Today Show: DC Insider Gergen Shills for Berger; Hewitt Calls Calif Dems "Humor-Challenged"

The Today Show

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Is there anyone more annoying than ultimate-establishment guy David Gergen, the man who has worked for four or five presidents, including Bill Clinton?

There he was on Today this morning, defending former Clinton National Security Advisor Sandy Berger who has been accused of taking classified documents from the National Archives. And what was the source of Gergen's knowledge of the subject? He repeatedly made reference to statements made by "close associates" of . . . Berger! In other words, Gergen was nothing more than a shill for the Berger/Dem party line.

In fairness to Today, they led the show with this issue, and reported that the documents illegally taken were "highly critical reviews of Clinton admin handling of the "millenium threat" - Al Qaeda plans to attack the US.

That didn't deter Gergen, who began by claiming that "it's more innocent than it looks. Berger would never do anything to compromise national security. He is one of the heroes of this country in heading off terrorists attacks in 2000."

Amazingly, Katie responded with sarcastic incredulity: "If he was such a hero in stopping the 2000 attacks, why was the document he took so critical of Clinton admin handling of those threats?"

Gergen claimed that he took only copies of the originals and the the originals were there for the 9/11 Commission to review.

Gergen than went way beyond a mere defense of Berger's honesty and patriotism. He decided to perpetrate a smear of Republicans and by extension the Bush administration. Claimed Gergen: "It's rather suspicious to Berger's associates that the story would leak just before the 9/11 Commission report is due out. He's been investigated for months. A man of utter integrity who served this country well. This is a distraction from the findings of 9/11 Commission."

Couric: "So this is political?"

Gergen: "It has those overtones."

Couric: "Berger has been advising the Kerry campaign on foreign policy - how will this story affect that?"

Gergen: "It depends how it bounces in press. The Washington Post played it inside the paper [surprise!]. If it becomes a front page story there will be pressure on him to distance himself or take aleave from campaign." But not to worry, this "doesn't reflect on Sen. Kerry."

Then it was on to interviews regarding Arnold's 'girlie man' line.

Either some top CA Dems are intimidated by Arnold's popularity, or Dem Senate Majority Leader Don Perata actually has some sense.

He declined to get huffy and offended, saying "I didn't take it as an insult. He's had a good run, has been pretty cooperative. I wasn't offended and he doesn't need to apologize to me."

There was footage however from another Dem leader saying he wouldn't take a phone call from Arnold: "what should I say, 'yeah, I'm the guy who you called a scumbag and a girlie man. How are the kids?'"

Hugh Hewitt, a conservative talk show host who was present when Arnold made the remarks had the following to say: "The Dems are humor-challenged. They're upset Arnold has rolled them on every issue. His approval numbers are in 70% range, and will probably be in the 90% range after comments. What has happened is an overreaction by Sacramento insiders." He also made clear that Arnold hadn't, the Dem leader's suggestion notwithstanding, called anyone a 'scumbag.'

Couric: "Isn't Arnold losing credibility by failing to deliver on his promise of an on-time budget?"

Hewitt: "No, he's delivered on many promises - repealing car tax, reforming workers' comp, etc. Now he's telling Dems they must pay attention to spending, can't bankrupt state."

[TomGuy]

No. It is a real pic.

The monkeys did it as a prank, but it is real.

Somewhere on the Internet is a source. I think maybe snoops.com or one of the 'debunking' websites. (I don't have a link, but I saw on on FR about a month ago.)

[OESY]

Gergen has long had the ethics of a Kevin Philips.

As for Berger, the John Deutch comparison is apt. Deutch was the former CIA Director who took home classified information, put it on his PC for the world to see, and was pardoned by Clinton just hours before Clinton left office in 2001.

The question now is, What did Berger tell the 9/11 Commission under oath? Also, How is the Panel going to treat the parts of the millenium after-action report that Clinton and Berger (add Gorelick) didn't want seen in their final report Thursday?

[SunnyUsa]

Couric: "Isn't Arnold losing credibility by failing to deliver on his promise of an on-time budget?"

Hewitt: "No, he's delivered on many promises - repealing car tax, reforming workers' comp, etc. Now he's telling Dems they must pay attention to spending, can't bankrupt state."

I actually watched the TodayShow this morning (gag) - I'll admit - I sometimes watch Katie to see if she's got her lipstick on crooked, up over her lip - then you know she's having a bad rat day.

You could tell Katie lost the Arnie bashing segment, she was so miserable she couldn't get the Democrat to scream and she was so outmatched by Hewitt.

It was fun to watch.

[Finalapproach29er]

These clowns all protect each other,both parties.

Don't believe otherwise.

[meema]

Since I no longer watch anything that gergen is on, I wonder if they still introduce him as a Republican?

He is scum, and it sounds like he has outdone himself today. Disgusting.

[Carolinamom]

Notice that when any dem is in trouble, they always drag out Gergen and/or Barney Frank's sister, Ann whatshername, to shill, deflect, and protect.

[TomGuy]

Probably several versions of the story are circulating, but...

I heard that he took some copies of docs earlier.
Archive personnel got suspicious.
He came back and returned the copies. (maybe, maybe not)
He wanted to see other docs. Archive personnel made special ID marks on them. Some originals and copies didn't get returned.

He apparently took copies of some and originals of others.

When 'investigated' most of any not-previously-returned docs were collected by investigators. However, supposedly, 2 original docs 'got lost' according to Berger. [Keyword is 'original'.]

---

Again, the exact details are still emerging, so the story may still change. Berger is trying to say most of what he took were his own handwritten notes about the documents. The old postit-notes-in-the-shorts defense.

[YaYa123]

I hope Rush will have on Mark Levin today to discuss this.

This is such a huge story, and Gergen has it right...The media can and probably will, choose to bury it.

But I disagree with one point. Berger is shut down as a Kerry spokesman, at least he won't face reporters, and risk them asking about it when he's supposed to be out there, touting Kerry.

[TomGuy]

Yes, Berger and another attorney guy (name escapes me) attended the 9-11 Commission with Bill Clinton. Of course, that got scant mention in the media, because the media were too busy blasting Bush being accompanied by Cheney for his 9-11 Com meeting.

[PGalt]

Berger was putting his special sauce on the documents, Gergen is putting the wrapper on the special sauce Berger and the Today show is putting it in the bag. Have a nice day.

The Democratic Crime Syndicate drive thru.

[mystery-ak]

....and Maddie Halbright is not far behind....look for her to appear today or tomorrow defend her sidekick.

[faithincowboys]

I knew the Left was going to villify Arnie and cover up for Sandy's far more egregious conduct--what a total crime this all is.

[MinuteGal]

What's revealing is that while the story was breaking late last night, Gergen appears on a major network literally within hours this morning, perfectly groomed, looking well-rested, and with all the 'Rat talking points rolling smoothly off his lips.

Gergen is the Democrats' designated shitter, seldom trotted out except in extreme unction......so this affair must be potentially disasterous in the 'Rats way of thinking.

Gergen obviously is ready to go at a moment's notice when the trumpet sounds.

Leni

[meema]

How true. I have always expected Ann (Lewis) Barney's sister to shill in high dungeon for the rats, but it still makes me sick to my stomach to see gergen and or kevin phillips stick it to us on national tv.

I hoped that we would have some honesty from gergen on a matter like this. I'm a fool...

[azhenfud]

I loved the political parody they had on - esp where Clinton had his arm around the woman and Hillery slapped him and he said, "What'd I do wrong?".

[Carolinamom]

You may have been fooled, but you're not a fool. He is.

[dennisw]

Looks like David Gergen is auditioning for a job in a Kerry-Edwards administration.

[Lacey]

Just caught Mike Barnicle on MSNBC who basically said the image of Berger stuffing documents in his pants would provide some yuks in the newsroom, but it's a non-story as far as the election goes. Gag me.

[RonDog]

Couric: "Isn't Arnold losing credibility by failing to deliver on his promise of an on-time budget?"

Hewitt: "No, he's delivered on many promises - repealing car tax, reforming workers' comp, etc. Now he's telling Dems they must pay attention to spending, can't bankrupt state."

I actually watched the TodayShow this morning (gag) - I'll admit - I sometimes watch Katie to see if she's got her lipstick on crooked, up over her lip - then you know she's having a bad rat day.

You could tell Katie lost the Arnie bashing segment, she was so miserable she couldn't get the Democrat to scream and she was so outmatched by Hewitt.

It was fun to watch. - SunnyUSA

LOL!

Thank you for your report, SunnyUSA!

See also, from www.hughhewitt.com:

July 20, 2004

Posted at 5:25 AM, Pacific

Up early to talk about Arnold with Katie on Today.  My key talking point: Hanz and Franz aren't homphobic. Sacramento Dems seem to have realized that they are looking foolish and humor-challenged --again. 

The segment before mine featured David Gergen defending Sandy Berger.  Gergen is one of D.C.'s good guys, genuinely liked by just about everyone, and he's doing what a friend should do in coming to the defense of his pal Sandy by downplaying the seriousness of the investigation. He also tried to blow a little smoke by suggesting that the leak of the news was timed to divert attention from the 9/11 Commission report due out Thursday.

A number of points. 

First, there wasn't anyone available this morning to the Today Show bookers to point out that Berger's actions in tampering with documents undermines the reliability of the Commission's report?  Garbage in, garbage out, right? Even if the Commission was a genuine non-partisan effort instead of a show trial designed to keep the eye off of Clinton's indifference to al Qaeda throughout the '90s, it would still have needed all the records, and in an untampered form. How can anyone think it was a good idea to let a potentially responsible party review the evidence against him and his collegues?  No one wanted to make these simple points opposite Gergen?

Second, keep applying the Condi Rice test.  If Dr. Rice had been caught stuffing her blouse with highly classified handwritten notes from the days after 9/11, what would be going on in D.C. right now? Do you think The Today Show could have found someone to criticize Rice on air?

Gergen pointed to the placement of the Berger story inside the Washington Post as evidence that it isn't that significant. Huh?  It is on page 2, hardly a burial ground for minor flare-ups.  The story hit too late for most of the papers to get more than the AP report into print, but it should be boiling by tomorrow, and the blogosphere is already on full storm watch, and no doubt details will develop throughout the day.

First question: Does John Kerry condone this? Berger is a senior advisor to Kerry, so watch if the Dems want this scandal to follow their already struggling nominee to Boston. 

The biggest question of all: If you can't trust Democrats with classified documents, how can you trust them with the national security? Answer: You can't, not if you are prudent.  The recklessness and fecklessness of the Clinton years on all sorts of matters of highest importance --from the al Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan, to getting duped by the North Koreans and worked by Arafat-- came home to roost with a deadly vengeance on 9/11.  Are we going to give the same crowd another run at the controls, for that's what a vote for the Kerry-Moore Democrats means?

This isn't just the possibly criminal action of one man, it is the conduct of the senior White House foreign policy official from the Clinton era, and the action of a confidant and advisor to John Kerry. Had Rice been the one caught tampering with the records of the Bush Adminsitration relating to terrorism, Rice would already have been forced by a baying press to resign, and Bush would be threatened with a Watergate-style meltdown.  But it is a pro-Kerry media, so watch for Berger's attempted cover-up to get its own cover-up.

Two other stories: John Kerry is going to use campaign contributions to repay himself for the loan he took out on his house last year, effectively tricking 2004 donors into paying for 2003 expenses.  Deaniacs, Lieberman supporters etc who gave money to Kerry after he secured the nomination to help beat Bush now see their funds going into John Kerry's bank account. Very nice.  It also tells you how very little has invested in this race.  Hard to figure this out given Mrs. Kerry's billions.

And the vice president fired what should turn out to be the first of many salvos targeting the tight relationship between ambulance-chasing plaintiffs' lawyers and Kerry-Edwards.  The medical system in America is staggering under the huge costs placed on it by greedy lawyers, and the Dems have nominated a plaintiffs' lawyer to be vice president.  Yeah, that'll help reform health care.

Now to a taping of the Dennis Miller Show for this evening.  Book tours don't allow for much free time.

.

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[Carolinamom]

Maddie "the cleaning lady" was and still is a disgrace. I remember seeing and hearing her on the steps outside the WH Cabinet Room backing up Clinton's claim that she really, really believed Clinton about that aspirin factory being dangerous. She also really, really believed him when he did not have "relations" w/Monica. Those were the ONLY 2 times he'd called a meeting of his cabinet too.