Sunday, September 17, 2000 -- NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (AmpolNS) -- The punditocracy seemed as intent on putting Hollywood "on trial" as they were of playing down the fact that they now must clumsily admit that "golden boy" George W. Bush is in about the worst place a Presidential candidate can be on two weekends after Labor Day -- in second place.

As we perused the lineups for the Sunday shows yesterday, we were initially of the opinion that there was a bit too much of insufferable neo-fascist harpy Lynne Cheney -- the anti-feminist and wife of vice-presidential oilman candidate Dick Cheney of Texas... er, uh, make that Wyoming -- but once she started blathering about the Evils of Entertainment, we knew that her presence would add a needed bit of daffiness to the discussion of the slow, almost painful-to-watch collapse of the Bush Campaign.

And the Bush team wonders why they're failing so badly.

Fox Schmooze Sunday
Tony recycles trial lawyer "non-story"

We caught the first half of Fox News Sunday.  At the outset, Tony Snow decided to flog the latest absurd "scandal" story concerning a large contribution by a litigation lawyer to the Clinton campaign in '96 and his subsequent visit to the White House. For some reason, this story, which Tony claimed was "reported this week," was known by the Department of Justice -- who reportedly laughed it out of their office -- years ago.  Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) said that Gore knew nothing about the contribution by the lawyer in question and that there was no quid-pro-quo because Clinton had long planned to veto a bill that was unfavorable to litigators and highly favorable to big companies.  Sen. Bill Frist (R-Gore basher) called it "another shoe to fall [in an] open investigation" as he rattled off a whole litany of "investigations" into Gore.

Most of which, Senator Frist, have gone nowhere.  

Frist emphasized that the investigation is "going on right now," saying it about five times.  Edwards pointed out that Gore was not under investigation.  We say he should have added that at least one party at the DOJ says that there is no investigation.  Frist said that "you can't sweep it under the rug."  We agree -- because it shows that the GOP is already spoiling to give Gore the Clinton treatment, wasting hundreds of millions on congressional investigations and avoiding any real legislating.

Frist said Bush plans to roll out a "blueprint for the middle class."  Edwards zapped Frist, saying that Bush isn't making anything of this latest NoThereThereGate because Gore is not involved.  Tony asked something about the tobacco settlement, claiming that tobacco farmers have been "hard hit' (aren't most of those farmers at least owned in part by tobacco companies? ).

Tony pointed out a "divide" between Hill GOPers and Bush on tax cuts -- Congressional reeps say they're too big.  Frist tried hard to stretch the truth, rambling on about "paying down the debt" with an "across-the-board tax cut."  Huh?  Tony also said that the Bush campaign was not fast to react to the veto of marriage penalty relief -- and Frist agreed!

Tony brought up the idea of a class-action lawsuit against Hollywood studios.  Edwards said that action must be consistent with constitutional protections -- "That balance HAS to be struck."  He praised Lieberman and Gore for their criticism of Hollywood.  Frist talked about a questionable report about ties between film and youth violence and ranted about a fundraiser!

Is the GOP ranting about fundraisers to demonize Hollywood -- or because Bush just ain't raising the bucks the way he did last year, so they have to hit the Dems in the pocketbook?

In the next segment, Lynne Cheney was allowed to rant about how outraged people should be at members of the entertainment industry marketing violent movies to kids.

You mean films like The Hitcher -- which was bankrolled by George W. Bush?

Lynne whined about "X-rated jokes" being told at Democrat fundraisers.  Gee, Lynne, there were a lot of X-rated comments on Clinton's private conduct made at GOP fundraisers, not to mention your hubby's "big time" approval of Dubya's "asshole" comment in front of kids.

Lynne tried the "pattern and practice of Al Gore" song-and-dance about how Gore is "weak on culture."  Brit Hume practically mocked Cheney, saying that parents are already outraged.  Lynne started grumbling about "ratings that mean something."  Well, Lynne, they do -- and it's up to parents to use those ratings.

Lynne mentioned a film called Kids based on a "pornographic book" that was rated NC-17, and claimed that the studio was marketed to kids under 17.  Well, guess what, Lynne -- Kids SHOULD be seen by kids.  It's a cautionary and harrowing tale of teenagers who practically commit suicide by having unprotected sex and using drugs.  It's a swift and unchecked slap in the face, a dose of sobering reality.  You're condemning a movie that is realistic -- and critical of drug use and promiscuity.

You, Lynne Cheney, don't get it -- and I think that's the reason FOX News let you go on thinking that you would act as a seven-minute campaign commercial, one in which you showed your lack of critical understanding of film or entertainment.  Instead, even Brit Hume made you look extreme and shallow.

The funniest part of the segment -- Lynne telling Tony about the "terrific week" she and her husband had had on the campaign trail.  Right, Lynne -- it must have been terrific watching your hubby's numbers erode nationally.  Big time. We couldn't help laughing.

Hey, Tony -- why didn't you ask Lynne what she thinks of BushBaby bankrolling "The Hitcher?"

The McLaugh-In Group
Olympics force Pope John into exile

Pity crazed Pundit Pope John McLaughlin -- and the viewers who worship the bellowing conservative opinion "leader."   For the next couple weeks, he and his insane encounter group are being exiled to the predawn hours in most key East Coast viewing areas because of NBC's coverage of the Olympic Games in Sydney.  At the time we normally expect to see The McLaugh-In Group, we tuned in to discover our NBC affiliate running tape-delay footage of the 2000 Olympics' hottest exhibition spot, Australian dwarf-tossing.

But we do have his panel's nutty predictions:
Larry Kudlow talked about a "tax revolt sweeping Europe in part because of high gas prices" and forecast big tax cuts.  He's dead wrong.
Eleanor Clift said that the "first round of post-debate polls will show that Hillary won that debate" -- unlike the prediction of the mad political scientists' club she argues with.
Tony "The Hut" Blankley (actually, he's been looking like he lost a good bit of weight) thinks that House Squeaker Hastert "has actually come up with what may be a winning exit strategy" by picking a "fight" with the president be on the strategy for paying down the debt.
Mort Zuckerman said that "unless there is a bump in the road, Bush is going to lose both Pennsylvania and Florida." 
John McLaughlin forecast a deadlocked Middle East peace -- over Jerusalem -- until the compromise of declaring Jerusalem the capital of both Israel and Palestine is arrived at.

Deface the Nation
Schieffer turns Lynne Cheney into an entertainer

Guest one: Trent Lott (R-Council of Conservative Citizen Bigots).  We missed the first minute or so, but caught Lott ranting about Wen Ho Lee as if he were the Yellow Peril.  Schieffer challenged Lott's assertion that Lee was behind the worst American security breach in his lifetime, and Lott raised questions about letting universities run Los Alamos, then continued the false claim of campaign money coming from China.

You mean Ambrous Tong's payoffs to Haley Barbour?  Well, it's about time a Republican castigated Barbour, Trent!

Gloria Borger brought up the "trial lawyer" contribution non-scandal. Lott called his secret efforts to take away citizens' rights to sue big companies "tort reform."

Then Lynne Cheney appeared.  Schieffer asked about Gore's widening lead -- now over 50% -- and the Detroit News story concerning Gore's lead in Pennsylvania and Michigan.  Lynne had to admit that Bush is the underdog, and that's the place they want to be.  Hahahaha -- yeah, sure, Lynne, if you're an underdog on Labor Day, you're toast on a stick!  Cheney said the campaign was about character -- directly contradicting Bush's conscious effort to back off from character as an issue.

Cheney said that Clinton and Gore "have had eight years to fix everything" -- as if she thinks people are too stupid to remember six years of GOP obstructionism, flogging of fake scandals and promotion of hate.  We will remember, honey -- and we will remind voters, too.

Lynne again used the words "pattern and practice" (she snuck them into her FOX Schmooze appearance) in a stupid attempt to tar Gore, talking about scatological jokes at fundraisers.  Right, Lynne -- as if that's worse that saying "asshole" into a live mike in front of families -- kids, mind you -- and having your husband respond "Big time."  Lynne then lied again, saying that Gore and Lieberman are not taken seriously by the entertainment industry -- and said that people should shame others into not inviting entertainment executives to dinner!  Lynne was funnier that Dana Carvey's "Church Lady" character -- and even sounds a little like "her."

Schieffer should seriously consider adding a laugh track -- Lynne Cheney managed to turn Deface the Nation into the best comedy on CBS!  It was hilariously ironic -- a woman railing against the entertainment industry provided the best entertainment of the entire Sunday talk ghetto with her histrionic posturing.

Next up -- Bill Daley, Gore's campaign boss.  Schieffer followed up on Lynne's claim that Gore is a hypocrite -- saying that Gore had apologized to record label execs after his wife came out for record labeling.  Daley set Lynne straight -- Gore HAS been consistent about something the GOP rarely mentions, namely parental involvement.  Daley also mentioned that Gore told entertainment execs at a fundraiser to clean up their act.  Schieffer persisted in mentioning the report that Gore had apologized, but Daley said that this single-sources and uncorroborated claim is questionable.

We think that if Gore apologized to record labels, he did it for not helping them come up with the labeling idea sooner -- a concept that record companies used to market their CDs to teens!  Have you ever seen a parent shopping with their teenage kid at a Tower Records?!

Daley also turned Lynne into a Democrat, underscoring her own comment that there are serious First Amendment considerations in cracking down on entertainment.

Daley then played down the good poll numbers - -but did say that Gore has focused on issues for the last year, and the public is responding to him.  Borger mentioned the latest trial lawyer "flap" and Trent-Bob saying "it stinks."  Daley dismissed he GOP for living in 1996 -- and caught Borger off-guard when he responded that he does not believe DOJ is investigating a large contribution by a litigator, then lit into big newspaper stories of allegations with no evidence. 

Schieffer's final word focused on Bush's road to the White House turning into an impassable route -- Bush made a gaggle of gaffes starting with the "debate over debates" while Gore went into detail on issues people care about.  Bottom line: candidates have to tell people why they're running -- the implication being Bush hasn't done that.

Defeat the Press
Tim continues his bottom-feeding

Tim Russert, the most corrupt and dishonest "moderator"  on the scene today, again decided to go fishing in Bill Clinton's pants by giving a lot of time to promoting a new "impeachment" book.

But first, Tim welcomed Gov. John Engler (R-MI) -- and asked him what's going on in the Bush campaign, which is failing so badly in Michigan?  Engler had to admit that the "debate about the debates" was a blunder.  Hey, John, what about the "RATS" and "subliminables"? The "asshole" comment?  Engler also mentioned that Gerald Ford carried Michigan, but lost the '76 election.  Engler then made a fool of himself, calling global warming "nonsense," saying it would force auto workers out of jobs and raise gas prices.

Huh?  Global warming IS real. Detroit WILL find a way to turn a tidy profit on "green" vehicles, and they'll need workers to make them.

Dick Durbin opted to talk about real issues -- prescription drugs -- and that "the [GOP] leader 'ship' is abandoning the sinking 'rats!' "  Good one, Dick -- our staff was laughing out loud. "Are you saying that the Republicans on Capitol Hill are abandoning Bush?" said Russert, sounding astonished.  Durbin said yes -- that they're moving toward Gore-Lieberman positions in present negotiations.  Engler talked about the "death tax" and marriage penalty vetoes, saying that Gore won't go for them.  Durbin said that he had actually brought up the Bush tax plan in a comment to the Senate -- and no GOPer went for it.  Engler seemed a little flustered, even a little depressed, as he talked about the awful Clinton-Gore Administration maintaining "high tax levels."  He sounded as if he didn't believe his own rhetoric -- and can already see defeat on the horizon.

Tim asked Durbin if Gore would be "labeled a big spender."  Durbin turned the tables -- that Americans want to spend down the debt and support a college tuition tax credit.  "Bring it on -- George W. Bush has failed to explain how he can pay for this tax cut for the rich."  Durbin sounded as emboldened as Engler sounded dispirited, although Engler does seem to get energized on wonk issues -- taxes, budgets -- and claimed that he won in Michigan because of his stand on tax cuts.

Well, maybe at the state level, Engler, but it just doesn't play at the national level these days.

Engler began ranting about "two dollar a gallon gas prices... Gore has to do some 'splaining."  WRONG!  Bush has some to do -- especially about his friends in the Carlyle Group recently visiting Middle East emirs, and about his allies in the oil business influencing production and prices.

Tim started talking surpluses -- and that "Al Gore has a risky scheme" along with Bush.  Durbin again turned the tables, bringing up the rainy day fund, and that the real day of reckoning will be for both parties on their Social Security proposals.  Engler tried the tired "Bush trusts American families, Gore trusts the government."  Hahahaha -- hey, John, big business trusts the government and YOUR state government, Engler, because they pay their and your campaign bills.

Durbin talked about the Firestone-Bridgestone scandal -- and keeping :"the doors open" so that average citizens have access to civil justice.  Tim has adopted the GOP rhetoric of "trial lawyers," forgetting (of course) that they stand for the little guy against big and well-financed interest.  Engler tried to play up the latest trial lawyer finance "scandal."  But it didn't have much traction -- Tim brought up McCain-Feingold and asked Engler if he'd support it. Engler changed the subject.

How important are the debates?  Engler lied and said Bush wanted debates -- then told the truth, saying Bush was disappointed Russert couldn't moderate.

We loved it -- Engler's de facto "praise" of Russert on behalf of Dubya merely reinforces his image as a partisan stooge acting on behalf of the worst element of the Republican party.

We blew off the Peter Baker interview -- a promo for yet another "impeachment" book.  Yeah, it does expose how bigoted the right wing of the GOP could be, but Baker is WRONG when he says that Clinton's position was precarious.  Our sources say that Baker's characterization of what was going on within the Democratic caucus in the House, which Baker casts as going against Clinton before the Starr Report was issued, is skewed and omits facts that undercut Baker's assertion.  Baker, by the way, "broke" the Lewinsky story in the Washington Post.

Save your money and get The Hunting of the President instead.

This Weak
Blame Hollywood with Croaky and Will

We caught the second half of This Weak -- in which Cokie Roberts and George Will questioned Danny Goldberg, longtime entertainment executive and now president and CEO of Artemis Records on Hollywood.  Goldberg asked why George's and Sen. Lieberman's opinion should be more important than that of parents, who should be free to raise their kids as they see fit.  Will whined about pervasive popular culture -- can he control what his kids are exposed to?  Goldberg said he is concerned about government panels making rules for families.  Will mentioned the latest boogeyman of the right -- Marshall Mathers, who goes under the moniker Eminem, and sings about chopping up his mom and girlfriend (as if that thought hasn't crossed the mind of perfectly normal people when they're ticked off).  Will asked about whether anti-Semitic messages helped bring about Nazi Germany -- and Goldberg dismissed Will's ridiculous and unfair comparison.  Will also mentioned Joe Camel -- but forgets that this cartoon figure was a marketing tool, not entertainment.  Goldberg made a good point -- Archie Bunker was portrayed as a bigot, but most people "got" that he was not a sympathetic character.  Will continued obsessing about Joe Camel -- as if he were the exclusive cause of teen smoking.

Goldberg did a decent job of debunking every premise of Will's questioning -- we just wish he'd been just a little more emphatic, and taken advantage of Will's often redundant questioning.

The round table of egocentric loons started with someone's electoral college map -- with big-time advantage to Gore.  Suddenly Louisiana and Ohio are toss-up states -- what's happening?  George Staphylococcus, for some reason, mentioned states where Bush had a huge lead.  Croaky talked about Bush gaffes -- the "RATS" commercial, his "subliminable" stumbles -- and said that he needs reporters to focus on his message.  Will said that Bush had made a mistake making character an issue.  Will and Staph began talking about a real issue -- working families and prescription drug.  It was a miracle -- actual talk about an actual issue on This Weak -- even if for 15 seconds!  Staph said the Gore campaign took a winning strategy, beginning to "launch" their campaign with the convention, telling people "who Al Gore is."  Cokie sounded a little shocked as she said that people now want more government -- and because conservatives got the deficit down (WRONG, Croaky!), people are now somehow ready for more government.

Will said that Bush is going to have to "perform triage" and "pull the plug on its California campaign."  Staph said that it's hard to see what the influence of the Olympics is.

Then, the New York debate.  Croaky said that Lazio came across as "not callow" -- and Scam Donaldson said that Lazio blundered by "shoving that piece of paper" in Hillary's face.  The panel seemed confused as to what Lazio really stands for -- and Staph said that Lazio missed the opportunity to light into Russert for his video stunt by saying that the whole matter was over.  Cokie said it helped Hillary, making her again look like the "wounded" woman.  

Following the break -- blather about Wen Ho Lee.  Scam and Croaky both mentioned the scathing comments in which the judge hearing the case apologized to Lee and blasted the Justice Department for their handling of the case and Lee himself.  Croaky then foolishly claimed that Reno was "carrying water" for the Clinton Administration, again showing her tenuous grasp on reality -- this Attorney General has shown more independence than any other in recent history, often making decisions that were not in the interest of the Clinton Administration.  Will made much of missing tapes, and then said that the government cannot say what they know because they can't compromise their secrets or sources.

Uh-huh -- like the possibility that the FBI and DOJ may have blundered and compromised a counterespionage operation in which Lee was working with a U.S. spy agency.  Funny how nobody in the conspiracy-obsessed press seems to be mentioning that possible scenario -- or the fact that the entire fiasco was triggered by  a sloppily reported story by the New York Times that cast Lee as the "yellow peril."

Not-So-Lame Edition
Wolf Zaps Lynne 

We also caught the first segment of CNN's Late Edition.  Wolf Blitzer interviewed Lynne Cheney -- it was a rerun of her prior appearances until Wolf mentioned that George W. Bush helped underwrite a lurid slasher film, The Hitcher!  Lynne changed the subject by mentioning Kids again, then segueing to Eminem.  Wolf pressed Lynne -- shouldn't Bush have been more aggressive in pressing for his company not to produce slasher films?  Lynne said that Wolf was "giving into the Democratic attack machine!"  Hahahaha -- Lynne must think that it's not fair for Democrats to "attack" Bush over a FACT about his business dealings.

Bravo, Wolf -- you really ticked Lynne off!  She NEVER directly addressed the fact that Bush was behind one of the most grizzly films of the 90s.