Today Show: Newt Calls Kerry Campaign Spokesman's Foreign Policy Bluff

The Today Show

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Something important just happened. Newt Gingrich called the foreign policy bluff of the Kerry campaign. And with the chips on the table, the Kerry spokesman folded.

We won't dwell on the fact that Katie accorded Holbrooke both the opening and the closing statements in the interview, or that she cut Newt off when he first tried to respond, insisting instead on airing some footage of Kerry taking shots at W.

No, let's cut to the chase. The subject was North Korea and its nuclear program. Holbrooke waxed on about the Bush administration wasn't doing enough "to put pressure on N. Korea."

Finally Newt had his say. "So, what would the Kerry administration do differently? Would you attack N. Korea?"

Newt repeated the question a number of times. Holbrooke refusing to answer. Finally, cornered, this was the sum and substance of what Holbrooke came up with: "well, we should continue the six party talks now underway, but the US should also speak directly with N. Korea."

Newt pounced. "That's it? We should speak directly with N. Korea? That's going to 'put pressure' on them?"

It was a seminal moment. Pull back the curtain on the Kerry foreign policy and what do you find? Nothing. Some vague notions that we should be nicer to Jacques Chirac, and talk directly with Kim Jung Il. Thanks very much, and don't forget the lovely parting gifts.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Thanks for the information. Wish Newt would have mentioned it.

[StriperSniper]

I wish I saw that!

[jwalsh07]

I saw it. Newt nailed Holbrooks arse to the wall.

[Maigrey]

Man, that is exciting news! You must be in shock!

[Jackknife]

Newt is one of the many reasons I am a proud Georgian.

[Maigrey]

The mistake was going to the UN for 6 months of BS. (I also understand this was a logistical necessity to get the troops, supplies, and battle plans worked out.)

[SquirrelKing]

IF THIS ISN'T SUCCESS PLEASE TELL ME WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS

According to some people, this:

[MinuteGal]

It's my opinion that Hapless Holbrook has been tapped by Kerry for his Secretary of State. If Kerry is elected, Holbrook's counterparts in hostile nations would make mincemeat of him just like Newt did.

Leni

[7thson]

I stand corrected.

[Rummyfan]

I agree one hundred percent. Why no one on the Admin team makes this point is mystifying. I suppose Kerry and Holbrooke would be happier fighting terrorists in Manhattan.

[Carolinamom]

New pic of Edwards in a clown suit? LOL

[catpuppy]

Hey, cut the man some slack. How would you like to have Holbrooke's ego and be stuck in the job of Deputy Assistant Underling to Madeleine Albright, forced to watch as she periodically swaps spit with ruthless dictators and chases repugnant terrorists through the halls of Washington?

[Lazamataz]

Newt repeated the question a number of times. Holbrooke refusing to answer. Finally, cornered, this was the sum and substance of what Holbrooke came up with: "well, we should continue the six party talks now underway, but the US should also speak directly with N. Korea." Newt pounced. "That's it? We should speak directly with N. Korea? That's going to 'put pressure' on them?"

Newt folded in front of Clinton, but I will always be fond of him. He's one of my favorite politicians. If he had only been a little better at politics, he'd have had a serious shot at President.

[PogySailor]

It's apparent that a Kerry administration foreign policy will consist primarily of:

• Bribing thugocracies to lay low for the duration of his administration
• Throw buckets of money at the UN

[InvisibleChurch]

katie's probably chewing her microphone cord to shreds

katie during a commercial break

[OXENinFLA]

Laura Ingrahm is replaying this now...........

[Bob]

Madeleine Albright on dealing with N. Korea and other outlaw states: "let's not underestimate the value of a nice mint on the pillow. And who better to put it there than me?"

Now, there's a mental image that I could have done without.

[nathanbedford]

In assessing the fecklessness of the Clinton Amininistration around the globe it is difficult to fix a place where the administration behaved worse, less honorably or more haplessly than another. Typically, we focus on the repetitive failure to retaliate against terrorist strikes, although most of us would grant Clinton a Nobel prize for rhetoric for his bluster and empty threats. In the wake of 9/11 it is natural to react in thus because these attacks rightly are seen as the inevitable result of a chronic failure to punish the attackers.

However, I would offer two other candidates for awards for cravenness and fecklessness in foreign policy: The surrender to Saddam in '98 and the cynical deal with the North Koreans which facilitated their atomic program. ( It was tempting to include the missiles for cash deal with the Chinese but one has to make hard choices in these matters.)Parenthetically, it might be conceded that the Korean deal was not actually cynical but rather the most naive foreign policy bargain since Chamberlain flew back to London waving a piece of paper and proclaiming it guaranteed "peace in our time."

But what is clear is the utter cynicism of Holebrook, Albright and Clinton himself in disparaging the efforts of Bush to clean up the appalling messes left by that administration. 9/11, the need to change regimes in Iraq, and the stalemate in Korea are all directly attributable to Clinton's morbid fear of acting in America's interests. Worse, Holbrook, acting as chief foreign policy flack for Kerry cynically makes it more difficult for Bush to solve these problems by undermining America.

Bush can rightly claim two huge victories he won without firing a shot and for which he has been insufficiently credited, He got Musharraf and Qaddafi to roll and in the process spared us in Pakistan from something certainly worse than Korea and perhaps a threat just as nasty in Lybia as well. Bush won these victories for America because, by God, he had credibility despite the Clinton legacy.

Now Bush has to deal with Syria, Iran and North Korea all three of whom might have WMDs of some sort and two of whom might well have atomic weapons.But thanks to cynicism of the Clinton crowd here being articulated by Holbrooke, Bush's task is rendered infinitely harder because they undermine his credibility and make war, or appeasement, or catastrophe only the more likely.

[StriperSniper]

Thanks! I had just crashed, got the stream up now(in commercial). Hopefully she will replay it a couple times.

[freekitty]

Katie is just an old has been fool.