Posted on 10/21/2004 4:48:54 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
If it were a boxing match, they would have thrown in the towel. If it were a Little League game, they would have invoked the mercy rule. Unfortunately for hapless Kerry spokesman Mike McCurry, no such refuge was available, and he had to suffer a relentless, devastating, take-no-prisoners, never-back-down pounding at the hands of Liz Cheney, daughter of the Vice President. Wow! What a star was just [at least for this viewer] born. Where has she been?
Sometimes shows like Today concoct a theme for an interview and try to force their square guests into the round hole they have conceived. The topic today was the notion that both campaigns were exploiting the politics of fear.
But Liz would have none of it. "This isn't about trying to scare people. We are truly at war. This is about who has the strong leadership to win that war. Of course Kerry is forced to make tough statements now, but his words are contradicted by his record."
She continued: "Kerry has been on the wrong side of every major national policy issue over the last 20 years, from cutting $7 billion in intelligence after the WTC was bombed for the first time, to voting against the 1991 Gulf War, to opposing most of the weapons systems used to fight the war on terror."
Before describing McCurry's remarks, a few words about his looks. I don't know if he might be a baseball fan who stayed up to watch the game, or whether he was up all night putting out the fires from Teresa's "my experience is bigger than hers" gaffe, or whether it is simply the wear and tear of a long campaign, but I have never, NEVER, seen a political aide look this palpably tired on national TV.
Not only was his face haggard, but his eyes were so red-rimmed that one had to wonder if he had been on a crying jag. One thing is clear: being inside the Kerry campaign nowadays ain't a bowl of cherries.
In any case, McC claimed that "we took our eyes off the terrorists to divert to go to war in Iraq that is now causing so much pain. We can't go on with more of the same and need to change directions."
But soon it was back to Liz on the attack: "The 9/11 Commission found we're not safe, but we're safer than we were before 9/11. But with his talk of global tests and describing terrorism as a nuisance, one has to question whether Kerry really understands nature of challenge we face."
Katie tried to put Liz on the spot, quoting her father to the effect that the country could be more vulnerable to attack if Kerry were elected. If Couric thought that would put Liz on the defensive, she was badly mistaken. Liz didn't back down for a second: "Weakness invites attack. The policies Kerry/Edwards propose would take us back to 90s when we treated terrorism as a law enforcement and intellignece matter. They have sent signals of wavering."
When McCurry tried some wan retort, Liz cut him off at the knees: "The record doesn't match the rhetoric, Mike, the record doesn't match rhetoric."
Even when a defeated McCurry, on his knees, begging for mercy, tried to AGREE with Liz, she would give no quarter. By the end, McCurry was pitiably saying that when it comes to the need to pay attention to terror threats, "we agree about that."
"No, we disagree," retorted Liz!
This was the most lopsided, devastating rhetorical victory I have ever seen on Today. It made last night's sad [for this Yankees fan] shellacking look like a nail-biting cliffhanger.
Bravo, Liz, you are my new hero! Let's see more of her along the trail!
Only his twin . . .
I love that the senior advisor--former white house spokesman --was matched up against someone they thought was a lightweight and --(from this description) didn't know what hit him. Now imagine Ari Fleisher pitted against a Gore (stoner) kid. It would never happen.
Lynne Cheney's book "Telling the Truth" really spelled out the culture wars in education and at the National Endowment for the Humanities. Liz had a great education!
It was two black women - one was Julianne Malveaux (D side). I didn't catch the name of the Republican woman. They were discussing black voters and Tezzie and registration versus actual voting, etc.
Man, did that one degenerate into a huge screaming match. ED was completely powerless to stop it. I thought they were just going to have to break for a commercial to make it stop.
Sorry, folks. It was MARY Cheney who worked at Coors.
I was mistaken.
Halliburton, Bush's fault, timing questioned....
Our October surprise? By the way, did you notice the up-raised fist again...by Kerry? Showing solidarity with his comnrades?
She looks just like mom.
More info please !!!
Ask and you shall receive... Its at the Detroit News...
http://www.detnews.com/2004/politics/0410/21/a01-310989.htm
I had just about given up hope that you'd ever report something positive for the GOP but today's the day. Excellent!
What a great report. Thanks.
I saw Liz on O'Reiily for a few minutes last night. She is impressive and seems to know her stuff.
Sorry I missed the masscre this morning!
Why, thank you glgb! And you're right! I have more couth in my pinkie than any dim has in their whole body, lol! And this is coming from a (gasp) stay-at-home-mom!
Classy lady!
Wow!!! Thanks so much! Has someone posted this yet? In any case, don't you love how the newspaper immediately tries to pour cold water on its own poll by pointing out that W hasn't reached 50%?
We haven't heard any of the pundits talk much about MI, writing it off as a sure blue state. If W can win it, this race is so OVAH!
See #83. That's about all I know. I was in the next room, listening with one ear while browsing on here. All of a sudden the TV just erupted with shouting so loud I had to go in the next room and lower the sound. At that point I saw both women on the screen. They looked furious.
That's about as substantive as I can be, but it sounded to me like it was totally out of control, and ED was trying to rein it in, without success.
Oh geez. NOTHING could top that. Zell smoked! I would like to see some network replay Zell's speech the night of November 1.
In a world of hate-filled Dems, Julianne Malveaux takes the vitriol cake. She was the one who said some years ago that she hoped Clarence Thomas' wife fed him lots of high-cholesterol foods and that he died early of a heart attack. Class all the way, that lady.
Mike is also a gentleman and I'm sure he did not want to get into a real bloody fight with a woman on TV. He is not the cold-blooded killer that Joe Lockhart and Mike Meehan are. I'll bet the Kerry "campaign" isn't going to have him speaking for them a whole lot more after this.
Wassup?
****IMPORTANT****
Everyone is focusing on Tereza's "diss" of stay at home moms, which I agree is resonating. But I saw something different.
I've been busy writing letters to the editor this morning---
DEAR EDITORS:
TEREZA HEINZ REFERRED TO HERSELF AS A "FULL TIME MOM".
WILL ANY REPORTERS ASK HOW MANY SERVANTS SHE HAD AT THE TIME?
That would really resonate with stay-at-homes AND working moms....here's one of the wealthiest women in the world, calling herself a "full time mom" while putting down a lady
we all admire. And then they find out she had boo-koodles of servants?! BAM?
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