Meet the Press at Brave New Films

McCain's Revisionist History On Bush And Iraq

2008-11-22T12:15:58Z

Down With Tyranny (who gets the hat tip) asks:

Is he just a garden variety political liar? Or is he seriously delusional? Before you answer, please watch the 80 second clip (q.v.)

To which the same blog adds in concluding:

Gone are the fantasies--if not the lies and the delusions of the seriously senile--"of the neoconservatives, who once imagined the new Iraq as a permanent base for American troops in the Middle East, with a client government that would reflect U.S. priorities. What has come to exist instead is an Iraq much closer to Iran than to the United States, one that will countenance no permanent U.S. bases and prefers that our troops depart sooner rather than later." Tell it to McCain. He makes Bush look like a peacenik.

(As a matter of fact, it's my understanding that Iraq and the United States are @ loggerheads over a new Status of Forces Agreement as would have our troops leave Iraq within three years.)

So what's it gonna be?

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Calm whisper of the praying which heighth of the celebration noise you inform: The Exaggerator (...and forget thou not The Exaggerator Collection)

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Lieberman: Obama is "A Good Young Man"

2008-10-29T09:33:43Z

Joe Lieberman, August 3, 2008

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Charlie Rose - Tim Russert

2008-10-30T09:34:21Z

Tim Russert on living the American Dream

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Charlie Rose - An appreciation of Tim Russert part 1

2008-10-30T03:30:44Z

An appreciation of Tim Russert. Russert died of an apparent heart attack while recording a voiceover for Meet the Press in Washington, D.C. on June 13, 2008. He had just returned from family vacation in Italy, which celebrated his son's graduation.

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Charlie Rose - An appreciation of Tim Russert part 2

2008-10-30T03:30:57Z

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Charlie Rose - An appreciation of Tim Russert part 3

2008-10-30T03:32:36Z

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Sunday Show Roundup: Tim Russert, 1950-2008

2008-10-29T03:31:20Z

Your Daily Politics Video Blog: As you know, Tim Russert, NBC Washington Bureau Chief and moderator of Meet the Press since 1991, died suddenly last Friday at the age of 58. We remember him in today's Sunday Show Roundup episode of TPMtv.

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In Memory of Tim Russert

2009-01-08T00:36:45Z

We're all sad.

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McCain "Totally in Agreement" with Bush

2008-10-21T03:30:55Z

From C&L's Steve Benen:

In 2008, John McCain works hard to convince people he’s not just like George W. Bush. In 2005, John McCain worked hard to convince people of the exact opposite.

Looking over the transcript from the June 19, 2005, episode of “Meet the Press,” the context of the video is actually slightly worse for McCain. Tim Russert read off a list of issues on which McCain and Bush appear to disagree and told the senator, “The fact is you are different than George Bush.” McCain responded, “No. No.”

One could argue, I suppose, that this was in 2005, and McCain has reinvented himself since then, but then again, looking at his Senate voting record, McCain voted with Bush’s position 95% of the time in 2007 and 100% of the time in 2008.

McCain gets pretty annoyed when his critics talk about a “third Bush term,” but it’s hard to deny that McCain has already made the argument for us. He not only shares Bush’s agenda and platform, but McCain spent years telling national audiences that no one agrees with Bush more than he does.

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Scott McClellan says Bush is a liar

2008-10-19T03:30:16Z

An interview with former white house press secretary Scott McClellan on meet the press in which he says President Bush is guilty of self deception.

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Russert Asks McClellan Why He Didn't Challenge Bush

2009-01-08T00:26:07Z

Tim Russert must be the dumbest man in media - and he must have the dumbest producers on TV. In an amazingly absurd exchange, Tim Russert asked Scott McClellan why McClellan didn't challenge Bush on the very same question Russert should have challenged Bush. Russert has always been overrated - but this exchange proves beyond a doubt that Russert is a buffoon. What's sad is that Russert is too stupid to know he's stupid - or that he was part of the propaganda machine that sent this nation to war.

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Tim Russert Asks McClellan If He'll Donate Money From Book

2009-01-08T00:26:07Z

In a moment of shameful hypocrasy, Tim Russert asked Scott McClellan if McClellan, having been part of the pro-war propaganda machine, would be willing to donate part of the proceedings from his book to those who suffered because of the war?

And you, Russert, WILL YOU???

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Bush Would Be First President to Veto Vet Benefits

2008-10-20T15:30:24Z

From Think Progress:

On NBC’s “Meet the Press” yesterday morning, Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) discussed his 21st Century GI Bill, which would dramatically expand educational benefits for returning veterans. President Bush, however, has vowed to veto the bill. Webb blasted Bush for this unprecedented action:

No president in history has vetoed a benefits bill for those who served. … The Republican party is on the block here, to clearly demonstrate that they value military service or suffer the consequences of losing the support of people who’ve served. … The president has a choice here to show how much he values military service.

Howard Dean on Meet the Press

2008-10-23T15:31:40Z

Governor Howard Dean, Chair of the Democratic National Committee, talks with David Gregory on NBC's Meet the Press

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GOP Orgy Of Joy Accompanies Nader’s Presidential Announcement

2008-10-19T03:31:01Z

Shortly after Ralph Nader announced his presidential bid on Meet The Press Sunday morning, massive impromptu street parties broke out across America as the GOP celebrated being resurrected from the dead. Screaming, gyrating neo-con fat white men in speedo’s were the order of the day as were numerous bonfires into which copies of the Constitution were being tossed.

Stiff-haired, Barbie look alikes from Alabama furiously scanned law journals slapping stick-it-notes on Scalia clones, while corporate war-profiteer execs were seen leafing gleefully through back issues of the World’s Most Expensive Yachts and Iran put their military on red alert. Speaking in tongues, a bass-playing Baptist preacher from Hope, Arkansas said this between riffs,

Nader's past runs have shown that he usually pulls votes from the Democratic nominee. So naturally, Republicans would welcome his entry into the race.

Conspicuously absent from the revelry were many forlorn Democrats, who were spotted clutching worn copies of the Audacity Of Hope as they huddled in darkened corridors throughout America, feeding Ralph Nader chew toys to their Rotweillers and praying for strength and guidance. Many were understandably frightened that a Nader candidacy would appeal to the millions of voters who were energized by the John Edwards campaign and elder party statesmen tried to keep demoralized millions of young Obama supporters energized.

It’s going to be one hot summer.

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Ron Paul Meet the Press 12/23/07 Part 2 of 4

2009-01-08T00:19:38Z

Ron Paul Meet the Press 12/23/07 Part 2 of 4

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Ron Paul Meet the Press 12/23/07 Part 1 of 4

2009-01-08T00:19:38Z

Ron Paul on Meet the Press 12/23/07 Part 1 of 4

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Ron Paul Meet the Press 12/23/07 Part 3 of 4

2009-01-08T00:19:38Z

Ron Paul on Meet the Press 12/23/07 Part 3 of 4

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Ron Paul Meet the Press 12/23/07 Part 4 of 4

2009-01-08T00:19:38Z

Ron Paul Meet the Press 12/23/07 Part 4 of 4

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Rev "I-Didn't-Major-In-Math-I-Majored-In-Miracles" Huck on Meet the Press

2008-02-24T20:40:57Z

Rev Gomer, that folksy, Reconstructionist, that major HuckUp, is interviewed by Timmy Russert.

But first, for the last time, you HuckHead: It's "punDITS", not "punDINTS". What's so hard about that?

On we go:

You're embarrassing John McCain in the primaries, and letting the Democrats win: "I didn't set the rules". "We shouldn't have a coronation."

On McPain alienating Republicans: "He's often a voice in the wildnerness." "We have a mutual respect." "This is not about personal hostility." "I'll vote for him if he's the nominee... compared to Hillary and Obama, he's a conservative."

On Rush Limpbaugh's assertion that either one, McPain or Gomer, would destroy the Republican party: "I really like Rush... I love his show." ... "I'm disappointed in what he said.." He couldn't knock either of us out, though.

On Kenneth Copeland, the televangelist who fundraised for Rev Gomer, who said that Gomer would "stand with" him "any time, anywhere on any issue": "Yeah, that's my man, that's my man, right there...He's a friend, a person of integrity. That's what I know about him. Chuck Grassley says he won't cooperate with an investigation of his finances, fundraising. Do you stand with him? Are you interfering with the investigation? "He's innocent until proven guilty."... This is not an issue I'm dealing with as a candidate... He's getting legal council... He's allowed freedom of speech, freedom of religion... "I'm not interfering with the investigation..." ... "I haven't called Grassley to tell him to lay off. THAT would be interfering." "It's a little chilling if Congress goes after a non-profit organization... Will they also look into MoveOn?"

On his flip-flops: First, he said he'd outlaw public smoking. Then he flipped. Then, re: Cuba... In 2002 he was for lifting the embargo, in 2007, he flipped. Finally, he flipped on raising taxes, saying he "doesn't make pledges", then 33 days later, he signed the tax pledge. His response:

On smoking: "I'm for protecting clean air, not banning smoking in the workplace." [Laffy note: suppressing laughter now] I'm not "telling someone what they can or can't do."

On Cuba: This was specific to the rice industry in his state, he says. "We wanted to export rice, including to Cuba. So, I saw I was shortsighted, so I saw an embargo was important."

On taxes: "I met with Grover Norquist, and I saw that we wouldn't raise marginal tax rates"... We should have a Fair Tax (consumption tax).

So you were not playing to conservatives? No, I matured.

On being on a McCain ticket as V.P.: "I don't want to be vice president and I won't be asked." In October you said, "nobody turns it down." "I wouldn't think about it, but.. nobody turns it down, I haven't been asked yet... I see no scenario in which he'd ask."

On frying squirrels in a popcorn popper: "We really did that... Of course we ate them... I should say they taste like chicken, but it tastes like squirrel... You gotta do something with those things... It's a college thing... I haven't eaten squirrel since college, thank the lord."

[I'm not sure how he did it, but he managed to insert "the lord" into a discussion about frying squirrels in a popcorn popper.]

John McCain on Meet the Press

2008-01-27T13:07:45Z

My patented, award-winning, internationally acclaimed quick-notes* have been taken....with some reluctance...on John McCain's very special episode of Meet the Press starring Timmy Russert as The Beaver:

The short version: Al Qaeda bad. Timetables bad. Rumsfeld bad. Radical Islamic extremism bad. Mishandling of the war bad. Surrender bad. Petraeus good. I'm part of the Reagan Revolution. I love everybody. Especially Joe Lieberman. I'm really hot for Joe.

On Iraq: Romney was with the Democrats on timetables. If we had waved the white flag, had timetables, "Al Qaeda would have had a victory over the United States of America." Al Qaeda, Al Qaeda, timetables, timetables. Tim: The polls say the war wasn't worth it, yet you want to stay 100 years. McPain: I understand the frustration and sorrow. The war was badly mishandled for 4 years. The Rumsfeld strategy was bad, Petraeus is good. Patience, my friend, patience... "It's not about the American troop presence, it's about Amercian casualties."

The consequence of failure is Al Qaeda defeating the United States. Iraq is the central battleground of terror blahblah.

This is a war of necessity. Saddam Hussein was seeking WMD. It was the mishandling of the war that skewed opinion. The world is a better place with Hussein gone. If we fail, we'll have "enormous challenges: chaos, genocide..we'd be back in the region..."

On the economy (Tim showed him his own quotes about how he "needed to be educated" about the economy):

That's wrong. [then he sees the quotes from 2005, 2007] Welllllll....I didn't mean that. Welllllll... I guess I did say it. Welllllll... I know more about national security. BUT! I'm smart on the economy. People support me! I'm strong on the economy, stronger than Mitt!

On opposing Bush's tax cuts in 2001, 2004: Welllll...I wanted to have a different set of tax cuts, AND.... See, we have a shaky economy now. If the tax cuts aren't made permanent, we'll see an increase in taxes. I was right! I'm a part of the Reagan Revolution: Restrain spending....SO, I have NOT changed my mind. The cuts must be permanent. See, in 2004, our economy was fine. "I've said 500 times to make the tax cuts permanent."

On not being conservative enough: Look at my record and my rankings by conservative groups. [He lists the groups] It's Rummy and Abramoff who are bad. I'm good. I don't like them. They're bad. I go against my party, yes, but I'll unite the party. The polls say I beat Hillary and Obama. I can reach out to Independents. "I'll put my country above my party." Reagan Revolution, Reagan Revolution.

On Joe Lieberman (who, as Tim pointed out, is "pro-abortion", pro-gun control, pro-gay rights, anti-tax cuts): "I embrace him, anywhere at any time." [He literally declared his love for him just prior to that statement] ...Especially regarding Iraq and the surge...no white flag!...The people want us to work together with others. I'm proud of having a crush on Lieberman!

On immigration: Secure the borders first, with walls, sensors, cameras. Have a temporary work program with tamper-proof biometric documents. Get rid of 2 million bad guys, "round 'em up and deport them." As for the "good" immigrants, look at the humanitarian circumstances. Sit down together. Oh, and my immigration bill? It's dead.

On Rush Limpbaugh's remarks about McCain being one of those who are destroying the Republican party: I'm proud of winning Republican votes. I'm a proud conservative. Most Republicans' first priority is radical Islamic extremism, more than the economy. Rummy bad. Petraeus good.

On his hot temper, Thad Cochran saying he's a "hothead": "I have a wide circle of supporters, I feel strongly about issues...Thad is a pork barreler...we disagree." I love him, though.

On Bill Clinton's comments about the love fest between McPain and Hillary: I thank him for his endorsement. "I'll have a respectful debate with Hillary or Obama, but it won't be boring...anything but boring."

*Most notes are paraphrased, unless in quotation marks.

Hillary Clinton on Meet the Press: "I don't like talking about myself."

2008-01-14T16:50:05Z

My hand has fallen off. That's right, I'm missing a hand now due to my frantic scribbling of my patented, award-winning, internationally acclaimed quick notes. This time Meet the Press's Tim Russert interviewed Hillary Clinton. Here's what I managed to get down, and I remind you, I'm typing with only one hand and a stump (Disclaimer: These are NOTES. Not transcripts. The quotes are in quotation marks, the rest is paraphrased. I chose highlights that struck me, or that I could jot down quickly):

On her comments, and Bill's, on Barack Obama: "Not one shred of truth in what you just read" to me. "Absolutely false." I admire Martin Luther King. "Dr. King didn't just give speeches". He got beaten, he was jailed... "He would act" on his words. The Obama camp is deliberately distorting this. Obama is "an extraordinary man."

Bill's "fairy tale" remark was "unfairly, inaccurately characterized". She went on to discredit Obama on his past stand on the war. "The story of his campaign is the story of his [position] on Iraq." His chief strategist accused me of things. When my staff does something wrong, I fire them. They didn't fire theirs.

On Clyburn's response: "You didn't give the entire quote!" [It got pretty heated here.] ...You're mischaracterizing with those snippets. Kennedy was a war hero, engaged...Martin Luther King led a movement. He campaigned for Lyndon Johnson. He had partners in the political system.

Look at what I've done: I worked in civil rights for years. Clyburn was part of that movement. The Obama campaign pushed this selectively. It's an unfortunate campaign.

You can't base a campaign on two speeches, we need to know more. What's behind the words. Translate words into deeds. That's the difference between us: Talking vs. doing, rhetoric v. reality, you have to "translate words into actions."

About those tears, were they from exhaustion? Frustration? "No, it was a real emotional connection." "I don't like talking about myself." "For me, it's always about what I can do for you, for the next person."

I'm experienced, I trust the voters, from Day One...experience...ready...

Some good stuff after the jump.

Hillary Clinton On Meet The Press Today

2008-03-22T21:54:52Z

She did good, you have to give her that no matter what your loyalty. Not once did she let Russert run roughshod over her.

Press the McCain. Meet the McCain. McCain the Press.

2008-08-31T09:26:02Z

Tim Russert interviewed John McPain on Press the Meat. Once again, here are my patented, award-winning, internationally-recognized quick-notes that come with the following disclaimer: They're notes, not transcripts. Anything in quotes is a quote. Anything not in quotes is paraphrased. Both are representative, but not all-inclusive. For that, go to the NBC transcript. These are highlights. Disclaimer over.

On Bush: I criticize him but we haven't had another attack since 9/11. "He unites us." It's all Rummy's fault, because I don't want to be too harsh on Bush.

On tax cuts: "I was a foot soldier in the Reagan revolution." Tim: But you voted against tax cuts. McPain: We need to make tax cuts permanent. We also need spending cuts. Tim: But your vote didn't include spending cuts. McP: Non-responsive. Mentioned Reagan again.

On immigration: "No one can be rewarded for illegal behavior." "You round 'em up and you find 'em...What's the choice?" Secure the borders, fine them, have a temporary worker program along with tamper-proof [?] biometric I.D. systems and electronic documentation. I "won't deport 80-year-old grandmothers."

On Willard Romney: "He's a good man...a good family man...He's changed his position on nearly every major issue." This isn't personal. Tim: Would you support him if he won? McP: I'd support the nominee of my party. And I won't run as an Independent.

On Osama Bin Laden and Musharraf: "I'll get him." We passed up opportunities. I'll improve human intelligence...Blending them into the culture isn't easy. Musharraf and I "have a relationship that goes back years." "Sure he can be trusted!...He's a good man!" He "made mistakes!" "He's a very smart man."

On Iraq and his 100-year remark: "If Americans aren't dying" it's fine to stay in Iraq. "It's not American presence, it's American casualties" that bother Americans. Tim: So permanent bases are acceptable? McP: "If necessary." Re, the surge: "I was right."

On voting to authorize the war: Hussein was still a threat, U.S. planes were shot at every day [here's why]. "It wasn't whether we went in, my friend, it was how it was handled." I'd still go in. "The 'war', the mission was not a mistake. The handling was a mistake."

Did I mention I have a lot of experience?

I'm In The Mood To Act Gay...

2008-10-21T03:30:45Z

...anyone know where I might learn how to do that?

Oh, that's right, Huck knows. Because “how we behave and how we carry out that behavior" is up to us. So, for example, if one were to take everything out of the Governor's Mansion in Arkansas not glued to the floor...that would be a behavior of choice, correct? I am just trying to understand Huckabee's Tom Cruise School Of Psychology here.

Or, how about if I set up a wedding registry like 78 years after I was married, you know to find away around campaign finance laws. Would that have been "my choice" too?

Now one final question. He said it would be a "miracle" if he won in Iowa. Would that be a miracle from God, ie God's choosing to behave in a specific way that would lead to a Huckawin? I am really trying to sort all this out. Please help if you're able to control your behavior and write in...

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