Meet the Press - scaring the hell out of me

[Democrat 4 Ever]

Russert - did the usual bend over and hit with me your best shot from Powell - inane interview, waste of air time, Powell just doing a bit of CYA and trying to redeem his legacy along with some dignity - failed at both.

Now he has his pundits round table and they are talking about Supreme Court appointments. Seems to be the consensus that Scalia or Thomas will get the nod for Chief Justice - ack! We are now in hell. No reason to live well, treat others kindly, America is now the official designation of hell on earth.

The RW still talking about the "capital" Bush has and he is going to push his agenda to the wall. Mentioned Dobson's challenge to Dem senator that try to block SC appointments - Safire is a total, bumbling, partisan fool - why on earth do I keep thinking that somewhere on the networks there will be a honest and balanced discussion of the issues?

[MSgt213]

1. I think there should be the crime of treason against so called journalist

that toe a party line.

[Boswells_Johnson]

3. Those guys aren't journalists, they're hacks.

[MSgt213]

5. Of course your right.

[rman]

23. parading as journalists

to me that amounts to treason against democracy.

[Broadslidin]

8. Thankfully, We Have The BBC World News Available On The Internet..........

with informative programs such as "News Hour".

Along with the other 19, highly diverse BBC Radio stations
broadcasting over the internet.

[Blue Gardener]

2. That is why I quit watching these shows

I'm watching HGTV instead.

[MSgt213]

6. I'm watching the BBC they got the same kind of shows we do and some I

think are even funnier.

[mirounga]

18. Mysteries

Some of their mysteries are much more complex -adult- than ours: "Rebus" and "Waking the Dead". Sigh, I do so miss PBS Mystery!

[ashmanonar]

19. heh...

sorry...i don't think i could watch hgtv for more than 5 minutes without putting a gun in my mouth...;)

[Blue Gardener]

30. Obviously you haven't seen Paul James the Gardener Guy

From "Gardening by the Yard" He's hilarious!

[0007]

37. What is HGTV ?

[Blue Gardener]

38. Home and Garden Television

No politics. The designing shows suck, but I like the gardening shows and the shows where they refurbish old homes, or take old fire stations, schools, jails, churches, etc. and turn them into homes.

[Lugnut]

49. Ah!

My favorite network. At least I learn things watching HGTV.

[wtmusic]

4. That enormous store of capital

a 3% PV margin will buy you.

Media Ownership - the issue of our time.

[Last Lemming]

7. Remember

the revolution will not be televised

but it will happen none the less

[Supersedeas]

40. remember than, but remember too the names of those who refused to

televise it.

[Last Lemming]

43. Very true

thank you

[Stephanie]

9. Powell said that Bush made phone calls to disaster countries on Mon & Tues

But the photo they released showed him calling the Pres of Sri Lanka on Wednesday, and Sri Lanka was the worst hit. Did they force Powell to lie again?

[rodeodance]

10. said Bush not heard from till 3 days after the tsuarmi. Powell says Bush

on the ball from the day ONE!!!! Powell still the lapdog!! He has not changed a bit!!

[rodeodance]

11. Sri Lanka was one of the initial "coalition of the willing" offered tea??

Thought I read that someplace a long while ago.

[rodeodance]

12. Powell says he has no information on new plan to detain for life

"terrorist' prisoners!! Press by Russert but Powell repeated that he could not talk of this matter. Must be a very sensitive matter!!

[gratuitous]

14. Russert pressed Powell?! There's some news!

Of course, Colin clammed up and said he couldn't talk of the matter, and Timmeh let him off the hook, didn't he?

Colin: "Well yes Tim, we ARE planning for life imprisonment of persons we deem to be terrorists, but that's really all I can say at this time."

{Questions begin whizzing through the minds of the nation's viewers: Detain for life? What makes someone a terrorist? Who will decide? What sort of due process will they be accorded? What about the court decisions in case after case requiring that the prisoners at Guantanamo be given access to counsel? Isn't this the sort of arbitrary dictatorial powers the U.S. has historically fought against? What are the checks and balances on this?}

Timmeh: "C'mon, tell me."

Colin: "Sorry, I can't."

Timmeh: "Pleeeeeeeeease?"

Colin: "No."

Timmeh: "Okay. What did Alma wear for New Year's?"

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

13. I just turned MTP off.

Why did I even bother. Colin Powell is absolutely disgusting, and the so-called pundits just made me want to vomit.

Wake up America, our democracy is being stolen right before your eyes.

[IStriker]

17. TURN THEM OFF! If nobody watches their crap...

they will either change or their ratings will be so bad, they will be gone.

Colin Powell is disgusting and none of the nitwit pundits deserve one second of my time so I don't give it to them.

I don't know when our press stopped reporting the news (if it ever did) but their business is propaganda and mind-shaping for sure. DON'T WATCH!

[m.standridge]

20. without those raw exit polls, Russert probably

could only "throw open the discussion" as to what the "top story of 2004" was going to be. He was trying to leave an opening, in case SOMEONE ELSE wanted to take on the 2004 election issue.
He mentioned the "political capital" issue Bush alleged. He tried to see if someone else would say that maybe, with a 49% approval rating going into inauguration day, Bush didn't exactly have "capital."

But the pundits batted it around. Again, no one is going to put their balls on the line, without those raw exit polls.
And the media are sitting on them, comparing them to subsequent polls of the mood of America. They're trying to be sure, it wasn't a polling error, before taking this on.

So, you get discussions "thrown open" but nobody taking up the gauntlet. No publication wants to do this, singlehandedly. Remember what happened to the Washington Post.

At the same time, though, the media is aware that "the electorate" is the customers of their advertising clients, so they do want to get it right, as to the national mood. And they don't really want to make it hopeless to investigate election rigging, lest we lose our democracy and their freedom of press. But how cautious do they have to be, from here on? Will they release the raw exit polls before January 5?

[m.standridge]

21. meanwhile, we have the _FREE PRESS_ and DU--hey Mikey!

[Stephanie]

15. Now on McLaughlin Tony Blankly just called Joseph Wilson a LIAR

SUE HIM JOE! It was WRT the 16 words in the SOTU.

[okieinpain]

16. I haven't watch that bullshit since 11/02. don't worry bush has

iraq necklace, his ass isn't going to get to do anything but try to talk about something other then iraq. his poll numbers are already dropping, and the repugs will start to freak out about 08, so they will push him to not be to controversial.

don't get me wrong, there are some pains that we will have to endure because of our inbred cousins (repugs), it's just not going to be as bad as bush would like for it to be.

[theangrydem]

22. Another skewed panel

O'Beirn & Safire, both wingers. Broder and Evans, reporters.

[autorank]

24. Stop watching this crap. We're creating our own reality, an accurate one.

Russert is just awful, a whore of whores, a traitor to his mentors. They can appoint whomever they want as Chief Justice. When we come back, these clowns will be removed. The gifts, the conflicts of interest, and much much more will be as available then as now. Bye bye Clarence, fat Tony.

[Chicago Democrat]

25. Russert is a disgrace to journalism and himself!

How do you get rid of Supreme Court Justices? Can we do it just because they suck?

[autorank]

28. They can be impeached for cause. See the Hastings case.

He was accused of corruption and was impeached, by DEMs (and Hastings is now a Democratic Congressman). The gifts they take, the trips they tape with current/future litigants are at least unethical. That's enough. I envision a 2006 victory for our side like '94 for the Repukes. Then a 2008 presidential victory to seal the deal. Things will be so screwed up then, there will be a hunger for retribution.

[Chicago Democrat]

42. Let's keep on visualizing that to happen... Om

Hope springs eternal

[autorank]

48. Will do!

[Stephanie]

26. We're creating a reality-based reality.

[NurseLefty]

27. Watching it now - shall I barf or sponaneously combust?

I can't decide! Am I a glutton for punishment or what? Wow, I've finally lost my last shred of respect for Russert.
The panel is a chorus! How about mixing it up, Tim?
Re: The issue of criticism about Bush's slow response to the Tsunami aftermath - it was premature to criticize the president (paraphrasing)
Safire: "I agree."
O'Beirne (Nat'l Review) "I agree."
Broder "I agree."
Thomas "I agree."
And so it went on with several other issues. We know that Safire and O'Beirne and conservative kooks, but seriously, are the other two supposed to respresent the Left?
I know MTP has been this way for a while, but finally, I have lost any desire to watch this program.
PBS is showing the McLaughlin group next. At least there is some balance there!
(BTW, MTP did a review of the year in clips - nearly EVERY Kerry clip was from some episode of embarrassment - they made Kerry out to be a drip!)

edit for typo

[autorank]

29. NurseLefty, barf, we need you around.

No one will accuse you of purging! Please don't explode.

[NurseLefty]

31. Thank you. Then I will barf. ;-)

:puke:
(No vomitorium required)

[autorank]

33. Good choice! I gave up these shows about mid summer. I get

my news for free from papers all over the country/world and I have a lot more free time on Sunday morning and Saturday at 7:00 (Round Table). It's refreshing and I haven't barfed since.

[Radical Activist]

32. Remember what Reid said about Scalia and Thomas?

That Thomas was too stupid and Scalia was too corrupt. People said that was an endorsement but it was a great back-handed insult at the two people he must have known Bush was considering. He laid the groundwork for defeating either one. This guy is smart.

[robbedvoter]

35. Actually Thomas is also corrupt - read somewhere about his accepting

most presents of all judges...

[Radical Activist]

36. I saw that

I tend to think anyone who voted for Bush v Gore is a corrupt SOB.

[bobbieinok]

46. Bush vs Gore before the SCOTUS....decided 5-4

Scalia should have recused self.....one son partner in law firm that argued Bush side in FL, another son partner in Ted Olsen's firm that argued Bush side at the SCOTUS

Thomas should have recused self.....his wife was working for the Bush transition team

fed judges are not supposed to hear cases if member of their immediate family has a financial interest in the outcome of the case

[comsymp]

47. Not how I remember it at all

Yeah, Reid said that Scalia would have to overcome "ethics problems", but he still said that he could support him because he's "one smart guy"

IOW, when the time comes, Reid & Co. will grab their ankles.

[joanski01]

34. Did you hear Bill Safire predict

that the Democrats will nominate Evan Byah and Bill Richardson in 2008? Timmy was so happy that Safire made a prediction four years ahead of time. Yuk!

[Sparkle]

39. Did Powell have to yell at Emily again?

LOL!

[Dr Fate]

41. Television celebrities, but hardly investigative reporters...

...and somehow they are supposed to be sages.

Fuck em. They usually get it wrong. Remember "Saddam has WMDs?" Most TV journalist reported that as a hard fact, w/o even investigating it.

These TV celebrities have never investigated a damn thing.

[Telly Savalas]

44. Do you really think millions of Americans...

had their eyes glued to the screen lapping up every word from the mouths of Russert and his Merry Band of Talking Heads?

The only people that watch the "Sabbath Gasbags" (who coined that phrase?) are politics geeks like us, and we've already chosen sides. Public opinion isn't being framed on these shows. Sunday morning normal people are either going to church, nursing a hangover, masturbating, or a combination of any of these. They aren't tuning in to see what color George Stephanopolous's tie is.

[Carolab]

45. Poison--turned it all off two months ago--n/t