Early Show "Balance": Ted Kennedy & Chuck Hagel Take Turns Bashing Bush Administration over Iraq

The Early Show - CBS

[governsleastgovernsbest]

When The Today Show chose to make a procedural move in the Kobe Bryant case the focus of its first segment this morning, I decided to flip to CBS' "Early Show" to see what they might be featuring.

Sure enough, they were airing a segment on Iraq and Pres. Bush's $87 billion request to Congress to fund the war against terrorism.

Harry Smith first interviewed Teddy Kennedy. In the space of 2 minutes, Kennedy found occasion to condemn W's policy in Iraq as a "disaster" or "disastrous" at least three times. And of course Teddy wrung his hands at the thought of how he could have spent that $87 billion on a variety of pet social spending programs at home.

Harry Smith then stated (valiantly struggling to keep a straight face), "let's hear from the Republican side." And who did The Early Show choose to "defend" the Bush administration? Why, none other than McCain sidekick and avid Bush basher Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.

With little prompting from Smith, Hagel eagerly conceded that the Bush adminstrated had "miscalculated" in Iraq and that things were going "miserably." He also joined Kennedy's chorus of woe about how the $87 billion could have been spent at home on social programs.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

As a regular viewer of The Today Show (for purposes of reporting back to FR Nation on their liberal outrages), I'm generally unaware of the nefarious goings-on at the other morning shows.

It was an eye-opener to catch The Early Show. They were every bit as audacious in their liberal bias as Katie Couric at her worst. Smith fed both guests a string of leading questions, all with a Bush-bashing theme.

The ultimate chutzpah was inviting on Chuck Hagel to "give a Republican view." The Early Show knew full well that far from a defense of the Bush administration, they would get nothing less than a continuation of the assault on the Bush administration that Teddy had commenced.

Let's imagine the obverse situation during the Clinton administration. Imagine a Clinton policy was being criticized (a leap of imagination, no doubt!) Imagine that the first guest was a Republican Senator who launched into a full-throated critique of Clinton.

What would be the odds that to "get a Democratic perspective", CBS would invite in, say, conservative Dem Sen. Zell Miller? About the same as the odds of the Detroit Tigers winning this years World Series.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Today Show [Early Show] ping.

[Peach]

Great reporting of what goes on behind the enemy lines.

What Teddy doesn't realize is that another attack like 9/11 or worse and there won't be a domestic program left in the country worth talking about.

When he and other leftists complain about the costs of the war in Iraq, they don't explain that the costs of rebuilding NYC is currently at $83 billion and rising. As well, economists have predicted numbers as high as $550 billion in terms of total cost to our country due to the 9/11 attack.

One would need to ask: do we spend more on domestic programs and HOPE the terrorists don't strike us again, or do we spend money proactively going after the terrorists?

[Peach]

Another Freeper has this interesting analysis yesterday in response to the left's complaints about the cost of war in Iraq:

At a minimum, 9/11 cost us in excess of 80B$ in clean-up and rebuilding cost alone. It has cost us more in additional attempts at security, some of which will certainly go awry as we try several approaches to discover what will work. Indirect costs to the US economy for the past 2 years are greater than 500B$ and amount to paring 3+% off the growth rate of the economy

[governsleastgovernsbest]

You raise a number of great points about the mindset of Kennedy and his fellow liberals. I think they prefer to keep their heads in the sand. They only care about buying votes with trillions for failed social programs at home.

If they ever think about foreign policy, it is with the wan hope that if we make "nice-nice" to the people who hate us and are bent on our destruction, perhaps they will leave us alone.

[Peach]

If they ever think about foreign policy, it is with the wan hope that if we make "nice-nice" to the people who hate us and are bent on our destruction, perhaps they will leave us alone.

You nailed it exactly right. Hopefully the voting public is a little smarter than that. Most of us learned in third grade that bullies need to be bloodied or they just continue to bully.

[MEG33]

I finally quit watching the news and comment yesterday.The Dems and presstitutes would have us grab defeat from the jaws of victory.

Your comment about Chuck Hagel is spot on.With friends like him..the dems can sit back and watch.

Thanks as always for the dedicated,masochistic duty you perform for us.....;)

[PBRSTREETGANG]

If they ever think about foreign policy, it is with the wan hope that if we make "nice-nice" to the people who hate us and are bent on our destruction, perhaps they will leave us alone.

You are correct. They fail to acknowledge that "making nice-nice" brought us September 11th. We are better served taking the battle to the terrorists.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Thanks MEG.

The more I think of it, the more I am stunned and angered by The Early Show's audacity in inviting Hagel on to "defend" the Republican point of view, knowing full well that he would do nothing than continue the bashing of the Bush adminstration that Kennedy had begun.

These liberal media sluts are shameless.

[chiefqc]

Was teddie sober enough to be able to understand what he hd to lie about?

Did teddie have half a hogie in his mouth when he was talking?

Teddie is a fat, drunk, lying swimmer.

[Peach]

Ted Kennedy talking about national security is like OB talking about domestic abuse.

[Skooz]

You're a stronger man than I. God bless.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Was teddie sober enough to be able to understand what he had to lie about? Did teddie have half a hogie in his mouth when he was talking?

I hate to admit it, but I was struck by how relatively hale and hearty (or shall I say "clean and sober") Kennedy looked.

[gaspar]

Chuck Hagel is a sneaking jackal. As a matter of fact, he even looks like one.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

In hell, Hagel and McCain will be confined to small rooms, listening to recordings of the other's Senate floor speeches for eternity.

[MEG33]

Well said...and I don't know his motive....I just see his words and actions.He is a Viet Nam vet and was a successful businessman.I googled and his bio looks great.He puzzles me.

[MEG33]

What drives them?

[Skooz]

I know this is a little off subject, but I have to rant and don't think this is really worthy of a new thread:

I just went to Amazon.com and did not sign in to my account. Instead, I clicked the "Wish List" prior to signing on. This opened a wish list of Amazon products they are pushing--kind of like saying, "Hey, this should be on your wish list."

Here are the books they recommend:

At the top is Al (the idiot) Franken's latest book "Lies and the Lying Liers Who Tell Them.."

"Big Lies: The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth" by Joe Conason

"Bushwhacked: Life in George W. Bush's America" by Molly Ivans

"What Liberal Media? The Truth About Bias and the News" by Eric Alterman

"The Clinton Wars" by Sidney Blumenthal

"Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot: And Other Observations" by Al Franken

That's it. Those are the only books recommended.

[MEG33]

Oh ,brother..no wonder you had to rant!

[mhking]

What would be the odds that to "get a Democratic perspective", CBS would invite in, say, conservative Dem Sen. Zell Miller?

Zell is persona non grata for all the morning talking-head shows; he's as far removed from the typical mealy-mouthed liberal as you can get and still "call" yourself a Democrat. (I wish Zell would see the light and come on over to the GOP)