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Posted at 11:19am on Jul. 6, 2008 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows: The Review

By Mark Kilmer

Sunday, July 6, 2008

PREFACE:

On ABC's This Week, Senator Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) asserted that the Iraqis were passing laws to make it seem like they were doing something but not enforcing them. (Actually, on oil revenue sharing, they've not passed a law but are enforcing the sharing anyway.) Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Connecticut) noted that there has been a significant change in Obama's position over the past week, with Obama now expressing concern for the "stability of Iraq" when discussing troop withdrawal. That, Lieberman argued, is the McCain position.

Next on TW, Libertarian Bob Barr spouted a few agreeable platitudes regarding the Nanny State then posited that George Bush was worse for our civil liberties than was Bill Clinton.

On FOX News Sunday, Brit Hume hosted an entertaining panel discussion.

On NBC, Meet the Press was preempted by a tennis match.

On CBS' Face the Nation John Kerry ("reporting for duty") posited that John McCain has flip-flopped more often than he has, and that we should try to partner with the People's Republic of China. Gitmo should never have been opened, Kerry offered, maintaining that we should have tried the enemy combatants right there on the battlefield.

For his part, Lindsey Graham said that the biggest loser now in Iraq is al Qaeda, and the biggest loser longer will be Iran. He said that the only way we could lose this war is to do an Obama retreat.

On CNN's Late Edition, Wolf Blitzer did a 10th anniversary best-of show.

Read on for the show-by-show review.

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Posted at 8:58am on Jun. 14, 2008 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows - a preview

The post-Russert era.

By Mark Kilmer

For Sunday, June 15, 2008

FOX News Sunday (FNS): Host Chris Wallace will chat with Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and Byron Dorgan, then he'll talk to American Petroleum Institute CEO Red Cavaney.

This Week (ABC): Host George Stephanopoulos talks to John Edwards and Fred Thompson, former Senators both.

Meet the Press (NBC): It was to be host Tim Russert interviewing Lindsey Graham and Joe Biden, but… we'll see.

UPDATE: From NBC News comes word of the revised listings for "MEET THE PRESS WITH TIM RUSSERT." This one is for remembering Tim: Tom Brokaw of NBC News, Mike Barnicle of MSNBC News, James Carville, MTP Executive Producer Betsy Fischer, Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, Gwenn Ifill of PBS, Mary Matalin, and former NBC News correspondent Maria Shriver.

Kudos to Fischer for selecting Barnicle as the obligatory MSNBC representative Mike Barnicle. This memorial could have become a farce.

Face the Nation (CBS): Host Bob Schieffer will talk to Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Newt Gingrich.

Late Edition (CNN): Host Wolf Blitzer will chat with Republicans John Boehner and Arlen Specter and Democrats Janet Napolitano and Chris Van Hollen, plus his usual cast of thousands.

= = = = =

This is a unique week, and singular sad at that. David Brinkley of ABC's This Week had retired, turning his show over to Sam & Cokie, when he passed, while Tim Russert was at the top of his game and went suddenly. His passing alters the face of Sunday morning.

It's pretty much surrogate-ville again across the board, except for Bob Schieffer at FTN. From time-to-time, he'll go all-conservative, and with Bobby J. and Newt G., he will be taking that step again.

I don't know what to expect from MTP this week. We'll see.

The reveiw of the shows will come in the space early tomorrow afternoon, and I'll have more on the passing for Tim Russert later.

"If it's Sunday..."

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Posted at 12:11pm on Jun. 8, 2008 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows: The Review

Your map of next week's political news.

By Mark Kilmer

Sunday, June 8, 2008

PREFACE:

On FNS this morning, Time Pawlenty and Tim Kaine were in studio for what host Chris Wallace called an "American Idol audition" for their preferred candidate's veep slot. (Kaine's an Obama governor, while Pawlenty favors McCain.)

On TW, Dianne Feinstein, host of last week's historic, unprecedented, breakthrough, significant, dramatic, and earth-shaking tête-à-tête 'twixt Obama and Hillary, said that she favors Hillary for veep despite Jimmy Carter's protest that such a ticket would bring "the worst of both worlds." (An African American and a woman?)

Next on TW, Lindsey Graham pushed John McCain while John Kerry made mindless pronouncements.

On MTP, journalist Andrea Mitchell offered that prior to yesterday's Hillary speech, Bill Clinton had been crying. Host Tim Russert argued that John McCain can compete with the Obama juggernaut by convincing the American people that he's "a comfortable shoe." He compared Obama and RFK, pointing to RFK's vision in 1968 that a "negro" could be elected President in forty years, in 2008.

On FTN, Hillary's former campaign mouthpiece, Howard Wolfson said that Hillary will do "whatever she has to" and "whatever she can" to see that Obama is elected President. Chuck Rangel, on next, said "I would hope so!" when asked if Bill Clinton would be involved in everything during an Obama Administration if Hillary were Barry's Veep. Jim Webb, on next, compared himself intellectually to Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

On LE, for some reason, host Wolf Blitzer put Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania up against Jon Kyl of Arizona, and it was embarrassing. (To Pennsylvanians, if not to the Democrats.) Kyl hammered Obama for his ever-changing position on meeting with the leaders of rogue and/or terroristic nations, and Casey could only argue that Ronald Reagan and the first President Bush did that.

Some good stuff this week. Read the summary below the fold.

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Posted at 12:46pm on Jun. 1, 2008 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows: The Review

What did Saturday's Dem RBC freak show solve? Anything? Well, "on to Denver."

By Mark Kilmer

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Preface:

On FNS, Hillary's main mouthpiece, Howard Wolfson, expressed discontent with the face that the Dem RBC's Saturday freak show decided to give Obama four of Hillary's delegates, amounting to two votes, and were willing to fight this simply on principle. He also didn't care for the "uncommitted" delegates from Michigan being given automatically to Obama.

Next on FNS, Obama surrogate Dave Bonior declared that the popular vote doesn't count but that he would not entertain a question which stipulates that Obama might not win the popular vote.

On ABC's TW, Obama mouthpiece Bob Gibbs assured us that Barry is "still a strong Christian," despite leaving the church where he found Christianity.

Up next on TW, Clinton campaign honcho Terence McAuliffe declared: "This is not the Democrat Party I know." He quickly added that he had just had dinner with Hillary, leaving open the possibility that these are also her sentiments. He added that one Wednesday, after the results of the final contests have been resolved, Team Hillary begins chasing the superdelegates.

Finally on TW, FDR's grandson called for a "unity choice" for veep. Howard Dean said that the most important person in the race is the second place finisher, which he was in 2004.

On NBC's MTP, host Tim Russert interviewed Scott McClellan, both accusing McClellan of hypocrisy and reveling in his charges against the Bush Administration. Is Tim Russert a true believer in this tenor lefty insanity or is he, like McClellan and Olbermann, doing this for ratings, for the fame and the money?

On CBS' FTN, Cuddly Carl Levin, who says he's backing neither Dem candidate right now, said that both Hillary and Barry have promised him that the Michigan delegation would receive their full votes. Barry, he conceded, had promised that this would happen only after he'd received the number of delegates he needs to secure the nomination.

On FTN, Hillary supporter Mandy Grunwald said that Hillary had received the most votes of anyone ever. Schieffer asked her if this includes voters in the caucuses, and she said that they were in the newspapers, so it did.

On CNN's LE, Howard Dean had an interesting comparison. He told host Wolf Blitzer that he had learned not to answer hypotheticals when raising two teenagers. Barry and Hillary behaving like teenagers? FDR's grandkid was there, as well.

Next on LE, Hillary's buddy Harold Ickes evoked the image of September 11 when he declared that the Michigan delegates had been "hijacked" from Hillary.

Read the review beneath the fold.

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Posted at 12:48pm on May 11, 2008 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows: The Review

To quote the late Rep. Bono (R-California): "And the beat goes on..."

By Mark Kilmer

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Preface:

On FNS, Obama campaign boss David Axelrod told host Chris Wallace that he was "encouraged" by the McCain campaign's proposal to hold joint town hall meetings this summer. Next up, Clinton mouthpiece Howard Wolfson argued that the race for the Dem nomination would not be over until someone garnered the support of 2209 delegates, the number required to nominate if both the Florida and the Michigan delegations are counted.

On TW, Harry Reid told host George Stephanopoulos that Americans have outgrown the 2nd Amendment as an issue in Presidential campaigns and that John McCain was a "flawed" candidate because of his temper. Asked for evidence of this temper, Reid said that "everybody knows" about it. Carly Fiorina, McCain advisor, was up next, and she made a point about "incentivizing" private companies to develop green technologies to combat the global warming threat. (She didn't use the term "global warming threat"; rather, I get a kick out of it.)

On MTP, Obama supporter Chris Dodd said that he was not upset that Hillary was still in the race; rather, he didn't want her trashing Barry. Hillary's campaign manager, Terence McAuliffe, threatened that if the Democrats nominate Obama, they'll lose both the Presidential election and the House of Representatives.

On FTN, host Bob Schieffer talked to John Edwards who said that he might eventually endorse. He added with a twinkle in his eye that John McCain seemed to be open about his proposal to create a cabinet-level Poverty Czar. (I hope not.) Next up, Terence McAuliffe answered questions about Hillary being the candidate of white people.

On LE, host Wolf Blitzer first talked to Obama, who opined that the American people want change and that he wanted to appoint Supreme Court justices who saw the court as a "refuge for justice." With two shrubberies so you get the two-level effect with a little path running down the middle. He next spoke to Roy Blunt and Chris Van Hollen, with Van Hollen spouting memorized notes he clearly did not understand.

The complete, show-by-show review is beneath the fold. …

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Posted at 8:36pm on Apr. 24, 2008 Obama begins to adjust; Goes on Fox

But Dem Strategist says "the problem with the Democratic Party is that they don't understand"

By Soren Dayton

Yesterday, I wrote about Barack Obama's chief strategist saying that they don't need working class voters. John Edwards' strategist Mudcat Saunders told Sam Stein at HuffPo, regarding bitter/cling-gate:

Historically, [Axelrod's point] is pretty accurate. But it is also historically accurate that the Democrats have never gone after them.

See, the thing is that the Dems "have never gone after them" because they really do look down on their voters, and that ends up cutting both ways.

I think there are an awful lot of smart people who believe in rural stereotypes. But the problem with the Democratic Party is that they don't understand...that a lot of these big city people who have stereotyped us, we have also stereotyped them. Therein lies the problem. See, that's what happened Barack Obama said that, he played into our stereotype about the big city.

It may be that Obama understands his problem and is reacting, in spite of what his strategist says. You see, he is going on Fox. And Chris Wallace explains it as Obama's strategists "realiz[ing] they need to reach working-class moderate and even conservative Democrats."

It is already driving the nutroots crazy. I think that Saunders might tell them that "they don't understand".

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Posted at 1:58pm on Mar. 2, 2008 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows - The Review

Lots of Surrogates

By Mark Kilmer

Sunday, March 2, 2008.

On FNS, Diane Feinstein blurted that Hillary has been "tested by the anvil of [her husband's] White House [in a male-dominated society] for eight years." Dick Durbin called for her to quit the race if she doesn't win big on Tuesday.

Next on FNS, Karl Rove talked about John McCain matching up against Barack Obama. He pointed out that using Obama's middle name could backfire on McCain, as it is seen as "going too far." He advised those who want to help McCain not to do it.

On TW, Howard Wolfson and David Axelrod behaved like brats. The best part, I thought, was when Barry's guy Axelrod compared his candidate's Rezco scandal with Whitewater.

On MTP, Tim Russert held another Matalin-Carville-Murphy-Shrum roundtable. They talked a lot about the Dem race and seemed to agree that Hillary had to win Ohio and Texas then go on to win Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. Murphy said she still wouldn't have the delegates. Mary Matalin reminded that Puerto Rico, which holds its contest in June, has 63 delegates. (Never mind.)

On FTN, Bob Schieffer talked to Hillary surrogate Evan Bayh and Obama surrogate Chris Dodd. It was the usual divisive squabble, but Schieffer seemed most concerned about Bayh's admission that, as a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, he had been told that it was not a question of IF al Qaeda attacks the U.S. again, but WHEN they do. Schieffer wanted to know if Bayh had any idea when, and Bayh told him that it was common knowledge that al Qaeda would attack again.

Next up, Schieffer had the bearded Bill Richardson, who refused to endorse anyone but said that he is "tired of the bickering" like that we'd heard between Bayh and Dodd.

On LE, Wolf Blitzer first talked to Obama surrogate John Kerry. Kerry said the usual stuff, but the funniest part was when he expressed concern that people would hear the telephone ringing in Hillary's commercial and mistake it for their own phone. He also claimed that Obama has more foreign policy experience now than what Ronald Reagan had when he was sworn-in in 1981.

Hillary supporter and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes was next up on LE. He said that he saw no Obama momentum in Texas, citing an El Paso County commissioner who had switched his support from Obama to Hillary. He also said that the House would pass FISA within a week.

House GOP whip Roy Blunt was next up on LE. He wants to pass FISA, he said, but he lacks Reyes's optimism. Blitzer wanted to know what kind of "message" it sent to the world, that Ahmadinejad could meet with the Iraqi government. Blunt said that it showed that the Maliki government was not a delegation of U.S. puppets.

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

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Posted at 1:25pm on Feb. 24, 2008 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows - The Review

"Shame on you, Barack Obama!"

By Mark Kilmer

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:

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Posted at 1:59pm on Feb. 17, 2008 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows - The Review

The attack of the rabid Dem surrogates

By Mark Kilmer

Sunday, February 17, 2008

First up on FNS, Wisconsin's Dem Governor Jim Doyle boasted Obama's large crowds and grassroots support. He urged the superdelegates to go with the momentum. Ohio's Dem Governor Ted Strickland said that people like Hillary on health care and the Dems' should seat the delegates from Michigan and Florida. Doyle predicted that the 2008 Democratic National Convention could be like the one in Chicago, 1968.

Next on FNS, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell said that the FISA law was needed in order to have private companies cooperate with the government in the fight against terrorism. He said that al Qaeda was much less a threat than it was on 9/11 and that the NIE the media declared told us that Iran had joyfully stopped making nukes had said nothing of the sort.

On TW, John McCain promised no new taxes. He even nodded when Steph asked if we could read his lips. He said that he would have cut interest rates further than to Fed Chief Ben Bernanke, but that he would consider reappointing Bernanke in 2010.

On MTP, Senators Dick Durbin (Obama) and Chuck Schumer (Hillary) argued about Michigan and Florida, as well as superdelegates. Schumer specified that if the race was still that close on June 5, the two would have to sit down with Howard Dean and work something out. We learned that the two men are DC roommates, and they chided each other about who came home last night and who was the "neat one."

On FTN, we had some Obama and Clinton surrogates. First the ops: Howard Wolfson for Hillary and David Axelrod for Barry. They argued about superdelegates, public financing vows, debates, and the use of race as a campaign tool. Next, the mayors: Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles for Hillary and Doug Wilder of Richmond for Barry. Wilder challenged Bill Clinton for his racist remarks in South Carolina, while Villaraigosa assured host Schieffer that blacks have liked the Clintons since Little Rock. Wilder said that this Democrat convention could be worse than the Dem convention in Chicago, 1968.

On LE, Wolf talked to Mitch McConnell, who is excited that McCain will attract Indies from the Dems and certain that he can excite conservatives. Next, Wolf had on Obama surrogate Bill Bradley to play the apologist for his guy. Then, he had on Hillary apologist Lanny Davis to start spewing his wild charges on her behalf. The notes are there for you to read, but then I stood athwart this nonsense and sighed: "Enough, already."

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

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Posted at 2:02pm on Feb. 10, 2008 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows - The Review

By Mark Kilmer

Sunday, February 10, 2008

On TW, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine talked to host George Stephanopoulos on behalf of Hillary and Obama respectively. Kaine, the Obama guy, said that Clinton's recent racist remarks will be forgotten by November. O'Malley argued that the Superdelgates, the Dem Party's circuit breaker in case their voters get it wrong, are "part of the process" and that Hillary probably won't need them anyway.

Next on TW, Tom DeLay argued that John McCain had to prove himself to conservatives on such issues as immigration and the 2nd Amendment. (Not sure what the latter is about.) He argued that Mike Huckabee had not yet earned McCain's veep slot. Tom Davis added that conservatives might "come back" to the party's nominee once it became more widely known that McCain has long been a leader in opposing earmarks. (Some of us never left, Tom.)

Mike Huckabee was host Tim Russert's guest on NBC's Meet the Press. Huckabee thinks competition will be good for the GOP and will not let al Qaeda win by handing the election to Hillary or Barry. He had good words for Rush Limbaugh and what the radio talker has done for conservatism. He did not insult anyone except when he called John McCain's immigration position, "way out the mainstream" and "unorthodox."

On FNS, President Bush seemed relax talking to host Chris Wallace at Camp David. He seems ready to begin duties on the campaign trail, and I'm certain McCain has a fundraising position with the President's name on it.

On FTN, Mike Huckabee argued that, math be darned, anything was possible. Karl Rove brought his white board to show that McCain matches up well with Hillary and with John McCain, then old Howard Dean hand predicted that the Hillary vs. Obama race "could end up ugly" and be decided at their convention by fat cat Superdelegates with cigars.

LE Host Wolf Blitzer spoke to Mike Huckabee in an interview taped after Huck's Kansas demolition Saturday. Huckabee argued that ongoing competition in the Republican nominating process makes for a stronger nominee, just as competition is always good in the private sector. He promised to say in the race until his supporters tell him to hang up his cleats.

Nancy Pelosi told Blitzer on LE that the President has no say in the debate over earmarks. She said that though our military had won the military part of the surge, it was a lost cause because the Iraqi politicians had made no progress. Blitzer pointed out some of the real, tangible progress being made, and she referred to them as: "baby steps, too late." Too late for victory or too close to November, Nance, who sees everything, including the lives of our soldiers, in terms of electoral politics.

Read More...

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Posted at 1:57pm on Jan. 6, 2008 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows - The Review

New Hampshire's next.

By Mark Kilmer

Sunday, January 06, 2008

On FNS, Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney argued that John McCain is not an agent of change because he has been in Washington for too long and boasted that the charge of "phony" would not stand up because of his record as governor of Massachusetts, including, he boasted, working with the Dems to fashion the nation's first Universal Health Care program.

On FNS, Republican Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee proclaimed: "I think the Republican Party needs some repair." He said that he does not want the rich to become poor, but would like for the poor to be given the opportunity to become rich. Whatever that means.

On TW, Democratic Presidential hopeful John Edwards said that he would continue is fight until the Dem convention.

On TW, Huckabee mentioned about disagreeing with the President in order to "distinguish" himself from the President.

On TW, Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney said that he erred in calling the McCain immigration plan "amnesty" even though it was "amnesty." You see, he said, though it was not "amnesty" by the dictionary definition, it was "amnesty" by the "normal, colloquial definition." (Would he know it if he saw it, under the alternate definition of "saw"?) Steph argued that after Saturday night's debate, it seems the term "flip-flop" had suck to Romney. Romney blamed McCain.

On MTP, Republican Presidential hopeful John McCain defended his vote against the Bush tax cuts, promised tax cuts only with concomitant spending cuts, attacked Donald Rumsfeld, and defended Ronald Reagan. McCain told Russert that he expects to win New Hampshire, but he refused to classify it as a "must win."

On FTN, McCain pointed out that he and Huckabee differ on a number of issues but can have a "respectful debate" in South Carolina. He said that we can stay in Iraq for 100 years, as we've had a presence elsewhere in the world for long periods of time, if we eliminate American casualties.

On LE, Blitzer asked Huckabee about an exchange at last night's debate, where Romney denied ever having supported a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. Huckabee pointed to The Hill newspaper. Huckabee also called Romney on claiming that he had called the President, "arrogant." No, Huckabee argued, he had called the foreign policy of the Administration, "arrogant."

Read On for the Show-by-Show review. …

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Posted at 1:47pm on Dec. 30, 2007 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows - The Review

Four Days until the Iowa thing, it seems.

By Mark Kilmer

Sunday, December 30, 2007

On FNS, Republican Presidential hopeful Fred Thompson seemed to predict a strong third place showing in Iowa, stating the the RCP average which put him a distant third included an outlier. Asked about Mike Huckabee, Thompson pointed out that Huckabee has a "blame America first" mindset. Asked about Mitt Romney, Thompson offered that Mitt changes his philosophy as the wind blows and that it is "hard to pin Mitt down on what he actually believes."

Next on FNS, David Yepsen said that Romney's negative advertising could work for him in Iowa.

On TW, Democratic Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton declared that she played a major role in Bill Clinton's Administration but promised that he would not play a major role in hers. She boasted that she was given access to classified material when he was President despite the fact that she lacked the requisite security clearance.

Next on TW, Republican Presidential hopeful John McCain defended himself against Romney's attacks in response to his attacks in response to Romney's initial attacks by pointing out that he was merely quoting the Concord Monitor stating that Mitt Romney is a "phony." He would not there call Romney a phony, saying that this was something the voters will decide.

On MTP, Republican Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee covered a list of what he said were Romney mischaracterizations of him and his records. He was effective here, and he did not slip when defending his foreign policy or his faith.

Next on MTP, Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama talked about a "we" who had to fix things in Pakistan. I'm assuming that he meant the United Nations rather than the United States. Russert suggested that Benazir Bhutto was shot as a result of our invasion of Iraq, and Obama disagreed.

On FTN, Democratic Presidential hopeful John Edwards spouted that corporate greed and corporate power have a hold on the soul of our democracy. He boasted that when he calls the ambassador and demands a call back from Pervez Musharraf, Musharraf calls back.

And on CNN's Late Edition, Fred Thompson told host Wolf Blitzer that it would not surprise him if he came in second place in Iowa. As for his campaign, he promised to keep doing what he's doing: "There will be on change in Fred."

Next on LE, Hillary stressed curtailing monetary assistance to Pakistan because Musharraf is not reliable. She wants an "independent, international investigation" of Bhutto's death, as she doesn't trust Pakistan.

The show-by-show review is beneath the fold. Read On…

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Posted at 1:33pm on Dec. 23, 2007 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows - The Review

The year is ending.

By Mark Kilmer

Sunday, December 23, 2007

On FNS, General David Petraeus said that the sudden drop in stories by the U.S. media on Iraq is "probably a sign of progress": no news is good news. Asked if he would ever run for President, General Petraeus answered: "Sherman had it right."

On TW, Rudy said that his campaign is concentrating on doing well February 5th and in Florida, though he continues to campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire. He said that he will appoint strict constructionist judges because he himself is a strict constructionist. (There's his definition of strict constructionist, folks.)

Two alternate universes collided on MTP when Tim Russert chatted with Republican Presidential hopeful Ron Paul.

On FTN, Barack Obama said, in so many words, that he's a uniter, not a divider. He defended his statement a Hillary candidacy would galvanize the Republican base, leading Schieffer to propose that she "brings out the worst in Republicans."

Next on FTN, Mike Huckabee said that he's going to change the Republican Party because it needs to be changed, to be more inclusive of those with less. He accused National Review mag and The Weekly Standard of "sounding like his opponents."

On LE, Wolf Blitzer hosted his New Years Eve special episode – "The Best of 2007" – and played a bunch of old interviews.

The show-by-show review is beneath the fold. Read More….

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Posted at 1:45pm on Dec. 9, 2007 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows - The Review

By Mark Kilmer

Sunday, December 9, 2007
On FNS, 2008 GOP Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee argued that the question should not concern a candidate's religion; rather, the voter should ask if the candidate can be believed.

Next on FNS, host Chris Wallace mentioned that neocon Bob Kagan had argued that the latest NIE had destroyed U.S. credibility abroad. Well, 2008 GOP Presidential hopeful John McCain countered that the Europeans were skeptical of the latest NIE, ad they themselves could see what Iran is doing.

On TW, 2008 Dem Presidential hopeful Joe Biden argued with a straight face that 20% - 30% of what we pay for a barrel of oil is because of President Bush's rhetoric. He boasted that he is "everybody's second choice" and promised that he'd quit the race of if he performed as poorly as recent polls have suggested. Joe Biden called for a special council to investigate the destroyed interrogation vids.

Also on TW, Newt Gingrich argued that he is skeptical of the latest NIE because it is the product of three former State Department employees who do not like the Bush Administration. Gingrich said that we do not need a special council to investigate the destroyed interrogation vids, as the FBI could handle it.

On MTP, Rudy Giuliani was splendiferous, and anyone who disagrees is not to be trusted as a human being whose soul is not a clod. (No, I'm not a, per se, Giuliani supporter.)

On FTN, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller stated that diplomacy can work to reduce the danger of Iran, and he cited North Korea as an example. Committee member Chuck Hagel explained that intelligence is not a tidy, little box; rather, it is like a mosaic.

On LE, a defensive Pervez Musharraf told host Wolf Blitzer that it's not up to him whether Benazir Bhutto or Nawar Sharif run for office next month, and he criticized the Western media for using the terms of dictatorship to describe Pakistan. He objected to President Bush's statement that the U.S. would move into Pakistan to capture OBL if we had "actionable intelligence," saying that this was the job of the Pakistanis.

And Congressman John Boehner was in good form in a hostile environment.

The complete, show-by-show review is beneath the fold…

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Posted at 1:34pm on Dec. 2, 2007 The Sunday Morning Talk Shows - The Review

NOTE TO DEMS: Obama, Hillary, who cares? Put Jim Webb on the ticket. Please!

By Mark Kilmer

Sunday, December 02, 2007

Karl Rove and DCCC boss Chris Van Hollen were Chris Wallace's guest on FOX News Sunday, with Rove arguing that both frontrunners – Rudy and Hillary – could be in trouble if they lose Iowa and New Hampshire and the winners of the States have time to gain momentum. Van Hollen touched Rove inappropriately throughout the segment.

Mike Huckabee told host George Stephanopoulos of ABC's This Week that, contrary to Romney's assertions, he had more executive experience (13 years) than any other candidate and that he had been a pastor in the private sector, dealing with the real problems of real people.

Jim Webb is an idiot. On MTP, he equated the tribal leaders in Al Anbar and Osama bin Laden. He declared that Turkey was like Iran. When asked if Congress should continue to fund the war in Iraq, Webb accused the Bush Administration of using "scare tactics." Again, Jim Webb is an idiot.

On FTN, John McCain admitted that his stance on immigration hurt his campaign. He said that we absolutely must secure the border first. He called it an "emotional issue," saying that we've traditionally had a backlash whenever there is a "wave of immigration, legal or illegal." He cited "No Irish Need Apply." He pointed out that there is a humanitarian side to this.

Chris Dodd, on LE, did not argue that the surge is a success, but he argued that out big question is: Can the Iraqis sustain this after we withdraw our troops? He accused our soldiers of "keeping a civil war going in Iraq."

On LE, Specter and Levin disagreed on whether or not Iran should have been invited to Annapolis. They weren't, and Specter thinks they should have been while Levin disagreed.

On LE, General Ray Odierno did not stipulate that the surge was working. He argued that we are making progress. He said that Maliki & co. are not perfect, "but they are starting to take steps." We'll have a brigade (3,500 troops) home by Christmas, he said, and he predicted that we will be down to 130,000 soldiers in Iraq by the end of next July.

Read on for the show-by-show review…

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