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Posted at 9:17am on May 31, 2008 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows: a preview

By Mark Kilmer

For Sunday, June 1, 2008

You have three guesses who is Russert's main guest, and the first two do not count.

FOX News Sunday (FOX): Host Chris Wallace talks to Clinton mouthpiece Howard Wolfson and one of Obama's Michigan stooges, Dave Bonior.

This Week (ABC): Host George Stephanopoulos speaks with the increasingly relevant Terence McAuliffe.

Meet the Press (NBC): Host Tim Russert talks to… WAIT FOR IT… Scott McClellan. He also chats with Obama surrogate Tom Daschle and Hillary hit man Harold Ickes.

Face the Nation (CBS): Host Bob Schieffer chats with Obama supporter Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Hillary supporter Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, then to Hillary tool Mandy Grunwald.

Late Edition (CNN): Host Wolf Blitzer interviews Senators Chris Dodd and Bill Nelson; South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford; Bonior and Ickes; and his usual cast of millions.

=====

FNS, MTP, FTN, and LE do the dueling-surrogates thing to one extend or the other, while Steph sticks to the only thing he knows: Clinton (channeled through McAuliffe). I referred to Terence as "increasingly relevant," because Hillary's stock is again rising. It's like a Phoenix… 'cept that's in Arizona, so they lose.

Last time I saw Bonior, he was with Jihad Jim McDermott in Baghdad, making politically whoopee with the late Saddam Hussein. Last time I saw Daschle, he might have been courting some dead South Dakota Sioux to cast their ballots for Tim Johnson.

Rendell is on FTN again. He recently received praise from former Obama surrogate Oprah. He sent her a letter promising to overhaul the regulations involving dog breeding kennels in the blue Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

And it looks like a good time will be had by all. I'll watch, write it all down, and report back to you tomorrow.

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Posted at 8:17am on May 17, 2008 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows: a preview

By Mark Kilmer

For Sunday, May 18, 2008

FOX News Sunday (FNS): Host Chris Wallace does the surrogate thing, this time with Senators Jon Kyl for McCain and Chris Dodd for Obama. Then FOX News analyst Karl Rove comes on to explain what might happen.

This Week (ABC): Host George Stephanopoulos has Joe Biden on to invent epithets in reaction to the President's remarks in Israel. John Boehner, the House GOP leader, is on next to talk of the GOP.

Meet the Press (NBC): Host Tim Russert has Jim Webb on to hawk his book; Mike Huckabee, Harold Ford (jr)… and Mike Murphy and Bob Shrum.

Face the Nation (CBS): Host Bob Schieffer has, in his half an hour, Florida Governor Charlie Crist, former Ross Perot campaign manager Ed Rollins, former Colorado Governor Roy Romer, and Mario Cuomo.

Late Edition (CNN): Host Wolf Blitzer talks to Hillary then turns quickly to Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and Washington lobbyist Trent Lott.

= = = = =

We're in the new frontier of surrogates, what with Hillary having been cast aside after her blowout win in West Virginia, the one which caused the squeamish Dem superdelegates to try to rally 'round Barry; yes, it is now McCain surrogates vs. Obama surrogates. Or it will be soon, if FNS is breaking the ground.

We've not seen Joe Biden on for a while. There was a time, not too long ago, when Biden and John McCain were on these shows every Sunday.

We don't need to hear Webb mumble from notes scribbled on his wrists.

Hillary. She won't drop out on Late Edition, and why should she? She's going to crush the Dem nominee in Kentucky on Tuesday. And it will be good to hear from Senator Lott now that he's left the upper chamber of the loony bin.

I shall watch these and report back tomorrow afternoon.

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Posted at 8:09am on May 3, 2008 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows - a preview

By Mark Kilmer

For Sunday, June 5, 2008

FOX News Sunday (FNS): Host Chris Wallace talks to the increasingly lost and incoherent Howard Dean, still boss of the DNC but not of me. Then he'll have neo-Obama acolyte Joe Andrews, the one-time DNC boss; Hillary's campaign chairperson Terence McAuliffe, also a former DNC boss; and McCain campaign advisor Carly Fiorina.

This Week (ABC): Host George Stephanopoulos acts as a campaign commercial for Hillary live from Indianapolis, with questions also from the audience. No YouTube. [The little frownie emoticon would go here.]

Meet the Press (NBC): Host Tim Russert is doing his program live from Indianapolis, spending his hour speaking with Obama.

Face the Nation (CBS): Host Bob Schieffer has Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, still a Hillary groupie; South Carolina Representative Jim Clyburn, who's into Obama; and Obama supporter Douglas "Riots in Denver" Wilder.

Late Edition (CNN): Host Wolf Blitzer talks to Lindsey Graham; Governors. Mike Easley of North Carolina (Hillary sycomphant) and Bill Richardson of New Mexico (Barry's fool); former Clinton (Bill) labor secretary Robert Reich, an supporter of Barry; and his usual cast of thousands.

= = = = =

I bet, but I do not know for certain, that Hillary acts as if she were born in Greensboro (or at least Winston-Salem). Barry might just suggest that Reverend Wright is getting a little older, hanging out with a young and clever crowd, and probably needs a lobotomy.

Nevertheless, I wish Steph and Russert would open their interviews to YouTube.

We could do without the DNC piling on FNS, but at least Carly Fiorina will return things to perspective.

Schieffer and Blitzer are sticking with the surrogates.

This Dem race will be over eventually, though it might be a while. I expect Hillary will lay down her arms within a month after the Denver nominating convention goes for Obama.

I'll watch this and write it down for you tomorrow.

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Posted at 1:04pm on Mar. 16, 2008 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows: The Review

more surrogates, plenty of Dem hostility

By Mark Kilmer

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Leading off FNS, Chris Dodd, an Obama surrogate, declared that Obama had rejected his minister Jeremiah Wright. Schumer, for Hillary, excused Obama, saying that Hillary had a Diane Feinstein. They both agreed that we should drop this guilt-by-association and talk about the issues, such as that President Bush is really Herbert Hoover (d.1964).

Next on FNS, Hank Paulson said that his job was to promote "stability of our financial system." He also said that a strong dollar was in our nation's interest.

On TW, Nancy said that she wants to take a year withdrawing our troops from Iraq beginning now. She's sure that there will not be a Hillary-Obama ticket: "I'm just absolutely sure. I just know it."

Next on TW, Hank Paulson said that his job was to promote "stability of our financial system." The Bear-Sterns bailout, he said, was the right thing to do for this reason.

On MTP, Nita Lowey and Bill Bradley were the most polite surrogates, Hillary and Barry respectively, we've seen so far. Bradley suggested that if the Michigan/Florida problem ends up going to the Credential Committee, this could be another '72, when that committee handed the nomination to George McGovern of Hubert Humphrey. Lowey, the Clinton girl, wants to forget about this Jeremiah Wright stuff and get on with a discussion of the "serious issues." Instead of squabbling, the Barry and Hillary campaigns have to contrast their vision with that of "Bush-McCain."

On FTN, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said that he thinks the superdelegates will side with the will of Dem voters, and that the Hillary campaign keeps "moving the goalposts." Next on FTN, Leon Panetta said that the superdelegates should also consider who can win in November and who has momentum. He thinks that Hillary might have to put Obama on the ticket if it is a fiercely divided convention in Denver this summer.

On LE, Senator Leahy for Obama and Senator Feinstein for Hillary were in some zone of their own. Leahy called McCain's visit to Iraq today, a photo-op. Feinstein declared that he should have brought Senators with him who were not on his campaign committee. Leahy said that Hillary supported the war in Iraq while Obama opposed it, and Feinstein pointed out that Barry wasn't even in the Senate when the resolution was passed. Feinstein ruled out keeping the Bush tax cuts while Leahy said that tax cuts should be targeted. In response to McCain's stance against earmarks, Dianne said that her earmarks were "prioritized" and Leahy said that the Iraq war was the biggest earmark of them all.

The complete, show-by-show review begins on the next page.

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Posted at 2:10pm on Oct. 21, 2007 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows - The Review

Plenty of posturing.

By Mark Kilmer

Sunday, October 21, 2007

What happened this morning? Well, you'll have to read the show-by-show (beneath the fold) to find out, but here is some of it.

On FNS, host Chris Wallace goaded John McCain into attacking Mitt Romney, which was not difficult: "You can't con the voters." Wallace pointed out that Fred Thompson has been recently critical of BCRA, and McCain countered that McCain-Feingold was really McCain-Feingold-Thompson, as they "couldn't have gotten it done without him." McCain would "absolutely" back BCRA today because DC is still corrupted by lobbyist. (Which means that it was a waste of time and liberty, but it is one man's reasoning/rationalization.)

Mike Huckabee was up next for Wallace on FNS, where Wallace pointed out that Huckabee had won last night's FRC straw poll, but nothing seemed to be helping in fundraising. Huckabee countered that they are the only campaign that hasn't slipped in their fundraising totals and that he isn't giving himself money or mortgaging his house.

Over on MTP, Tim Russert hosted a roundtable of women historians and journalists gushing about Hillary. Russert called Hillary "a victim of her marriage." (Yeah, but it got her to where she is today.) The best line came from the only dark haired woman on the panel, Sally Bedell Smith: "We could have two Presidents in the White House who are married to each other." That's sobering and ought to be discussed this fall.

On TW, Joe Biden was George Stephanopoulos's guest. Joe Biden argued that President Bush would still have a civil war in Iraq if all the al Qaeda up-and-disappeared in an instant. This ignores what started and what is fomenting the sectarian conflict, but Joe Biden is selectively ignorant. Joe Biden asserted that the only reason Rudy was able to solve the crime problem in New York, New York was because of the "Clinton-Biden crime bill" which gave him more cops on the street. He laughed at the suggestion that the Republicans were the party with the values, as they value someone making $1.4-million getting huge tax breaks while the taxpayers are not forced to send every student to college.

On FTN, Mitt Romney said he would talk about his values, not the particulars of his faith. Schieffer asked Romney if he believed that the Garden of Eden were in Missouri, and Romney refused to answer, saying that the church leaders could speak for him. Schieffer asked Romney about his evolving positions on abortion, and Romney accused John McCain of having changing positions too. Romney told Schieffer that he never claimed to be the only real Republican in the race and that he did not say that anyone else was not a real Republican. (I post the full quote, and I think he's right about that.)

Finally, on LE, Wolf Blitzer interviewed Jane Harman and Pete Hoekstra. Both suggested that Pyongyang might be involved in helping Syria to develop nukes, thus prompting last week's air strike from Israel. Both stated that President Bush should not have gone all bellicose with Tehran, threatening them with World War II if they developed nukes. Hoekstra said that when he and Harman are alone, away from the partisan rancor, they can work well together.

Harman added that Bush "took his eye off the ball" by attacking Iraq when he should have devoted our time, energy, and resources to capturing Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri.

I think I can see into her soul, as well, Congressman Hoekstra.

Read More for the show-by-show review…

Posted in Jane Harman | Joe Biden | John McCain | Mike Huckabee | Mitt Romney | Pete Hoekstra | Special Features | Talk Shows — Comments (18)/ Email this page » / Read More »