Posted on 05/13/2005 7:38:40 AM PDT by pissant
Blogstorm warning: Rush Limbaugh clearly thinks he's caught CBS in another Rather-style anti-GOP screwup--he charges that Gloria Borger quoted Kenneth Starr dissing the Republican's "nuclear option" when Starr was in fact talking about something else. Lucianne, Powerline, and Patterico seem to agree. I'm not so sure.
The video of Borger's Monday CBS report is available on this page, and this is the transcript. Here's the most relevant portion:
BORGER: ... But this fight goes way beyond Senate rules. This is a monumental battle about the future of the courts. Just who gets to sit on the Supreme Court? And should we appoint justices who want to rule on everything from abortion to gay marriage to civil rights?
That's why many conservatives consider the fight over judges their political Armageddon. But conservative icon and former federal Judge Ken Starr says it's gotten out of control.
Mr. KENNETH STARR (Dean, Pepperdine University School of Law): This is a radical, radical departure from our history and from our traditions, and it amounts to an assault on the judicial branch of government.
BORGER: Starr, who investigated the Monica Lewinsky case against President Clinton, tells CBS News that the Republican plan to end the filibuster may be unwise.
Mr. STARR: It may prove to have the kind of long-term boomerang effect, damage on the institution of the Senate that thoughtful senators may come to regret.
BORGER: Still, Starr thinks all judges should be allowed a vote, even if they're Democrats ... [Emphasis added]
Borger does wrench the first Starr sentence ("radical, radical") into something approximating the context Starr says it was given in--not a discussion of the anti-filibuster "nuclear option," but of the new, Bork-era practice of voting against "qualified" judges if you don't like their judicial philosophy.
(Excerpt) Read more at slate.msn.com ...
driven snow PING
Is that a transcript of the show or the interview? The difference between the two is the whole issue. CBS won't release the transcript of the interview.
What Kaus conveniently forgets to mention is that Ms. Borger took Mr. Starr's words totally out of context and twisted them around to mean something he did not say.
It would be nice if other media outlets would pick up this story---but I'm not going to hold my breath!
Perhaps if cBS would release the entire interview, per Ken Starr's request we could clear this LIE up. Kaus is a LIBERAL first, no wonder he's not so sure.
He must think Ken Starr can't remember what he thinks or said????
Isn't it clear he was talking about the abuse of using the filibuster.
That looks like the transcript of the show, which Starr has alleged, in the email, cBS altered from the interview. I note that just prior to Starr's quote, we read the setup by Borger, not the question which elicited that specific response.
Can Micky explain why, if CBS is not guilty, it's refusing to turn over the transcript?
No, its only pieces cobbled together by Mickey Kaus
Well, since CBS is the one who's holding back the full transcript, Rush Limbaugh can scarcely be blamed for the fact that he doesn't emphasize anything else which CBS may subsequently reveal in the transcript, now can he?
agreed. Hope Rush keeps slapping them.
I heard Dick Durbin or one of the other Rat Senators spewing out this CBS article on C-Spin yesterday.
Kaus is still OK, for a liberal anyhow. He's being a bit cautious, instead of calling Rush a big fat liar like every other Slate writer would.
Gloria is a slithering tramp.
Mickey is at least asking CBS to turn it over.
CBS is gonna have to come clean!
Dick Durbin is a genuine POS
One Filibuster in 1968 is the foundation of history?
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