Weekend Show *Preview* for 9/23 - 9/24/06 (not the live thread)

Network and Cable News Networks | 9/23/06 | Network and Cable News

[Phsstpok]

Preview and Analysis of the Weekend Talk Shows for 9/23 & 9/24/06

The campaign to trash President Bush and beatify President Clinton gets into high gear this week.  Perhaps now we know why the Clintonistas were so frantic to kill or discredit The Path To 9/11, because it had the possibility of preempting their re-re-re-re-launch of the "Clinton Legacy" (Take 843).  This is a contest between the Bush and Clinton world views.  Bush views the world in terms of western civilization representing humanity's progress up from barbarism.  Clinton views the world in terms of America's sins and how we must be punished and made to atone for all the evil we have done to the peace loving people of the rest of the world.  The Bush worldview can acknowledge flaws in America and western civilization, while still arguing that the good brought by western thought, such as personal freedom, equality, democracy and true justice, outweigh the bad.  The Clinton worldview cannot stand so long as anything but evil is attached to western thought and while any flaws in the rest of the world (or any personal fault) is not deflected onto someone, anyone, else.

This was to be Clinton's week of triumph, staging his Clinton Global Initiative the same week as the General Assembly meeting in New York, upstaging the current president with his own "coronation" as the true leader of the global community (particularly of those that hate George Bush).  But then Ahmadinejad and particularly Chavez turned the spotlight on their own BDS (Bush Derangement Syndrome) and it looked all too much like Clinton, his guests and the Soros Dhimmicrats were acting as cheerleaders for the clearly insane leaders from the axis of evil.  That could not be allowed to stand, so Clinton's minions directed Rangel and Pelosi to fall on their swords (no risk, they're in safe districts) and condemn Chavez to take the heat off of Clinton and friends.  Now it is time for the "Great Leader" himself to emerge and try to "move on" from this past weeks unpleasantness and begin to turn to "real solutions" that the current administration has sadly been resisting.   Things like massive transfers of wealth from the American middle class evil rich to third world dictators poor.  And there's this pesky sovereignty thingy that just has to be dealt with.  After all, we can't make the world safe for Clinton's friends the people so long as American's some evil nations selfishly horde power and wealth.

NBC Meet The Press will host the coronation and hagiography, giving Billy Jeff a friendly platform to knock down softball questions about his failings and his successors evil deeds.  He'll also be given ample opportunity to spin his vision of utopia (if only he were in charge).  I truly feel that this could be the opening of a campaign for Bill Clinton to succeed Kofi Annan as Secretary General of the UN.  They might even dream of establishing a true world government with Bill as it's all wise and all powerful leader.  He's still a relatively young man, after all (watch for references to his relative youth and vigor as a key indicator).  Hamid Karzai is probably on to take the slings and arrows of "Bush failed in Afghanistan," with the distinct hope that he may turn on Bush to a greater or lesser extent.  And John Danforth, a Bush 41 insider, is on board to promote Clinton's favorite notion, the real threat to world peace is from right wing Christians.  Rosie O'Donnell started laying the groundwork for this message on The View this week.

CBS Face The Nation provides week number two for John McCain to sell his "straight talk" about torture and his own maverick status.  When they booked this it was probably intended as a victorious appearance after backing down evil George Bush, but the "Bush blinked" notion has completely crashed and burned.  If McCain (and Graham on Fox) can't resurrect that notion then McCain is damaged goods and his allies in the DBM will turn on him.  FTN may be his last chance and could even turn into his downfall.  The presence of the Washington Post's political editor, and self appointed expert on what dims and RINOs should do to win, may perhaps be telegraphing to McCain that they only want to "help him get it right."

Fox News Sunday also brings on Clinton, but from the blurbs that have leaked it appears it was a much more hostile environment than MTP will be.  My great fear is that the promo material provides the only fireworks and the rest of Wallace's questioning will be obsequious and predictable.  Perhaps I'm wrong and that the anticipation of this interview is what prompted Wallace to be so negative and typically DBM like with Republican guests the last few weeks.  He may have been building up "street cred" inside the beltway, either to win the Clinton interview or to give cover for the questions he planned to ask.  I'll certainly be watching to check the accuracy of the rush transcript that's already up on FR, but it sounds like it was going to be a partial coronation and that Clinton lost it over the Bin Laden question.  The reaction to this is going to be very interesting.  I also wonder if Fox will take the opportunity to respond to his claims.  They've got more than 24 hours to check Clinton's "facts."  Lindsey Graham is on to try to spin the collapse of Saint McCain's revolt as a victory instead of a foolish quest for publicity.  I think he may be seeing the abyss peer back right about now.  And Juan is back on the panel.  We can hope for a smack down of epic proportions, particularly if last weeks speculation by folks on the Sunday Thread that he was off at Democrat Reeducation Camp prove accurate and he is back to reliably spouting the latest talking points.

ABC This Week had what I think they planned as a funeral for Bill Frist focusing on his failure to get anything done, particularly over the tribunals and interrogation issues.  The collapse under pressure from the people of McCain's grandstanding play will mess up that major thrust, but look for them to still try to paint Frist as ineffectual.  They want to pre-damage as many potential Republican presidential candidates as early as they can, just on general principle.  The Kean/Menendez race in New Jersey is not trending their way and it will be interesting to see how broad a brush they try to paint with when discussing it.  If they downplay the significance on the overall balance in the Senate you know that they're throwing in the towel.  The other possibility is that they float a few names to replace Menendez "just in case he's forced to drop out."  The roundtable gives us three committed Bush haters.  We might even see hints that some credence needs to be given to the 9/11 conspiracy theories, particularly from Rich.  Oh, not because they're true, but because of the "seriousness of the charges."

CNN Late Edition offers up less superstars and more basics.  Again I think Hamid Karzai is on to answer questions about Bush's failures in Afghanistan.  Snarlin' Arlen and Jane Harmen will be asked about the evil Bush torture policy and they are counting on Arlen either falling back on some "Scottish law" nonsense or even breaking with the President and the deal (they can hope, can't they?).  Haig is on to represent the beginnings of the current oafish policy towards terrorism, while Holbrooke is on as the voice of all wisdom (as a servant of Saint Bill).  And Stan Greenberg offers up contradictory positions on Bush's middle east policies and the reality on the ground in Israel.  They'll be picking the ones they want, after all, they've got all possible positions to choose from in his work.

On the Saturday shows there is the usual mixed bag.  I think the Beltway Boys are calling one in while things sort themselves out.  I think they've finally detected this little trend away from the Dhimmicrat's "tidal wave" and are trying to distance themselves from their earlier positions.  They will still talk about "Speaker Pelosi" this week, but I think it's in order to dismiss the likelyhood.  And the nonsense about Lamont going negative recently is laughable.  Tim Russert interviews Frank Rich with his full blown broadsheet indictment of all things Bush.  This is the road show try outs.  If it doesn't elicit howls of laughter watch for a "Broadway performance" on MTP in a couple of weeks.  The FNW folks are in full denial of any and all faults in their ranks, pushing their defensive walls ever higher and throwing increasingly anemic attacks at those nasty bloggers for daring to question the high priests of the 4th estate.

Bottom line, week three of the DBM's campaign for the Dhimmicrats and against the Republicans shifts slightly away from attacks on Bush (though not completely) and begins the hagiography of all things Clinton.  The plan is to paint "the good old days" of the Clinton years as nirvana and imply that electing Dhimmicrats in November will bring those glory days back.  Watch Clinton for the outline of their latest strategy for the fall.  They must sell themselves as wanting to "help save lives, and help people see the future."  What could be wrong with that?  And presumably their opponents want to take lives (or at least exploit them) and deny people the future.  Yeah, that's the ticket.  And Clinton's performance on Fox telegraphs the simple message: anyone who questions anything you do or say must be attacked, personally, professionally and with unrestrained fury.  The "war room" must be brought back and the rapid reaction forces must be let loose.  Overall it strikes me as a bit of desperation on the part of the Dhimmicrats.

This has been 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!

I will also post a link to Mark Kilmer's excellent preview over at RedState.COM when it is up.

I'll post a link to this Sunday's live thread here when it is up.

 

[Phsstpok]

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:
  • Clinton did everything humanly possible to protect the US and kill Osama.  Never mind 10 years of evidence to the contrary.  Believe him now.  Bill Clinton has never lied to you about anything, has he?
  • Bill Clinton - savior of the world.  Prepare to bow down before him.  Wouldn't he be the perfect person to rescue the UN?
  • And remember, the Bush's brains just work different.  They can't help it, they're defective.
  • C'Mon, Hamid.  Admit it.  We've lost in Afghanistan.  Bush was wrong, we were right.  C'Mon, you can say it...
  • Forget those pesky folks from the Religion of Peace.  The real threat is the Christian right.  Rosie Danforth told us so and you know she he can't be wrong.
• Topics:
  • Former President Bill Clinton will appear on this Sunday's "Meet the Press with Tim Russert" to discuss his second annual Global Initiative summit, where he has assembled heads of state and business leaders to discuss solutions to some of the world's toughest problems:
    • poverty
    • religious & ethnic conflicts
    • energy and global health.
  • Former President Clinton will also share his views about
    • the war in Iraq
    • the hunt for Osama bin Laden
    • the midterm and 2008 elections.
  • Then, we turn to the War on Terrorism with an exclusive interview with the President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai.  President Karzai will talk about
    • the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan
    • the war on terror
    • the hunt for Osama bin Laden.
  • what role does religion have in politics?
    • We will discuss faith, conservative Christians and the Republican party with ordained Episcopal priest, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and retired three-term U.S. Senator John Danforth (R-MO).  Danforth has written a new book, "Faith and Politics: How the "Moral Values" Debate Divides America and How to Move Forward Together," in which he takes members of his own party to task for polarizing the electorate.
• Guests
  • Bill Clinton
    • Former President of the United States | Bio | Clinton Foundation
    • Clinton relives old times with a UN in his image (Times Online, UK - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Politics, business, activism combine at Clinton Global Initiative (International Herald Tribune - Sep 20, 2006)
    • Clinton raises $7.3 bln to help tackle world woes (Scotsman, United Kingdom - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Bill Clinton: US should talk to Iran (IranMania News, Iran - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Bill Clinton warns against wide torture approval (Reuters - Sep 21, 2006)
    • Clinton: Tackling world’s ‘meatiest’ problems (MSNBC - Sep 20, 2006)
    • CLINTON ANGER UNLEASHED (You Tube via Drudge - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Clinton: Bushes Have Different Brains (NewsMax.com, FL - Sep 19, 2006)
    • AS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN HIM BEFORE: CLINTON ANGER UNLEASHED (FR Thread)
    • Bill: At least I tried (FR Thread)
    • Clinton faults Bush for inaction on bin Laden (Reuters via FR Thread)
    • On Tape, Clinton Admits Passing Up bin Laden Capture (NewsMax via FR Thread)
    • Fox News Sunday BILL CLINTON INTERVIEW (Rough transcript) (FR Thread)
  • Hamid Karzai
    • President of Afghanistan | Afghanistan Government | CIA Factbook | Afghanistan embassy
    • Local MP gives feedback on Karzai speech (Edson Leader,  Canada - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Karzai sees long fight against opium (Reuters.uk, UK - Sep 21, 2006)
    • ABC Transcript: Hamid Karzai, "Too Much of a Democrat" (ABC News - Sep 19, 2006)
    • DYER STRAIGHT (VUE Weekly, Canada - Sep 21, 2006)
  • Former Senator John Danforth (R-MO)
    • Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations | Bio
    • Author, 'Faith and Politics: How the "Moral Values" Debate Divides America and How to Move Forward Together'
    • Newsweek Editor Tops Book Blurbs For Danforth's Attack On Religious Right (NewsBusters - Sep 20, 2006)
    • John Danforth speaks about his new book "Faith and Politics" (St. Louis Post-Dispatch,  United States - Sep 15, 2006)
    • Got religion? (Washington Date Line, DC - Sep 21, 2006)
    • What the new US envoy can do for Sudan (Sudan Tribune, Sudan - Sep 19, 2006)
    • Danforth: Republican Party taken over by Christian right (News-Leader.com, MO - Sep 17, 2006)
    • Book: GOP marred by religious agenda (Albuquerque Tribune, NM - Sep 19, 2006)
• Please note: Meet the Press will air at 1 pm ET in most markets this Sunday, due to NBC coverage of the Ryder Cup.  For broadcast times in your area, click here.
• 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)

[Phsstpok]

CBS Face The Nation (Bob Schieffer)

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:
  • Saint McCain... has he betrayed humanity?  The high priests of CBS News and the Washington Post supply the inquisition and give this sinner a chance to atone for ... ack ... agreeing with McChimpy Bushitler.
• Topics:
  • Detainee Treatment In The War On Terror
  • The War In Iraq
  • Politics
• Guests
  • Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)
    • Senate web site | Bio
    • Armed Services Committee member
    • Detainee Deal Win For Bush And McCain (CBS News, New York - Sep 22, 2006)
    • McCain's mutiny (Daytona Beach News-Journal - Sep 23, 2006)
    • Sen. McCain to stump for Chafee (Eyewitness News, RI - Sep 23, 2006)
    • Key Iowa Activist Joins McCain's PAC (KCCI.com, IA - Sep 22, 2006)
    • McCain Says ACLU Sides With Terrorists (Seeing the Forest, CA - Sep 22, 2006)
    • The Moral Exhibitionism of John McCain (American Thinker, AZ - Sep 20, 2006)
    • John McCain: American Soldiers No Different Than Terrorists (RedState, VA - Sep 20, 2006)
  • John Harris
    • National Political Editor, The Washington Post
    • The Facts About Clinton and Terrorism (National Review Online, NY - Sep 11, 2006)
    • Washington Post, Dan Froomkin And “Liberal Bias” (Donklephant - Sep 14, 2006)
    • John Harris and Jim Brady Get Into It About "White House Briefing." Dan Froomkin Replies (PRESSthink - Dec 13, 2005)
    • The Danger of Ego Trumping Expertise (Huffington Post, NY - Aug 28, 2006)
• Face The Nation contact information - ftn@cbsnews.com

[Phsstpok]

Fox News Sunday (Chris Wallace)

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:
  • Clinton did everything humanly possible to protect the US and kill Osama.  Never mind 10 years of evidence to the contrary.  Believe him now.  Bill Clinton has never lied to you about anything, has he?
  • Bill Clinton - savior of the world.  Prepare to bow down before him.  Wouldn't he be the perfect person to rescue the UN?
  • And remember, the Bush's brains just work different.  They can't help it, they're defective.
  • Saint Lindsey Graham explains why Bush getting what he wants was a victory for him and McCain
• Topics:
  • Fox Preview: Coming Up on 'FNS' (highlights below)
  • Former President Clinton's first one-on-one interview with 'FOX News Sunday'
    • The second annual Clinton Global Initiative
      • The former president has found a calling in confronting global challenges and raised billions of dollars toward solving issues like religious conflict, climate change, and global public health and poverty. We will discuss his success thus far in bringing together a wide range of partners, raising funds, and empowering individuals to cure many of the world's ills.
    • The War on Terror
    • The Democrats chances of winning back Congress
    • His wife's presidential aspirations
  • Sen. Lindsey Graham on terror detainee deal
    • The White House over its plans to interrogate and try terrorism detainees.
      • What does this week's compromise mean for the war on terrorism and will the U.S. now have a more difficult time interrogating suspected terrorists?
      • Will the dispute have any fallout for Republicans facing midterm elections in less then seven weeks?
  • The FOX News Sunday panel will discuss
    • Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's remarks
    • Other developments at the United Nations this week
    • The latest political news.
  • Note: Fox has updated their web site format
• Guests
  • Former President Bill Clinton
    • Former President of the United States | Bio | Clinton Foundation
    • Clinton relives old times with a UN in his image (Times Online, UK - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Politics, business, activism combine at Clinton Global Initiative (International Herald Tribune - Sep 20, 2006)
    • Clinton raises $7.3 bln to help tackle world woes (Scotsman, United Kingdom - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Bill Clinton: US should talk to Iran (IranMania News, Iran - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Bill Clinton warns against wide torture approval (Reuters - Sep 21, 2006)
    • Clinton: Tackling world’s ‘meatiest’ problems (MSNBC - Sep 20, 2006)
    • CLINTON ANGER UNLEASHED (You Tube via Drudge - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Clinton: Bushes Have Different Brains (NewsMax.com, FL - Sep 19, 2006)
    • AS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN HIM BEFORE: CLINTON ANGER UNLEASHED (FR Thread)
    • Bill: At least I tried (FR Thread)
    • Clinton faults Bush for inaction on bin Laden (Reuters via FR Thread)
    • On Tape, Clinton Admits Passing Up bin Laden Capture (NewsMax via FR Thread)
    • Fox News Sunday BILL CLINTON INTERVIEW (Rough transcript) (FR Thread)
  • Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican - South Carolina
    • Senate web site | Bio
    • Q&A: Sen. Lindsey Graham on Torture (Newsweek - Sep 18, 2006)
    • Hewitt rips Lindsey Graham's heart out (Wizbang, DC - Sep 14, 2006)
    • Graham: Terror accord most important work as senator (WIS, SC - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Lindsey Graham calls military tribunals `a bridge too far' (San Jose Mercury News,  USA - Sep 8, 2006)
    • GOP Hopes to Parlay Deal on Detainees (ABC News - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Lindsey Graham's tribunal tantrum (Town Hall, DC - Sep 12, 2006)
    • Time for Lindsey Graham to wake up (The State, SC - Sep 13, 2006)
  • The Sunday Panel
    • FOX News Managing Editor Brit Hume
    • Weekly Standard Executive Editor Fred Barnes
    • NPR Senior National Correspondent Juan Williams,
    • NPR National Political Correspondent Mara Liasson.
• Fox News Sunday contact information - FNS@foxnews.com

[Phsstpok]

ABC This Week (George Stephanopoulos)

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:
  • Republican rebels and dissension in the right wing ranks are ruining chances for the party of evil to hold Congress... what? they struck a deal?  It must be a major defeat for Bush!
  • Frist wants to be president.  Who is he kidding?
  • New Jersey Democrats: "Of course Bob Menendez is going to beat Tom Kean Jr.  And if he starts to fall behind we'll cheat and substitute another candidate after the legal deadline, like we always do.  We pay these judges enough under the table after all!"
  • And on the roundtable... let the Bush bashing begin!
• Topics:
  • Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn
    • the 2006 midterms
    • the Congressional agenda
    • the race for the White House in 2008
    • "The Art of the Deal: Entering the final week of congressional session"
      • Who are the winners and losers?
      • What does this mean for our ability to interrogate terrorists?
      • With the midterm elections coming up, how will Republicans keep the majority?
      • With the race for the White House on the horizon, will Frist be a contender in '08?
      • With the House passing a contentious bill in favor of a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexico border, will the Senate follow suit?
  • ON THE TRAIL: The tightening race for U.S. Senate in New Jersey
    • can the heir to a political dynasty overcome the incumbent's advantage, possibly tipping the scales of power in the Senate?
  • VOICES SUNDAY: Bob Newhart on 'Lincoln vs. Madison Avenue' and riffing with Ronald Reagan
    • Actor, comedian and author Bob Newhart on politics, humor, and his new book "I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This!"
• Guests
  • Senator Bill Frist M.D., Republican - Tennessee
    • Senate Majority Leader
    • Senate web site | Bio
    • O-for-Trifecta: Don't Extend Yourself, Dr. Fris (TPMCafe, NY - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Deal close on bill for terrorism trials: Frist aide (Washington Post, United States - Sep 21, 2006)
    • Frist Bashes McCain Bill in GOP Rift on Detainees (Los Angeles Times, CA - Sep 20, 2006)
    • Frist expects a deal on detainee bill (Houston Chronicle - Sep 16, 2006)
    • Frist fails in bid to attach online gambling ban to military bill (PokerListings.com, Sweden - Sep 20, 2006)
    • Congress begins moving smaller-scale immigration bills (SHRM Magazine, VA - Sep 22, 2006)
  • Senator Bob Menendez, Democrat - New Jersey
    • Senate web site | Bio
    • Ex-House lawyer sees no violation in Menendez rent deal (Newark Star Ledger,  USA - Sep 20, 2006)
    • GOP says Menendez got free ads; Dems call claim 'ridiculous' (Press of Atlantic City, NJ - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Grad student alleges blog posts are GOP dirty tricks (Princeton University The Daily Princetonian - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Political storm engulfs Bryant (Cherry Hill Courier Post, NJ - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Omission Watch: Media Ignore Menendez Probe, Even As He Poses In Courtroom (NewsBusters - Sep 18, 2006)
  • Tom Kean Jr., Republican challenger
    • Campaign web site | Bio
    • Kean catches flak from anti-war group (San Jose Mercury News - Sep 21, 2006)
    • US Senate Candidate Tom Kean, Jr. (WNYC, NY - Sep 7, 2006)
    • Tom Kean Jr. (RedState, VA - Aug 22, 2006)
    • Poll tracker: Youth culture in 2006 (MSNBC - Sep 21, 2006)
  • Roundtable:
    • George Will
      • ABC News analyst
      • Syndicated columnist | Townhall.COM archive
      • Building Red America (Townhall.COM archive - Sep 17, 2006)
      • Worth the wait (Townhall.COM archive - Sep 10, 2006)
      • Show me Missouri (Townhall.COM archive - Aug 31, 2006)
    • Frank Rich
      • New York Times columnist
      • Author, "The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina"
      • Frank Rich Recaps How White House Sold the WMDs, Told the Lies (Bloomberg - Sep 19, 2006)
      • Frank Rich on the Bush presidency since 9/11 (MSNBC - Sep 18, 2006)
      • Frank Rich and George Bush (National Ledger, AZ - Sep 18, 2006)
      • New Frank Rich Book, Critical of Media, Draws Rave in 'NYT' (Editor & Publisher - Sep 16, 2006)
      • NYT: Frank Rich on 'Donald Rumsfeld's dance with the Nazis' (Raw Story, MA - Sep 2, 2006)
    • Martha Raddatz
      • ABC News chief White House correspondent
      • NPR's Nina Totenberg: We Made Hugo Chavez Into a Global Spectacle (NewsBusters - Sep 22, 2006)
      • ABC's Raddatz Underlined How Katrina Is A 'Political Disaster' (NewsBusters - Aug 30, 2006)
  • VOICES SUNDAY: Bob Newhart
    • Author "I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This!: And Other Things That Strike Me as Funny"
    • Bob Newhart's memoir traces comic's unlikely path to TV stardom (Shreveport Times, LA - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Bob Newhart is cool. No punch line (calendarlive.com, CA - Sep 19, 2006)
    • Bob Newhart, 'I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This' (NPR - Sep 20, 2006)
• ABC This Week comment web page

[Morgan in Denver]

Thanks for the post Phsstpok. From what Wallace said earlier on FNC, he will show the entire Clinton interview, 22 minutes. Should be interesting.

[Phsstpok]

CNN Late Edition (Wolf Blitzer)

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:
  • C'Mon, Hamid.  Admit it.  We've lost in Afghanistan.  Bush was wrong, we were right.  C'Mon, you can say it...
  • So, Arlen, under scottish law torture is OK?  And Jane, why aren't you pandering to the left enough?  Embracing Cindy Sheehan's version of reality just isn't enough anymore.
  • Forget Karl Rove.  The real "evil genius" of all these troubles is... Ronald Reagan (via Alexander Haig)!
  • Clinton did everything humanly possible to protect the US and kill Osama.  Never mind 10 years of evidence to the contrary.  Believe us now.  The Clintonistas have never lied to you about anything, have they?
  • Now look, an ex-Democrat who helped George Bush get elected and is now the savior of Arnold Schwarzenager's campaign proves that those fascist right wing Republicans are always wrong - it's time to embrace Lincoln Chaffee's wing of the Republican Party Applebee's America
  • Evil Karl Rove isn't playing fair... he's actually got Bush talking about terrorists
• Topics:
  • Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai on
    • the war on terror
    • the search for Osama bin Laden
    • the resurging violence in his country
  • Sen. Arlen Specter and Rep. Jane Harman debate the key issues of the week.
• Guests
  • President Hamid Karzai: Afghanistan
    • President of Afghanistan | Afghanistan Government | CIA Factbook | Afghanistan embassy
    • Local MP gives feedback on Karzai speech (Edson Leader,  Canada - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Karzai sees long fight against opium (Reuters.uk, UK - Sep 21, 2006)
    • ABC Transcript: Hamid Karzai, "Too Much of a Democrat" (ABC News - Sep 19, 2006)
    • DYER STRAIGHT (VUE Weekly, Canada - Sep 21, 2006)
  • Senator Arlen Specter, Republican - Pennsylvania
    • Senate web site | Bio
    • Chairman, Judiciary Committee
    • Rabbis write Specter on torture (Jewish Telegraphic Agency, NY - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Arlen Specter's Sellout (Village Voice, NY - Sep 1, 2006)
    • Senator leads drive for federal media shield law (San Francisco Chronicle - Sep 21, 2006)
    • Transcript: Sen. Arlen Specter on 'FOX News Sunday' (FOX News - Sep 3, 2006)
    • Senators Denounce Scientist's Stem Cell Claims (International News Service, Australia - Sep 22, 2006)
    • House targets illegal immigrants (Seattle Times - Sep 22, 2006)
  • Representative Jane Harman, Democrat - California
    • House web site | Bio
    • House Select Intelligence Committee member
    • Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) Calls Out Cheney For Continuing To Push Faulty Intelligence (Think Progress, DC - Sep 12, 2006)
    • Interrogations deal grants Bush leeway (Sacramento Bee,  USA - Sep 22, 2006)
    • The Democratic Party and Jews (American Thinker, AZ - Sep 21, 2006)
    • Terror Threat `More Alarming' Now, Panel Warns (Los Angeles Times, CA - Sep 21, 2006)
    • The Hoekstra-Harman Hoax: Justin Raimondo (Antiwar.com, CA - Sep 14, 2006)
  • Alexander Haig
    • Former secretary of state
    • Kevin Zeese: "It's Time to Try Diplomacy in Middle East (Media Monitors Network, CA - Sep 18, 2006)
    • "Fear! Fear!": Birth of the War on Terror (ZNet, MA - Aug 24, 2006)
    • Fear! Fear! Shouted hawks and profiteers (Online Journal, FL - Aug 14, 2006)
    • “Fear! Fear!,” Part Two -- New war unleashed from old plans (Online Journal, FL - Aug 21, 2006)
    • To protect Lebanon, Sue Israel for war crimes (One Thousand Reasons, CA - Sep 4, 2006)
  • Richard Holbrooke
    • Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (Clinton administration)
    • Iranian President defends nuclear stance at UN General Assembly (ABC Online, Australia - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Bush, Chirac Back Diplomacy as Ahmadinejad Questions UN's Role (Bloomberg - Sep 19, 2006)
    • What happened to the new world order (Open Democracy, UK - Sep 7, 2006)
    • Novak: Will Bush deal with new reality, talk to the enemy? (Houston Chronicle - Aug 21, 2006)
  • Matthew Dowd
    • Republican strategist; chief campaign strategist, Bush-Cheney 2004
    • author, "Applebee's America"
    • frontline: karl rove -- the architect: interviews: matthew dowd | PBS (PBS.ORG, Apr 12, 2005)
    • Lost Horizons (New York Times - Sep 22, 2006)
    • Shop At Target? You're A Swing Voter (BusinessWeek - Sep 15, 2006)
    • Schwarzenegger, Reeling a Year Ago, Heads Toward Re-Election (Bloomberg - Sep 15, 2006)
    • So you think 'all politics is local'? Not in this election (Houston Chronicle - Sep 17, 2006)
    • Politicians Finally Enter Internet Age (MediPost Publications, New York - Sep 8, 2006)
  • Stan Greenberg
    • Democratic strategist; former Clinton campaign adviser
    • Israel's stock rises in US, Europe despite war (Jerusalem Post, Israel - Sep 18, 2006)
    • Leading pollster warns of falling turnout (ePolitix, UK - Sep 14, 2006)
    • the civil war Labour dreaded has broken out (Guardian Unlimited, UK - Sep 6, 2006)
    • The Terrorism Card (U.S. News & World Report, DC - Sep 10, 2006)
• CNN Late Edition (web page for comments)

[Phsstpok]

Saturday Shows for 9/23/06

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:
  • Better speculate about Speaker Pelosi this week, by next week that will be a joke.
  • Lamont goes negative and the race gets ugly, only now?  Where have these guys been?  Oh, that's right.  They live inside the beltway.  They haven't been paying attention to the real world.
• Topics:
  • Target: Pelosi! Can the GOP stop the California Democrat from becoming the next House majority leader?
  • Connecticut Senate race gets ugly as Lamont goes negative
• 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:
  • Bush lied and people died
  • All evil in the world started on January 20th, 2001 with the theft of the election by evil McChimpy Bushitler
  • Karl Rove is de debil!
  • The high priest of Bush Derangement Syndrome for the New York Times, Frank Rich, and lil' Timmah Russert try out their road show version of j'accuse!
• Topics:
  • Tim talks with Frank Rich, columnist for the New York Times, about his new book, "The Greatest Story Ever Sold".
• Guests
  • Frank Rich, columnist for the New York Times
    • Author, "The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina"
    • Frank Rich Recaps How White House Sold the WMDs, Told the Lies (Bloomberg - Sep 19, 2006)
    • Frank Rich on the Bush presidency since 9/11 (MSNBC - Sep 18, 2006)
    • Frank Rich and George Bush (National Ledger, AZ - Sep 18, 2006)
    • New Frank Rich Book, Critical of Media, Draws Rave in 'NYT' (Editor & Publisher - Sep 16, 2006)
    • NYT: Frank Rich on 'Donald Rumsfeld's dance with the Nazis' (Raw Story, MA - Sep 2, 2006)
• CNBC's Tim Russert Show airs Saturday at 7pm, 10pm & 1am ET

Fox News Watch (Eric Burns)

• Meme:
  • Don't blame us.  We only put on Chavez and Ahmadinejad because you stopped watching the stuff from Aruba
  • The Pope needs a better PR team
  • We liked McGreevey better when he didn't say anything
• Topics:
  • UN Week: Did the press turn Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad into media stars?
  • Pope vs. Muslims vs. the media. Who's winning?
  • Ex-Gov. McGreevey's media blitz
• 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:
  • There's this country on the eastern side of the Persian Gulf you might just need to learn a teensy bit about
  • Bush is still dumb as a rock... he didn't hire Peggy
• Topics:
  • Opinion Journal web site: Man from Tehran
    • Iran's President Ahmadinejad visits New York: Has he already cowed the U.N.?
    • An interview with Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former Shah, about the Iranian opposition
    • Peggy Noonan joins Journal editors to talk about President Bush's recent rally in the polls.
  • Fox web site:
    • World leaders gather at the U.N.: Why no progress towards sanctions against Iran?
    • High drama from Venezuela's Hugo Chavez
    • Can GOP ride Bush bounce to November?
• Guests
  • Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former Shah,
  • Peggy Noonan
• 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 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. and again Sunday at 6 a.m. ET

[Phsstpok]

Ping

The Weekend Talk Show Preview Thread is up

If you would like on or off my ping list please Freepmail me

See the initial post for my "usual witty commentary"

Snippets 

The campaign to trash President Bush and beatify President Clinton gets into high gear this week.  Perhaps now we know why the Clintonistas were so frantic to kill or discredit The Path To 9/11, because it had the possibility of preempting their re-re-re-re-launch of the "Clinton Legacy" (Take 843).  This is a contest between the Bush and Clinton world views....

Bottom line, week three of the DBM's campaign for the Dhimmicrats and against the Republicans shifts slightly away from attacks on Bush (though not completely) and begins the hagiography of all things Clinton.  The plan is to paint "the good old days" of the Clinton years as nirvana and imply that electing Dhimmicrats in November will bring those glory days back.  Watch Clinton for the outline of their latest strategy for the fall....

[Phsstpok]

Total Vanity. My nephew's first novel has been released. I posted a vanity yesterday with a link to an interview but it seems to have drawn no attention.

10 Questions For Will Beall Author of the New Book LA REX (Vanity)

And as an inducement for the ladies who participate here, this is a picture of him

[Phsstpok]

Mark Kilmer has posted his preview over at RedState.COM

Posted at 12:56pm on Sep. 23, 2006

The Sunday Morning Talk Shows (review)

Clinton (Bill), front-and-center

By Mark Kilmer

For Sunday, September 24, 2006

Meet the Press (NBC): Host Tim Russert hosts Clinton (Bill), then he talks to a relevant guest, Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

FOX News Sunday (FNS): Host Chris Wallace hosts Clinton (Bill), then he talks to a relevant guest, Senator Lindsey Graham.

Face the Nation (CBS): Host Bob Schieffertalks to John McCain.

This Week (ABC): Host George Stephanopoulos talks to Bill Frist then looks at the New Jersey Senate Race (Tammany Hall Menendez vs. Kean dynasty.)

Late Edition (CNN): Host Wolf Blitzer interviews Karzai, hosts Specter and Harman sittin' in a tree, and holds court with his usual cast of thousands, including former Clinton (Bill) apparatchik Dick Holbrooke. (I thought he had died, or am I thinking of Hal? Hal Holbrooke is kicking? Go figure.)
-----

A lot of Clinton (Bill). (I specify Bill, because if I were to use Clinton these days, I'd mean Hillary, who is still relevant.) He hosted a global warming summit last week but lost the headlines to a mad, wealthy person named Branson.

As we've learned, Clinton tells Wallace that he tried to get OBL. (Honest Injun!) I wonder if Wallace asked him about creating the conditions which made OBL and friends believe that the United States was, in bin Laden's words, a "paper tiger."

And I wonder if Russert or Blitzer will ask Karzai about Pervez's book tour.

The show-by-show review will be live here at RedState on Sunday afternoon.

Posted in Special Features — Comments (0)/ Email this page » / Read More »

 

[Morgan in Denver]

Like most Democrat sehemes, this will be another one to backfire on them. Good idea, remind everyone about Clinton. Sure, that'll work...... ( / sarcasm )

[Miss Marple]

Bill CLinton has a near-perfect record for tanking campaigns when he gets involved. I can only consider his decision to go national, and "help" all democrat candidates, as nothing but a good omen for our side.

[rockrr]

Thanks for using the proper term, "Dhimmicrats".

I feel like a proud papa!

After catching the review of Keith Uber-putz's positively obscene gush-fest (there's no way I'll tune him in!), timmay is gonna have his work cut out for him (how do you top an on-air bribe?!). Watch an excerpt at http://hotair.com/archives/2006/09/22/video-olbermann-donates-to-clintons-charity-on-camera/

The fun thing about those shameless Dhimmicrats is that they're, well, so shameless!

[A.Hun]

Excellent overview again Phsstpok. The Klintoon makeover is definitely going full speed ahead. You would think that the DBM would have learned by now that he just embarrasses the nation and hurts Dems.

He was on the cover of the last Fortune magazine touting his charities. As soon as I find my prescription of nausea pills, I'm going to read it.

[MNJohnnie]

Say BJ Clinton:

If us evil Right wingers SO distracted you, how come you were able to undistract yourself to use up the entire on hand supply of US Tomahawk cruse missiles to bomb the snot out of Iraq in Dec 1998 during Impeachment.

How come you were NOT too distracted to get us bogged down in an endless peace keeping mission in the Balkans?

[MNJohnnie]

Curious I would of thought David Frum would of made the shows. He is a reliable pseudo Conservative savager of Bush over at NRO. Wrote a total hit piece that Iran was all solved cause Bush was going to cave and his UN speech this week proved it. It has all the various wing nuts in a lather.

The only problem is the whole article is noise from a guy fired by the Bush team who has an ax to grind. He has no background in International Relations, the Military nor Politics. He is a never done anything with the arrogance to claim he has some sort of special insight to what the President is thinking. He doesn't.

This is a primadona hissy fit because he got the ax. It has no base in anything but Frum's over inflated ego and personal spite.

The delay in dealing with Iran is about Politics. Until the Elections are held, NOTHING is going to be done. Everyone in Congress is too panicked about the Election to do anything decisive. We are in wait and see what November brings mode.

The evidence here is why they are hammering Moqki Sadar and the militias so hard in Iraq right now. One of the side benefits of doing that is it takes out Iran's local allies in Iraq when the hammer falls on Iran. They are prepping the battle field in a number of ways.

Another indication is as John Bolton and others have said this week. What the Security Council here does has significant long term consequences on it's future as well as for Iran. It is possible the President may use the failure of the UN to act as cause for the US to take unilateral steps. Various Administration people have said in a number of forums that the US is perfectly willing to take steps on its own if the UN will not.

Right now the President has no choice but to run out the diplomatic game to the bitter end. Since the hyper negative campaign from the Junk Media and the Democrat party about Iraq has convinced about half the population we should not even be in Iraq, the Presidents hands to expand the war are politically tied for now.

If the Republicans hold Congress the President will have a solid bases to point to with Congress to say "See the American people are with us on this". If the Repbs win, I suspect that just like in Iraq in 2004, you will see a much more muscular policy on Iran after the Elections then you saw leading up to them.

Like it or not, this bi-annual paralisazation of the decision making process is part of the price we pay for living in a Constitutional Republic

[MNJohnnie]

My since condolences for whom ever is the Top Ten judge this week!

Billy Clinton everywhere? Oh the horror! Oh the Humanity! Did we not just outlaw torture? Put this one on endless repeat loop and force the terrorists to watch it 24/7 until they crack!

[Morgan in Denver]

The comment I liked best was on the thread over Clinton's interview. If Clinton tried so hard, why was he talking to Monica more often than either the FBI or CIA. According to Freeh, he talked to Bill about six times, three in person. Heck, old Bill called Monica fifteen times!

Obviously, something other than terrorism was on his mind.

[Phsstpok]

Rod is listed in the last schedule, but he sent a note that he was being called out of town. He didn't indicate if he would still do it or if he needed someone to cover.

However, I think that whoever does the duty tomorrow will only have a problem with volume and too many great posts. After all, it will be a "target rich environment."

[Morgan in Denver]

I have a question. Bill Clinton, as part of his rant, claimed that he "contracted to have him killed" (Bin Laden)

Since when does the President of the United States of America hire killers to go out to kill someone? To listen to Clinton, he did everything he possibly could to kill Bin Laden. This is stunning to me. No other president in recent history, that I know of, ever did something like that. Not even Richard Nixon put a hit on a foreigner like that. Democrats would be going nuts if it came out that President Bush put a hit on anyone.

Yes, we've had bombings in the past but I distinctly remember President Reagan saying he bombed Lybia but it was bombing the targeted complex, not targeting Muammar al-Gaddafi or anyone else. The Democrats at the time were going nuts that Reagan may have been targeting a country leader. Now, Bin Laden was not officially a country leader, but had this happened under President Reagan, Ford or Bush the elder, they would have gone nuts. But, old Bill gets a pass?