Weekend Show *Preview* for 9/30 - 10/1/06 (not the live thread)

Network and Cable News Networks | 9/30/06 | Network and Cable News

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Preview and analysis for Weekend Talk Shows, 9-30 and 10-1-06

It's week four (or 297, depending on how you figure it) of the WOB (war on Bush) and all things "Republi-fascist," as the drive by media might style what they're doing.  We've had a week of spin like we haven't seen since... well, since Clinton was in office.  All the old hateful and hate filled faces were back on the screaming head shows pulling their electrically powered rapid fire mouths back out of storage and plugging them in for one more go around of lies, screaming lies and videotape.  And the technique seems to be bringing out a bizarre nostalgic sense of warmth and well being in the heart of old media.  They remember the glory days of press hegemony, with visions of them bringing down presidents like lions taking down prey on the veldt.  Their blood lust is up and they want to KILL SOMEONE!  The surprise self immolation of Florida's Mark Foley appears to be whipping up the feeding frenzy to a fever pitch, with accusations flying about foreknowledge and cover ups "at the highest levels."  Don't be a bit surprised to see guests bumped or topics changed for the discussions on the Sunday shows as they try to figure out how to exploit the situation.

NBC Meet The Press has their next installment in their Senate debate series.  This time it's Ohio, with Mike DeWine and Sherrod Brown.  This is shaping up as the featured bout for those who want to prove that Bush is bad for the Republicans.  The now dominant moonbat wing of the Dhimmicrat party has made Ohio their prime battle ground since 2004, concentrating their conspiracy theories of stolen elections in the Buckeye State, the very home of the evil Diebold itself.  So part one of NBCs Sunday show will be structured to burden DeWine with as much Bush baggage as possible while simultaneously offering both DeWine and Brown as many opportunities to criticize Bush and his policies as lil Timmah can think up.  For the Dhimmicrats that's a win-win.  If DeWine defends Bush they think he'll be hurt by Bush's unpopularity and if he takes the bait and bashes Bush it's more fuel for the sacrificial bonfire.  They will follow up the debate with an interview with Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, talking about his new memoir,  In the Line of Fire.  They already know he's willing to slip in juicy details (true or not) that make the Bush administration look bad.  I'm sure they've got an understanding with ol' Prevez about how this interview is going to go.  They will paint a picture of George W. Bush, the original Ugly American, in all his ignominy.  And if Prevez dares to stray from lil Timmah's script, he undoubtedly has some accusations to lay against the "Little Muslim General" that will both hurt book sales and perhaps add impetus to any coup plotters who might be watching back home.  Might he remind Musharraf of what happened to the PM of Thailand when he visited NY for the UN General Assembly meeting?

CBS Face The Nation gives us plugs Biden, trying out for the road show of the "Bush Derangement Syndrome Path To the Presidency" (music and lyrics by Michael Moore and Cindy Sheehan).  It's actually fun to watch this man's mouth run away from him.  I hope he's on first, otherwise he's likely to say some truly outrageous things about Dan Bartlett, a great professional and a (hopefully) truly excellent choice to represent the White House this week.  The stated topics demand serious legal analysis and the comparison between plugs demagoguery and Bartlett's reasoned professionalism should be instructive.

I'm running late this weekend and this worked to my advantage in a great way regarding Fox News Sunday.  I had all of the shows guest lineups written up from their web sites by late Friday night but didn't get this analysis written.  I had to go to my eye doctor first thing this morning and, by the time I got back from that, Fox had finally posted their extended essay Coming Up on FOX News Sunday.  Originally all I had from their listings was Harman and Gingrich, even though the discussion topics were centered on the Clinton interview.  Oh well, more arguing opinions, I surmised, spinning about motives and impact, but not examining what was actually said.  But just now reading the essay they made it clear that they intend to actually discuss the substance of Clinton's claims in his tirade.  Huzzah!!  I've been screaming for this all week!  They've added three voices to actually look at what Clinton claimed and compare it to reality.  Two of the three are hard to discredit voices, Lawrence Wright and Michael Sheuer, who criticize both Bush and Clinton, but recognize the reality of 8 years of Clinton vs. 8 months of Bush and what that means for whose policies were at work prior to 9/11.  And the other appears to be a typical Clinton sycophant, Dan Benjamin.  He's been trotted out recently to give chapter and verse of the gospel according to billary, kneepads at the ready.  I think Benjamin's performance might offer as much damage to the Clinton's reputations as anything else said if he holds to the party line he's been pushing, particularly in the face of what the other two are likely to say.  Watch for a shrill melt down (maybe not till after the show), filled with accusations about right wing conspiracies, if things don't go well for him.  And finally we have the promise of multiple smack downs of Juan and / or Mara, with the normal panel in place.  I think Brit will have heard the disappointment from our side of the swamp over last weeks panel and may be willing to give us a tour de force.

ABC This Week is in full DNC shill mode.  Clinton singled out ABC for their "right wing hit job" drama, The Path to 9/11 and they must redeem themselves.  George Steponallofus has heard his mistresses' voice and has stacked his line up accordingly to please the junior (senior) Senator from New York.  Representing the White House we have Fran Townsend, subject of a Time hit piece (The Terror Consigliere) making her out to be a female Tom Hagen to George W. Bush's Sonny Corleone (or would they rather describe him as Fredo?).  I think the plan is to cast her and the White House as mean and dark, as Time did, but I'm hoping they've been listening to their own spin too long and that she'll run rings around Stephy.  You never know, however, as she is a holdover from Janet Reno's Justice Department.  Steffy may drop a Queen of Diamonds on the table in front of her in mid question.  Representing the congressional Republicans we have RINO extraordinaire Chuck Hagel (a better choice for Fredo, to my mind).  His betrayal of the President (and common sense), along with his cohort in crime Olympia Snowe, in joining with the Dhimmicrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee to issue a totally bogus and deceitful Iraq intelligence "phase 2" report a few weeks ago has made him the darling of the inside the beltway crowd (see The war against the war).  They even (shudder) started talking about him as the new "straight talk express" guy (that may explain McCain's recent tantrum somewhat).  And, the pièce de résistance for the alphabet network is the inclusion this week of ol' cut and run himself, John Murtha.  I expect many great Irey campaign commercials to come from Murtha's performance.

CNN Late Edition offers up a second round of Dan Bartlett, no doubt with questions modified based on other statements Sunday morning, including some of his own.  This is Wolfie's big advantage in that he usually gets the guests last and can sandbag them with things they haven't had a chance to prepare for.  Lugar is showing his years and falls victim to simple maneuvers all too easily.  He's much more a Senator than he is a Republican or conservative and much more an inside the beltway fixture than a representative of Indiana.  His values have more in common with KKK Byrd, being concerned with the institution first, rather than the people or the nation.  These Senators confuse what is good with the Senate (and themselves) with what is good for the country.  I think that's why he's on this week as I'm betting that's how Blitzer will phrase questions about the White House, particularly the tribunals and NSA legislations.  Chris Dodd has extricated himself from any waitress sandwiches with "uncle" Teddy and is on hand to moan about how we don't kowtow to the UN enough.  A good interviewer, one unwilling to pull punches for the sake of "the cause," could gut him like a fish, which is why he's on CNN instead of somewhere else.  Ambassador Khalilzad will be pilloried based on the "evidence" from Woodward's book on what's "really happening" in Iraq.  And Brzezinski vs. Kissinger could be the main draw for a WWF pay per view event, but they'll never let it get meaningful or informative.  I'll watch their droning old Europe statecraft stare down with interest anyway, just in case.

The Saturday shows are interesting, each in their own way.  The Beltway Boys try to concentrate on the horse race, which is their conventional approach, even though I think this is turning out to be anything but a conventional midterm election.  I believe that they're still too close to it to perceive this yet, but they think that being beltway insiders is a good thing.  Go figure.  Russert tempts me to watch his Saturday show with an hour of Bob Newhart, one of the funniest men on the planet.  My big fear is that Timmah will insist on getting political with him.  Fox News Watch examines the Clinton meltdown incident.  I wish I had even the slightest faith in their ability to actually analyze their profession objectively on this issue.  The event and this weeks aftermath should make someone's career, if not several careers, as it fully exposes the flaws in the dinosaur media that are driving them to extinction.  And the Journal Editorial Report brings on the best political analyst around today, IMHO, Michael Barone.  His is an opinion I'll be interested in hearing on the topics listed.  Too bad the show times suck.

In summary, this week the DBM returns full throttle to wallowing in Bush Derangement Syndrome, framing all of the discussion (that they can control) on "what's wrong with Bush and his policies."  They will try to declare a halt to all discussion or examination of Clinton and his failings, pointing to the VRWC as the source of any questions that predate January 20th, 2001.  They will also try to further marginalize Fox as part of the "right wing cabal," ignoring what that says about them.  Fox may actually be taking up the challenge and appears that they may be prepared to shove the entire weeks Clinton propaganda right down the throat of the rest of the media.  Fireworks could ensue.  In fact, if Chris Wallace chooses, he could turn it into outright war by simply raising the question of the full Monica that Tim Russert gave Clinton in his interview last week as a contrast to his own professional interview.

This whole thing is equally a test for the new media.  So far we haven't coalesced around any concrete position on the issues raised by the Clinton hissy fit last week, except that it pissed us off.  I feel we've been getting distracted by horse race analysis and trivia like whether it was planned or not.  Instead we should have been concentrating on the facts and enumerating the lies told and the willing complicity of the old media in outright fraud.  A few have done this, like Byron York or Lorie Byrd, but far too few.  More important than any "blame game," this question, their way versus our way in the war on terror, is the central argument of this election.  We must be able to honestly present what their way is and remind people of the consequences of letting them win.  The whole point of the Clintonista's offensive offensive (not a mistake) this week is to make those questions out of bounds.  I refuse to play by their rules, anymore.  I think maybe Fox has decided the same thing, as well.  After all, it's obvious the rest of the drive by media isn't going to come to the defense of a fellow journalist against the forces of censorship and blacklists.  Screw it.  They want a war, we'll give them a war!

This has been cross posted to my blog at Wizards.townhall.com. This post exists primarily as a heads up for who is on the weekend talks shows, what they've been invited on to push (based on their recent pronouncements) and the spin (meme) the DBM is likely trying to push based on that information. All of this is prep work for the weekly Sunday Morning Talk Show thread posted by Alas Babylon!. That thread provides a live commentary and analysis of the Sunday talking head shows, with rare insight and exceptional fact checking. we are the Jedi Council of FreeRepublic, at least in regards to these DBM gabfests. You wanna know what was said and what it meant, as well as where they messed up? Read that thread!

Here is a link to Mark Kilmer's excellent preview of the Sunday shows over at RedState.COM when it is up.

I'll post a link to this Sunday's live thread here when it is up.

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Saturday Shows for 9/30/06

Below are the topics and guests announced for these programs, along with my take on the "memes" that the shows are trying to push.  With each guest's name are a series of links that I found in a web search that helped me get a handle on who they are and what their likely positions will be when they are interviewed.

The Beltway Boys (Mort Kondrake, Fred Barnes)

• Meme:
  • Wow, we've actually got a horse race to talk about!  Now we can safely ignore any substantive issues or annoying little things like facts!
  • He'll be back... no, he won't
• Topics:
  • Election Day is only 6 weeks away and several high-profile races that once were considered safe are now in play
  • Is Gov. Schwarzenegger the new comeback kid?
• Beltway Boys contact information beltway@foxnews.com
• The program airs on FOX News Channel Saturdays at 6 and 11:30 p.m. ET

CNBC's Tim Russert Show (Tim Russert)

• Meme:
  • Oh, I hope this is just funny and lil' Timmah doesn't drag in politics
• Topics:
  • Tim talks with Bob Newhart about his life in comedy and his new memoir, “I Shouldn’t Even Be doing This”
• Guests
  • Bob Newhart
• CNBC's Tim Russert Show airs Saturday at 7pm, 10pm & 1am ET

Fox News Watch (Eric Burns)

• Meme:
  • Theater, drama, conflict, the Clinton vs. Wallace interview had everything... what?  You want to know whether Clinton was telling the truth or not?  Go away and stop bothering us.
  • It doesn't matter how contrived or meaningless the T.O. incident was, it wasn't the fault of the press.  It's those police, yeah, that's the ticket, they tempted us by telling us about it, yeah, that's the ticket...
  • Million dollar bribes are being funneled to major world figures who control the fate of millions and they want to talk about it in terms of advertising!
• Topics:
  • Clinton vs. Wallace. The press AND the late night comics weigh in on the big 'FOX News Sunday' interview
  • The Terrell Owens suicide circus
  • Are world leaders becoming powerful pitchmen for books in the U.S.?
• The program airs on FOX News Channel Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. ET and Sundays at 2:30 a.m. ET
• Fox News Watch contact information Newswatch@foxnews.com

Journal Editorial Report (Paul Gigot) - FNC show page

• Meme:
  • Barone's on board!  Prepare for some serious analysis!
• Topics:
  • Opinion Journal web site: Off to the Races
    • Democrats believe they can finally win an election debate on national security.
    • We'll ask Michael Barone how the debates over Iraq, terrorism and intelligence leaks are playing out in congressional races.
    • Republicans say Democrats will raise taxes; Democrat Charlie Rangel agrees.
  • Fox web site
    • The politics of national security:
      • Republicans stake the fight for Congress on the War on Terror
      • Democrats attack the White House over the war in Iraq.
    • Which strategy will win in November?
• Guests
  • Michael Barone
• Journal Editorial Report (at Fox News) contact information - jer@foxnews.com
• The program is from The Wall Street Journal and airs on FNC Saturday at 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. and again Sunday at 6 a.m. ET

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NBC Meet The Press (Tim Russert)

Below are the topics and guests announced for this program, along with my take on the "memes" that the show is trying to push.  With each guest's name are a series of links that I found in a web search that helped me get a handle on who they are and what their likely positions will be when they are interviewed.

• Meme:
  • Week 4 of the DBM blitzkrieg against McChimpy Bushitler - this is our last chance, so screw reason and fairness... let's pile on the BS!  if we tell enough lies they can't possibly respond to all of them in time!
  • OK, Mike, you're a Republican, right?  That means you eat puppies for breakfast, babies for lunch and, worst of all, support McChimpy Bushitler?
  • OK, Sherrod, you're a Democrat, right?  That means you love Mom, apple pie, truth, justice and People for the American Way©?  Oh, and you hate McChimpy Bushitler?
  • So, Pervez, you're a toady for the Crusader McChimpy Bushitler, right?  Well, if you wanna sell your book you'll say yes right about now...
  • There is secret evidence that the White House is hiding that will prove... PROVE, that George W. Bush is, in fact, the anti-christ!
• Topics:
  • Meet the Press Debate Series: The Ohio Senate race
  • An interview with the president of Pakistan
• Guests
  • Senator Mike DeWine (Republican - Ohio)
    • Senate web page | Bio | Campaign page
    • DeWine says report not groundbreaking Stable Iraq will counter jihadists, he says (Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH - Sep 28, 2006)
    • Mike DeWine a better candidate for older citizens (Case Western Reserve University Observer, OH - Sep 22, 2006)
    • DeWine, Brown Prepare For Televised Weekend Debate (WHIOtv.com, Ohio - Sep 29, 2006)
    • DeWine in an uphill battle (Cincinnati Post, OH - Sep 26, 2006)
    • Battleground Dispatches for Sept. 29 (New York Times, United States - Sep 29, 2006)
  • Representative Sherrod Brown (Democrat - Ohio)
    • House web page | Bio | Campaign page
    • The smart politics of the detainee vote (MSNBC - Sep 28, 2006)
    • Cleland Defends Brown From TV Attacks (Forbes, NY - Sep 29, 2006)
    • Sherrod Brown of Ohio Capitulates to Bush and Approves Torture! (OpEdNews, PA - Sep 28, 2006)
    • Ohio Senate Candidates Criticize Rumsfeld (WTOV9.com, OH - Sep 28, 2006)
    • Sherrod Brown strikes back at GOP tax ad (Cincinnati Enquirer, OH - Aug 30, 2006)
    • Senate GOP Tries Anti-incumbent Message On Sherrod Brown (WCPO, OH - Aug 29, 2006)
    • Text of Sherrod Brown’s speech (Cincinnati Enquirer, OH - Sep 10, 2006)
  • President Pervez Musharraf
    • President of Pakistan | Pakistan government | Bio
    • Author In the Line of Fire: A Memoir
    • Condemned Briton's family stage demo for Musharraf (Malaysia Star - Sep 29, 2006)
    • Pak not ready for true democracy: Musharraf (Hindustan Times, India - Sep 29, 2006)
    • Is this the emergence of a new Musharraf? (Gulf News, United Arab Emirates - Sep 29, 2006)
    • Musharraf charm belies realities (Gulf News, United Arab Emirates - Sep 29, 2006)
    • Musharraf seeks world assistance to fight terror (The News - International, Pakistan - Sep 29, 2006)
• What would you like to ask this week's guests? (web page for submitting questions for this weeks show)
• Meet the Press mailbox (web page for comments)

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CBS Face The Nation (Bob Schieffer)

Below are the topics and guests announced for this program, along with my take on the "memes" that the show is trying to push.  With each guest's name are a series of links that I found in a web search that helped me get a handle on who they are and what their likely positions will be when they are interviewed.

• Meme:
  • Week 4 of the DBM blitzkrieg against McChimpy Bushitler - this is our last chance, so screw reason and fairness... let's pile on the BS!  if we tell enough lies they can't possibly respond to all of them in time!
  • Joe Biden is running for president and he can win Southern conservative votes because... wait for it... Delaware was a slave state.
  • There is secret evidence that the White House is hiding that will prove... PROVE, that George W. Bush is, in fact, the anti-christ!
• Topics:
  • The Bush Administration
  • The War In Iraq
• Guests
  • Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.)
    • Senate web site | Bio
    • Foreign Relations Committee
    • Daily Iowan Manufactures Joe Biden's Presidential Candidacy (NewsBusters - Sep 26, 2006)
    • Here comes Joe Biden (Town Hall, DC - Sep 4, 2006)
    • Democrats Joe Biden, John Edwards Blast Rumsfeld (NewsMax.com, FL - Sep 4, 2006)
    • GOP ads on Israel anger Dems (Jewish Telegraphic Agency, NY - Sep 29, 2006)
    • White House rejects call to release full text of Iraq intelligence (USA Today - Sep 28, 2006)
    • The many costs of war (Springfield State Journal Register, IL - Sep 28, 2006)
    • Terror Report Fuels Political Fight (WTKR Your NewsChannel 3, VA - Sep 27, 2006)
    • 'Threat of the first order' (Princeton University The Daily Princetonian - Sep 29, 2006)
    • An alternative way forward for the US (Asia Times Online, Hong Kong - Sep 28, 2006)
    • Campaign Firepower (WOWT, NE - Sep 22, 2006)
  • Dan Bartlett
    • White House Bio
    • White House Counselor
    • US safer despite Iraq terror: US Intelligence chief (Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates - Sep 25, 2006)
    • Senators Call for Release of Intelligence Estimate on Terrorism (New York Times, United States - Sep 25, 2006)
    • Spy report on Iraq invasion may hurt Republicans at polls (London Free Press, Canada - Sep 25, 2006)
    • They compromised away our basic values (St. Petersburg Times, FL - Sep 24, 2006)
    • Torture and the death of an American myth (Minnesota Daily, MN - Sep 24, 2006)
• Face The Nation contact information - ftn@cbsnews.com

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Fox News Sunday (Chris Wallace)

Below are the topics and guests announced for this program, along with my take on the "memes" that the show is trying to push.  With each guest's name are a series of links that I found in a web search that helped me get a handle on who they are and what their likely positions will be when they are interviewed.

• Meme:
  • Jane is on a search and destroy mission, and it doesn't matter if there's nothing to search for and the only thing available to destroy is America.  She's got her marching orders from George Soros and she's gonna carry them out.
  • It looks like Newt might be a viable candidate for '08.... nah, but let's listen to him anyway... he's always good for a laugh...
  • Now, about that interview... would anyone actually care to talk about Clinton's "facts," which he dropped like so many cluster bombs?
• Topics:
  • How last week's interview with former President Clinton changed the landscape for November
  • What are the facts about the War on Terror?
  • How accurate are Bob Woodwards new book and the picture being painted by the leaked NIE?
  • Essay Coming Up on FOX News Sunday
• Guests
  • Representative Jane Harman
    • House web site | Bio
    • Harman to Negroponte: Deliver the NIE Before November (Think Progress, DC - Sep 27, 2006)
    • Bush Keeping Second Iraq Report Secret, Says Harman (Truthdig, United States - Sep 27, 2006)
    • Harman Blasts NIE Release Timeline as "Unacceptable" (TPMmuckraker, NY - Sep 27, 2006)
    • Leaked NIE Report Takes Center Stage in Pre-Election Battle (FOX News - Sep 28, 2006)
    • Campaign Rhetoric Won't Fix Iraq (TPMCafe, NY - Sep 29, 2006)
  • Newt Gingrich
    • Web site | Bio | 21st Century Contract with America
    • Gingrich urges overriding Supreme Court (Seattle Post Intelligencer - Sep 29, 2006)
    • Newt Gingrich Warns GOP To Watch Out For Hillary (NY1, NY - Sep 14, 2006)
    • Gingrich And Gibson Get Revenge After Clinton Interview (News Hounds, CA - Sep 25, 2006)
    • Newt Gingrich says U.S. leaders should get tough with Iran's Islamic theocracy (San Diego Union Tribune - Sep 7, 2006)
    • Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich Addresses Terrorist Threats (American Enterprise Institute, DC - Sep 13, 2006)
  • Lawrence Wright
    • author "The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11"
    • Book Review: The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright (Blogcritics.org, OH - Sep 3, 2006)
    • Pampered prima donna (Washington Times - Sep 30, 2006)
    • Failure to catch bin Laden haunts US presidents (The News - International, Pakistan - Sep 28, 2006)
    • In today's controversies, the devil gets his due (Miami Herald, FL - Sep 30, 2006)
  • Michael Scheuer
    • former chief of the CIA's Usama bin Laden Unit
    • The Bin Laden’s-Still-Alive Blame Game (American Thinker, AZ - Sep 29, 2006)
    • Former Head of CIA bin Laden Unit Says Clinton Had 10 Chances to Get Terror Mastermind (FOX News - Sep 26, 2006)
    • Clinton's Kosovo Whopper (Accuracy In Media, DC - Sep 27, 2006)
    • Parties trading blame on bin Laden (Boston Globe, United States - Sep 26, 2006)
    • Bill's bull? (New York Daily News, NY - Sep 26, 2006)
    • Harry Smith Taken Aback as CBS Analyst Blames Clinton for bin Laden Failures (NewsBusters - Sep 25, 2006)
    • Clinton wags his finger once again (Arizona Republic, AZ - Sep 25, 2006)
  • Daniel Benjamin
    • member of Clinton National Security Council
    • US Terrorism Strategy Troubles Muslim World (NPR - Sep 28, 2006)
    • Of Course Iraq Made It Worse (Washington Post - Sep 28, 2006)
    • Of course things are worse, our side isn't in charge (Power Line, MN - Sep 29, 2006)
    • Clinton's bin Laden record part of debate (Newsday, NY - Sep 26, 2006)
    • Parties trading blame on bin Laden (Boston Globe, United States - Sep 26, 2006)
    • Clinton the Anti-Terrorist (National Review Online Blogs, NY - Sep 26, 2006)
  • The Sunday Panel
    • Brit Hume, FOX News Managing Editor
    • Bill Kristol, Weekly Standard Editor
    • Juan Williams, NPR Senior National Correspondent
    • Mara Liasson, NPR National Political Correspondent
• Fox News Sunday contact information - FNS@foxnews.com

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ABC This Week (George Stephanopoulos)

Below are the topics and guests announced for this program, along with my take on the "memes" that the show is trying to push.  With each guest's name are a series of links that I found in a web search that helped me get a handle on who they are and what their likely positions will be when they are interviewed.

• Meme:
  • Week 4 of the DBM blitzkrieg against McChimpy Bushitler - this is our last chance, so screw reason and fairness... let's pile on the BS!  if we tell enough lies they can't possibly respond to all of them in time!
  • Did you know that John Murtha served in the military and opposes George W. Bush?  Murtha is a true hero!
  • Did you know that Chuck Hagel served in the military and opposes George W. Bush?  Hagel is a true hero!
  • There is secret evidence that the White House is hiding that will prove... PROVE, that George W. Bush is, in fact, the anti-christ!
• Topics:
  • White House Under Fire:
    • Shocking revelations in a brand new book, "State of Denial," by journalist Bob Woodward, paint an administration in disarray.
    • Did the White House ignore calls in 2003 for more troops in Iraq
    • Is the Bush team as dysfunctional as the book claims?
  • A new congressional report details hundreds of contacts between a convicted lobbyist and top administration officials.
    • Did the White House mislead the public about the scope of its dealings with Jack Abramoff?
  • The President's path to war
    • The White House declassifies a summary of the National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq in order to defend its strategy in the war on terror. Is politics overtaking policy in the weeks before the midterm elections?
  • VOICES SUNDAY: U.S. Poet Laureate Donald Hall unveils his first work as the nation's poet
• Guests
  • Fran Townsend
    • White House Bio
    • Current White House advisor
    • DoJ intelligence officer under Clinton
    • The Terror Consigliere (TIME - Sep 3, 2006)
    • Scheuer, Townsend call BS on Clinton’s alleged Afghan invasion plan (Hot Air, MD - Sep 26, 2006)
    • Forging a World of Liberty under Law (Across the Aisle, DC - Sep 28, 2006)
    • Clinton spinning History (RedState, VA - Sep 27, 2006)
    • Press Gaggle by Tony Snow and Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Frances Townsend (Whitehouse.gov (press release), DC - Sep 5, 2006)
  • Senator Chuck Hagel, Republican RINO - Nebraska
    • Senate web site | Bio
    • Why the Israel Lobby Wants to Marginalize Chuck Hagel (New York Observer, NY - Sep 13, 2006)
    • The war against the war (Washington Times - Sep 29, 2006)
    • Bush Throws Down the Gauntlet (Consortium News - Sep 29, 2006)
    • 'Threat of the first order' (Princeton University The Daily Princetonian - Sep 29, 2006)
    • An alternative way forward for the US (Asia Times Online, Hong Kong - Sep 28, 2006)
    • Campaign Firepower (WOWT, NE - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Bush Lied Part II (American Thinker, AZ - Sep 14, 2006)
    • Vulnerable EVMs - The Danger To Elections Is Real (The Statesman, India - Sep 29, 2006)
  • Representative John Murtha, Democrat Dhimmicrat - Pennsylvaniastan
    • House web site | Bio
    • John Murtha: Meet the New Boss (TPMmuckraker, NY - Sep 21, 2006)
    • John Murtha: Another Term? Another Flaw. (The Conservative Voice, NC - Sep 19, 2006)
    • Rep. John Murtha: To Surge or Not To Surge (Yahoo! News - Sep 5, 2006)
    • Rep. John Murtha: A 1917 History Lesson (Yahoo! News - Sep 1, 2006)
    • John Murtha on Hillary Clinton: 'Slowly Coming Around' (New York Observer, NY - Aug 29, 2006)
    • Help Jack Murtha And His Friends Kick Some Lying SwiftBoat Wannabee Ass (Huffington Post, NY - Sep 26, 2006)
    • ‘Concern’ in Murtha camp (The Hill, DC - Sep 27, 2006)
  • ROUNDTABLE
    • George Will
    • Tori Clarke
      • Former Pentagon Spokesperson
    • Mark Halperin
      • ABC News Political Director
      • Co-author of "The Way to Win: Taking the White House in 2008"
    • Donna Brazile
      • ABC News consultant
  • VOICES SUNDAY: U.S. Poet Laureate Donald Hall
• ABC This Week comment web page

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CNN Late Edition (Wolf Blitzer)

Below are the topics and guests announced for this program, along with my take on the "memes" that the show is trying to push.  With each guest's name are a series of links that I found in a web search that helped me get a handle on who they are and what their likely positions will be when they are interviewed.

• Meme:
  • Week 4 of the DBM blitzkrieg against McChimpy Bushitler - this is our last chance, so screw reason and fairness... let's pile on the BS!  if we tell enough lies they can't possibly respond to all of them in time!
  • Bush is listening to the ghosts of Richard Nixon and giving us Vietnam all over again (Bob Woodward says so), therefore let's dust off a truly successful and respected foreign policy, that of our glorious Paresident Jimmy Carter and his brain trust, headed by Zbiggy Brzenski his own bad self.
  • Is it time to dust off the "Americans are today's NAZIs yet?"  Chris Dodd is asking.
  • There is secret evidence that the White House is hiding that will prove... PROVE, that George W. Bush is, in fact, the anti-christ!
• Topics:
  • Did the Bush administration turn a deaf ear to warnings about the Iraqi insurgency?
• Guests
  • Dan Bartlett
    • White House Bio
    • White House Counselor
    • US safer despite Iraq terror: US Intelligence chief (Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates - Sep 25, 2006)
    • Senators Call for Release of Intelligence Estimate on Terrorism (New York Times, United States - Sep 25, 2006)
    • Spy report on Iraq invasion may hurt Republicans at polls (London Free Press, Canada - Sep 25, 2006)
    • They compromised away our basic values (St. Petersburg Times, FL - Sep 24, 2006)
    • Torture and the death of an American myth (Minnesota Daily, MN - Sep 24, 2006)
  • Senator Richard Lugar, Republican - Indiana
    • Senate web site | Bio
    • Foreign Relations Committee Chairman
    • Lugar, Bayh on opposite sides of terrorism vote (WTHR, IN - Sep 29, 2006)
    • Chafee holds up vote on Bolton nomination (Providence Eyewitness News, RI - Sep 29, 2006)
    • Democrat leader pledges to ensure passage of N-deal bill (Hindustan Times, India - Sep 29, 2006)
    • Bush wins on detainee rules (Indianapolis Star, United States - Sep 29, 2006)
  • Senator Christopher Dodd, Democrat - Connecticut
    • Senate web site | Bio
    • Foreign Relations Committee
    • Dodd to speak on Nuremberg (Jewish Telegraphic Agency, NY - Sep 29, 2006)
    • President Given Broader Powers Over Terror Suspects (RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, Czech Republic - Sep 29, 2006)
    • News Analysis: Democratic contenders saw opening to defy Bush in Senate vote (International Herald Tribune, France - Sep 29, 2006)
    • Senate Resolution Urging Backup Introduced (VoteTrustUSA, CA - Sep 28, 2006)
    • UN Madhouse Needs a Bolton (New York Observer, NY - Sep 26, 2006)
    • Democrats Denounce Republican Voter ID Bill (Civilrights.org, DC - Sep 27, 2006)
  • Zalmay Khalilzad
    • U.S. Ambassador to Iraq
    • Bush to Khalilzad: "I'll Take Care of Politics" (TIME - Sep 29, 2006)
    • Iraq Impeding Efforts to Go After Shiite Militias, U.S. Military Says (Los Angeles Times, CA - Sep 28, 2006)
    • Ayoon Wa Azan (I Am Not Optimistic) (Dar Al-Hayat, Lebanon - Sep 26, 2006)
    • Iraqi President Rules Out Withdrawal Timetable (RedBolivia.com - Sep 23, 2006)
  • Zbigniew Brzezinski
    • Former National Security Adviser
    • "Victory Would be a Fata Morgana" (Spiegel Online, Germany - Sep 12, 2006) - note: appears to require IE
    • UN SESSION MARKS RAPIDLY CHANGING, UNSTABLE WORLD (From the Wilderness - Sep 29, 2006)
    • Forecast for the New Congress (American Enterprise Institute, DC - Sep 28, 20060
    • Afghanistan: The Other Lost War (Collective Bellaciao, France - Sep 29, 2006)
    • US Threatened To Bomb Pakistan Back To “The Stone Age” (CounterCurrents.org, India - Sep 27, 2006)
  • Henry Kissinger
    • former Secretary of State
    • Bush's new adviser: Henry Kissinger (San Francisco Chronicle,  USA - Sep 29, 2006)
    • Exclusive interview with Henry Kissinger (MSNBC - Sep 29, 2006)
    • On the war path with Henry Kissinger, George Bush and Barney (TPMCafe, NY - Sep 29, 2006)
    • Henry Kissinger: Danger of ‘War of Civilizations’ (Arutz Sheva, Israel - Sep 14, 2006)
    • Kissinger and Bush (New York Sun, NY - Sep 28, 2006)
• CNN Late Edition (web page for comments)

[Phsstpok]

Ping

The Weekend Talk Show Preview Thread is up

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See the initial post for my "usual witty commentary"

It's week four (or 297, depending on how you figure it) of the WOB (war on Bush) and all things "Republi-fascist," as the drive by media might style what they're doing.  We've had a week of spin like we haven't seen since... well, since Clinton was in office.  All the old hateful and hate filled faces were back on the screaming head shows pulling their electrically powered rapid fire mouths back out of storage and plugging them in for one more go around of lies, screaming lies and videotape.... In summary, this week the DBM returns full throttle to wallowing in Bush Derangement Syndrome, framing all of the discussion (that they can control) on "what's wrong with Bush and his policies." 

[Miss Marple]

A couple of things I want to mention, for those who read this excellent thread:

1. Brett Baier's hour-long special on Rumsfeld airs tonight (8PM Eastern), and looks to be quite good and a good rebuttal to Woodward.

2. The democrats are trying to innoculate Woodward from criticism. I actually heard a pundit on Fox say that Woodward is an icon, and cannot therefore be criticized. This has shown up in a couple of shows today.

[Carolinamom]

Must See Saturday TV: Bret Bauer's "Why He [Rumsfeld] Fights" will be on FOX tonight at 8pm.

[Carolinamom]

Bauer = Baier

[MNJohnnie]

It occurs to me seeing all the hype over Woodward's attempt to be the next Kitty Kelly, that the US political scene is as much DC Establishment vrs the American People as it is Republican vrs Democrat.

Just because we won in 2000, many of US Conservative have forgotten that the DC Establishment is still our blood enemy. Politics is not just Democrat vrs Republican, it is also largely a battle of the DC Establishment vrs the American people.

That best indication of that divide is John McCain and the RINO Senators. EVEN when the President is totally right, they always find a way to straddle the issue. To try and be on both sides of the issue to avoid being seen as supporting the President. That is why you hear all the rage on the Left that "the Republican Senate sold us out" to Bush over the Detainee bill . To many people in the DC Establishment it is not so much Republicans vrs Democrats but Old Boy Washington vrs the Hick Newcomers. Woodwards supposed interviews, some of which are all ready being disputed, make it pretty clear a number of old Republican politicians and operatives are running scared of the DC Political-Media Complex.

They just cannot seem to grasp that Talk Radio, the 'Net and Cable TV News is destroying their cozy little Information monopoly. They cannot seem to grasp that they can no longer be one type of politician in DC and a different one back home in Red State America. Now days people KNOW what Pols did almost as fast the Pols do it. There are no more media gatekeeper to make sure what happens in DC stays in DC

[Howlin]

From Howie Kurtz's column:

The very title of "State of Denial" suggests a more sharp-edged approach than "Bush at War" or "Plan of Attack," although the latter, in particular, contained revelations about the administration that were seized upon by John Kerry's presidential campaign after its 2004 release. But the narrative pushed by Woodward's critics was that of a journalist who was an outsider while digging into the Nixon White House but had since become wealthy, famous and too cozy with those in the Bush White House.

The dominant theme of the new book -- that the administration was torn by internal divisions over Iraq and failed to recognize its blunders -- could prompt a reassessment of Woodward's work.

"In my view, his reputation had suffered from the first two books on the Bush administration, and I believe he's a very smart guy and he knows that," said Jay Rosen, a New York University journalism professor. "I think he was used to put out a narrative that was radically incomplete."


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/29/AR2006092901655.html

[MNJohnnie]

http://icasualties.org/oif/

http://icasualties.org/oif/IraqiDeaths.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_Security_Forces



Here is the raw data on Iraq. Seems BW simply cherry picked his data to falsely validate preconceived notions. IF attacks are "as high as they have ever been" they are getting less and less effective. Why were the Iraqis taking higher monthly casualties in 2004 and 2005?

Simply put BW is full of it. He had his mind made up and went to find people who would say what he wanted to hear. This is his act of atonement to the DC Establishment for writing a fairly balanced book on Bush last time.

[MNJohnnie]

If you chart the data in the post above, you see a base line of violence. While the violence ebbs and flows the base line is steady. That base line totally undercuts the notion that Iraq is "heading for Civil War" or is "Spinning out of Control" which is the claims of Bob Woodward and other assorted Leftists.

To counter the claim that "We are not making fast enough progress" look at the data on Iraqi security forces. More and more of the job is being taken up by Iraqi forces. 2 of 18 Providence have been turned over to complete Iraqi control. All the progress in the war is on our side. The enemy is making no progress. Time is on our side, not theirs.

Another factor Mr Woodward fails to grasp. Because we have gotten on top of the external Terrorist threat, we are able to focus on other lesser threats. Witness what the British down south, and the US in the Baghdad region, are doing. They are working with the Iraqis to weed out the gangs and militia that sprung up in the wake of Saddam's fall.

Counter Insurgency is slow, painful work. But the progress is all on our side. The "Insurgents" has demonstrated no ability to politically or militarily evolve. They are still stuck in stage one of Guerrilla Warfare. They can wreck stuff and kill people they cannot grow. They cannot take and hold ground no engage in anything beyond small scale hit and run actions.

Their failure to develop a shadow political structure to act as a polar opposite to the Iraqi Government is their fatal flaw. They simply cannot move beyond state one

The claims and assumptions stated as "fact" by Mr Woodward on Iraq are fraudulent. Considering he got that completely wrong, one has to wonder just what else he make up in this book?

[OldFriend]

Heard Chris Wallace on WABC radio the other morning. FNC fully intends to discuss the substance of X42's statements. IOW, reveal the truth about his LIES.

[Darth Republican]

Representing the congressional Republicans we have RINO extraordinaire Chuck Hagel (a better choice for Fredo, to my mind). His betrayal of the President (and common sense), along with his cohort in crime Olympia Snowe, in joining with the Dhimmicrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee to issue a totally bogus and deceitful Iraq intelligence "phase 2" report a few weeks ago has made him the darling of the inside the beltway crowd.

Does this mean we get to take Hegel out fishing in the rowboat?

[Phsstpok]

My friend, you've made my week with your three posts so far on this thread. Absolutely spectacular! May I recommend that you try to put together the numbers on the trends from the data post and get them posted on the Sunday thread? That is killer stuff!

On your first post, the "inside the beltway vs the rest of us" idea is kind of what I was trying to get to with the discussion about Lugar being more in line with Byrd than his constituents and more concerned about "the institution" of the Senate than with the fate of the Country.

They get seduced. That's why term limits are really a necessary constraint on their activities. Term limits make a lot more sense than so-called campaign finance reform!

[Bahbah]

Thirty-four Congressional House Democrats sold their souls and their conscience to the radical-right and rabid Republicans. Among those Thirty-four Congressional Democrats was Ohio's own Sherrod Brown!

Oops, Brown has ticked off the moonbats who, by the way, believe that the new law will allow the evil Bush to imprison war protesters.

[Morgan in Denver]

Thanks Phsstpok for this thread.

Week 4 of the DBM blitzkrieg against McChimpy Bushitler - this is our last chance, so screw reason and fairness... let's pile on the BS!

I have come to the opinion that Democrats believe if they tell multiple lies, our side will be so busy trying to fight each one that they can smugly sit back and get support. 

If they tell one, we can counter it and it's done. If they tell ten, while we are busy countering them all there will be some people who think our side is being unreasonable and vindictive.  My point is if a whole host of lies are floating around, many undecided or independent voters will think that some, a few or half, are true. 

This was always part of the "everyone lies about sex" defense.  Yes, many people would lie about sex, but few would lie to a Grand Jury or in court. Once caught with facts, the majority of people would confess.  But not Bill Clinton or the Democrats.   They believe if they continue to press the lie there will always be people who accept it as truth.

 

[Laverne]

As always, an amazing pre-cap for tomorrow's shows. Good research and nice summary. Thanks as always. FNC should be interesting, and I might tune into the MTP debate...but in standard fashion, DeWine will have to debate both Russert and Sherwood. The rest of the shows....well, headache material!