The Sunday Morning Talk Shows: The Review
Sunday, June 22, 2007.
By Mark Kilmer Posted in Face the Nation | Late Edition | Meet the Press | Special Features | Talk Shows, | This Week — Comments (6) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
PREFACE:
On TW, host George Stephanopoulos held an energy roundtable at which Ed Markey spewed slogans, Columbia U' Jeff Sachs sailed in la-la land, Senator Hutchison made the Republican case, and American Petroleum Institute CEO Red Cavaney made perfect sense.
On FNS, Tom Daschle explained that Barack Obama never really promised to accept public financing thus did not flip-flop on the issue. Tom Ridge contested Daschle's use of "Bush-McCain."
On MTP, Joe Biden maintained that Obama did not flip-flop on campaign finance reform but has made public financing a less achievable goal.
On FTN, Bob Schieffer observed that Obama had flip-flopped on public financing of his presidential campaign. Carly Fiorina, speaking for John McCain, said that it was disingenuous for Obama to claim that he was doing this in the name of reform. Bill Richardson, speaking for Obama, said, nuh-huh, Barry didn't flip-flop, McCain flip-flopped.
Speaking for Obama on LE, Richardson said that the Surge had "absolutely not" been successful, as there has been little political reconciliation in Iraq and they are not sharing oil profits. Speaking for McCain in the next segment, Dr. Douglas Holtz-Eakin dismissed the falderal that the Iraqis should sell us oil at a discount, asserting that it should be sold at market prices so we will not be kept artificially dependent on it.
The show-by-show review is beneath the fold.
A ROUNDTABLE ON TW. Host George Stephanopoulos of ABC's
Markey dismissed any Saudi promise to increase their oil production, positing that it "may have a marginal impact" on the oil crisis "caused by twelve-years of Republican control of Congress." For his part, Sachs complained that "we've wasted the last eight years" without developing an energy plan which suits his fancy. "That's the real tragedy." He added that "climate change is also a part of the equation," so he wants to tie our nation's energy future to something which might be mythical but has been most certainly overblown.
Markey declared that it is "a sad day in American history" when we have to beg the Saudis, with a "tin cup in hand," to increase oil supplies. (He's referring to the Saudi oil conference this weekend.) Markey called on the President to open the strategic petroleum reserves to bring down oil prices.
Red Cavaney explained that what we need are permanent solutions. We can't take some energy options off the table and marginalize others.
Sachs countered that Bush had "turned away from reality" and "done nothing." He announced that global climate change is "now agreed by everybody." (Where'd he put the party favors?)
Markey spat that before demanding to drill offshore and in ANWR, the oil companies should drill in the land already leased to them in the United States. Cavaney countered that this argument was "misunderstood" and the result of a mischaracterization. Most of the land leased, he explained, does not have oil and gas under it.
Sachs argued that Bush is not spending enough money. He further contended that there is only a small portion of our oil needs to be drilled from the continental shelf. Markey took a shot at oil company profits.
No, Tim Russert never solved anything with these discussions, either, but that was never the point.
DASCHLE AND RIDGE. On FOX News Sunday, host Chris Wallace spoke to former South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle for Obama and former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge for McCain.
On Iraq, Daschle said that the Dems will listen to General David Petraeus, but we have to start turning Iraq over to the Iraqis – what planet is he from? – and to focus on the war on terror. Ridge countered that the Iraqi government is, in fact, taking control of more and more of the situation there and that Iraq is a "fundamental venue in the war against terror."
Daschle argued that we are "not going to drill our way out of the problem"; rather, we should concentrate on conservation and efficiency, as well as alternate sources of energy. ANWR, he said, is of "little real value." Instead, he said, ANWR is "a gimmick."
On abortion, Ridge declared that the GOP is "not a one-issue party." He said that he's always had his beliefs. He said that he disagrees with McCain "on a wide variety of issues," but a vice president's job is to support the Administration. (Tom Ridge is feebly making a case for himself.)
Daschle explained that Obama did not flip-flop on public financing. You see, according to Daschle, Obama never pledged to take public financing; rather, he sought only to keep that option open. He complained about the Republican 527s. Ridge exclaimed that he is "fascinated" by Obama's "sudden reversals," of which this latest on public financing "is the most intriguing." Wallace pointed out that Dem 527s have outspent Republican 527s about two-to-one this season. Ridge noted that Obama had made his pledge then it was "suddenly gone."
Speaking of trade, Daschle spoke of "Bush-McCain." Ridge interrupted: "You've been using that line…" Wallace tried to regain order, to let Daschle finish, but Secretary Ridge did managed to issue: "It's false."
BIDEN AND GRAHAM ON MTP. The full title of the broadcast is still Meet the Press with Tim Russert, only "sitting in today: Brian Williams." Williams said they intended to do the same broadcast Russert was going to do last week, with Senators Lindsey Graham for McCain and Joe Biden for Obama. (Said Williams after he and the guests shared grunts about the late Tim Russert: "We'll all get through this.")
They started with Obama's decision to skip public financing. Williams had vid of Tim Russert asking a debate question in February:
Russert: Well, let me ask you about motivating, inspiring, keeping your word. Nothing more important. Last year, you [Barry] said that if you were the nominee, you would opt for public financing in the general election. …
It boiled down to Obama revising himself on that February 26 in Cleveland to say that he would sit down and talk to John McCain about public financing. Tim Russert did not live to see the day when this, too, was shewn not to be the case..
Biden replied that he was always for public financing and boasted that he was the first Senator ever to introduce a public financing bill, in 1973. He wanted to get big money out of politics. Obama, he said, had gotten big money out of politics. He did admit that Obama has made it more difficult to make the case for public financing. Senator Graham said that Obama had broken his word, that he was not about "change."
Graham said that McCain had "paid a heavy price" for reforming the campaign finance system, adding that to Obama, the desire to win is more important than his word.
Biden countered that McCain had flip-flopped on whether the Iraqis would greet us with open arms when we invaded. (Dunno from where that one came.)
They spent thirteen minutes talking about NAFTA and who flip-flopped. They talked about oil and who flip-flopped. It is Obama saying whatever people want to hear in order to secure their vote vs. McCain. Obama wants to renegotiate NAFTA, not opt out. Graham said, "It's like nailing Jell-O to the wall: this guy is everywhere."
McCain reversed himself on offshore drilling. Williams pointed out that the environmentalists view this energy crisis "as a gift," in that high oil prices will force us to "change the way the nation does business." Graham said that most Americans don't feel that $4.00/gallon gasoline is a present. Williams wanted to know when we'd see an effect on prices, and Graham answered immediately. Biden contented that they're not trying to get the Saudis to drill more; rather, they're trying to get them to pump more of what they're drilling.
Biden is not seeking the vice presidential nomination, but he would take it if offered, as he wants to do what he can to help Obama win. As Graham pointed out, so does Obama, including taking whatever policy position is sought by a given audience of potential donors.
FIORINA AND RICHARDSON ON FTN. On CBS, Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer spoke first with McCain surrogate Carly Fiorina and Obama advisor Bill Richardson. Schieffer talked first about "flip-flops," asking Richardson about Barry and public financing, saying that Obama's flip-flop "cut to the very core" of why he said that he was running: to change politics as usual.
Richardson said that Barry takes no money from registered lobbyists and PACs. He asserted that Obama had said that he would use public financing if he could work something out with McCain. John McCain, he argued, has been flip-flopping.
Schieffer played a clip of Obama saying that he would take public financing, which he declared "the opposite of what he is now doing." He asked Fiorina, and she pointed out that it is disingenuous to blame Republican 527s and say that he's doing this in the spirit of reform.
Schieffer asked Richardson if Obama hadn't just suddenly realized that he had a fundraising advantage and he wanted to use it. Richardson denied this, calling Barry a "phenomenon in this respect," driving registered lobbyists and 527s from his campaign.
Fiorina pointed out that McCain had told 527s to stand down and that more Dem 527s were gearing up than Republicans.
Schieffer asked Fiorina if McCain had flip-flopped on offshore drilling. She said that John McCain was responding to the facts on the ground. We had to take control of our own energy future. She promised that he'd continue to treat ANWR like a pristine area which should not be touched.
Bill Richardson said that he was energy secretary and everybody who is anybody has opposed offshore drilling for ecological reasons. He said that "McCain is following the policies of George Bush: drill, drill, drill."
Fiorina said that "the ball is in Senator Obama's court" as far as the town hall meetings proposed by John McCain. Richardson said that Obama has held "more town halls than any candidate in history." He hopes that these events happen, as they are better than the "stodgy" and "canned" debates.
On getting the female vote, Richardson promised that there has been "a very strong rapprochement with women." He then accused John McCain of flip-flopping on overturning Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973). Schieffer asked Fiorina if she'd be willing to serve on McCain's ticket, and she said that "of course" she would, but McCain is drawing up a "long list of qualified people."
RICHARDSON ON LE. On CNN's Late Edition, host Wolf Blitzer's led off with a Bill Richardson chat. Bill's reaction to Saudi Arabia's pledge to pump more oil was a typical: It's about time. He said that Bush had come in pledging to "jawbone" the Saudis to do this, but he never did.
"You can't drill you way out of the problem," Richardson complained.
Blitzer played a clip of McCain saying that Obama's answer to every problem is to tax, like Obama's windfall profit tax, which has failed in the '70s. Richardson argued that the government should be taxing oil companies to force the country to use other energies: "solar and wind." He thinks oil company profits should be taken from them and invested in other things. He included refineries, which had to be environmentally safe. He complained about nuclear waste. He further complained that Bush wanted to: drill, drill, drill.
Richardson would "absolutely not" concede that the Surge has been successful, as there had been little political reconciliation in Iraq and they still don't share the oil profits.
HOLTZ-EAKIN ON LE. Wolf's next guest was Dr. Doug Holtz-Eakin, for John McCain, to discuss the economy. Blitzer pointed out that McCain had flipped on offshore drilling, but how long would it take. Holtz-Eakin said it would take about five years, but it would send a message to the world that we were no longer behaving like the Bush Administration, "with our hat in hand" to the OPEC countries.
Blitzer proposed that Iraq sell us oil at a discount. Holtz-Eakin countered that the oil should be sold at market prices. He held that we would not search for new sources if oil were sold to us on the cheap.
Blitzer showed a poll, AP-Ipsos, which showed that 76% of those surveyed felt our economy was on the wrong track. Holtz-Eakin said that this was about more than the Bush Administration, as the Democrats controlled Congress. He pointed out that John McCain would "reach out across the aisle" for solutions.
Blitzer played a clip of Obama accusing McCain of keeping the Bush tax cuts and daring to want to cut taxes even more. Holtz-Eakin said that Obama has his own tax problems. John McCain wants to create jobs and keep jobs overseas, "and he has a plan to do that." Obama, he argued, will threaten jobs with expensive mandates.
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Discuss amongst yourselves. Have at it!
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....going to war to get discounted oil are now condemning the fact that we're not getting discounted oil.
candidate. Anything the collective group of them say that doesn't fit their purpose 24 hours later goes down the memory hole.
Was out there "running for Veep" as he brought up his record in Penn and Erie alot. But the Campign had to knew about it.
Am I the only person who noticed that after Wallace asked:
Wallace:
"What happens if he goes there and General Patraeus, the author of the surge, and Iraqi politicians say to him, 'look, we have made gains, the gains that the NYT talked about, and if you, we follow your path and pull our troops out, we're gonna lose everything we fought so had to gain'"?
Daschle:
Well I doubt, I doubt very much, General Patraeus would say that Chris, and uh, obviously he would factor in any information that he provided us, that is the whole idea behind the trip, but he is the Commander in Chief and he has made very clear that we've already spent more time in Iraq than we've spent in WW2, we've already spent more than a trillion dollars......
What!!!!????
Wallace said nothing, and Tom Ridge said nothing.
WTF? Bueller?
but I could not be certain he wasn't referring to the President without seeing the transcript, so I let it go.
It is indeed what he said. I think he meant commander of the forces in Iraq. Daschle's too addled to be precise.
"Blitzer proposed that Iraq sell us oil at a discount."
Weren't the Dems complaining that this was a war over oil? -.-