Weekend Show *Preview* for 10/21 - 10/22/06 (not the live thread)

Just over two weeks left and the wheels appear to be coming off of the DBM/Dhimmicrat juggernaut. Ford has imploded and probably provided the image of the election with his dismal stunt "confronting" Corker. You can just see his world crumble as he stands there, and he knows it. Lieberman is kicking MoveON butt in Connecticut and beginning to hint that he'll caucus with the Republicans if the Dhimmicrats don't give him his seniority. Burns, who everyone counted out, is within striking distance in Montana and Steele is neck and neck in Maryland. And then we have analysis of the polls (example 1, 2) that are starting to show up in the blogs and be discussed by the talking heads pointing out the absurd distortions of party affiliation. The major polls are using "fudge factors" (in Zogby's case it's secret sauce) that have a 5 to 13 percent advantage for Dhimmicrats in their samples, while historically it's not been higher than 4 for either party in decades and is typically 2 or less on election day.

They're cooking the books and they know they're going to get caught. I have a feeling a lot of them are beginning have some sympathy for how Ken Lay and his partners felt as it began to fall apart on them.

So how do I read the shows this week? Very mixed. Some last minute efforts to patch up the "narrative" they want to try to make us follow, countered with some carefully phrased hedging about how things can change. There has also been a marked increase in stories in the DBM about GOP dirty tricks, doctored voting machines, hints of racism or unfair advantages (getting GOP voters to actually vote is an unfair advantage, dontcha know?). They're preparing themselves for failure, not victory and it's a frightening prospect for them.

NBC Meet The Press may have the most emblematic show this week, what with the "great ~~black~~ Democrat hope," Barack Obama, in for a combined interview and anointing. he is a rock star in the media's eyes and the more they hype him the more impact he can have when stumping for their candidates. And he is being talked up as a serious contender for the Presidential nomination in '08 (or is he being positioned as Hillary's VP and ~~token~~ ~~symbol~~ magnificent gesture?). I don't think that lil Timmah actually believes that Obama's a serious candidate for President after not even one full term in the Senate, but he's a perfect symbol to focus future hope on if things do fall apart for the Dhimmicrats on November 7. And then their panel is made up of reliable voices of doom for the Republicans. They have to beat that drum harder for the last two weeks! It looks like a very confused show.

CBS Face The Nation has got attack dog Chucky Schumer and what they think is lap dog Libby Dole. I know Schieffer has a handful of quotes about how poorly she has done running the Senatorial campaign and she's not an infighter, at least not in public. CBS, true to their ideological roots, is going all out to patch up the holes in the Dhimmicrat campaign momentum and they construct their show for that purpose. No back sliding or hedging for them. I expect this to get nasty and personal fairly quickly, even if it is subtle. Schieffer is very good at subtle. The inclusion of a pollster who is predicting doom across the board for the Republicans displays the agenda nicely. Amy Walter also has the advantage of not being a household name and not being one of the more recognizable pundits will be able to go out on a limb further than some of the others who are starting to hear footsteps. Watch for her boss, Charlie Cook, to do a much more convoluted and "nuanced" dance on MTP.

Fox News Sunday continues to give the Senate undue deference, in my estimation, and they've assembled a panel of "experts" on foreign policy, all things military and the true state of the American electorate (whom they see two to 4 days per month). The only thing that these guys truly have in common is that they all think they're not only the smartest person in the room, but they're the smartest people on the planet and way smarter than that rube in the White House. All he has to do is listen to them! Never mind that he did listen to them, all of them, in the run up to Iraq, and they all said the same thing. And these four all went further than Bush in their rhetoric and dire warnings about Saddam's WMDs and they'd been doing it for years before Bush got to town. All of them, even beagle face Levin. But Chris Wallace will genuflect and elicit their wisdom about how wrong the President is and how they have a plan (each of them a different one) that will solve all of the problems everywhere. And Sir Richard Branson is going to single handedly solve the Global Warming crisis, his good buddy Bill Clinton asked him to. How many times do you expect Clinton's Global Initiative will be mentioned as an olive branch to his heinous? I'm betting quite a few, not just today but for some time to come. Daddy Wallace probably lectured Chris about "burning his bridges" once or twice since the interview. The standard panel offers ample opportunity for smack downs what with only three shows before the election. I expect Mara and Juan to be relentlessly "on message" from the faxes they no doubt got from the DNC. It will be interesting to watch Kristol and Hume to see what line they take, based on the assumption that they know the White House talking points and might have some inside information on the polls Rove has. If Brit begins to caution Mara and Juan on their positions or if Kristol begins to get that know it all smirk I'll know I'm reading the tea leaves pretty well.

ABC This Week offers up the most grotesque set up I think I've ever seen with selected and edited portions of Georgie Steponallofus' interview with President Bush, followed by a "rebuttal" by John F'n Kerry. And you know Kerry's been given ample time to (have his speech writers) study the President's comments (and focus group test his responses). He's been trying out some of his lines on the road this week, with several "zingers" I'm sure he's anxious to whip out. Bush made a "gigantic blunder" in Iraq. The Iraq war is manufacturing more terrorists. North Korea built a bomb and we can't do anything about it because we've "lost leverage" and "credibility." Never mind that he, his party and the DBM have been screaming at everyone about how they must not support Bush no matter what. Or that the terrorists set off a bomb and then wait to see if the Dhimmicrats will slavishly march out to the waiting microphones to condemn Bush and not them. Nope, that would make too much sense to view things that way. It's all Bush's fault™. And to top things off they trot out the "classic roundtable" of Bush haters to tout the impending doom of the Republicans, which is also all Bush's fault™. I actually expect Will to defend Senate and House Republicans (at least the RINOs and elite, like himself). If I'm right he'll try to set up any victory as being due to the RINOs bucking Bush and any failure as a referendum on Bush.

CNN Late Edition has their usual "cast of thousands" ranging from retiring Bill Frist to rising media star Andrea Koppel. Like all of the shows this week they seem fixated on the Senate and appear to be looking to that body as the seat of wisdom in Washington. Along with Frist they have Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Senator Jack Reed. Hutchison has made statements this week that put her in the position of agreeing more with Reed than Bush, which will let Wolf try to corner Frist into some sort of admission about how bad things are in Iraq. All of these shows are fishing for sound bites, but Wolf is one of the best in the pregame setup, IMHO. In one of the weirdest twists we have both Zbigniew Brzezinski and Alexander Haig being trotted out as "experts" on how things should be handled around the world. Funny, in dealing with the Middle East and things like North Korea I don't remember either of them being all that successful. Both are cold warriors with believable credentials for discussions on super power relations, but Afghanistan or North Korea? I don't think so. But they'll both say that it's all Bush's fault™, so they'll earn their appearance fees. The media types selected to deliver their collective wisdom, having never actually done anything but talk in their lives, are Ornstein, Allen and a second generation Koppel. Koppel will probably be relatively neutral, as she's still the new kid and hasn't established herself yet. She also doesn't strike me as one of the really strident hype ambitious types, but is more about building up a rep for solid work. Orenstein is the bomb thrower in this crowd, with a new book detailing how the legislative branch of government is broken (and the Republicans broke it). Mike Allen is the wild card, with an article that questioned the conventional wisdom about a Dhimmicrat sweep that came out right at the height of the feeding frenzy over la cage aux Foley. Of course it was written before the Foley scandal broke and got drowned out by that scrum, but it's still out therr and, if he trots out some of the thinking put forward their he might just provide CNN with the cover to say that they were "fair and balanced." Oh, c'mon. You know they want to!

The Saturday shows offer up some interesting meat this week, starting with Mort and Fred apparently starting to hedge their bets and even daring to raise the Reid land deal. Two primary possibilities related to Reid suggest themselves to me. They're either confident that he won't be in a position to hurt them, whether because he's going down or because he'll lose power after November 7, or they're going to debunk and dismiss the charges as mere political dirty tricks by desperate Republicans. I lean towards the latter but hold hope for the former. Tim Russert matches the "let's all think about '08" of having Barack Obama on MTP by having John Edwards wife Elizabeth, on his CNBC show. She's written a "profiles in courage" type of tome dealing with tragedy through the help of both friends and strangers. It may be that it's a form of "it takes a village to survive cancer," but her shot at Hillary in a separate venue this week adds an odd dissonance to that notion. I don't know when this show gets done, but if it was after that shot about Hillary not being happy due to her life choices I wouldn't put bets on lil Timmah asking about it. Fox News Watch finally addresses the obvious slant in reporting on the election this year. If they are true to form it will be a combination of "it's not real, we didn't do it and the bias is really in favor of the right wing." That last will be from Neal. And then the Journal Editorial Report gives us Mark Steyn. Have I said I really like the Journal Editorial Report?

So, a mixed bag this weekend with some attempts to shore up the most recent "master strategy that is guaranteed to win back Congress for the rightful masters of the little people™" and a bit of butt covering in case the plan doesn't work. I actually think that the big story to come out of this election will be the fall out from the Dhimmicrats not winning either chamber, or even losing some ground. The devastating impact on both the Dhimmicrats and DBM if that should happen will, I think, prove final and fatal for both institutions as we know them. Someone mainstream is going to twig to that in the next two weeks and be able to make it a convincing argument. That person will break out as the new "pundit extraordinaire." Unfortunately, if I'm right that the DBM will be discredited as well as the Dhimmicrats, there may be nowhere for that new king of all punditry to go pontificate because we may see all of the screaming head shows replaced by reruns of Gilligan's Island and the syndicated version of Deal or No Deal.

Sorry to be so late posting this time. I'm getting set to travel on business both this week and again the week after. I should be able to put up next weeks thread, perhaps even sooner than today's, but the first Friday in November is probably right out. I may not even get anything up before the Saturday shows are history. But I'll try.

This will be 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!

Something new this week

I decided I didn't recognize who some of the people were this week, even after looking them up, so I went out and looked for pictures. I thought that might help others too, so here are the faces to go along with the names for the Sunday Shows. I avoided the worst editorial choices, but will admit to trying to be a bit playful in a couple of cases. This may really annoy some people, so please let me know if it's worth doing or if I should drop it. All or some of these may disappear or get blocked as I'm just linking to pictures already out there. I did try to limit that to primarily large institutions or government sites. I hope this works.

Fox News Sunday


Senator Richard Lugar	Senator John Warner	Senator Joe Biden	Senator Carl Levin	Sir Richard Branson

Chris Wallace	Brit Hume	Bill Kristol	Juan Williams	Mara Liasson

ABC This Week


President George W. Bush	Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass	Kelly Kulick

George Stephanopoulos	George Will	Cokie Roberts	Sam Donaldson

CBS Face The Nation


Chuck Schumer	Elizabeth Dole	Bob Schieffer	Amy Walter

CNN Late Edition


Bill Frist	Kay Bailey Hutchison	Jack Reed	Alexander Haig	Zbigniew Brzezinski

Norm Ornstein	Mike Allen	Andrea Koppel	Wolf Blitzer

NBC Meet The Press


Barack Obama	David Broder	Charlie Cook

John Harwood	Robert Novak	Tim Russert

Saturday Shows for 10/21/06

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:
- Remember how we told you last week that the Republicans in the House were doomed? This we want to cover our behinds, just a tiny bit... just in case.
- Okay, okay. We'll talk about Dingy Harry, but our heart's not going to be in it (he's got friends we don't want to get mad at us).
Topics:
- What's the GOP plan to stave off major losses in Congressional races?
- Have corruption charges against Harry Reid finally reached critical mass?
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:
- A "profiles in courage" interview as part of the patented NBC build up of potential Democrat candidates and their families
Topics:
- Tim talks with Elizabeth Edwards about confronting breast cancer, coping with losing a child and her new book, 'Saving Graces'.
Guests
- Elizabeth Edwards
  - Author 'Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers'
CNBC's Tim Russert Show airs Saturday at 7pm, 10pm & 1am ET

Fox News Watch (Eric Burns)

Meme:
- The public has noticed that all of old media is in the tank for the Dhimmicrats... quick, start the cover up! Really, we knew nothing!
- Is CNN morphing into the propaganda arm of the Jihadis? What? That's been the case for more than a decade? Who knew?
- And to prove that we can do tabloid crap too, here's Madonna!
Topics:
- Pessimistic predictions by the press about the midterm elections
- Controversial call: Should CNN have aired insurgent video of snipers killing U.S. soldiers in Iraq?
- Media cynicism surrounding Madonna's adoption plans
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:
- It's Mark Steyn. 'Nuff Said.
- Ford does too have a chance... oh, I hadn't seen that video before... never mind.
Topics:
- Opinion Journal web page: "On the Mark"
  - An interview with columnist Mark Steyn on his new book warning about the "torpor of the West" against the threat from Islamic fascism.
  - A special look at the surprisingly close Tennessee Senate race
  - Why the strong U.S. economy gets no respect.
- Fox News Channel web page
  - 'America Alone': New book says U.S. will be last line of defense against growing tide of Islamic fascism
  - Will rising take home pay and stock prices boost the GOP?
Guests
- Mark Steyn
  - Author 'America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It"
  - SteynOnline web site | Wikipedia Bio
  - Mark Steyn: The 2 finalists for UnAmerican Idol (OCRegister, CA - Sep 24, 2006)
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 11 p.m. and again Sunday at 6 a.m. ET

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:
- The executive powers of the Presidency are inherently evil and must be constrained by the omniscient voices in the all wise US Senate
- Obama is so cool! He's even better than Bill Clinton! Look, he really IS black! Well, at least he's a whole lot blacker than Bill was.
- Congress is broken and it's all the Republicans fault - everything was perfect when the Dhimmicrats ran things
- The Republicans are so doomed... no we're not... yes you are!
- We are in so much danger from the people that George Bush is fighting and labeled "the axis of evil" and it's Bush's fault™.
- Everybody in the whole world hates GWB, does he know that?
Topics:
- Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), the man Time magazine dubbed "The Future of the Democratic Party" and the "man who could be the next president" on:
  - Domestic politics
  - Foreign policy
  - His new book, "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream."
- With less than three weeks until the midterm elections, a new NBC Wall Street Journal Poll signals Republican troubles as the public's disapproval of Congress grows. We've assembled the best and brightest in political analysis for a special pre-election roundtable with David Broder, Charlie Cook, John Harwood, and syndicated c.
Guests
- Senator Barack Obama, Democrat - Illinois
  - Senate web site | Bio
  - Author "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream."
  - Obama's a big draw in Seattle; should Clinton be worried? (Seattle Times, United States - Oct 20, 2006)
  - The Audactiy of Hope (by Barack Obama) Rising Star (Washington Post - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Obama’s Project Runway (Dowd Is Back And She Is Doing Better) (NY Times excerpt and FR thread - Oct 21, 2006)
  - Obama: Iran, Syria Should 'Take Ownership for Stability' of Iraq (NewsBusters - Oct 21, 2006)
  - Get-Out-The-Vote Rally with US Senator Barack Obama for Gov. Doyle (WisPolitics.com, WI - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Barack Obama: 9/11 fever has broken (Oct 20, 2006)
  - Barack Obama rallies for Menendez in New Jersey (Denver Post, CO - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Pondering The Dynamic Barack Obama (The Moderate Voice - Oct 17, 2006)
- Roundtable
  - David Broder
    - Columnist, The Washington Post | Bio
    - Congress's Dismal Grades (Washington Post - Oct 19, 2006)
  - Charlie Cook
    - Columnist, National Journal
    - Editor and Publisher, The Cook Political Report | Bio
    - Category 5 Hurricane Heads for House GOP (Cook Political Report - Oct 13, 2006)
  - John Harwood
    - Chief Washington Correspondent, CNBC
    - Columnist, The Wall Street Journal | Bio
    - Why the Center Matters in This Election (Wall Street Journal - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Robert Novak
    - Columnist, Chicago Sun Times | Bio
    - Democratic committee chair selling access for late campaign donations (Chicago Sun-Times - Oct 15, 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)

CBS Face The Nation (Bob Schieffer)

Meme:
- The executive powers of the Presidency are inherently evil and must be constrained by the omniscient voices in the all wise US Senate
- The Republicans are so doomed... no we're not... yes you are!
- We are in so much danger from the people that George Bush is fighting and labeled "the axis of evil" and it's Bush's fault™.
Topics:
- The Midterm Elections
Guests
- Sen. Chuck Schumer, Democrat - New York
  - Senate web site | Bio
  - Chair, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
  - Dems and Deficit Spending (National Review Online Blogs, NY - Oct 18, 2006)
  - Attn: Chuck Schumer (National Journal, DC - Oct 17, 2006)
  - Sen. Chuck Schumer Gloats: We Can Win (NewsMax.com, FL - Oct 3, 2006)
  - Demonstrators Lay Coffins At Chuck Schumer’s Door (Canarsie Digest, New York - Oct 5, 2006)
  - A 'mother lode' of remains (New York Daily News, NY - Oct 21, 2006)
  - Administration OK With Iraq-Tet Offensive Comparisons (FOX News - Oct 19, 2006)
- Sen. Elizabeth Dole, Republican - North Carolina
  - Senate web site | Bio
  - Chair, Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee
  - Negative Nancies (Daily Colonial, DC - Oct 16, 2006)
  - Sen. Dole headlines Talent event (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, United States - Oct 18, 2006)
  - Talent and McCaskill fight to the finish (MSNBC - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Senate race slings 'lobbyists' as mud (Seattle Post Intelligencer - Oct 17, 2006)
  - Importers Protest Anti-Dumping Commitment (Textile World Magazine, Georgia - Oct 17, 2006)
  - Graham, Dole Lift Hold on Vietnam Trade Bill (Women's Wear Daily - Sep 29, 2006)
  - Dole: A switch taught her lesson (Charlotte Observer, NC - Oct 2, 2006)
  - Democrats try to ride wave back to power (Kansas City Star, MO - Oct 17, 2006)
- Amy Walter
  - Senior Editor, The Cook Political Report | Bio
  - Indiana GOP's safe seats now up for grabs (San Francisco Chronicle - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Plenty of time on the clock (Cincinnati Post, OH - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Inside Report for Oct. 19 (2TheAdvocate, LA - Oct 18, 2006)
  - Democrats try to ride wave back to power (Kansas City Star, MO - Oct 17, 2006)
  - Foley Case Is Campaign Fodder for Democrats (ktla 5, CA - Oct 8, 2006)
Face The Nation contact information - ftn@cbsnews.com

Fox News Sunday (Chris Wallace)

Meme:
- The executive powers of the Presidency are inherently evil and must be constrained by the omniscient voices in the all wise US Senate
- We are in so much danger from the people that George Bush is fighting and labeled "the axis of evil," is it Bush's fault?
- The Republicans are so doomed... maybe... maybe not?
Topics:
- The the four most powerful members of the U.S. Senate regarding military affairs and foreign policy discuss whether current American policies adequately address current national security threats?:
  - Escalating violence in Iraq
    - The administration awaits the conclusions of a committee of experts led by former Secretary of State James Baker regarding U.S. strategy in Iraq
    - Is Senator Biden's plan to create autonomous regions in Iraq part of the solution?
    - What are the prospects for U.S. troop withdrawals in 2007?
  - Continued North Korean threats in the wake of last week's nuclear test
    - The prospects for confronting the rogue state's nuclear capabilities.
    - Last week's U.N. Security Council Resolution
    - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's trip to Asia
    - Has the U.S. built a unified coalition to effectively deal with Kim Jong-Il?
    - Will the U.S. be able to force North Korea to give up nuclear weapons and bring the state back to the negotiating table, or will we have to learn to live with an nuclear-armed North Korea?
- With 16 days until election day the FOX News Sunday panel will discuss the impact of the week's events on the midterm elections and GOP's chances of maintaining control of the House and Senate.
- Complete essay Coming Up on 'FOX News Sunday'
Guests
- Senator Richard Lugar, Republican - Indiana
  - Senate web site | Bio
  - Disillusionment with GOP scares lawmaker (Seattle Post Intelligencer - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Shoo-in Lugar shares wealth with GOP (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN - Oct 18, 2006)
  - Indiana races could help tip balance of Congress (Fort Wayne News Sentinel, IN - Oct 17, 2006)
  - Lugar Expects North Korea To Be Vexing Problem (WAVE, KY - Oct 10, 2006)
  - REBUILDING RWANDA, ORGANIZING FOR DARFUR (USC Center on Public Diplomacy, CA - Oct 15, 2006)
  - Lugar, Bayh on opposite sides of terrorism vote (WTHR, IN - Sep 29, 2006)
  - White House May Appoint John Bolton Deputy UN Ambassador with Pay Cut to Keep Him at UN (Huffington Post - Sep 23, 2006)
  - National eyes fixed on our race (South Bend Tribune, IN - Oct 14, 2006)
  - Hoosier senators introducing bill requiring hospitals to report on meeting safety standards (Terre Haute Tribune Star, IN - Oct 19, 2006)
  - Sen. Lugar hosts summit, outlines expanded energy plan (Biodiesel Magazine, ND - Oct 16, 2006)
- Senator John Warner, Republican - Virginia
  - Senate web site | Bio
  - Allen and John Warner team up in TV spot (The Free Lance-Star, VA - Oct 16, 2006)
  - Warners on the Stump (Washington Post, United States - Oct 16, 2006)
  - Mark and John Warner prove popular proxies in Va. Senate race (WDBJ7.com, VA - Oct 16, 2006)
  - Sen. John Warner: Iraq War 'Drifting Sideways' (NewsMax.com, FL - Oct 6, 2006)
  - Finally, Republican realists form Iraq policy (Jacksonville Daily News, NC - Oct 18, 2006)
  - Warner takes issue with McGavick remarks (San Jose Mercury News, USA - Oct 16, 2006)
- Senator Joe Biden, Democrat - Delaware
  - Senate web site | Bio
  - Delaware Sen. Joe Biden politicks around the state (Boston Globe, United States - Oct 14, 2006)
  - Who Is Joe Biden? Republican Party Asks - and Answers (CNSNews.com, VA - Oct 5, 2006)
  - White House in tight spot over Bush's Iraq war comments (ABC Online, Australia - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Yen Stems Losses After Kim Apologizes to China for Nuclear Test (Bloomberg - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Iraq threatens to derail Republicans (Globe and Mail, Canada - Oct 20, 2006)
  - The UN's Rigged Standards (FrontPage magazine.com, CA - Oct 19, 2006)
- Senator Carl Levin, Democrat - Michigan
  - Senate web site | Bio
  - Key Senate Democrats Call For US - North Korean Talks (Voice of America - Oct 18, 2006)
  - Talk of deadlines will encourage insurgents (Mobile Register, AL - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Levin calls for altering Iraq plan (South Bend Tribune, IN - Oct 18, 2006)
  - Clip shows big-time lobbyists getting cozy with Democrats (Boston Globe, United States - Oct 19, 2006)
  - Defense appropriations fund WMU research (WMU News, MI - Oct 17, 2006)
  - Saddam verdict expected Nov. 5 (Coos Bay World, OR - Oct 16, 2006)
- Sir Richard Branson
  - Founder of The Virgin Group | Bio
  - Live from DMA06: Sir Richard Branson Dishes on Virgin’s Brands (Multichannel Merchant, CT - Oct 17, 2006)
  - Richard Branson comes to the aid of little Ellie (Worcester News, UK - Oct 16, 2006)
  - Richard Branson pledges $3 billion to tackle global warming (ABC Online, Australia - Sep 22, 2006)
  - Richard Branson targets 25 pct cut in world aviation emissions (Life Style Extra, UK - Sep 27, 2006)
  - Richard Branson unveils spaceship design (CBC News, Canada - Sep 28, 2006)
- Roundtable:
  - Brit Hume
    - Managing Editor, FOX News | Bio
    - From last night's Brit Hume panel: (National Review Online Blogs, NY - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Bill Kristol
    - Editor, The Weekly Standard | Bio
    - Friday Night Fights: Shepard Smith vs. Bill Kristol (NewsBusters - Sep 30, 2006)
  - Juan Williams
    - Senior National Correspondent, NPR | Bio
    - Juan Williams deserves the heat for his new book blaming blacks (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, United States - Oct 18, 2006)
  - Mara Liasson
    - National Political Correspondent, NPR | Bio
    - Republicans Scramble to Save Congressional Majority (NPR - Oct 20, 2006)
Fox News Sunday contact information - FNS@foxnews.com

ABC This Week (George Stephanopoulos)

Meme:
- The executive powers of the Presidency are inherently evil and must be constrained by the omniscient voices in the all wise US Senate
- Bush says there are similarities between Vietnam and Iraq (we left out the part about it being the treason committed by folks like John Kerry and the DBM)
- We are in so much danger from the people that George Bush is fighting and labeled "the axis of evil" and it's Bush's fault™.
- Everybody in the whole world hates GWB, does he know that?
- Listen to John Kerry, he has a plan!
Topics:
- Never-before-seen portions of their exclusive, one-on-one interview with President Bush.
  - Beyond the headlines on North Korea and an acknowledgement of one comparison between Iraq and Vietnam
  - Bush sounds off on
    - Dissension in the Republican ranks
    - His disappointment with unethical behavior in Congress
    - His legislative agenda for the last two years of his administration.
  - Plus, the personal side of the presidency — has President Bush read the books written about him?
- 2004 presidential nominee and 2008 presidential hopeful Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., gives the Democratic perspective on:
  - The president's reaction to the comparison between Iraq and Vietnam
  - The administration's handling of the crisis in North Korea. What would he do differently? Do Democrats have a better plan?
  - The fight for control of Congress
- Voices Segment: Kelly Kulick discusses her passion for bowling and the challenges of being the first woman to qualify for a full season on the professional tour
Guests
- President George W. Bush
  - George W Bush, Antichrist (Pulse of the Twin Cities, MN - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Black Angels set their sights on George W. Bush’s war machine (Georgia Straight, Canada - Oct 19, 2006)
  - George.W. Bush Thinks Christians Are Idiots (NewsBlaze, CA - Oct 17, 2006)
  - What Would Benjamin Franklin Say to George W. Bush? (John Birch Society, WI - Oct 17, 2006)
  - Eroding freedom: From John Adams to George W. Bush (Online Journal, FL - Oct 12, 2006)
  - Deranging consequences of 9/11 (Times Online, UK - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Iraq complicates US mid-terms (ABC Online, Australia - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Bush meeting again with commanders in Iraq as Democrats increase pressure (Mainichi Daily News, Japan - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Administration OK With Iraq-Tet Offensive Comparisons (FOX News - Oct 19, 2006)
  - In Congress, some supporters are wavering on war issues (Kansas City Star, MO - Oct 21, 2006)
  - The genteel revolt that is remaking US policy on Iraq (Guardian Unlimited, UK - Oct 20, 2006)
  - White House Upbeat About GOP Prospects (Washington Post, United States - Oct 14, 2006)
  - A GOP Surprise Courtesy of Investors? (U.S. News & World Report, DC - Oct 20, 2006)
  - GOP panic over midterm elections ends at White House front door (Seattle Times, United States - Oct 15, 2006)
- Sen. John Kerry, Democrat - Massachusetts
  - Senate web site | Bio
  - Kerry criticizes Bush's record on budget (Boston Globe, United States - Oct 20, 2006)
  - John Kerry stumps for local, state Democrats (Beaufort Gazette, SC - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Dems Pressure Kerry, Bayh to Give To DSCC (National Journal, DC - Oct 19, 2006)
  - John Kerry Says He Deserves Second Chance Presidential Bid (LifeNews.com, MT - Oct 17, 2006)
  - Kerry: Bush Assurances on Iraq a Blunder (Los Angeles Chronicle, USA - Oct 18, 2006)
  - Kerry Continues Pounding Bush's Handling of War (The Conservative Voice, NC - Oct 18, 2006)
  - Transcript: Senator John Kerry on 'FOX News Sunday' (FOX News - Oct 16, 2006)
  - Iraq war worsening terrorism, John Kerry charges (Reuters AlertNet, UK - Oct 13, 2006)
  - John Kerry's consistent inconsistencies (Town Hall, DC - Oct 16, 2006)
- Roundtable
  - George Will
    - Political commentator, ABC News
    - Syndicated columnist | Bio
    - Prosperity Amid the Gloom (Washington Post - Oct 19, 2006)
  - Cokie Roberts
    - Political commentator, ABC News
    - Contributing Senior News Analyst, NPR | Bio
    - The return of the mommy vote Cokie ROBERTS Steven V. ROBERTS & (The Argus, CA - Oct 9, 2006)
  - Sam Donaldson
    - Political commentator, ABC News | Bio
    - ABC on Barney Frank Scandal: No Political Hay for GOP, He's 'Truly Gifted' (NewsBusters - Oct 5, 2006)
- Voices Segment: Kelly Kulick
ABC This Week comment web page

CNN Late Edition (Wolf Blitzer)

Meme:
- The executive powers of the Presidency are inherently evil and must be constrained by the omniscient voices in the all wise US Senate
- Congress is broken and it's all the Republicans fault - everything was perfect when the Dhimmicrats ran things
- The Republicans are so doomed... no we're not... yes you are!
- Cheney says it was premature to say we were "over the hump" in terms of violence in Iraq (we left out the part about the how the violence is being committed in order to get the Dhimmicrats and the DBM to react the way they do)
- We are in so much danger from the people that George Bush is fighting and labeled "the axis of evil" and it's Bush's fault™.
- Everybody in the whole world hates GWB, does he know that?
- We must listen to the people who messed up the world 20 and 30 years ago about what needs to be done to fix it now... wait a minute...
Topics:
- With only 16 days until the midterm elections, will Republicans maintain control of Congress?
- The strategy debate about Iraq.
Guests
- Senator Bill Frist M.D., Republican - Tennessee
  - Senate web site | Bio
  - Senate Majority Leader .
  - Frist says local issues will decide Senate races (Nashville City Paper, TN - Oct 19, 2006)
  - Bill Frist: The world must stand firmly against North Korea’s nuclear ambitions (Examiner.com - Oct 16, 2006)
  - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist on Passage of Terror Detainee Bill (FOX News - Sep 29, 2006)
  - Frist Bashes McCain Bill in GOP Rift on Detainees (Los Angeles Times, CA - Sep 20, 2006)
  - Frist Wants Vote on Immigration Bill (Washington Post, United States - Sep 24, 2006)
  - SEN. FRIST'S KIN REAPS $135M (New York Post, NY - Oct 20, 2006)
  - FRIST SILENT AFTER ONLINE GAMBLING BILL SIGNING (Online-Casinos.com, Denmark - Oct 15, 2006)
- Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Republican - Texas
  - Senate web site | Bio
  - Hutchison: WMD Info Swayed Vote on Iraq (Washington Post, United States - Oct 20, 2006)
  - EDITORIAL: Our picks in the down-ballot races (Lufkin Daily News, TX - Oct 19, 2006)
  - Senator backed by former first lady (Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX - Oct 18, 2006)
  - Through Ticketing Now At Love Field (KXAN-TV, TX - Oct 19, 2006)
  - Bush meeting again with commanders in Iraq as Democrats increase pressure (Mainichi Daily News, Japan - Oct 21, 2006)
  - In Congress, some supporters are wavering on war issues (Kansas City Star, MO - Oct 21, 2006)
  - The genteel revolt that is remaking US policy on Iraq (Guardian Unlimited, UK - Oct 20, 2006)
- Senator Jack Reed, Democrat - Rhode Island
  - Senate web site | Bio
  - Member, Senate Armed Services Committee
  - A Conversation on Iraq and Afghanistan with Sen. Jack Reed (D- RI) (U.S. Newswire (press release), DC - Oct 17, 2006)
  - Pressure Mounts on Iraqis to Quell Violence (NPR - Oct 21, 2006)
  - Sen. Jack Reed: Pakistan Must Stop Taliban (NewsMax.com, FL - Oct 6, 2006)
  - Key Senate Democrats Call For US - North Korean Talks (Voice of America - Oct 18, 2006)
  - Delegation from RI condemns N. Korea (Providence Journal, RI - Oct 11, 2006)
- Alexander Haig
  - Former Secretary of State | Bio
  - Smart Circle International to appear on Alexander Haig’s World Business Review TV Series, on CNBC (Business Wire (press release), CA - Oct 19, 2006)
  - President Bush, I'm Glad You're No JFK (Human Events, DC - Oct 19, 2006)
  - "Strategic Consensus" Redux? (ZNet, MA - Oct 10, 2006)
  - Reprocessing Dan Halutz (Arutz Sheva, Israel - Oct 10, 2006)
  - Tough talk over Bush's handling of threats (International Herald Tribune, France - Sep 24, 2006)
- Zbigniew Brzezinski
  - Former National Security Adviser | Bio
  - Counselor and trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies | Bio
  - A Consensus Develops: Leave the Course (Antiwar.com, CA - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Nixon knew Rumsfeld was not the one (San Francisco Chronicle, USA - Oct 15, 2006)
  - CNN’s John Roberts: 'Some' Fault Bush For 'Increasingly Islamophobic Language' (NewsBusters - Sep 20, 2006)
- Norm Ornstein
  - Scholar, American Enterprise Institute | Bio
  - Author of "The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track"
  - The Way Out (Huffington Post - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Reynolds Confident in GOP Prospects Despite Polls (AXcess News, NV - Oct 19, 2006)
  - Could Pelosi, Bush get along? (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN - Oct 18, 2006)
  - Moderate Republicans at risk Nov. 7 (Albuquerque Tribune, NM - Oct 18, 2006)
  - Hurricane or Not, Democrats Have Wind Behind Their Backs (AXcess News, NV - Oct 13, 2006)
  - Is the legislative branch broken? (Marketplace, CA - Oct 2, 2006)
  - Bush rejects minimum experience to lead FEMA (Times Picayune, LA - Oct 7, 2006)
- Mike Allen
  - White House Correspondent, Time Magazine
  - Exclusive Interview: Cheney on Elections and Iraq (TIME - Oct 20, 2006)
  - Campaign 2006: The Republicans' Secret Weapon (TIME - Oct 1, 2006)
  - 4 Places Where the System Broke Down (Time - Sep 19, 2006)
- Andrea Koppel
  - Congressional correspondent, CNN | Bio
  - Partisan sniping and professional courtesy (Hamline University Oracle Online, Minnesota - Oct 16, 2006)
  - Kolbe warned clerk about Foley, denies confrontation (CNN - Oct 10, 2006)
  - Lawyer: FBI To Question Former Aide About Foley Scandal (KLTV, TX - Oct 5, 2006)
  - Investigators to House: Keep Foley documents (CNN International - Oct 4, 2006)
  - CNN, NY Times Hype Dem Campaign Ad as News on Foley Scandal Fallout (NewsBusters - Oct 4, 2006)
CNN Late Edition (web page for comments)

Are you telling me I need a martini? LOL!

We need political geek flashcards, with pictures and questions.

Samples:

Who took Chelsea Clinton's cat?

What type of car did Colin Powell own?

Which rock star toured Africa with a Treasury Secretary?

What corporation did Secretary O'Neill head before signing onto the cabinet?

What daughter of a political family visited President Clinton while HIllaary was out of town?

Which famous Republican wife was a homecoming queen?

Which Republican senator was in the Junior Miss contest? And which TV correspondent was as well?

I have a million things like this stored in my brain, rodguy. Perhaps it's why I can't find my car keys sometimes...storage overload!

Oooo, Ooooo! I know a couple of those!

Which rock star toured Africa with a Treasury Secretary?

Bono, and the Treasury Secretary in question is the subject of the next question

What corporation did Secretary O'Neill head before signing onto the cabinet?

He was CEO of Alcoa (and chairman, I think)

I know both of those because I know (knew) Paul O'Neill. Before he headed Alcoa he was President of the company I still work for. I was the PC guy who worked on his PC and he was one of my early adopters of PC stuff in that company in the early 80s. I got to know him pretty well.

I have a million things like this stored in my brain, rodguy. Perhaps it's why I can't find my car keys sometimes...storage overload!

I'm counting on an auxiliary memory unit being available soon from someplace like Radio Shack. It will go along with the Star Trek like vision system that they'll plug into me to replace my failing eyes. Of course, there are issues with both of those ideas. The vision system will have to be highly computerized, maybe even complex enough to be considered AI. What if that system decides that there are certain things just too nasty to show me? Say there's a really ugly lady and the system chooses to show me someone really nice looking, as in Shallow Hal? Or how about there's a truck bearing down on me and the system decides to spare me the anxiety of seeing it coming? Or would the memory system selectively edit out or add certain things to my memory? And I can only hope that it's not based on Windows software. Can you imagine a "blue screen of death" type error for either system?

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