We're getting there as far as more consist posts, I promise. Today's program was quite significant on both fronts - foreign and domestic and with regard to the former, I feel that it would be helpful if the programming of the show got back to interviewing more international diplomats and leaders of state - perhaps even leaving Dodge City and traveling to them. Are the producers or NBC News reticent to go and interview an Iranian official - is there something unpatriotic about that. Hear what an official from Iran has to say and then the American people, who I believe the show ultimately and always serves, can gain some perspective. I want to hear it from the originators - put a name and face and voice together.
There's always a little segment in the Week - How They See Us - and even though you have to consider the editorial platform of the magazine and how it edits the piece, the segment does exist. Meet The Press should consider this perspective a bit more.
The first segment was distressing and also ultimately even sadder than the second, but by no means the fault of Mr. Russert. Joe Biden, the supposed voice of reason for the Democratic Party and the former Speaker of the House and neo-con Newt Gingrich were invited to share their 'insights' into how the United States should proceed internationally. I found both perspectives from these two seasoned politicians to be dim.
One the one hand, Mr. Gingrich is spouting on about WWIII, and on the other side Biden is in denial about how shreud the United States' opponents are. There is no way one can co-sign Mr. Gingrich's policy of militarilly taking out missles whereever and whenever we want. It isn't a world war - the war is between the United States and dictatorships around the world with the help of proxy terrorist organizations. Militarily, we don’t have the support from other nations to warrant the call for WWIII. And note the word 'organization': These people have their act together more than we think.
[Since 9/11, we've gone about it all wrong and maybe one night when life doesn't get in the way I will post what
how we should have gone about it. Whatever....]
To the right of Mr. Gingrich sat Senator Joe Biden of Delaware who tries to employ this voice of reason as many senior Democrats do, but at this point (and Biden illustrated it clearly here) it's all too vague. More diplomacy and the status quo in Iraq is his basic message, but Gingrich is right. Other countries aren't taking us seriously right now. However, it's the neo-cons who initiated the erosion of our credibility in the first place. Hmmm....
Joe Biden and the Democrats [a polka band from Waukesha, Wisconsin whose tunes no one wants to listens to] have to start proposing solid concrete, tangible solutions to the problems that this country faces. I know the strategy is to play foil to all the Republican screw-ups, and eventually letting them fall on their collective face, but sit back attitude should end NOW.
And on many little nuances with regard to details about larger policy, they tend agree, saying things like "With that point, I agree with...," playing diplomat with each other - ridiculous. Also, to Mr. Russert's credit, he tries to always break up any potential love-fests on an issue and right he should. There is a distinctly divided constituency out across the land.
As I write this, I am waiting for the transcript to be posted because there was a comment Senator Biden made as they faded, which was quite telling... stay tuned... here we go: Mr. Gingrich outlines what kind of diplomacy we should employ with North Korea and what does Mr. Biden say? "You should tell them that." Ugh. Them? The North Koreans or the Neo-cons? It doesn't really matter because neither would listen, but additionally there are two problems with that. One, there's Sen. Biden passing the buck - he's a candidate for President. Two, in what Mr. Gingrich said, earlier Sen. Biden didn't necessarily agree and now he let's it go.
Now onto the poster child for journalistic patheticness (let it stand), Robert Novak. He described how he would interview senior officials on couches, no tape recorder, no pen just having conversations. He also repeated that he would rather be the interviewer, commentator, or analyst than the interviewee. This is a person so set in his Republican views and closely aligned with the Administration, he had probably felt like he had carte blanche around The White House, thinking he was untouchable. He doesn't save face with this interview, he's simply a bird who got smashed in the beak and fell off his perch. Now he discloses that he DID give grand jury testimony back in 2004 and didn't fight the subpoena. Excuse me, that sounds like, "Run for cover and save your ass."
If Meet The Press has Robert Novak on as an analyst again, the program will definitely lose some credibility with this humble observer.
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