Posted on 09/08/2004 4:54:14 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
The folks at The Today Show obviously felt they had a pretty good one-two punch with which to bash the Bush campaign today - the 1,000th US military death in Iraq and Dick Cheney's statement yesterday that "if we make the wrong choice, then the danger is that we'll get hit again, and we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating."
Even so, an obviously unhappy Katie Couric, the Kerry campaign coming down around her ears, couldn't resist taking a few shots at Kerry campaign advisor Madeleine Albright. And Mint Lady responded with some classic pique, essentially saying that it wasn't fair to analyze too closely . . . what John Kerry has said!
The half-hour started with a Matt Lauer interview of Colin Powell, and Lauer immediately suggested that the Bush administration failed to anticipate the difficulties in Iraq:
"Did you ever think we'd be sitting here with 1,000 dead, 7,000 wounded and no end in sight of the insurgency?"
Powell: "I couldn't have known that but we knew we would lose lives. We mourn the loss of life. These young men and women died in the cause of freedom. But we are seeing progress in Iraq and Afghanistan toward freedom and democracy."
Lauer: "But what of the families saying that two of the main justifications for the war turned up empty? No WMD and no concrete ties between Saddam and Al Qaeda?"
Powell: "We have no doubt Saddam had the intention of developing and using WMD. Everyone had every reason to believe stockpiles were there. President rightly felt it was a real danger that had to be dealt with."
Lauer: "During the early stages, the administration said the capture or killing of Saddam and sons would be aturning point, but there have been more troop deaths since that happened. Did we miscalculate what is behind the insurgency?"
Powell: "I fully expected insurgency would continue by those who were in power under Saddam and don't want to lose their privileges."
Then it was on to a Katie Couric interview of former Clinton Secretary of State Madeleine Powell. *Warning -following paragraph contains unkind observations about Albright's superficial characteristics. Do not read if you are above that kind of petty thing.*
Still there, eh? Well, it seemed that what is left of Maddy's ever-thinning hair had turned yet a lighter shade of bottle-blonde. And it looked as if her eyes had come in for some more 'work' since her last appearance.
By the way, she was apparently located at a Kerry campaign HQ, and a blow-up copy of Kerry's seminal tome, "Our Plan for America" was strategically located over her left shoulder.
Albright began, falsely pious, by claiming that "I would like to believe Sec. Powell, but the facts are not there on the ground."
But then, surprisingly, Katie shot off a series of tough questions.
Katie: "If elected Sen. Kerry has said he would begin troop pullouts within 6 months. Is there a danger of cutting and running, leaving Iraq in shambles?"
Albright: "Kerry has never said we would cut and run. He has always been a critic of the administration's policy."
Katie came back with a zinger: "You say that now, but Kerry did authorize the Presidint to invade Iraq."
In a real side-splitter, Albright responded: "Kerry authorized the President to win 'a great victory at UN.'" [Gosh knows, that's where it's important to win victories in the war against terror.] The problem is that Pres. Bush didn't take the time to really build a coalition."
Katie stuck to her guns: "But Sen. Kerry did authorize the war."
Here is where Maddy really started to lose it: "He has said many times that he wanted to make sure there was resolve, but not in the way it was carried out. IT IS A VERY COMPLEX SITUATION. WE SHOULDN'T PARSE ALL HIS WORDS"!
So there it is, the latest Kerry position. Things are complex. Very complex. So complex, in fact, that you shouldn't go back and look at what I said over the course of the campaign. What I say today is what matters. Until tomorrow.
Katie continued to peck at the open wound: "some people are confused by Kerry's position. He says if he knew then what he knows now he would still have voted to authorize the war."
Maddy was breaking down by now. She babbled something about "It's one thing to authorize, another to disagree with way in which it was being carried out. It's wrong to say he's changed his position, he has not! It just ain't so, Katie."
You know that when Albright loses her high-brow shtick and starts slingin' the "aint's" that she's really feeling the heat.
Perhaps feeling some remorse for the obvious damage she'd done, Katie ended by throwing Albright a super puff ball, asking her to comment on Cheney's statement. Naturally Albright felt that "of his many outrageous statements, it's the most outrageous. Completely irresponsible. Using scare tactics."
Thanks for stopping by Maddy. See you. And don't forget to plump the pillows in the Green Room on your way out.
Lauer then interviewed Tim Russert, and also fed him the Cheney line. When Russert's response wasn't sufficiently harsh for Lauer's liking, Matt decided to editorialize. "But isn't it over the line?"
Hey Matt, I think Mother Jones has an opening for an opinion columnist. Look into it.
Today Show ping.
I flipped on the TV and it had been on NBC when I turned it off last night, so I saw the Russert appearance. Lauer was desperately trying to get Russert to say "oh yes, Bush is going to go down due to the 1,000th death". And Russert obliged him.
I still maintain that Katie Couric has a double-digit IQ. I'm not saying that to be sarcastic, I really think she's just not very bright.
"essentially saying that it wasn't fair to analyze too closely . . . what John Kerry has said!"
ok. We can't criticize his Vietnam record, his Senate record, his antiwar record and now we can't look at his statements.
What are they running for president? A deaf, blind, mute?
ha ha
Well done and well said. Another example that demonstrates Democrats speak for emotional impact whether their words are logical or not.
How she can get up there and critize the bush admin after her huge failures is beyond me!! takes nerve!!
BS!
I suppose abu Nabas was just vacationing in Baghdad? That the only reason al Zarkowi(?) sought medical help in Iraq was because it the only country to take his insurance card?
This is garbage that everyday people believe, and that the RNC should be screaming is a lie because.. 1) 2) 3) etc etc etc
Funny, she didn't seem to mind Clinton parsing "IS".
Well put.
Russert had his super-serious knit eyebrows look going on. And he gravely intoned that the 1000th death might "refocus the American people on the war in Iraq." Translation: "Bush hasn't been sufficiently bashed lately over Iraq. Maybe this will help."
While flipping through the channels I got a look at Katie for the first time in a long time. She has dyed her hair blonde and has a new doo she also has lost weight, Katie is on the hunt for a new man.
Let's tal;k about an internationalized conflict...Bosnia..coming up on a decade..of US troops there, didn't Bubba say it'd eb a year..and why aren't the Eurpeans, in there own back yards. doing all the work...( hint..they can't)..also..look at Slobbo's trial..THIS is justice?..Three years...and counting..a farce..The gOP should make this case..
"There's nothing COMPLEX about supporting our troops (by voting funds to arm) when they are engaged in battle"..paraphrasing President GW Bush....
Kerry voted for the war and against supporting our troops by voting against the 87 billion dollar funding.
Kerry is a disaster waiting to happen to America.
BUSH/CHENEY 04 ...FOR THE SAKE OF OUR NATION.
Good morning, governs!
Excellent observation. She affects intelligence and seriousness, but beneath the surface is a dim bulb who, when the heat is on, has to resort to yelling "it just ain't so."
Madame Halfbright would likely take a major foreign policy position in a Hanoi Boy administration. N. Korea is largely a problem now cause of a deal Halfbright made with the NK commies over champagne and brisket to trust but not verify their nuke plants. Now they got nukes and are being propped up by the Chinese. Thanks to doveish peaceniks and internationalists we've got all this going for us... :)
Now there's a visual I did not need.
The book ties Bojinka, WTC 1993, TWA 800, and WTC 9/11 to a common threat.
"It's a dirty Republican campaign tactic to quote Kerry word for word!"
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