| Pundit Pap for January 24 Monday, Jan. 25, 1999 -- New York/Washington, D.C. -- As the Sabbath gasbags went on the air, the impeachment process was in disarray:
Monica Lewinsky was reportedly to meet with three House Managers (Asa Hutchinson and Bill McCollum included) sometime during the day -- which she did in the late afternoon; Chief Justice Rehnquist had not ruled on Tom Harkin's motion to block the Lewinsky interview by House Managers as unconstitutional; and The New York Times had run a devastating piece naming a cadre of right-wing lawyers with ties to Kenneth Starr who had been acting as a shadow law team for Paula Jones -- including George T. Conway III, who evidently was lying to one of our writers in a conversation last year. But the top story was the impeachment trial, with passing mention of the State of the Union -- always in the context of :diverting" from the impeachment process. Fox News Sunday Morning Quarterbacks
As an introductory piece wrapped up, Tony reported that Starr would make Monica Lewinsky available to the White House if they wanted. Rep. Hutchinson was guest one, and Mara Liasson, Juan Williams and Brit Hume joined Tony in the questioning. Rep. Hutchinson he said that the reason that Monica Lewinsky was called is because the Senate said the House Managers better have a case for witnesses -- a great excuse which conceals the real reason, namely the House Managers trying to trawl for more evidence. Interestingly, Rep. Hutchinson claimed that the House Managers did not wish for Ken Starr to be present. Mara asked a ticklish question about not calling witnesses in the House ( Rep. Hutchinson said that the White House did not wish to call witnesses) and claimed that lawyers for Vernon Jordan had been "cooperative" -- an attempt to cast Jordan as hostile to the President . Juan asked the money question: "You seek to find a new dynamic to trip the President up." Rep. Hutchinson denied this: "I think they ought to believe or disbelieve the witnesses, and for that you need the witnesses." Tony asked about committee members meeting with Dick Morris, who is a Fox News commentator -- a story they have been pushing like mad -- then followed up with a comment Rep. Hutchinson made about average folks having more sense than the Senate. This put Rep. Hutchinson on the spot as he laughed uncomfortably. He spun back, "I can get a conviction with an unbiased jury," and if the Senate is unbiased Rep. Hutchinson could get a conviction. It still sounded like an insult to the Senate. He and Bob Barr are making a lot of friends in the "all grown up" house of Congress, we're sure. And Brit cited a Washington Post story saying Monica Lewinsky was not believable. Rep. Hutchinson fell back on the time-tested point that Monica Lewinsky has every reason to tell the truth, because her immunity deal is contingent on total honesty. Rep. Hutchinson also deflected a question regarding whether Kathleen Willey would be called as a witness with a quick no and a fast turn to the charges of obstruction and perjury -- it was clear that he's uncomfortable speaking about Willey. And Tony probed Rep. Hutchinson on a comment he had made yesterday implying the President had threatened witnesses , and Hutchinson tried to make it look like he was backing off, but said "whenever you're the President , there's pressure on anyone going into your office." Following spots for Fir$t Union and ADM, Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Harry Reid (D-NV) & Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) were the guests. The question -- should the impeachment come to an end? Reid supported a vote for dismissal; Feinstein supported the same with an option to censure; McConnell called the motion to dismissal "terrible idea" and said he would "probably" vote to call witnesses. "I don't think anyone should worry about Sen. Byrd's reputation... [his motion] will bring over Republicans." Did Byrd's move destroy bipartisanship? Sen. Hutchinson said bipartisanship is a two-way street and she thought dismissing this without the House having a chance to rebut is not fair. She added there is a sentiment to set a Constitutional precedent that conviction deserves a vote. And Reid took umbrage with Sen. Hutchinson calling for Monica Lewinsky to testify, saying that the House Managers were "throwing a Hail Monica pass," and denouncing Starr for "spending $50 million to trash everybody in the country." Tony broke in: "He didn't trash you!" But Tony, if Starr had had the least excuse, he would have, and you know it. Feinstein ridiculed the notion that "the President represents a danger to the nation." Sen. Hutchinson said she thinks reasonable people could disagree, sounding like a parrot as she said the words "the rule of law." More ads: IBM/Lotus, ADM, and Fox hits The Simpsons and That '70s Show, followed by a local spot for "Power for Living," a free brochure being hawked by the anti-choice Arthur DeMoss Foundation, a philanthropy tied to groups that have terrorized doctors and clinics. A second local spot followed for HIP, an HMO that wants to cut costs and benefits and fight legislation to benefit patient rights. After the break, Feinstein also debunked Sen. Hutchinson's overblown notion that this case would have an effect on sex harassment law. Sen. Hutchinson: "When the President takes advantage of an intern..." We missed the rest of the answer we were laughing so hard -- just who took advantage of whom, Kay? Reid added that the real issue will not be impeachment but censure, to which Tony said "isn't this a cop-out?" Reid said no, because the "botched impeachment trial" was pretty much moot. Feinstein added that censure was blocked in the House, and then the spin was "this is impeachment, just send it to the Senate." The Senate, she added, does not find the underlying charges acceptable and therefore censure is appropriate. Reid tried to wave the Senate's flag: "We started in a bipartisan manner, and I think we will end in a bipartisan manner." We think he's wrong, but not for trying. Feinstein said that they should vote up or down on the two articles. Sen. Hutchinson said that the final deliberations should be public, and we (for once) agree with her! More ads: First Union, more Fox shows, and local spots for an Art Sale (tacky, mass-produced paintings) and The Men's Wearhouse Tony preceded panel time with a "one year ago" retrospect of Lewinsky's "coming out.". Yawn. Is it too early to talk endgames, asked Tony? Brit argued that Byrd actually threw a monkey-wrench in and "hardened the Republicans," and Mara argued that Sen. Bumpers' speech and Starr insinuating himself on the process hardened Democrats. Juan said that calling Monica Lewinsky shows that Republicans are hurting themselves, and Brit sounded ridiculous saying "why is this killing Republicans?" Read the poll numbers, Brit! He then accused the GOP of caving to a "travesty orchestrated by Democrats.... It's very major indeed, this whole chain of obstruction of justice..." He sounded huffy as usual, but this time with undercurrent of defensiveness instead of bluster. Brit's in denial about Republicans shooting themselves in the foot -- and is in fact aiding the process. There was plenty of speculation over what the "real" White House strategy is regarding Ms. Lewinsky, but Mara cut to the chase: "There are a lot of steps before she gets to the well of the Senate." Juan: "If you start down the road with witnesses... this will take months" because the White House will want witnesses, which means more hearings and depositions. Tony wrapped up with the question, "Is this the last bad news we will hear about Bill Clinton?" asked Tony. "Certainly not," answered Mara. Wishful thinking -- all of these pundit hope not, if only to make themselves feel as if they are still important. And they are -- important to tearing down and trashing Clinton while accusing him of high crimes. The panel turned to a predictable trashing of the State of the Union Address -- though Juan said, "What a performance by Bill Clinton." Brit continued bashing Clinton by saying there are "two Bill Clintons" -- scandal Clinton and State of the Union Clinton, a variation on calling Clinton an unrepentant compartmentalizer. The last ads: ADM, Invesco, IBM and your favorite Fox Shows (including their best news program, The X Files). Tony concluded by characterizing Clinton's State of the Union as "the most liberal and daring in decades" forcing Republicans to retrench on the issues of lower taxes and smaller government. This Weak Puts the Fix In
The first two guests were House Mismanagers Bill McCollum and Lindsey Graham. McCollum said that they were duty-bound to "at least chat with" Monica Lewinsky at this point -- the same point he has been making for weeks but with the new spin that "we are just trying to get acquainted" -- as if they're not acquainted with some 22 interviews she's already given. Right, Bill. Just small talk -- her favorite Gap dresses, kneepad fashion tips, the type of gifts she loves to receive from suitors, nothing too rigorous. Lindsey was typically oily, saying "the case could blow up in our face" -- but pushing the House Managers' assertion that witnesses must be called. "Common sense doesn't seem to jive with what [the White House] are doing" in opposing witnesses -- but his constant calls for witnesses make no common sense either, other than looking like a renewed attempt to damage the President for the sake of damaging the President. Graham added that Blumenthal was told by the President that Lewinsky was stalking her -- and he wants to see how Lewinsky felt about that. Well, gee, Lindsey, you little schoolyard bully, how do you suppose she felt when you used her name in one of the most cheap-shot tirades against Clinton during the House Judiciary Committee hearings? You USED her. McCollum and Lindsey were doing their best to challenge issues brought up by the White House and try the case in the court of conservative-controlled chat shows once again, making a point that "Lewinsky said no one told her to tell the truth" -- which only reminded us how emphatic she was that no one told her to lie on nearly a dozen occasions. Graham said he would remind Lewinsky that she should love her country. If she does, she should clean Graham's clock for dragging her and Clinton's name through the mud in the name of partisan politics. Sam said "There's the feeling that the fix is already in" concerning both a motion to dismiss and a motion to call witnesses. And he'd keep coming back to his "the fix is in" line throughout the show -- essentially a slam aimed at Sen. Byrd, Senate Democrats and the White House. Wrong, Sam. There is no "fix" in -- the Senate will just never convict Clinton. Ever. If you'd been a tenth of the journalist you pretend to be, you'd be asking these two weasels about Starr's maneuvering and his office's ties to right-wing lawyers with ties to the Jones case -- and how they tried to put the "fix in" with an illegal perjury trap, how they tried to put the "fix in" by tampering with the justice system to set up an impeachment scenario. Sam asked the same question of Bob Torricelli, who said no fix is in, but that the Managers were following their colleagues over a cliff. He must have read Tamara Baker's "Like Ensorcelled Lemmings!" Torricelli predicted that there would soon be a vote to adjourn or acquit. Sen. Shelby said he had not been swayed on the issue of witnesses by House Managers Torricelli called the House Managers' effort to meet with Lewinsky an attempt to intimidate a witness and abrogate a bipartisan agreement. George Will sounded like a knucklehead when he said "It sounds like your argument is chivalrous." Torricelli said that in fact the House Managers had a weak case and the last-minute call for witnesses was like a baseball game in the bottom of the ninth with the home team "down and swinging wildly." Is there a case for going ahead with a full trial to allow the White House to exculpate itself? Shelby reiterated his doubts that witnesses would cast any light on anything, and Torricelli talked about the life-and-death issues debated on the Senate floor, and that witnesses -- who would likely help the President -- would appear at the expense of the institution. Cokie made much of the "promise" by Greg Craig that the President would answer questions (it was no such thing, Cokie -- go back and read the transcript), and now his lawyers say they will answer written interrogatories. Shelby said it was indeed the lawyers' job to answer such questions. Shelby was starting to sound like a Democrat! We could practically picture Trent Lott watching, asking "Et tu, Shelby?" At the break came an ad for Pfizer, saying the company spends $2 billion on research (and plenty to influence legislation to mandate HMO coverage for Viagra), then ABC shows (most appropriately Spin City). Pat Robertson was the guest for the third segment, and Sam played the "its over as far as I'm concerned." Sam claimed that Pat's viewers are "madder than hornets," and Pat said that he "hasn't backed off on his respect for the law and the Constitution." Right, Pat -- just so long as they can be used to bash Clinton, who was not exactly friendly to your de facto business partner, the late Mobutu Sese Seko. When George asked about "witnesses on the floor," Pat went into a speech praising Henry Hyde and a criticism of the Senate for "giving Clinton a platform... [the State of the Union] didn't have to be on television," and Clinton could have mailed it out. Neither does The 700 Club have to be telecast, Pat -- why not just mail transcripts to all those generous contributors instead of spending all that money on a slick TV production? It's tax-free in your situation, after all! Pat said the usual things about Clinton's "reprehensible character" and "the moral character of our country... I wonder about our children... he's brought devastation everywhere he went," citing the tornadoes in Arkansas. Right, Pat. God destroyed Chelsea's tree house -- the same way the right wing, including you, has tried to destroy Clinton the man. Well, Pat, I've read the Bible too, and I remember a passage that says "Judge not, that ye may not be judged." Far be it from me to judge, but something tells me that you're in a lot of hot water with the big guy behind the tornadoes. He also denounced Clinton's plan to put surplus money into stocks to prop up the Social Security fund as "socialism." We guess that made the next This Weak sponsor, Merrill Lynch (who would do about anything to get a cut of that commission money), born again Marxists. After that spot, there were local spots for C-SPAN, believe it or not, and Leventhal (bond traders), whose spokesperson, Alexandra Leventhal, bears an uncanny resemblance to Monica Lewinsky. This Weak spent a half hour on their tiresome round table. Sam kept up with his "The fix is in" spin, saying Sen. Shelby "let the cat out of the bag." The smug Bill Kristol called for a "fair closure" to the trial for the House Managers -- of course, they're not running the trial, it's the Senate's call, and the Judiciary Committee and full House had their chance to be fair. They weren't. Cokie said that "Starr in cahoots with the House Managers presents a great opportunity" to criticize him. Well, no kidding, Cokie. Why hasn't it occurred to you that it might just be unethical and unconstitutional? Sam said something about Democrats and the White House concerning censure, "saying this is perjury and obstruction of justice, but it's not that important." This is a ridiculous, uninformed and blatantly biased comment, from a "public affairs" program that has done everything to destroy Clinton and a once-decent journalist who wants to scold the public for not listening to him or his colleagues Kristol, Will and Cokie concerning how awful Clinton the man and leader is. Thankfully, it was time for spots from GE, Texaco, John Hancock Insurance, and a local ABC public service announcement supporting mentoring. Cokie said Clinton "scored another hit with the State of the Union Address, going up in the public opinion polls." How do you like that -- zero discussion of ANY issue in Cokie's comment, along with the implicit comment that this was some sort of public relations effort to divert attention from impeachment. Issue one concerning the speech was not issues, but polls. Well, Cokie, let's set you straight. First, the speech was a grand slam, not a hit. Second, your attempts to divert from the issues ignore the fact that people with an interest in this country want to discuss and deal with Social Security, health issues, big tobacco and retooling national defense. Sam and George started to talk about the "substance" of missile treaties when Cokie wanted to move on to Social Security. Kristol predicted no action; Will said that Democrats may push an increase in the payroll tax. And George Stephanopoulos -- good for him -- skewered Kristol and Pat Robertson by pointing out that states invest some of their entitlement funds privately. And Sam, who won a hard-fought victory against cancer himself, applauded the suit against big tobacco to raise money to cover health costs. Good for you, Sam -- for once we agree! A last wave of commercials -- Southern Company, AT&T (two back-to-back spots), GE and America's Pharmaceutical Companies -- preceded a final plug for 20-20. The McLaughlin Group Dons White Sheets Even before the show started General Electric, NBC's parent company, showed its first commercial. "Issue One - Lawyer's Olympics"
Pat Buchanan called this a trial of the absurd. He too attacked only the Democrats. Eleanor Clift said the entire matter is a sham -- the White House did what it should, and it has raised the bar. She was correct. McLaughlin added that the essentials of a trial should be there. He asked Tony "The Hutt" Blankley -- now of George Magazine -- who called the trial a charade. This is a search for an exit, he said. McLaughlin said he thinks the White House is building its case on public relations, not law. Blankley said this is a political process. Moron Michael Barone -- whose claim to fame is Readers Digest -- did not agree the trial is a sham. Barone, a whore for the Republicans, attacked Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), the only Senator who had the guts to call Henry Hyde and his case against the President "a pile of dung." Buchanan claimed that a lot of Democrats would tell you "sure, he's guilty" but his polls are too high to throw him out. McLaughlin claimed the trial is "wired." We assume he did not see yesterday's session. Barone said he thinks the Senators are trying to find the truth. What an idiot he seems. McLaughlin said he thinks "we are forgetting the Constitution." McLaughlin asked who has the momentum. Pat: White House. Eleanor: White House. Tony said the White House -- and so did Barone and McLaughlin. Blankley said he thinks that the conventional wisdom that it's over could shift. Sure, and Clift's mother is a bus. McLaughlin, one of the most bombastic blowhards on network television, seemed beside himself with grief -- probably because GE will cancel their advertisements. McLaughlin then shows his ridiculous poll (taken only by Republicans) which showed that 77% of "Americans" thought the President's conversations with Monica Lewinsky "COMPRISED NATIONAL SECURITY!" Our entire editorial staff broke out in laughter! What a moron he thinks we all are. After another General Electric commercial, and then another, McLaughlin proclaimed in his most pompous manner, "Issue Two - A Star is Born" -- Cheryl Mills. With this segment... JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, MICHAEL BARONE AND PAT BUCHANAN WERE REVEALED AS THE RACISTS THEY ARE He showed clips of Senators from both sides of the aisle, lauding her performance. But the panelists were ignorant: Mills has played a growing role in White House strategy, and as a black female she honored our country during her moving presentation on behalf of the President. Pat Buchanan claimed that Mills is a racist. Barone, sounding as if he had missed Mills' presentation, claimed Mills argued a weak case. McLaughlin claimed she was weak in sophistry. Then -- in an unbelievable and unforgivable moment -- McLaughlin began an attack on Mills for "playing the race card" -- raising a false comparison to the O.J. Simpson trial in an unbelievable tirade! He showed a clip of Mills in front of the Senate, then "Waterbed" Bob Barr snidely mocking her. McLaughlin went on to say that Mills is accused of lying under oath (by yet another Republican Hatchet Committee) during her testimony concerning the alleged use of White House computers to track supporters. Of course, McLaughlin doesn't say that EVERY President has used THEIR computer systems to track supporters -- and so does every House and Senate member. Buchanan said she "used the race card" and so did obvious racists Barone and Blankley. McLaughlin called her a "Black female shill." Eleanor Clift just about went out of her mind screaming at the 3 ultra-right Republicans on this pathetic show. We encourage our readers to write to General Electric and ask for the immediate dismissal of John McLaughlin! Issue Three - "A Star is Reborn" -- McLaughlin refers to former Senator Dale Bumpers, who presented the closing arguments in support of Bill Clinton. McLaughlin then asked whether Senator Robert Byrd's motion to dismiss will fail. Barone, Buchanan and Blankley say it will fail. McLaughlin said the answer is it will fail and three witnesses will testify. We assume he means Lewinsky, Currie and Jordan. We'd love for it to be Starr, Tripp and Jones. Final question: "Will the nightmare be over by February 1?" WARNING: John was given the opportunity to plug his new MSNBC (which stands for "Make Sure Nobody Believes Clinton") series: "McLaughlin Special Report." In a delightful irony, just after the McLaughlin group, Denny's restaurants ran a commercial against racist commentary. How interesting. As you might remember, Denny's was accused of racist practices and denying Blacks seats at its restaurants a couple of years ago. Could they have seen the light -- or are they posing? Meet the Press
Russert first welcomed the distinguished House Manager, admitted adulterer Henry Hyde. Russert asked whether Hyde is concerned that people will think he is in cahoots with Kenneth Starr because he had Starr go into court and win an order to force Monica Lewinsky to talk with the House Republicans before they attempted to subpoena her. They did not invite the White House counsel to this meeting, and hid the Starr pleading to Judge Norma Holloway Johnson. Hyde said, "I don't know what Democrats are afraid of." Hyde claimed that Lewinsky is not threatened by Starr, as Democrats claim. If you believe that, then you must believe Hyde is a truthful man. He is not, but rather a bald-faced liar who should be impeached himself forthwith. Hyde and his team are hoping that something -- anything -- might come out if they get to call witnesses, because their entire trumped-up case is a failure, and they now look like fools. naturally, Hyde lied about this as well, and claimed that calling witnesses will "humanize" this case. Did he think he would "humanize" the family of Cherie Snodgrass when he set her up in an apartment and threw her husband out of that apartment when he came to plead for his marriage? Henry Hyde is a pig, in the most vicious sense of the word, and a consummate liar, so good at it that he convinces himself -- as do all sociopaths. Hyde claimed that the Senate should not tell them how to try our case. But again he's lying. The Senate has the sole responsibility to set the rules, the sole responsibility to try the impeachment case. Russert reminded Hyde that both Pat Robertson and Frank Keating have called for the end of this sham. Hyde, lying again, told Russert that he should not count on the fact that there are not 67 votes to throw the President out of office. "The Senate owes us a trial," he pleads. But the reality is that Hyde knows full well that he can be thrown out of office and have his own pathetic, hypocritical political career cut short on the sour note of perhaps being impeached himself for presenting a sham set of charges against the President in a traitorous attempt to overthrow the Administration and Bill Clinton. Russert shows him the poll number, the 68% approval ratings -- but then shows all the negative numbers about the President's "reputation." Hyde said it bothers him that if we walk away from these negative numbers we are legitimating the President's conduct. The truth, he thinks, is that Americans are dumb enough to believe the GOP mantra that private sexual conduct is a matter for public scrutiny. If that were true then the majority of the founding fathers would have been impeached as well, along with at least 23 of our former Presidents. Hyde stuck to his line that censure is improper. We agree, but Hyde is saying it to drive the Senate toward dismissal. Hyde said that harm to the GOP is there, but only in the short term. He said that he hopes that the American people will realize that the Republican conspirators have "risked their political lives" in order to fight for constitutional principles. We had to puke. The commercials came next. First, GE -- now "a financial partner you can trust" to handle your insurance and investments. Yeah, right -- can you imagine? Next came the US Postal Service. Again we ask, how can they be allowed to advertise on these pundit shows? Write your congressman about this. Canon Corp. came next, and then ADM, talking about the Warsaw Pact and NATO and the fact that world hunger still exists in peace. Puh-leeease... Russert started the second segment with Senator Hollings, who said the case against the President should be dismissed immediately. He named all the "gates" and said that they were trying to misuse the impeachment clause. "He has done no deep wrong to the country, " he said. He then went on to say that what the Senate is doing is legitimizing the unseating of a President by a pack mentality. Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) said the Senate doesn't need witnesses. He said that Hyde called this a conclusive record -- and that's what we should vote on, the record. Levin attacked Starr viciously for subpoenaing Lewinsky with no notice to the Senate. Senator Snowe tried to dodge the Starr question at first, but then said that Starr was not prohibited to do what he did, and then proceeded to dodge the question again. She tried to convince us that "never before has a trial been dismissed" -- as if that means anything. She said she will vote against dismissal, but did say she is not yet convinced that we need witnesses. Russert asked Senator Murray whether she is concerned about Paula Jones' "civil rights." Murray said she is angry at the President for his inappropriate behavior, but will not consider sexual harassment as part of this case. She believes that the House managers have not made their case on either perjury or obstruction. She does not want a spectacle. Russert keeps going. "Aren't you concerned about a 50 year old CEO having an affair with a 22 year old subservient?" What a jerk -- Russert came across as a self-serving, holier-than-thou prick that the nation has learned to hate. Senator Harkin -- the only voice of wisdom in the Senate -- said that in the last 48 hours we have seen a severe attack on the Constitution, and that Starr's subpoena is unconstitutional. Harkin has asked Justice Rehnquist to rule Judge Johnson's ruling unconstitutional. He claimed the House Managers should have asked the permission on the Senate. Russert, the slimy pig he is, defended Hyde and Starr by saying that Starr agreed that the White House could talk to Lewinsky yesterday -- when big shot Russert himself called his office and asked. Do you believe this? Russert was telling us that what Hyde and Starr did is okay now because AFTER THE FACT Starr lets the Democrats in. He refuses to see how Hyde and Starr have undermined the Constitution by sneaking over to Holloway, who has acted almost as if she will do their bidding. He sees, but he would rather get a huge salary increase for being an instigator of the Devil than call for the end of this scam himself. Of course, Rehnquist -- reportedly a racist himself -- said that the Jones suit would not "inconvenience" the nation. So what do we expect him to do now? Nothing, we're sure -- as he has done all during this witch trial. What we have instead is a Buffoon Justice sitting in Congress reading questions as if he was the host of "Jeopardy." More GE commercials followed. The CPA association was next. Just what are these accountants up to in the Congress? Senator Levin, a partial traitor as far as we're concerned, said he would censure the President. That is unconstitutional -- will the Senate now engage in censuring all Presidents in the future for whatever they don't like? Doesn't Levin and the rest of these Democrats realize what a Pandora's box they are opening against the Presidency? And Harkin, the only Democrat with a brain, pointed this out. Republican Smith said he would vote to censure as long as the president was made to write a 100 word essay to some little boy in Chicago that Adulterer Hyde invoked in his lying statements in Committee. Snowe, one pearl of wisdom among the Republicans, said she probably would not vote a censure. She thinks that the censure should contain an urging that the Justice Department prosecute the President once he leaves office. Senator Larry Craig called Clinton a "nasty bad boy." Slade Gorton rightfully called censure a Bill of Attainder, which is banned by the Constitution. Good for him, another voice of reason among Republicans. Craig, though, would remove Clinton in a wink. Russert then rolled the "wagging finger" tape of Clinton -- his favorite way to hurt the President. Russert enrages Fritz Hollings in an argument, Russert blathering that the President wagged his finger. How many times has Russert run tape of Clinton apologizing for his private conduct, or speaking about it? And remember this: The President was wagging his finger at the press gathered that day, not at the American people! He was wagging his finger at opportunistic, self-serving liars like Russert. Russert is beyond redemption. So while you are calling NBC today, remind them to fire Russert as well. Craig said the President should have resigned months ago. Harkin reminds hypocrite Russert that the American people focus on forgiveness and repentance, not on people's personal sins. Gorton said the Senate will get to a vote on guilt or non-guilt. Snowe said the process will continue on a bi-partisan basis and a conclusion will be reached at the end of the week and that the President will not be removed. Senator Craig said the same. Gordon Smith said the same. Carl Levin, Tom Harkin, Fritz Hollings and Patty Smith agree and Harkin added he wants the process opened to the people. As Fritz Hollings has often said "The Ox is in the ditch." But now the Ox is the GOP Elephant.
Click here for Dave "Doctor" Gonzo's previous commentary in American Politics Journal. | Recently in American Politics Journal: January 23: Wheel of Impeachment! January 21: Kendall and Bumpers Burn the Starrs and Barrs January 21: Broaddrick to Be Subpoenaed? And How Did Fox News Know? January 20: Loyal Opposition -- The Last Dogs / A Low Barr / The Real Thing January 19: Full Text of the 1999 State of the Union Address January 19: Ruff Comes Out Fighting January 19: Opinion and Letters from Our Readers January 16: House Confederates Wrap Up Case, Desecrate Graves and Monuments January 15: Mystery Senator Contest January 14: Kill the Presidency! January 13: Trial Memorandum of President Clinton January 13: Gail Barr's Affidavit to Hustler Magazine January 13: Concerning Nothing In Particular January 13: Loyal Opposition -- A Stay of Execution / You Lie With Dogs / Jackson in Love January 12: Like Ensorcelled Lemmings Rushing to Their Doom January 11: President Clinton's Answer to the Articles of Impeachment January 11: Pundit Pap -- Trial by Media January 8: Sunset of an American Dream -- Justice January 8: The Politics of Hate January 8: Opinion and Letters from Our Readers January 7: Home Invasion Targets Senate January 6: Billions Versus a Million and Change -- Quantity Versus Quality January 6: Clinton's Worst Case January 5: End of the Melon Patch for Burton? January 5: Opinion and Letters from Our Readers January 4: On the Right -- The Trial of Clinton January 2: Is Danny Williams Bill Clinton's Son? December 31: In Defense of Liberalism December 31: Opinion and Letters from Our Readers December 30: Loyal Opposition -- Do the Hustle / Stepford Democrats / Next: Privatizing Torture December 29: The Propaganda Coup December 28: Pundit Pap -- Trumped-Up Guest Rosters Unanimous in Guilty Verdicts December 27: 1999 -- What a year that was! December 26: All Right, You've Asked For It! December 24: Speaker Desig'maybe' Dennis Hastert December 24: Six Nights Before Christmas |
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ISSN No. 1523-1690
Tony Snow and the gang had lined up an all-star guest roster, including Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX), Harry Reid (D-NV) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY), plus House Manager Asa Hutchinson -- not as many big names as Meet the Press, but impressive nonetheless.
Is dismissal inevitable or will witnesses be called? And is the impeachment hurting the GOP? With a roster of anti-Clintonites (with the exception of Senator Bob Torricelli), we pretty much knew what Sam and Cokie's answers would be: we hope not on dismissal and for on witnesses, and who cares how much the Republican Party shoots themselves in the foot so long as we can keep bashing Bill?
John McLaughlin told us that the Senate was to be "morphed" into a court but is in essence a circus. Yet McLaughlin claimed the unfairness is toward the Republicans -- because they are not allowed to rebut President Clinton's lawyers. He asked his panel of ultra-right idiots (except for Eleanor Clift, about the only real liberal to appear on any of the Sunday shows) whether the rules should be changed. 
We could only guess as to what garbage Tim Russert would spew this weekend. At least he had the best guest roster -- for the Democrats, Senators Tom Harkin, Fritz Hollings (D-SC), Carl Levin (D-MI), and Patty Murray (D-WA), and for the GOP, Slade Gorton (R-WA), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Larry Craig (R-ID).