Katie Keeps McAuliffe on Short Leash in Chief Dem Dissing Display!

The Today Show

[governsleastgovernsbest]

In November, Katie Couric will surely pull the lever for John Kerry or whoever else's name might appear on the 'D' line.

But on this morning's Today Show, she couldn't have shown . . . less respect to the DNC Chairman, the execrable Terry McAuliffe. Couric repeatedly interrupted his long-winded answers, jerking his chain and bringing him back to the matter at hand.

To set up her first question she quoted McAuliffe's recent statement that anyone who doesn't win at least one primary by February 3rd "should reassess his candidacy." She then observed that Howard Dean "has been running all over like the Energizer Bunny," and asked McAuliffe if he would be calling Howard Dean, who of course has won no primaries, asking him to reconsider his candidacy.

Instead of answering the question, McAuliffe launched into what was obviously a canned spiel. "Last night was a great night for Democrats, we had enthusiasm and turnout all around the country, lots of good candidates, blah, blah, blah," when suddenly Katie cut him dead.

Without even a pretense of courtesy, she interrupted, and in a clearly angered voice repeated her question, as if for a stupid or recalcitrant child: "Are you going to ask Dean to get out of the race?"

A: "No. That's up to voters to decide."

The scenario repeated itself with her subsequent questions.

Couric quoted McAuliffe's statement about looking forward to seeing Kerry standing on a stage with a chestful of medals compared to "Bush who was AWOL."

"What is your evidence that Pres. Bush was AWOL?" asked Katie sharply.

McAuliffe was vague: "He didn't show up when he was supposed to show up. You know, a lot of people were in the Guard, and the they didn't have the option of just turning up when they wanted." As McAuliffe started to filibuster, Katie again intrerrupted very abruptly:

"So are you planning to make this a major campaign issue?"

McAuliffe's answer essentially amounted to a warning: "We haven't made up our mind. If they attack Kerry, and try to do to him what they did to Gore and Cleland, questioning their patriotism, you're darn right we're going to raise it. We won't let our candidate be attacked and just take it."

At one point, Katie called him "Terry," but not in the friendly way she reserves for favored liberals. It seemed more meant to be dismissive.

By the end of the interview, McAuliffe was acting like a dog who has been repeatedly slapped and won't make a move without flinching and looking at his master.

He would begin a sentence, then halt, waiting for Katie's verbal newspaper to come down on this nose.

Truly epic TV!

[governsleastgovernsbest]

While we should have no illusions about Katie Couric's liberalim and support for the Democratic cause, she could not have treated McAuliffe more disrespectfully.

I swear, Ann Coulter got better treatment from the Affable Eva Braun!

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Today Show ping.

[mewzilla]

Something's up, though it's not their ratings :) Thanks for the thread.

[NautiNurse]

Nice report. Thanks for posting. I'm almost sorry I missed it.

[dawn53]

So far I've read about 4 articles this morning dissing Kerry as the Democratic front runner. They are implying he is "unelectable", and they were all written by Democrats.

[mewzilla]

I'm not sure what's up. So many scenarios, so little time :) I'd really love to know what the Boston papers are sitting on. That would tell us a lot.

[Glenn]

she could not have treated McAuliffe more disrespectfully.

Thank Brit Hume. The networks are feeling the heat.

[johnny7]

Post again when she interwiews Ed Gillespie. Katie-pie will do a Linda Blake impression before he gets to utter a word!

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Interesting. Any chance you could point us to one of the articles? I thought the conventional wisdom was more that Dems are going for Kerry because they think he is the most electable.

He certainly seems more plausible than angry Howard Dean or kooky/scary Clark. Edwards might have more charisma, but his lack of foreign policy experience would seem a huge vulnerability in these times.

[W04Man]

You mean to tell me someone on FR really still watches Katie???

[governsleastgovernsbest]

If there are viewers in other time zones where the first half-hour of Today hasn't come on, I'd encourage them to tune in and enjoy the action! This is Katie at her snippy best, and McAuliffe getting beaten down into hangdog mode! All that was missing was the thigh-high leather boots and whip!

[NeonKnight]

By this time next year, we will all have forgotten about this guy named Kerry. Hope he enjoys his 15 mins.

The only job I would hate worse than being President would be running for President.

[johnny7]

Thank Brit Hume

I like Brit Hume but he acted sh_t-faced last night.(bad ice cube?) Did you see him?

[Greg_99]

where? I'd like to read them

[Glenn]

Did you see him?

No. Missed that. Where was he?

[governsleastgovernsbest]

As MEG33 will probably tell you if I don't do it first, I watch Today out of a combo of masochism and the belief that it's useful to keep an eye on what the liberal media are up to. I have a little niche here at FR posting reports on the nefarious doings of the morning talk shows, with a particular emphasis on Today.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

This may not be a symptom of new found fairness, as much as an indication of the dissatisfaction many democrats feel with McAuliffe for his dismal work in the mid-term and California elections.

[trebb]

Must be that at least some of the Dims recognize suicide by stupidity when they see it and are getting scared...

[syriacus]

Edwards might have more charisma, but his lack of foreign policy experience would seem a huge vulnerability in these times.

Is it too late for Katie to run with Edwards as his VP? She's had experience speaking with foreign leaders.

[dawn53]

Here's a few of them:


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1071209/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1071222/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1071212/posts

[Maria S]

Thanks for posting this. This is THE reason I love Free Republic.... I'm in the central time zone and normally do not watch 'Today'. However, since some of our posters are in the eastern time zone and ALREADY know what's coming, we west of you can watch something we'd otherwise miss.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Thanks Dawn. Particularly the first two are important because they come from people sympathetic to the Dems. Carr, author of the third article, is a conservative.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Great. Please let me know what you think!!

[commish]

We haven't made up our mind. If they attack Kerry, and try to do to him what they did to Gore and Cleland, questioning their patriotism, you're darn right we're going to raise it.

SO, the truth is outed Terry -- you are not really worried about Bush's service record --YOU ARE TERRIFIED OF JOHN KERRY's RECORD AND WHAT AMERICA WILL DO WHEN IT IS OUTED!

[TheGeezer]

Please please...post links tothe articles if it's not ttoo much trouble. Please cater to my laziness!!! ;>)

Thanks!

[Maria S]

Thank you for posting these!

[alwaysconservative]

The picture on the right tells me a LOT about Kerry; he looks like an Alan Alda "MASH" wannabe. Kerry is so dull and unoriginal that he had to borrow a persona from somebody else. LOL!

[dawn53]

Thanks for the correction. I went back and looked, when I read it I thought it came from the Boston Globe, but now I see it's from the Herald.

[DWC]

what democratic cause?

[gonewt]

You left out the most hilarious & ridicuous statement by Terrible Terry...

Katie was asking him about their chances of winning states in the South, and he said (I'm paraphrasing) "we won Florida the last time around, and we'll win it again."

It happened quickly, towards the end of the segment, and I don't think Qaty Khouric picked up on it.

[windchime]

Governsleastgovernsbest, I can almost 'see' it. Thank you!!

PKM, you'll enjoy this.

[dawn53]

Check out post #14.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

I missed that, thanks for mentioning it. Nice try, Terry! Just what America loves, a sore loser.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

what democratic cause?

Good question. I often say that the Dems do not have any cohesive philosophy. But if you look at their policy proposals, almost all revolve around the redistribution of income, fired by class envy.

[joonbug]

Perhaps this is an elaborate scheme to allow Hillary to step in and save the Democratic Party by reluctantly accepting the nomination since Kerry is deemed unelectable.

[Democratshavenobrains]

Not agreeing with Democrats=not patriotic

[governsleastgovernsbest]

If you would like to be added to or removed from my ping list of reports on liberal bias at The Today Show, please send me a post or a private message.

[Democratshavenobrains]

I truly hope they 'win' all the other states they way they 'won' Florida in 2000.

[chiller]

Who agrees Kerry looks worse, post botox? Pre-botox he looked long faced and somewhat wrinkled which in retrospect had a serious, experienced feel. Now, he looks ugly.

[MrConfettiMan]

Thanks for the links, Dawn.

[Pikamax]

bttt

[Dawgreg]

Sorry I missed the interview.......NOT! I'd walk on hot coals before watching any of the so-called big 3 networks, but you've done a fantastic job in describing it. Thanks. *~*

[Donna Lee Nardo]

I will not cut hatie couric any slack.

[Wallace T.]

My guess is that Katie Couric has decided to side with the Kennedy faction of the Democrats, since Kerry is clearly the front runner. Clinton's man, Wesley Clark, is going nowhere, and John Edwards is at most a dark horse. Howard Dean is toast, and Lieberman and Gephardt have dropped out. Kucinich and Sharpton are irrelevant, with the former a virtual joke and the latter getting only 20% of the black vote in South Carolina. She knows that the Clinton wing, which McAuliffe represents, has been trumped, at least in this election cycle. Kerry will not choose Hillary Clinton as his vice president; he values his life. If Kerry wins, Hillary Clinton will not have a chance to run for President until 2012, at which time she will be in her mid-60s.

Couric may have decided to side with the primary winner and the man that liberals feel has a good chance. In this respect, she resembles Limbaugh, Hannity, et. al.

[Impeach the Boy]

It is my view that what is happening here is the liberal press is putting the dems through "training" for what they say will be the GOP attacks...they are helping them practice.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

I'd walk on hot coals before watching any of the so-called big 3 networks, but you've done a fantastic job in describing it.

Glad you enjoyed it. Reading my posts instead of watching the Today Show: all of the laughs, none of the heartburn!

[Prodigal Son]

What do you think's up here?

And also, what's up with the AWOL thing. Are you saying that Katie seemed hostile to the story/whole AWOL thing?

And if so, why do you suppose that is?

Do you think the liberal media see that as a dead end?

[Ramcat]

"I watch Today out of a combo of masochism and the belief that it's useful to keep an eye on what the liberal media are up to."

Thank you for your service.

[Ditter]

I think Kerry always looked ugly. Have you seen pictures of him when he was young? He looks like his face was deformed.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

What do you think's up here? And also, what's up with the AWOL thing. Are you saying that Katie seemed hostile to the story/whole AWOL thing?

My guess is that for all her liberal leanings, Katie is smart enough to see McAuliffe for the vulgar sleazeball that he is. She is also no doubt angry at him for the awful job he's done as DNC Chairman, presiding over a string of Dem defeats.

As to the AWOL issue, I would say Katie seemed dubious, if not hostile, about the allegation. Perhaps she doesn't want the Dems chasing down blind alleys.