Clinton and Dole Agree to Debate on Weekly '60 Minutes' Segment

New York Times ^ | 3/06/03 | BILL CARTER

[kattracks]

ill Clinton and his opponent in the 1996 presidential election, Bob Dole, are teaming up to revive the commentary segment "Point-Counterpoint" on "60 Minutes."

Mr. Clinton and Mr. Dole have contracted to provide 10 debate segments, beginning Sunday night. The commitment does not extend beyond the end of the television season in May, but if the format is successful CBS will try to continue it next season, CBS executives said.

Don Hewitt, the executive producer and creator of "60 Minutes," said the segment would not use the "Point-Counterpoint" title. Instead it will simply be called "Clinton/Dole" one week and "Dole/Clinton" the next week.

"When you've got a name like that, you don't waste it," Mr. Hewitt said.

Mr. Clinton and Mr. Dole said yesterday that they were looking forward to the opportunity to provide the kind of thoughtful commentary that has been missing from the superheated and often shrill discourse that dominates much of television news. "I see this as an opportunity to try to have a really civil debate that enlightens people on the issues," Mr. Clinton said.

Mr. Dole said the two men expected to "have some fun" but also get into the issues that are roiling the country. "We have differences," he said. "We went at each other hard in 1996."

Mr. Clinton emphasized that the two men have a great deal of respect for each other. "I think Bob's a patriot," he said. "I admire him."

"60 Minutes" has not used the "Point-Counterpoint" segment regularly since 1979, when its most famous participants, Shana Alexander and James J. Kilpatrick, ended a four-year run. But it was always among the most-talked-about segments of the program, television's most successful newsmagazine. It even inspired a famous parody, the Dan Aykroyd-Jane Curtin combination on "Saturday Night Live" which always had Mr. Aykroyd referring to Ms. Curtin as "Jane, you ignorant slut."

Mr. Hewitt said that the new plan called for the debater who delivered the first argument that week to pick a topic and write a 45-second script, which would be faxed to the opponent. The response will also be 45 seconds. The first debater will then get 15 seconds to rebut, followed by a final 15 seconds from the opponent.

The old "Point-Counterpoint" segments were a full minute longer, Mr. Hewitt said, but he said attention spans had shortened since then.

He said he would insert the Clinton-Dole segment in the middle of the program after the second reported piece, rather than at the end where the original "Point-Counterpoint" resided. Andy Rooney will still close the program with his commentary.

The addition of Mr. Clinton and Mr. Dole could provide a spark for the program's ratings. After a two-decade run in the top 10, "60 Minutes" has slipped out of the top tier, and has lost about a million viewers in the last year.

Mr. Hewitt, 80, who has come under increasing pressure to find ways to attract viewers, agreed in January to step down as executive producer after next season. He will remain as a paid emeritus news division executive until he is 90.

Mr. Hewitt approached Mr. Clinton after reading accounts that he was being wooed to start a syndicated talk show.

"I knew that was baloney and he'd never do that," Mr. Hewitt said. "I also knew his positions are too established for you to put him on by himself. He couldn't be Eric Sevareid."

But he said he thought that a slot on "60 Minutes" would carry the prestige Mr. Clinton required as a former president, and that matched with a countering point of view, Mr. Clinton's appearances would be welcome by viewers.

Mr. Hewitt contacted Mr. Clinton's lawyer, Robert B. Barnett, who has been fielding numerous proposals for Mr. Clinton's services from various news media.

Mr. Clinton was indeed interested, though he said yesterday, "I thought about it for several weeks." He was concerned, he said, that he not be put in a position where he would be viewed as mounting a political challenge to the current administration. "I'm not running for anything," he said.

But he said he concluded that he had been able to give speeches to all kinds of groups that included Republicans and Democrats, addressing issues and helping "explain why people have different points of view." And he decided he might have a chance to do the same thing on "60 Minutes."

Mr. Hewitt said he suggested to Mr. Clinton that he could have a second career in television: "I said to him, `Who wants to be an ex-anything? This is your chance to be Edward R. Murrow.' "

Mr. Clinton also has longstanding ties to Leslie Moonves, the president of CBS, and that also helped conclude the deal.

Mr. Dole's name came up, Mr. Hewitt said, after some discussion about possible partners for Mr. Clinton. The two former adversaries have become friendly in recent years, and they were co-sponsors of a fund-raising effort for families of victims of the 9/11 attacks.

Mr. Dole has already had a taste of a television career as a spokesman for a number of products, including Pepsi and Viagra.

He said yesterday: "My reaction was a little different from the president's. I was excited about the idea right away."

Coincidentally, Mr. Dole recently hired Mr. Barnett to be his lawyer. That meant that CBS had only one party to deal with in negotiation the contracts.

No financial details of the deal were disclosed. "Salary was not a big issue," one executive involved in the negotiations said. "This is not about big money. It was not like the book."

Mr. Clinton received a $12 million advance from Knopf for his memoir, which is due out in the fall of 2004.

Beyond being former opposing candidates and former heads of their respective parties, Mr. Clinton and Mr. Dole share something else in common: both are married to serving United States senators.

Asked whether that might affect their television commentaries, Mr. Dole said: "It may. Wait until the first one's over Sunday night and we may find out."

Mr. Clinton said, "We may come home and find out we've both been ordered off the air."

[chainsaw]

I certainly will not spend my valuable time watching this crap.

[az wildkitten]

Dole still doesn't understand that slick isn't limited by the truth.

[KriegerGeist]

I saw Beelzebubba and that limp bizkit liberal RINO Bob Dole on the "See B.S." Morning Show this morning.

What I now see and realize is that the comments that Rush Limbaugh made on his show about Hillary being behind all this just has to be true.

Rush said that he had no proof, but he said that all this roadblocking in the Senate over Judicial nominees and other legislative matters, all this work to get liberal talk raidio and TV programs going and everything else geared to do nothing "for the country" but only to do as much damage to the administration and / or to bring it down.
Nothing less.

I believe Rush and I now see Hillary's plans coming together. My question is: just how much real damage can she actually do? I for one, do not underestimate her nor dismiss her lightly.

Link to CBS story

[linn37]

can barely wait to watch them give the leader of the DNC free weekly airtime.....

[Trueblackman]

Well 60 Minutes had to do something to get their pitful rating out of the toliet and this seems to me like a last attempt to save 60 minutes from the scrap pile.

[CanisMajor2002]

I'll see your Newt Gingrich and throw in Ann Coultier. Of course, Ann might need armed guards to keep her from being given the Juanita Broderick treatment.

[Mia T]

shame on Dole

Shame on Bob Dole for assisting in this cynical attempt to legitimize the rapist.

THE INTERMINABLE clintons
It's time to take out the trash...
A Senate en passant capture is THE MOVE...

NEW AUDIO! Hear the Bill Bennett (PARDONGATE) epilogue .

 

 

hillary clinton A SECURITY RISK: Removal Calls Begin

 

THE UNSTATED MESSAGE OF THE POWELL EVIDENCE

 

Another mistaken 'conceptzia'
WHY AMERICA (& THE WORLD) CANNOT SURVIVE ANOTHER CLINTON
(INDEED, IT IS NOT CLEAR THAT WE ARE GOING TO SURVIVE THE FIRST ONE,)

 

Utter-Failure clintons Concoct Left-Wing-Radio Scheme FIG LEAF
Flower Children Fall for the 2 Self-Evident Thugs & Opportunists Yet Again
(Liberals have always had problems figuring out causation)

 

 

THE CLINTONS--AMERICA'S BIGGEST BLUNDER: Hear Bush 41 Warn Us--October 19, 1992

 

How to get rid of the clintons in 3 easy steps

 

the logic of pathologic self-interest

 

Mrs. clinton's REAL virtual office -- 02.28.03 update

 

 

 

THE CLINTONS--AMERICA'S BIGGEST BLUNDER

Hear Bush 41 Warn Us--October 19, 1992*

hear

*Thanx to Cloud William for text and audio

 

LEHRER: President Bush, your closing statement, sir.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Three weeks from now--two weeks from tomorrow, America goes to the polls and you're going to have to decide who you want to lead this country ...

On foreign affairs, some think it's irrelevant. I believe it's not. We're living in an interconnected world...And if a crisis comes up, ask who has the judgment and the experience and, yes, the character to make the right decision?

And, lastly, the other night on character Governor Clinton said it's not the character of the president but the character of the presidency. I couldn't disagree more. Horace Greeley said the only thing that endures is character. And I think it was Justice Black who talked about great nations, like great men, must keep their word.

And so the question is, who will safeguard this nation, who will safeguard our people and our children? I need your support, I ask for your support. And may God bless the United States of America.

(Applause)

 

And if a crisis comes up, ask who has the judgment and the experience and, yes, the character to make the right decision?

And, lastly, the other night on character Governor Clinton said it's not the character of the president but the character of the presidency. I couldn't disagree more. ...

 

And so the question is, who will safeguard this nation, who will safeguard our people and our children?

George H.W. Bush, Oct. 19, 1992

 

 

 

play tape

 

The REAL clinton Virtual Office Update Q ERTY6_BUMP!

[correctthought]

How about Ann Coulter?

[Katya]

There's are two psycho-social terms that come to mind for Dole.....

codependent; enabler

No self respecting right winger of any stripe should offer themselves as a platform for the IMPOTUS to speak.

[1Old Pro]

Dole is wrong for this. He's not telegenic.

[Wphile]

This makes me SICK!!

clinton should not have a platform of ANY guide. CBS is really flirting with the devil, first sadaam, now clinton. That Dole would agree to this lessens my opinion of him.

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"I believe Rush and I now see Hillary's plans coming together. My question is: just how much real damage can she actually do? I for one, do not underestimate her nor dismiss her lightly."

Since the media has essentially desensitized much of the public to the Clinton's by consistently putting down as "right-wing fanaticism" attempts to bring a sane response to her disgraceful husband's antics, (and get people to acknowledge he was a total PUSSY as a Commander In Chief and in foreign policy in general), I think Hillary sees her future as unlimited in terms of re-defining the United States as a Socialist state.

[ZULU]

I REALLY hate that NITWIT Dole. He couldn't beat Clinton in a Presidnetial debate and they match him with Clinton again on TV. Dole was possibly the worst "opposition" leader in American history.

What's the topic of their first debate? Viagra??

Dole should disappear and take his leftist wife with him back to the Cornfields.


Clinton?? Well, Clinton should volunteer to be a human shield in fornt of Saddam's biggest anti-aircraft installation, with a day-glo bull's eye painted on his fat
@ss!!

[Revolting cat!]

Here's a link to pic from the promotional packet sent out by CBS. Former ex-senator Dole is shown on the extreme left.

[Revolting cat!]

This is the leftist media's war on the current administration. Faced with the Bushies successes, what can they do? NBC has its own alternate reality president Josiah Bartlett. Now its CBS' turn. Take the hapless, dour King of Food Stamps to "represent" the administration and its ossified philosophies and put him up against the slickest happy-go-lucky fun guy salesman in Arkansas to represent the enlightened opposition. Guess who wins?!

[Gritty]

Who on earth would ever think clinton was ever going to gracefully go away? So, now he gets another $1 million for some very light lifting against Bob Dull Dole?

This is just part of clinton's continuing $ payoff by those he helped out all those years he was crapping all over our White House.

I can understand clinton doing this. After all, it's all about money and him. What I can't understand is Bob Dole joining in this charade and sharing the stage with the worst, most corrupt President in history. This diminishes Dole and gives legitimacy to a man who should be in jail, not raking in $100,000 a night for a chat gig.

[dfwgator]

I hate to say it, but Clinton is going to clean Dole's clock on this. Dole should have just stuck with doing the Viagara ads.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

Clinton, Dole Squaring Off on CBS

NEW YORK (March 6) - Former President Bill Clinton and his 1996 election opponent Bob Dole are joining the CBS newsmagazine ``60 Minutes'' for weekly debates on national issues.

The two agreed to 10 segments, starting Sunday night, but CBS executives say the network will consider extending the debates into next season.

Clinton said he often watches some of the political shows on cable television that degenerate into screaming matches. ``There may be a market for people who want light instead of heat,'' the former president said.

The retired politicians taped their first segment Friday morning, declining to identify the topic. Asked who won, Clinton said, ``He did.''

``I got a `B,''' said Dole, the former Senate majority leader. ``He got a `B-minus.'''

Clinton said that given their old jobs, both men want to be careful about what they say regarding any potential war with Iraq. All citizens want to be supportive of the armed forces, he said.

Clinton, who has reportedly been offered several television opportunities, said the CBS idea appealed to him because ``60 Minutes'' is a serious show. ``It's just once a week and not too long, so we won't be in anybody's way,'' he said.

The segments will be called ``Clinton/Dole'' one week and ``Dole/Clinton'' the next week.

Executive producer Don Hewitt said the planned format calls for one debater to pick a topic and write a 45-second script that would be faxed to his opponent. The response would also be 45 seconds. After the initial arguments, the first debater would get 15 seconds to rebut, followed by a final 15 seconds from the opponent.

``It is going to be provocative but not mean or nasty. That would be a first for us,'' quipped Dole, whose sharp tongue occasionally got him in trouble during his political career.

Clinton said their wives - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Elizabeth Dole - were ``both terrified'' about what they may say.

03/06/03 11:58 EST

[TLBSHOW]

Joe Lockhart slams rush


Limbaugh, who says he almost never engages in fundraising, was quick to slam Clinton on his radio show. "The stuff people really want to hear Bill Clinton address will not even be brought up -- Juanita Broaddrick (who accused him of a 1978 sexual assault), North Korea, contempt-of-court citations. . . . This is just more of the Bill Clinton rehabilitation legacy tour," Limbaugh said.

Former Clinton spokesman Joe Lockhart said that Limbaugh should "keep his mouth shut" and that the debates are "just one way to continue being part of the public service system," in addition to Clinton's global work on AIDS and other issues.

The Democratic ex-president and the Republican ex-lawmaker share one unusual bond: Their wives won Senate seats as they were leaving public life. Both men said they hoped not to cause trouble for the officeholders in the family.

"I'm going to be anxiously awaiting Sunday nights," Hillary Rodham Clinton said from Capitol Hill yesterday. "Elizabeth Dole and I will be holding our breath. . . . If people don't agree with what he says, they should call his office, not mine."

The New York senator said her husband was drawn by the prospect of a "civilized" discourse that would not be "ranting and raving."

As for the North Carolina senator, she said: "Bob assures me that it's all part of his strategy to win the presidency -- of the Senate Spouses Club."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53630-2003Mar6.html