Sometimes, all you want is a straight answer from the people who you actually need it from the most. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff for example: 'Will you step up the amount of air marshalls on flights to England and Scotland? Will you increase security during the 4th of July?' Yes or no questions. His answer involved things you'll see and things you won't see for the latter question. He then adds that the government is asking the public 'to be cautious' or something like that. How about examples? Empty rhetoric like that puts more fear into me than the notion of a terrorist attack. We can not have a political hack as our head of homeland security. And what's with the different facial hair everytime that guy is on the show. Is he trying to stay incognito or what? With the terrible job he is doing he better stay in disguise.
Senator Patrick Leahy is pissed off... Well, as pissed off as he can get and I have one word for him, 'gotcha!' Play it and don't be afraid to say it. I do believe that you're pissed off for the right reasons so in as much as you represent me, this American citizen asks you, on my behalf, play 'gotcha.' You could tell that he is angry by the way he mentioned more than once that he was a former proscutor, It is as simple as this. If I were to illegally wiretap someone, I'd be in trouble with the law. Our government? This is American Democracy 101. Wait... What's that?... Oh, right, that course was eliminated by the No Child Left Behind Act, I forgot - my bad. It's illogical for lawmakers to be partisan on this issue. If there is evidence of wrongdoing, then you investigate with every tool available. They get paid to think this way.
So a straight answer from Sen. Leahy? Well, Mr. Russert let him give an answer as he kept the questions to a minimum to let the Senator speak. That's one indicator to what opinion Mr. Russert agrees with. The other is that Tim was sitting back a little in his chair. When Mr. Russert really wants to hammer someone, he takes a posture like the Andre The Giant of mongooses facing a corbra. But Sen. Leahy got the cautious grizzley.
For this week's roundtable, I really didn't expect too much. None of the MTP allstars were on - Eugene Robinson, David Broder, Roger Simon, Gwen Iffil, Kate O'Beirne - but the perspectives were refreshing. It wasn't just commentators who needed to hear themselves talk so I thought they were all good - but I couldn't pay attention to David Brody however. Sorry David but I don't know who the hell you were. Also, you part of the Christian Broadcasting Network, which I am hearing about for the first time. Which brings me to ask, why don't the have someone from the Saivism Science Monitor on the show. Why is it always the Christian something or other... just saying.
And I love Chuck Todd, always has good insight, quality talking head. But he does get all the questions that require an expanded explanation. He is the NBC Political Director after all. However, wasn't he writing for some web site just two years ago. You can totally tell that Russert got him that job. Which just goes to show that you can go from being a blogger to the Political Director at NBC. But I say - good for him! This column isn't bitter toward newspeople, just skeptical. It is bitter toward politicians, if only slightly.
With regard to Judy Woodruff and Tavis Smiley, these two are proof that good things happen to nice people. They're both now on PBS.
What has been bothering with the round tables of late is the predominance of time has been focused on the presidential races. It just seems like MTP, where Mr. Russert makes the content decisions, has purposefully stayed away from these ridiculous statements and actions from the Vice President. Even today, with Sen. Leahy, VP Cheney's name wasn't mentioned. Also this week, he didn't have the roundtable weigh with regard to what was found in London and what happened over the weekend and how it relates to us. Mentions of the Iraq War! Only mentions! And what was galling is that the occupation was only mentioned in terms of presidential politics - please.
Judy Woodruff had the most to offer today with her knowledge of the voting habits of the 17-29 year olds - good stuff. But Mr. Russert misspoke when he said 17 to 19 year olds, no big deal, but that age group is not Gen X. It's Gen Y... and why do we have these classifications? One is disenfranchised and the other self-absorbed.
So blah blah blah the canidates have this and that or they don't. This column will weigh in on the race, but not now. Now, we're only getting posturing. Maybe we'll talk about all the candidates by process of elimination. That could be good.
Lastly, thank God her brought back the MTP MInute. Should be in every show! The problem is that there was no discussion ot the CIA documents disclosed recently. So the Minute almost exists in a void. It doesn't matter really, there should just be more.
Signing Through -
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