it was nice to be on the list.

Corzine was not asked about whether he would like to be veep, but he did say that neither Hillary nor Obama would raise taxes on the middle class. He said that the solution to our fiscal ills was to cut spending on "our war" and redirected it toward domestic areas. Sanford said that he is amenable to discussion of federal mandates for clean energy. Kaine said that we need a national plan for clean energy, and Corzine agreed: "I think we need mandates."

JOE BIDEN ON TW. On ABC's This Week this week, host George Stephanopoulos began his show by talking to Joe Biden, just back from "the region." Asked about Barry's pledge to invade Pakistan if he thought Osama bin Laden were hiding there, Biden explained that this has long been U.S. government policy and he's troubled that McCain would forget this. He agreed that Musharraf ought to have an "exit strategy" to leave the Pakistani government with honor. He referred to it as an "easy way to transition Musharraf out of there."

Joe Biden declared that we did the right think by recognizing Kosovo. He said that Serbia has a "choice between east and west, here." He talked about joining NATO.

Joe Biden said that the situation in Kosovo is "not as dire" as the media portrays is to be.

Asked about his role as a Dem superdelegate, Joe Biden said that even though Delaware went for Barry by ten points, he does not feel obligated to support him when he dons the tights and cape; he did state, however, that he thinks the superdelegates will "fall in line" with the will of the party.

Joe Biden said that they'll have to accommodate the delegates from Florida and Michigan or risk losing those States in November; but that being said, Joe Biden argued, Florida and Michigan cannot be the States which push Hillary "over the top."

KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON ON TW. She was just back from Iraq (alack, alack), and Texas Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison told Steph that "we're making huge strides" forward in Iraq, thanks in large part to help from the Sunnis. (She did not mention the Shi'ite Mookie.) Asked about the lack of progress in Iraq, she said that there was progress but that we "expect things to happen so fast."

She'd like to see Iraq paying for its own infrastructure. After all, she pointed out, the oil is flowing, and it would free some of the U.S. money for spending elsewhere.

She argued that the new Pakistani government must not be "heavy-handed or ham-handed."

Asked about the veepstakes, which word I do not like but use anyway, she said simply: "I do not want to be vice president."

RALPH NADER ON TW. Tim Russert accused Ralph Nader of "help[ing] to elect George Bush in 2000," then sought to find out if Nader would run again this year. Nader began his response: "Let me put it in context to make it a little more palatable to people who have closed minds." He used the results of several polls to conclude that Americans think this country is moving in the wrong direction, blame both parties, and would consider voting for an independent in the Presidential election. Yes, Ralph Nader is running.

The suspense is over. The rest was his prattle about corporations.

Russert was glum. He showed the popular vote total from 2000, with Al Gore beating George Bush by half a percent and Nader sneaking in with 2.7%. Russert showed the Florida vote count, with Bush winning by 537 votes but Nader taking 97,448 votes which Russert feels were really Gore votes. "You, Ralph Nader, are responsible for what has happened in the last seven years." (He attempted to put those words into the mouths of "Democrats," but he didn't name one. They are his sentiments.) Nader said that Gore did win Florida but that it was stolen from him by Katherine Harris and Jeb Bush. He also argued against turning the government "over to big business."

Russert played a clip of Obama dismissing Nader, and Nader countered that Obama's views have changed to conform with those of the Israeli lobby, to one of blind support for the Israeli government and "their illegal occupation of Palestine."

Russert ignored the anti-Semitism and went back to Nader taking votes from Obama. Nader countered that if the Dems cannot bury the pro-war John McCain who identifies himself with the "criminal, recidivistic regime of George Bush," they ought to go out of business.

So really, it seems that Nader's main problem with Obama is that the Dem candidate doesn’t profess the requisite antipathy toward Israel. That’s why Nader is running, then: to stop the nation of Israel.

GRANHOLM AND NAPOLITANO ON FTN. This morning on CBS' Face the Nation, host Bob Schieffer talked to Michigan Governor Jenn Granholm, a Hillary supporter, and Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, an Obama girl, about: "No more Ms. Nice Lady." (His words. He's talking about Hillary's latest bout of savagery: "Shame on you, Barack Obama!"

He asked Granholm "what came over" Hillary. Granholm explained that Hillary is so compassionate about health care that she had to speak out. Napolitano said that Hillary was frustrated and that Barry's fliers did not misrepresent Hillary. They used Hillary's own words.

Granholm said that several newspapers had "retracted" parts of Obama's fliers, but that the Dems were very lucky to have two wonderful candidates.

Schieffer asked Granholm about whether the Michigan delegates would be seated at the DNC. Granholm said that they had record turnout in Michigan, but Schieffer pointed out that Hillary was the only one of the ballot. Granholm said that the others had taken their names off the ballot, and people want to see Michigan and Florida included. Napolitano said, "The rules are the rules, and everybody agreed to the rules beforehand." She said, though, that she thinks this will be resolved before the convention.

Schieffer asked them about their superdelgateness. Hillary won both Michigan and Arizona. Napolitano said that her constituents knew she was with Obama and she's going to stick with Obama.

Schieffer played a clip of Doug Wilder talking about "chaos at the convention" should the superdelegates overturn the will of the voters. (This was the Chicago '68 threat.)

Schieffer asked Granholm what should happen if Hillary loses both Ohio and Texas, and Jenn said we should "see what happens."

Napolitano called Ralph Nader's entry into the race, "a non-event." Granholm agreed, pointing out that "there is so much enthusiasm."

BLACK ON FTN. Next up for Schieffer was McCain advisor Charlie Black to talk about the NYT, with the NYT ombudsperson taking the McCain side this morning. Black said the Times had been "hoisted by its own petard." Schieffer then began to ask Black about the unsubstantiated specifics, such as they were, in the Times article.

"John McCain does not favor for… any lobbyist."

It is a smear job, Black said, designed to hurt Senator McCain, "but that's behind us."

Schieffer kept going with the Times article. He said that John McCain comes down on the side of deregulation because that's his philosophy.

Black thinks Obama has the "upper hand right now" for the Dems, but he's not counting Hillary out. He spoke of McCain's dislike of big government and, "most importantly," his eagerness to win the war on terror.

Black said that McCain has "not spent one second thinking about" veep possibilities.

HUCKABEE ON LE. With John King in for Wolf Blitzer, CNN's Late Edition opened with a Mike Huckabee chat. (The interview was taped earlier this AM.) Mike thinks Nader would pull votes from the Dem, not from the Republican. He said he does not think there will be a third-party challenge from the Right; he said that he wouldn't do it.

King asked Huckabee about his appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live last night. Huckabee called it "an awesome experience."

Huckabee reiterated that he'll stay in the race until McCain gets the "magic number" of delegates OR they "go to the convention." He wants to give votes to the millions of Republicans whose voices otherwise "won't matter" in the process.

He suggested that Texas Governor Rick Parry, who wants him to drop out of the race, will do for John McCain what he did for his previous favorite candidate, Rudy Giuliani.

King showed Huckabee the delegate chart. The end is obvious. He asked Huckabee what he wants. Huckabee said he wants Fair Tax and Human Life Amendment. He also pointed out that not all delegates are pledged delegates, and this could go to the convention. It's not likely, he admitted, "but it could."

King quoted Huckabee campaign manager Ed Rollins saying that they'll support John McCain and that Huckabee is still young; his political career would not end.

King brought up the NYT article about McCain and the lobbyist. Huckabee takes McCain "at his word, because I have no reason to doubt him."

King talked about Huckabee's meeting with James Dobson. It was a private meeting, Huckabee said, "more about the broader issues" than political strategies.

TIM PAWLENTY ON LE. King next talked to McCain national co-chair Governor Time Pawlenty of Minnesota. Pawlenty pointed out that Obama had called Nader an "American Hero," but he dismissed it. King asked him about Bloomberg running from the right, and Pawlenty said that he expects Bloomberg to support McCain.

He called the NYT article, "a story by innuendo." He said that "it doesn't match up with the John McCain we know" from the public narrative.

King pointed out that some conservatives are worried about McCain for several reasons, including that "he's older than President Reagan." Look: President. Reagan. Is. Dead. He's not any age anymore. Pawlenty didn't say this, behind his Joe Osteen smile, but how many conservatives are concerned because they believe that John McCain is older than President Reagan?

The sound of the interview moved into a pipe, and King might have cut the interview short or might have been anxious to speak with Chuck Hagel.

CHUCK HAGEL ON LE. King's big question was, would Hagel support his party's nominee? He's taken the maverick Republican mantle from McCain, just in time to get out of the Senate.

King said that Hagel had been mentioned as a possible Republican candidate and a possible running mate with Mike Bloomberg. Hagel said he's out of the mix, and he called this "unpredictable," vis-à-vis Nader's candidacy, and that democracy is about a choice. Hagel said that he is not involved in the nominating race, but "at the appropriate time, I'll have something to say about this." He would not promise to support John McCain, whom at one time he followed like a puppy dog.

Hagel said that our Cuban policy was outdated. He compared Cuba to Vietnam and the PRC, and he referred to Cuba as a "great power." He said that we'll not give up our sovereignty by negotiating with Iran. His talk about Iraq was no longer the usual QUAGMIRE, QUAGMIRE, VIETNAM! He volunteered that we are "nation building," and King shut him off and took him back to Cuba.

Hagel wants to negotiate with Raul Castro and begin trading with Cuba. "That's part of diplomacy, that's part of reaching out."

Hagel said that American has been "afraid to engage" with Cuba and we should not be.

He said that the Iraqi people and the Afghan people will determine what happens in their countries.

King asked if the surge policy were working or if the Democrats were right. Hagel said that it wasn't that simple. He said that we've "overloaded the zone with American firepower." He asked if we're "having so much success," how come our commanders don't want us to withdraw troops? (He's stopped calling Iraq a quagmire and the next Vietnam, yet he will not acknowledge that the surge has worked.)

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Now have at it!