Posted on 05/20/2007 5:26:04 AM PDT by Alas Babylon!
The Talk Shows
Sunday, May 20th, 2007
Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows:
FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): Sens. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor; Paul Hays, former House reading clerk.
MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., presidential candidate; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich; Douglas Brinkley, editor of President Ronald Reagan's diaries; Michael Deaver, Reagan's deputy chief of staff; Ed Meese, Reagan's attorney general.
FACE THE NATION (CBS): Sens. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.; military historian Fred Kagan; retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton.
THIS WEEK (ABC): House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; talk show host Rachael Ray.
LATE EDITION (CNN) : Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff; Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez; Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Mel Martinez, R-Fla.; Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Calif.; Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, presidential candidate; Shibley Telhami of the Brookings Institution; Vali Nasr of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Thank you AB, and congratulations to all of last week’s posters and winners. It really was a good week to read posts and I appreciate everyone‘s efforts.
I cannot be on much today but want to make a couple of points anyway. I’m sorry for the length and all that but I am writing this Saturday evening so I can post it early Sunday and then get off. I will visit the Sunday thread to address responses but I appreciate everyone’s patience.
I ask kabar, if he knows, why it is that malfeasance by Republicans seems to always lead to prosecutions but nothing happens to Democrats? You were in the government, and I hope you have a logical answer, but it galls the heck out of me to see William Jefferson not only walking free but reelected, as well as Nancy Pelosi, John Murtha, Harry Reid, Barbara Boxer and others who all have ethics problems, and what appears to me to be criminal actions, where nothing is happening: no accountability. Heck, even Hillary’s corruption of the Jewish vote in NY and White House theft should be investigated and prosecuted if she sold her election promises, as we believe she did, or really stole things from the White House. Frankly, I’d like someone, anyone, to justify the sentence for Sandy Berger and explain why he has not undergone the lie-detector test that was part of his plea deal. This double standard is staggering. I have no problem prosecuting Republicans for wrong doing, but not doing this to Democrats is totally unfair and wrong.
Not one candidate has uttered these sentiments, but I would support any effort to change Washington DC by insisting wrongdoing is investigated quickly and prosecuted. As a Republican I am sick and tired of constantly seeing Republicans prosecuted and Democrats given a pass. I would love to see any of our so-called presidential candidates say they would enforce our laws over Democrat wrong doing. Either that or explain why they are innocent. I am sure I am not alone as these events upset me when Democrats get a pass and Republicans go to jail. I know of no Democrat successfully being prosecuted since the Post Office scandal in the 80’s. Why is that? What has to be done to change this inequity?
I would appreciate it if kabar would tell us the procedure, and the reality, of what it takes to get rid of partisan government workers who are openly supporting Democrats and their philosophies and candidates? Is there some change in the law we can vote on? Is there anything elected politicians can do to resolve this? More than other issues, the unfairness and blatant abuse use of power IS scary to me.
Okay, on to immigration.
I’m not trying to be grandiose or play Chicken Little with the sky falling, but immigration seems to be a major issue, historically, equating to the fervor of slavery, or very close to it. Am I wrong, or do others think this issue is that important? The only third party success was the Republican Party embracing emancipation and freedom. Could this be just as important?
Congress lied. Republicans and Democrats alike. A fence over 800 miles long was passed by congress and now this new legislation says the fence will be 300 plus miles long. What happened? Was congress not serious when the first one was passed or did they lie to us and decrease the length? Worse, if congress misleads us on that one how do we know any of the current claims of a whole new program are valid? Or, is it another bait and switch as the whole bill will be “fixed” in the future to conform to the left’s wishes? My guess is politicians want it passed and will “fix” the “problems” with in later. Problems? Yeah, like not making all illegal aliens into citizens automatically, or waving rules and procedures in favor of illegal aliens. (Didn’t we on FR predict the Senate Judiciary Committee would be a disaster IF Arlen Specter was reelected? Yeah, I thought so. Please, anyone, tell me why Spector is believable on “any” issue?)
I totally agree with the answers from the interview between Mark Levin and Fred Thompson, posted on FR earlier. There is no reason our illegal immigration problem has to be either amnesty or total deportation. Logic should weigh in, in favor of the supposition that illegals would leave on their own accord IF the benefits of staying were not so strong. Where is prosecution of employers? Where are laws denying social services to illegals? Why are cities allowed to flaunt federal laws to become sanctuary cities? Explain why states and cities are not held accountable to enforce federal laws?
I know we would hear more from Democrats except that their polls and focus groups are still working on how to overcome the negatives and spin this to their advantage. In the mean time, principled Republicans must oppose this ill-formed and misguided immigration law. Oh, parts of it are fine. The problem is there are too many out’s Democrats can use to not enforce another law. We need to finish the border fence law, as a start, and increase enforcement of existing laws before creating more and new laws to deal with a problem congress created in the first place through their failure to act in the best interests of our country.
I am sorry to post such a long post. I am not sorry for saying any of it. These and other issues need to be addressed by Republican candidates, and not the constant pandering about the so-called war in Iraq. Heck, even that is a misnomer. The war over Iraq was won, thus “Mission Accomplished.” The “peace” and “rebuilding” of Iraq is more difficult than we anticipated. But darn it, we have to stop calling our work there a war. WE have to start defining this playing field of ideas and take it away from Democrats and the MSM.
Be for the lynching of all things GOP starts here today, I think the Anti Illwegal Immigration crowd might want to take a deep breath and think about a few things.
1 The ONLY thing standing between you and your worst nightmares on Immigration is the political spines of 41 GOP Senators.
2. The GOP House Leadership they fired last Nov for not being dogmatically pure enough had this Immigration thing DEAD.
3. If this thing passes, 90% of the votes in Congress for this stupid bill will be DEMOCRAT votes.
Never mind what Tony Blair said publicly, because "some people" know what they think.
Next drudge siren: Iraq will be disaster because British troops (fraction of US & Coalition troops) will be withdrawn.
This is the guy to watch today. First to see if he gets any questions on Immigration and then if he promises to fillibuster it. If he comes out in support of the bill we are probably screwed.
Good Morning and as always thanks for the thread
How’s it going Johnnie?
I have contacted KBH and Cornyn, too. My congresscritter is Gohmert. I have had a reply from KBH, but not the others.
Looks like he’s goosing Graham with the other... who squeals in delight.
http://www.newt.org/backpage.asp?art=4447
Liberty Universtiy Commencement Address given by Fmr Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich
Dodd thinks that we will increase our safety if we just get out of Iraq. (Alice in Wonderland could not do better than that.)
Newt says it’s legislating defeat...which of course it is.
However, Newt is not comfortable with the current situation in Iraq and our limited use of statecraft (which worked so well with Iran and its nuclear program).
Your views reflect mine.
Schumer is against a guest-worker program due to its supresseion of wages.
He said it could be a deal-breaker.
Newt made a great speech yesterday hopefully he won’t blow it today on MTP but i wouldn’t hold my breath
I am sorry but I find these comments of Gingrich hypocritical and how a so called Baptist College can invite a 3 times married man to deliver this beggers belief.
I wonder if the screamers realize that when they make this sort of hyper hysteric overly emotional accusation about 2/3s of people who MIGHT otherwise listen to them, dismiss them as hysteric tin foil hat wackos who are motived more by racial bigotry then any serious beef about immigration?
If the Antis want to be taken seriously by the bulk of the American people they need to serious UP the rational portion of their posting and tone WAY back on the hyper emotional nonsensical ranting.
Preaching to the choir may make the Antis all feel better, it does nothing to convince people to support their agenda. The Antis need to tone WAY back on the hysteric rhetoric. It does WAY more harm then good to their cause.
“W” is a great guy, just a terrible communicator.
This is the best deal the two parties will get, says Lindsey Graham..
The Driveby Media has an agenda, which is supporting the democrats at all costs, and suppressing Republican support as much as possible.
So they are very, very careful to pick just the right guests to advance this agenda. You can tell what the "meme" of the week is going to be, just from the guest list. Freeper Phsstpok does a great job of this in his preview thread, posted above.
The DBM decides who goes on these shows, not us, and not even the politicians who agree to appear. Sadly, there is a group of perennial RINOs that are often asked and always come on these shows because the DBM can always get them to denounce Bush because their overinflated egos think they know better, or are not very good at debating and therefore always misrepresent, and poorly, the conservative position.
The usually invited Republicans include John McCain, Richard Luger, Lindsay Graham and Chuck Hagel. Others can add more but I don't like to think of these tools too often.
We all knew what we were getting with 'W'. We knew he reached out to the other party and compromised, we knew he was a big spender and we knew his views on immigration.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.