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Contact Information for Pundit String-Pullers CBS 524 W. 57 St. New York, NY 10019 Phone: 212-975-4321 Fax: 212-975-1893 You can also fill out a " Feedback Form" on the CBS website. CBS Evening News staff suggested that faxing or mailing your comments increases the likelihood that they will be read. Westwood One The NewsHour |
Sunday, March 25, 2001 -- NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (APJP) -- Campaign finance reform and the continuing drop in the stock markets topped the pundit hand-wringing this week.
We took a brief look at four of the top loudmouth shows this Sunday; this is what we saw.
FAUX News Sunday
Tony Snow WANTS TAX CUTS RIGHT NOW!
"Congress wants tax cuts RIGHT NOW!" Only half-true, Tony Snow: their owner$ want that tax cut even more -- and don't care that Mr. and Mrs. Average Jane & Joe will get next to nothing.
We caught the first half of FNS -- and an interview with Joe Lieberman, who slammed Smirk for a tax plan that received no input from Congress on what to do with the surplus. Lieberman said that a tax cut would provide a stimulus -- but should NOT be tied to long-term planning. Lieberman proposes that the government "cut a check as soon as possible" and give everyone $300 -- almost 200 million people and companies would get the same amount, and the economy would get a lift.
Now this is interesting -- self-proclaimed supply-siders claim the rich, who are the "most" productive (aboard their luxury yachts and behind their desks making decisions that ruin lives deserve a large proportion of the tax cuts. This makes Lieberman a "demand-sider" -- and he's right when he said the government better helps the private sector by controlling interest rates and rewarding innovation.
Tony asked in his most skeptical tone whether Lieberman supports a "trigger" on tax cuts. Lieberman is against a trigger -- but also feels that one-third of the surplus should be set aside to pay down long-term national debt.
When Tony asked Lieberman if we're in a recession (of course not; there's a specific definition and we're not even close to a mild one), Lieberman said the economy had slowed. This too is inaccurate -- the rate of growth has slowed, but the operative word is growth.
Lieberman said he believes Congress will pass a form of campaign reform bill -- including closing the soft money loophole. Tony called the provisions concerning outside expenditures are "unconstitutional," but not why -- that companies buy their "freedom of speech."
Tony then turned to an executive order on "international spending on abortion." Tony is being outright deceptive, and Lieberman called him on it -- only a very, very tiny fraction of money for international family planning and women's health initiatives goes to pay for abortions -- but Lieberman should have added that in most cases, these procedures are generally medically justified.
Lieberman said that he and Gore had been prepared to stand up for the little guy, and slammed the press for misleading people into claiming Gore had declared class warfare. Lieberman also said that he's still putting pressure on Hollywood to stop marketing violent fare to kids.
Hey Joe, walk the talk -- corner Rupert Murdoch and suggest he tone down the advertising for Dark Angel, The World's Funniest Violent Police Chases, and similar programming that teens eat up.
The next guest was the always-entertaining loser Spencer Abraham, now our Energy "Czar." Mara Liasson needled Spence about Smirk's campaign comments of "tin cup" diplomacy in its relations with OPEC (going to them begging for good prices), and now OPEC is lowering output while laughing at Shrubya. All Spence could do was whine about how "disappointed" he is, lie about "energy policy" and look affable and bloated. Spence lied about a "huge infusion" of oil from Arctic wildlife refuges (that'll last a few months), and Tony pressed him on high gas prices (compared to WHAT? try driving in Europe or Asia, Tony), and Spence gave a typically vague answer.
What a laff-riot. The Cheney-Card team is on the defensive over fossil fuels and blackouts in California, and "I just can't push a switch and send energy all over the country... there is a very serious crisis."
Well, Spence, do something about companies like Enron manipulating the supply. Stop lying about California not having enough facilities and supply (in fact, there is and has been sufficient infrastructure) and start incentivizing people and businesses to cut demand!
Tony then asked Spence about "emphasis on conservation" and Spence talked vaguely about opportunities -- including hydrodynamics and fuel cells. But the truth is that big fossil fuel is doing everything they can to stop innovative energy resources. Spence also LIED about no refineries having been built in America in two decades. Mara whined about "green tape" and regulations, giving Spence another chance to lie about how the illegitimate "administration" would balance environmental considerations with energy needs -- in other words, Clinton's executive orders will be overturned.
Tony couldn't resist bringing up lousy security at Los Alamos -- but somehow, he never seems to mention that this is a legacy of Brainless Ron and Bush Daddy. Spence said that security is being stepped up.
Ho-hum. Well, at least Spence came across on FNS as one former Senate GOP staffer described him to us last year after he lost his Senate seat in an embarrassing defeat: "...a bit of a boob, not exactly the brightest bulb in the building." Secretary Dim Bulb Spence -- has a ring to it, don't you think?
This Weak
Once again, we caught the second half of This Weak -- which generally provides more laughs than the first half.
Cokie Roberts introduced a segment that was essentially a commercial for "faith-based" pork for nutcase evangelicals. George Stephanopoulos had been dispatched to Crown Heights in a vain effort to "prove" that these programs will be "good" for "downtrodden minorities" as he interviewed a female black minister -- then brought up the issue that the program is under fire by church-state separation "liberals," and Pat Robert$on is whining that some money might go to Hare Krishnas.
George Will gave a very comical "analysis" of a "poverty of spiritual resources" and Steph pointed out that therein lies the constitutional problem -- although he sounds like a real booster for this scam. Has Steph been bamboozled himself -- or is he a stealth evangelical? Cokie pointed out something many may not be aware of -- Catholic Charities has accepted lots of federal grant money.
Think about that -- where's Rev. Barry Lynn on that little issue?
Oh, joy -- it was "ground round" table time! Sam said that Smirk was showing his conservative bona fides by approving more arsenic for kids, less rights for the sick, and firing the American Bar Association. George Steph lit into Nader voters -- and bolstered talk of a nice-guy Smirk as "crap." Yes, he used the "C" word. George Will said it was stupid to try to make drinking water as safe as possible -- it's like trying to make cars as safe as possible and establishing a 5 MPH speeding limit.
Hey, George -- driving is a privilege, and you need a license. That's not the case with water, which is not exactly optional for human life. Cokie said that Snippy is muzzling Whitman, and Steph said that Bush approving more arsenic for kids is not unlike the declaration by Reagan that ketchup is a vegetable. George Will sounded loony when he said that the ABA is a private organization and should not vet judicial nominees -- and said the neo-fascist "Federalist Society [would] weigh in, and that's good!" Cokie safely forecast judicial appointment gridlock. Sam said that Smirk "wowed 'em" at the Gridiron Dinner last night.
But that's no surprise, Sam -- he's a walking joke anyway.
Will started complaining about campaign finance reform. Cokie marveled that there is actual debate in the Senate -- come to think of it, so are we.
In the final segment, the panel debated (gag me!) the Oscars. This was yet another nauseating example of media synergy -- ABC broadcasts the glitzy spectacle tonight.
We think former Texas Governor George W. Bush should get an honorary Oscar for best supporting actor in the theft of a presidential election.
The McLaugh-In Group
Issue one: John in the stocks!
As always, McLaugh-In began with the familiar "GE is proud to have John McLaugh-In as our policy puppet" commercial.
Issue one: bad news bears! New Economy and blue chip stocks are dropping! Oh, the hand-wringing! Is there any good news? Mike Barone says it's a good time to buy. Eleanor Clift said that it unmasks the Bush tax cut "as the fraud it is" -- and the LOWEST tax bracket needs lowering. Tony forecast that we have not seen the end of the decline -- "the mood is correctly pessimistic." Krazy Larry Kudlow muttered that President Greenspan should have lowered the fed rate more. Larry was WRONG AS USUAL last week: he forecast the Fed would cut its interest rates 75 basis points -- 3/4 of 1% -- on March 20. We won't buy stocks based on Larry's advice. Larry whined that HE needs a tax cut as a highest-income earner. Eleanor said that there will not be tax cuts as surpluses vanish -- and even Bob Bennett is backing off on tax cut talk. John lamented that Bush has been "passive" on tax cut talk -- huh? What planet is John living on now? Barone played along
John turned to Bush's firing of the ABA. Tony gleefully called them liberals and recounted someone calling them "reptilian bastards" -- then lied about the ABA saying some judge was unqualified (Eleanor corrected him). Eleanor called it "another arsenic in the water, restart the Cold War" move, and compared the arsenic call to Tony's old boss, Newt Thing-rich, cutting school lunches
Predict the market!
Mike: steep correction
Eleanor: who knows
Tony: bear
Kudlow: average bear
John: steep correction
Issue two: double jeopardy. Smirk stammered some semi-coherent comments about US-Japan economic relations and a possible coming global economic disaster. Japanese banks are in trouble; the Nikkei is at a 16-year low; the nation is debt-ridden; and businesses are state-subsidized in de facto crony capitalism.
Barone came to Japan's defense by pointing out that reforms and deregulation are in fact under way. John said that the government is so tied into the banks that banks will not be shut down. Eleanor said that ten years of a sagging economy may yield a reformer.
Issue two-and-a-half: Captain courageous. USS Greeneville Captain Waddle took the stand on his defense -- and accused the court of being under pressure to appease Japan. Is the Navy making Waddle a sacrificial scapegoat to the Japanese? Tony said he does not think Waddle is being made to walk the plank -- but John kept motor mouthing. Tony did say that the captain was on the bridge and was negligent. Kudlow said that there is another issue -- none of the senior Joint Chief brass are defending the Greeneville officers. Eleanor said that Waddle was hot-dogging -- and deserves to be court-martialed, but she doubts he will be because it would expose "a chain of practices going all the way up to the Pentagon" -- in other words, giving politically connected civilians joyrides! Kudlow even pointed out that there was pressure to show off Naval capability to civilians.
We say yes, but not for the reason John says -- Waddle is taking the fall to cover up the MISCONDUCT of more than a dozen party-hearty "Shrub-Mariners" and blatant interference in the sub's normal operations by a "slant"-hating military chaperone.
Issue three -- still going Strom! John paid tribute to ol' segregationist Strom Thurmond -- and accused the Democrats of keeping a death watch. Eleanor said the GOP is paying attention -- and the Dems will reclaim the Senate by 2002. Barone forecast Thurmond finishing his term -- then said that if he goes down, the GOP will pop a beret and sunglasses on him and prop up his hand during votes! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha...
But here's the truth: the top GOP Senate death watch is in fact on Jesse Helms, not Thurmond.
Final prediction: Will the tax cut be front-loaded to the tune of $60 billion or thereabouts? The group was unanimous in their YES!
Defeat the Press
Starring Big Tim Russert
We caught the first half-hour of Defeat the Press. Tim Russert, who now appears to be emulating his spiritual mentor, Rush "Slim"-baugh, by losing some weight, spent the full half hour with the top crook in the House, Majority Whip Tom DeLay.
Question one: are we in a recession? OUR question one: is Tim cribbing from Tony Snow? DeLay said he wasn't sure.
Tim then flashed a comparison of tax cut plans: Smirk v. The House v. Graham-Corzine. Could you buy into the Democrat plan which cuts the lowest rate to 10% of the first $20,000? DeLay made excuses -- that "Smirk wrote his plan" two years ago -- yeah, sure, as if HE wrote it all by his lonesome, you liar. DeLay LIED again when he said families pay more in taxes than food, clothing, housing and transportation. Only a small number of families, usually rich and too stupid to take advantage of loopholes, are in that boat.
We have to admit one thing about DeLay -- he lies with such conviction, such forcefulness, that we think he actually may believe his pap!
Here are a few choice lines from Delay's "stream of no-conscience-ness":
"The American family wants tax relief NOW!" Okay, MOST families do -- so go for the Graham-Corzine plan, Tom! But our families DON'T want tax relief until the national debt is liquidated (which will lower interest rates and help families more than tax givebacks) and until Social Security is robustly funded.
"It's great to have a President with values again." There goes DeLay -- a man who appears to have LIED UNDER OATH -- bashing Bill Clinton over a little oral gratification. Better that, we say, than working to prop up corporate cronies with legislation and lies and undermine Joe Average the way DeLay does. In a "politician morals death match," Clinton would kick Delay's sorry butt to the Pacific Mariana's -- the sweatshop haven DeLay is PAID OFF to protect.
"You don't raise taxes when the economy is going down... we need to cut spending." Then walk the talk, Tom -- save the taxpayers some money fire half your staff!
"We have a President in the White House that will bring fiscal discipline." What a crock of crap-ola! Clinton not only had fiscal discipline -- unlike that pantywaist Bush Daddy or Red-Ink Ronnie -- but gave America a surplus thanks to Clintonomics. BushBaby is showing symptoms of giving into GOP budget-busting.
Tim then attacked Smirk and DeLay over cuts to programs that help kids and provide day care for families moving from welfare to work. DeLay GIGGLED. Tim called Smirk a hypocrite for saying "leave no child behind" then cutting programs. DeLay said it was in The New York Times (as if it were a liberal paper, which it isn't) -- Tim replied that the Times was quoting Cheney-Card officials -- then DeLay LIED AGAIN, saying the Times is for big government -- when in fact their editorial policy is the OPPOSITE. Tim then said that Smirk lied about CO2 and came out for more arsenic for kids. What did DeLay say? Smirk sticks by his values and principles -- then LIED about de facto global warming being "bad science."
Thanks for admitting it, Tommy Boy -- his values include lying to the American People, and the only "good science" is that which supports big business.
DeLay also lied when he said Bush reads and looks into situations, when in fact the only things he reads are spoon-fed him by his handlers, as is all the "insight" he receives.
DeLay then labeled those who oppose nuclear power as "environmental extremists."
Oh, we see -- it's extreme to oppose more Chernobyls and Three Miles of Cancer Island. Thanks for the clarification, Tom.
DeLay kept slamming "big government principles" and "extremism" -- when in fact he wants to impose his narrow views using "big government" and is an extremist himself.
About the only area in which we even partially agreed with DeLay is in his view on the Sudan. Something must be done -- but DeLay seems reluctant to support a more hands-on approach. The same goes for the AIDS crisis in Africa -- he whined that "the adults are in charge now," a slam at Clinton's staff -- who were and are far more respected than Team Smirk and destabilizing isolationists like Condoleeezzza Rice.
DeLay then called John McCain a hypocrite, then lied -- claiming that he used soft money in a Federal building and is a hypocrite for using federal money himself. DeLay said that McCain is "stepping all over the Bill of Rights."
The final questions dealt with one Congresswoman who proclaimed that there was a kinder, gentler DeLay. He called himself "The Velvet Hammer."
Our question -- why wasn't Russert raising questions about an organization DeLay is up to his neck in that is under federal investigation for systematic breaking of finance laws and racketeering? He'd already allowed DeLay to spend half an hour making a fool of himself -- so what if he would refuse to come back? Russert would've seen real fireworks -- and maybe made a few headlines.
Rowland Evans 1921-2001
Saturday morning, CNN reported the death of their elder statesman of punditry, Rowland Evans, after a year-long bout with cancer. As both a columnist and television pundit, he and his "tag-team" partner, arch-conservative Bob Novak, remained an institution in the Beltway since they first teamed up back in 1963.
While certainly conservative-leaning in many of his views, Evans was nevertheless one of the most courtly and genteel political interviewers on television, with fans on both sides of the political aisle -- including many of the politicians he would so deftly but thoroughly grill.
The thoughts and prayers of the APJ editors and staff are with Rowland Evans and his family this weekend.
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