Weekend Show *Preview* for 2/17 - 2/18/07 (not the live thread)

Very late and abbreviated post this week. The demands of my real job combined with inclement weather on a business trip this week has me way behind the eight ball right now. I will therefore spare you my usual overblown and overly dramatic posting and limit myself to the necessary

Very, very, very, very, very abbreviated preview this week. Combine a demanding week of business travel up to Cincinnati with some nasty weather and things just work out that way.

Good shows, particularly the ones with Tony Snow, Mitch McConnell and Newt. Oh, and how can I not watch a show with :Penn Jillette?

The show by show stuff will have to stand on its own without my usual pithy commentary (awwwwwww, you must be broken hearted!).

This should be cross posted to my blog at Wizards.townhall.com later today. 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 valuable 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!

Mark Kilmer has posted his excellent preview of the Sunday shows over at Redstate.COM. I will try post a link to his Sunday review when it is up.

Saturday Shows For February 17, 2007

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:
- There's a controversy over the "surrender now" policy of the Dhimmicrats? Who knew?
- Wow! The officially endorsed DBM candidates aren't getting universal support? Who'd a thunk it?
- Did anyone suspect that there were people outside the US who didn't like us? Who'd a thunk it?
Topics:
- What's the Dem's "slow bleed" strategy really suggesting?
- Trouble ahead for Giuliani and McCain?
- Is Obama getting huffy with the press?
- Vladimir Putin's latest outburst
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:
- Anyone who toes the PC leftist line in the judiciary is a god
- Anyone who rejects the PC leftist line in the judiciary is a reactionary and lacks "judicial temperament"
Topics:
- Tim goes behind the scenes of the Supreme Court with two authors
Guests
- Jan Crawford Greenburg
  - ABC News Legal Correspondent | Bio
  - Author Supreme Conflict: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Control of the United States Supreme Court
  - Jan Crawford Greenburg on "judicial independence" (Point of Law, NY - Feb 15, 2007)
  - "Supreme Conflict" by Jan Crawford Greenburg (New York Times, NY - Jan 23, 2007)
  - Justice Thomas Is a Cogent Thinker (The Conservative Voice, NC - Feb 16, 2007)
  - Justice in the Balance (Washington Post, DC - Feb 10, 2007)
  - AG Warned Bush on Miers Nomination (ABC News - Feb 4, 2007)
  - Spotlight on the nation's highest court (Christian Science Monitor, MA - Feb 5, 2007)
- Jeffrey Rosen
  - George Washington University Law School Professor of Law | Bio
  - Judging the Justices (Washington Post - Feb 17, 2007)
  - Assessing Chief Justice William Rehnquist's Tenure on the Supreme Court: Is Jeffrey Rosen's Assessment Unduly Rosy? (FindLaw, CA - Feb 15, 2007)
  - Supreme Court loses some of its mystery (Sauk Valley Newspapers, IL - Feb 16, 2007)
  - Experts Offer Glimpse into Workings of Supreme Court (PBS - Jan 30, 2007)
  - Spotlight on the nation's highest court (Christian Science Monitor, MA - Feb 5, 2007)
CNBC's Tim Russert Show airs Saturday at 7pm, 10pm & 1am ET

Fox News Watch (Eric Burns)

Meme:
- McChimpy Bushitler is actually still doing his job. Who'd a thunk it? Let's ignore him.
- If there's any way the DBM can trash the really good GOP candidates, they'll take it
Topics:
- North Korea pledges to give up its nukes. Will it help the president with the press?
- Why so much media focus on Mitt Romney's Mormon faith?
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:
- We live in a troubled world
- Hillary will shift with the wind to try to pander for votes
Topics:
- Opinion Journal web page: Where Is She Today?
  - The politics of Iraq:
    - the debates over the no-confidence resolution in the House
    - the debates over Hillary Clinton's changing views
  - Also, how bad is the North Korea nuclear deal?
- Fox News Channel web page
  - Hillary's left turn: Can her 'get out of Iraq fast' agenda succeed?
  - What are the real intentions behind the Iraq Resolution?
  - Is Kim Jong Il really ready to abandon his nuclear ambitions?
Guests
- None listed
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:
- Bush is wrong, Bush is wrong, great god almighty, Bush is wrong! And we at NBC will do our best to convince you of that fact
- Did you know that there are actually troops in Iraq who believe in what they are doing? Not according to NBC. They will get their reporter on the scene to tell you that (or fire his ass)
Topics:
- A showdown on Iraq in both the House and Senate
  - Reaction from the White House Press Secretary
  - Two Senators opposed to the president's troop surge, one Republican (RINO), one Democrat
Guests
- Tony Snow
  - White House Press Secretary | BBC profile
  - Snow: Troop Surge Strategy Something New (Playfuls.com, Romania - Feb 15, 2007)
  - Tony Snow: 'I'm Not Sure Anything Went Wrong' In Iraq (Editor & Publisher - Feb 15, 2007)
  - Press official Snow to speak in College Station (Bryan College Station Eagle, TX - Feb 16, 2007)
  - Tony Snow Tells CNN’s Ed Henry to Calm Down (NewsBusters - Feb 14, 2007)
  - Tony Snow Calls Lead in Today's 'NYT' Iran Editorial 'Dumbest' He's Seen in Awhile (Editor & Publisher - Feb 13, 2007)
- Senator Chuck Hagel - Republican - Nebraska
  - Senate web site | Bio
  - Sen. Chuck Hagel plans to write book this year (Beatrice Daily Sun - Feb 16, 2007)
  - Hagel, Lautenberg Introduce Bill to Cap Military Heathcare Costs (Southwest Nebraska News, NE - Feb 16, 2007)
  - 10 Questions: Chuck Hagel (CBS News, NY - Feb 9, 2007)
  - Senate tries anew for vote rebuking Bush's Iraq policy (Gulf News, United Arab Emirates - Feb 16, 2007)
  - Finally, Something to Agree with Chuck Hagel About [Andy McCarthy] (National Review Online Blogs, NY - Feb 8, 2007)
  - Sen. Chuck Hagel: 'Not an Anti-War Candidate' (NewsMax.com, FL - Feb 5, 2007)
- Senator Jack Reed - Democrat - Rhode Island
  - Senate web site | Bio
  - Transcript: Sen. Jack Reed on 'FNS' (FOX News - Feb 11, 2007)
  - Douglas Feith, Mitch McConnell, Jack Reed, Roundtable (RealClearPolitics, IL - Feb 11, 2007)
  - Reed to announce new committee appointments (Eyewitness News, RI - Jan 23, 2007)
  - Delegation opposes Bush policy on Iraq (Providence Journal, RI - Feb 15, 2007)
  - Anti-war resolution fails in Senate (Washington Times, DC - Feb 17, 2007)
  - Report: Iran Building Bombs for Insurgents (WCBD-TV, SC - Feb 12, 2007)
- Richard Engel
  - NBC News Middle East Correspondent/ Beirut Bureau Chief | Bio
  - NBC's Engel Embedded with Troops: 'All Told Me It's Time to End This War' (NewsBusters - Feb 9, 2007)
  - NBC's Engel Relays Frustrations of Soldiers Disturbed by Opposition to War Back Home (NewsBusters - Jan 26, 2007)
  - Our self-centered troops in Iraq (Blogger News Network - Feb 10, 2007)
  - ABC Showcases Take from Soldiers in Iraq on Anti-Surge Resolution: 'Sick' & 'Treason' (NewsBusters - Feb 13, 2007)
  - The Troops Also Need to Support the American People (Washington Post, DC - Jan 30, 2007)
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:
- Bush is wrong, Bush is wrong, great god almighty, Bush is wrong! And we at CBS will do our best to convince you of that fact
- Biden's back and Bobby's got him!
Topics:
- IRAQ, IRAN AND NORTH KOREA
Guests
- Sen. Joseph Biden, Democrat - Delaware
  - Senate web site | Bio
  - Chairman, Foreign Relations Committee
  - 2008 Presidential Candidate
  - Senator Joseph Biden: A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing (American Daily, OH - Feb 15, 2007)
  - US Iraq: Biden (WLBT-TV, MS - Feb 16, 2007)
  - Choose words carefully (Orlando Sentinel, FL - Feb 17, 2007)
  - Why 'Macaca' Was Worse (Washington Post, DC - Feb 17, 2007)
- Sen. Richard Lugar, Republican - Indiana
  - Senate web site | Bio
  - Foreign Relations Committee
  - Lugar talks about senate vote (WTHR, IN - Jan 28, 2007)
  - Lugar Opposes Measure Critical of President (Fox 28, IN - Jan 24, 2007)
- Doyle McManus
  - Washington Bureau Chief, The Los Angeles Times
  - McManus of 'LAT' After 'NYT' Hires Baquet: 'We'll Just Go Out and Kick Their Ass' (Editor & Publisher - Jan 30, 2007)
  - Ousted LA Times Editor Is Rejoining New York Times (Washington Post, DC - Jan 30, 2007)
  - 'LA Times' Staffers Greet Merged Newsroom With Cautious Enthusiasm (Editor & Publisher - Jan 24, 2007)
- Josephine Hearn
  - The Politico
  - The Politico Roundtable (CBS News, NY - Jan 21, 2007)
  - Hue goes there, congressman? (Fort Wayne News Sentinel, IN - Feb 13, 2007)
  - Pelosi Says She Wasn't Consulted On Iraq (CBS News, NY - Jan 25, 2007)
Face The Nation contact information - ftn@cbsnews.com

Fox News Sunday (Chris Wallace)

Meme:
- How dare Bush actually question the ~~George Soros~~ ~~Democrats~~ Congressional will?
- Winning? You think that this is about the US wining? What planet are you from?
- George Bush... the next subject for Court TV
Topics:
- The war on terrorism
  - The House and Senate look to condemn the new Iraq plan
  - War critics are pledging to increase pressure on the White House to end the war by passing more restrictive legislation
  - There might be signs the surge is paying some dividends as U.S. troops saw success during their first sweeps through Baghdad this week
  - What are the next steps in Iraq and what will Congress do next as war critics promise to do what it takes to bring the war to a close?
  - Is a constitutional crisis approaching over war authority?
- Fox News Sunday panel
  - This week’s diplomatic breakthrough with North Korea
  - The latest news in the war on terror
- Fox News essay: Coming up on Fox News Sunday
Guests
- Newt Gingrich - Republican - Georgia
  - Former Speaker of the House | web site | Bio
  - Lavish Praise From Gingrich Caps Big Week for 'America's Mayor' (ABC News - Feb 17, 2007)
  - Gingrich derides early entry into race by so many candidates (Boston Globe, MA - Feb 16, 2007)
  - Richardson, Gingrich lead Round Two; 'none' popular, too (Baxter Bulletin - Feb 17, 2007)
  - Gingrich says ‘Anything is possible’ at BuckheadCoalition luncheon (TheStorygroup.com, GA - Feb 15, 2007)
  - Rudy and Newt (Concord Monitor, NH - Feb 15, 2007)
- Senator Carl Levin - Democrat - Michigan
  - Senate web site | Bio
  - Chairman, Senate Armed Services Committee
  - Iraq and Curve Ball Carl (American Thinker, AZ - Feb 17, 2007)
  - Carl Levin, Osama (DetNews.com, MI - Feb 10, 2007)
  - House posturing on Iraq (Orlando Sentinel, FL - Feb 15, 2007)
  - Truth vs. consensus (Toledo Blade, OH - Feb 17, 2007)
  - Levin: High-ranking DoD officials manipulated Iraq intelligence (The Hill, DC - Feb 9, 2007)
- Fox News Sunday panel
  - Brit Hume
    - FOX News Washington Managing Editor
    - Judge Says a New York Times Reporter Was Part of an Illegal Conspiracy (FOX News - Feb 14, 2007)
    - Is There a Split in Democratic Leadership? (FOX News - Feb 13, 2007)
  - Bill Kristol
    - Editor, The Weekly Standard
    - The Democrats' 'Slow-Bleed' Strategy (The Weekly Standard - Feb 26, 2007 issue)
    - Kristol on Iraq: Do Dems Want This To Succeed or Not? [Video] (NewsBusters - Jan 21, 2007)
  - Juan Williams
    - NPR Senior National Correspondent
    - Book criticizes civil rights movement (UM Maneater, MO - Feb 16, 2007)
    - An NPR Interview with President Bush (NPR - Jan 29, 2007)
  - Mara Liasson
    - NPR National Political Correspondent
    - "Ted Haggard" and Bias in Our News Media (ProgressiveU.org, CA - Feb 16, 2007)
    - Bush Defends Iraq Plan in News Conference (NPR - Feb 14, 2007)
Fox News Sunday contact information - FNS@foxnews.com

CNN Late Edition (Wolf Blitzer)

Meme:
- Dhimmicrats rule the west! Be afraid, nasty Republicans. Be very afraid!
- How dare Bush actually question the ~~George Soros~~ ~~Democrats~~ Congressional will?
- Bush is wrong, Bush is wrong, great god almighty, Bush is wrong! And we at CNN will do our best to convince you of that fact
Topics:
- Could winning in the West be the key to the White House in 2008?
Guests
- Sen. Harry Reid, Democrat -Nevada: majority leader
  - Senate web site | Bio
  - Reid: The Senate Is on Record Against Escalation (Earthtimes.org - Feb 17, 2007)
  - Bono praises Reid on AIDS funding (U2 France, France - Feb 17, 2007)
  - Reid: The Senate Must Join the House and Vote on the Escalation (YubaNet, CA - Feb 16, 2007)
  - Senate GOP Foils Debate on Iraq Surge (Auburn Citizen, NY - Feb 17, 2007)
  - Breaking: GOP blocks Senate vote on House anti-surge resolution (Hot Air, MD - Feb 17, 2007)
  - Weekend Senate votes cause some '08ers to scramble (CNN - Feb 16, 2007)
- Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky: minority leader
  - Senate web site | Bio
  - Senate Blocks Iraq War Resolution Debate (ABC News - Feb 17, 2007)
  - Douglas Feith, Mitch McConnell, Jack Reed, Roundtable (RealClearPolitics, IL - Feb 11, 2007)
  - House passes business tax breaks linked to minimum-wage hike (Laconia Citizen, NH - Feb 17, 2007)
  - Mitch McConnell, fierce partisan, tames his image (Scripps News, DC - Jan 25, 2007)
- Gov. Bill Richardson, D-New Mexico
  - Former Energy Secretary, Clinton administration
  - Where in the world is Gov. Bill Richardson? (Albuquerque Tribune, NM - Feb 17, 2007)
  - Richardson: War vote should decide control (The Union Leader, NH - Feb 17, 2007)
  - Richardson Raises $2 Million for '08 Bid (Forbes, NY - Feb 16, 2007)
  - Richardson believes ... (Boston Globe, MA - Feb 16, 2007)
- Tony Snow
  - White House press secretary
  - Press Briefing by Tony Snow (Whitehouse.gov (press release), DC - Feb 16, 2007)
  - Snow: Troop Surge Strategy Something New (Playfuls.com, Romania - Feb 15, 2007)
  - Tony Snow: 'I'm Not Sure Anything Went Wrong' In Iraq (Editor & Publisher - Feb 15, 2007)
  - Tony Snow Tells CNN’s Ed Henry to Calm Down (NewsBusters - Feb 14, 2007)
- Penn Jillette
  - entertainer and magician | web page | Bio?
  - BS ARTISTS BEWARE! PENN & TELLER: BULLSHIT! RETURNS FOR SEASON FIVE (the futon critic - Feb 6, 2007)
- Michael Steele
  - Former Lt. Gov. of Maryland
  - Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele Named GOPAC Chairman (PR Newswire (press release), NY - Jan 26, 2007)
- Marc Morial
  - President and CEO, National Urban League
  - Morial associate sentenced to jail (Times Picayune, LA - Feb 8, 2007)
  - Former Morial confident sentenced (Times Picayune, LA - Feb 7, 2007)
  - Morial let down by allies' guilty pleas (Times Picayune, LA - Jan 20, 2007)
  - Sentence set in kickback case (Times Picayune, LA - Feb 15, 2007)
- Donna Brazile
  - Democratic strategist
  - Gore no more the bore (Toronto Star, Canada - Feb 17, 2007)
  - DNC Backing Expected for DC Vote in House (Washington Post, DC - Feb 2, 2007)
  - GORE MAY ENTER RACE (Free Market News Network, FL - Feb 4, 2007)
CNN Late Edition (web page for comments)

ABC This Week (George Stephanopoulos)

Meme:
- We at ABC aren't prejudiced in any way... but how can anyone even think of voting for a Mormon? Ewwwwwwww!
Topics:
- "On the Trail" with GOP front-runner and former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass. and his wife Ann, discussing his bid for the White House.
- Voices segment:
  - Using the power of live conversation to encourage understanding between American youth and children of different cultures.
Guests
- Former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass
  - Jeb Bush steers former advisers toward Romney (Waukegan News Sun, IL - Feb 18, 2007)
  - Romney: 'I'm Not Running for Pastor-In-Chief' (ABC News - Feb 17, 2007)
  - Mitt Romney -- then and now (Indianapolis Star, IN - Feb 17, 2007)
- Ann Romney
  - Ann Romney: I'm Healthy Despite MS (ABC News - Feb 17, 2007)
- Voices segment:
  - Michael Douglas
    - Actor and activist
- Roundtable
  - Fareed Zakaria
  - Katrina vanden Heuvel
  - George Will
ABC This Week comment web page

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