Lawrence O'Donnell on the McLaughlin Group

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

Ok, I've looked high and low to find a clip to share with y'all and haven't found one yet. I love the McLaughlin Group and watch it religiously. It is always filled with surprises. I think they have the best solidarity and diversity of opinions of any tv panel. (You would not believe how consistently down on W Pat Buchanan has been over the long haul - he has made some of the most biting commentary)

Anyway, today (and I don't know when the show was originally produced - for some reason I think it was on Thursday before Rita hit, but I could be wrong) they showed a clip of George W. Bush making a horrifically tortured segue between 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. It was amazing and embarrassing to watch. Lawrence O'Donnell said - slight paraphrase - "anyone who could try to make that link between a natural disaster and and Al-Qua ida is bordering on mental illness".

Lawrence O'Donnell is one of the very few brave people who are not afraid to be clear, direct, and un-nuanced.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Yes. He does say it like it is and does not mince words.

[hwmnbn]

2. I watched that show too......

The first time I saw O'Donnell appear on the Mclaughlin group he was breaking some news of the Plame investigation. He was a strong and eloquent voice that tore into that Blankley clown. I was very impressed!

It's true what you say about Buchanan. He sometimes gets in the best zingers on the chimp. Politics really do make strange bedfellows.

[AtomicKitten]

3. Yes, he is dynamic

Loved him talking about Bush's mental illness.

I just watch Tweety and he used the same clip, only he fawned over Bush.
It was demented, truly.

[Indykatie]

4. Big MG Fan

I saw O'donnell this week on the show and he was FABULOUS. I think he shoeked the panel with his aggressive attack on Bush. Surprised to see that Tony Bankley was rather subdued in his support of Bush... for a change.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

5. That's the difference between Tweety and a non media whore n/t

[safi0]

6. Lawrence O'Donnell

Is one of my heroes for two reasons. One is obviously the West Wing but also because he called that SOB John O'Neill exactly what he was which is a liar.

[CatWoman]

11. I can never watch that too many times

:D

http://www.dailyrecycler.com/blog/2004/10/breakdown.html

[AntiCoup2K4]

7. I believe the original McLaughlin air date is on Thursday....

...but I usually watch it on Sunday mornings myself, so it's true that sometimes it ends up being "old news" by then.

But O'Donnells comments about the Chimp were right on.

And even Buchanan usually ends up sounding intelligent compared to that fucking Moonie Tony Blankley.

[XanaDUer]

8. That was great.

I saw it yesterday and almost fell over laughing! :D

[liveoaktx]

9. I didn't see that show but I vid-clipped part of the swearing in of

Karen Hughes on September 9th.Bush SHAMELESSLY tied Katrina to 9/11

[CatWoman]

10. Phoebe

it will be posted here soon: http://www.mclaughlin.com/library/library.asp

I saw that yesterday Morning (that's when it plays here). O'Donnell is the best thing since sliced bread :D

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

13. Thanks!

O'Donnell is great! He doesn't edit himself for political correctness and often says what you know many are thinking. When he made the mental illness comment I just burst out laughing. I wish they would utilize him more, I don't think he gets anywhere near the airtime he deserves.

[safi0]

17. Actually

I think his lack of airtime is more because of himself than anything related to the McLaughlin group. O'Donnell's a busy man, unlike Clift, Blankley, and Buchanon he actually has other things to do other than just interviews and pundit shows.

[Supersedeas]

12. there has to be a transcript somewhere?

[Awsi Dooger]

14. Damn, I missed that episode

Actually I don't think I've seen McLaughlin Group all summer and beyond due to travel and stuff.

Lawrence O'Donnell is terrific. He just matter-of-factly rips Bush with the greatest choice of condemning words and phrases. Blankeley is the prerequisite Kate O'Beirne type who you don't know whether to scream at or laugh at.

Bye-Bye

[Generator]

15. Yes, that was a great moment agreed, but

actually the grim look on numero uno Bush cheerleader Tony Blankely's face-sensing somthing about the "indside of those poll numbers" was my media moment of the week. Bush is toast. It's just a question of how long these neo-con fascist creeps continue to back him or say pull the plug.

[Samantha]

16. Lawrence O'Donnell was Chairman of the DNC during Watergate

It was his office the "plumbers" were trying to bug. He's seen it all. I believe this is why he does not mince words.

I admire him so much for his candor.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

18. Different guy. Larry O'Brien

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_O%27Brien

Died in 1990.

[zann725]

19. I still revel in O'Donnell's rant last yr . to O'Neill re: Swift lie...LIE

Go "O"!

[CATagious]

20. the transcript is up....

here's Lawrence's response after watching the video:

MR. O'DONNELL: There are few presidents in our history more lost than that. (Laughter.) For him to find this desperate pathway from Katrina, from lives lost because of government mishandling of the hurricane that hit New Orleans, to get a path from there to his war on terror and somehow link the hurricane to al Qaeda is as large a possible flight of mental illness as we've seen in the president.

MR. MCLAUGHLIN: Do you think his objective is to show how unpredictable, unforeseeable both disasters were?

MR. O'DONNELL: There is no coherent objective to what that man says.