Obama is excellent on Russert this morning.

[1932]

Not distracted by Belafonte quote, redirects it to an Iraq criticism.

On the Hillary quote, and Russerts implication that she's degrading politics and now is not the time for criticizing president like that, say's politics is rough, (why such think skins) and says who can deny that this administration is corrupt and benefits cronies.

Excellent response to money-raising question. Corrects error about Move-on money, and makes a great point about lobbyist-paid meals -- most Americans can only afford McDonalds -- and makes argument for free TV time and says he'd consider all aproaches, including public-financed campaigns -- that reduces money in politics (ie, implies that people who give him money are donating money to a candidate who is going reduce influence of money).

He is steady, smart, pulling rug out from under bull-shit, and staying on point in way that's logical and not awkward.

[Straight Shooter]

1. It's about time the Dems stopped adopting a defensive position.

We have nothing to defend. And as far as Belafonte's quote, Mr. Belafonte is not a politician, he's a celebrity and he's entitled to his opinion. I really don't consider it newsworthy. We've all seen the protest posters calling bush the number 1 terrorist.

I'm glad he called them on their thin skins. It's about time.

Thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:

[hollowdweller]

2. I think he's doing a good job too.

He's not throwing any bombs but he's doing a good job of communicating.

[benny05]

3. He was good

Kerry was not that good on "This Week". He was on the defensive and couldn't make the offense work. I felt for him, but it showed that he wasn't prepared for GS to be an attack dog.

[sandnsea]

4. That's a load

He was excellent, as was Obama. There's another thread in here that says Obama was terrible. Some people need to take an anti-cynic or anti-green pill before they start posting here.

[benny05]

5. Yea, I know my comment is strong

But I was very disappointed because he didn't appear to be the candidate I voted for in 2004. I know he wanted to do better. Just a bad interview for him, that's all I'm saying.

[sandnsea]

10. Who's your candidate?

Maybe I need my anti-cynic pill, but that was one of the best interviews a Democrat has given in a while, on EVERY subject. Can't be any other reason to critiize it unless someone wants to undermine the Democratic Party as a whole, or has another candidate to push.

[benny05]

13. Edwards, but he hasn't decided if he's running

To be fair to Kerry, I've seen JRE get tripped up occasionally too on interviews. I would have liked to have heard the questions that were posed to him when he spoke at the London School of Economics last May because I heard the crowd was very hostile.

George S was an attack dog, and I think Kerry didn't have the upper hand on the interview as I expected. Doesn't mean I don't think highly of his work, and certainly on matters of the budget, questioning those who were being nominated for the executive branch, Kerry has been superb.

I digressed. If JRE runs, and still the American people perceive that he's still too inexperienced or whatever, I will try to be of service to the Dem nominee, unless it is Hillary. She is the only one I cannot support for reasons that Molly Ivins stated recently. As I did when she was the first lady, I find her to be very disingenuous, and my perception is that her candidacy would be to sate her ego rather than doing what's right for all of us. She is as polarizing as W, and if the Congress and Senate were still Republican controlled, she would get very little cooperation with them, just as her husband had a terrible time his second term.

I was glad to see that Obama has stood his ground to work as a senator. He's one of my senators since I live in Illinois. Durbin has been more effective, but then Durbin's been at it a long time.

[sandnsea]

15. So I'm not just a cynic

Just like Kerry said, alot of behind the scenes maneuvering for other candidates. That's politics.

[benny05]

16. You Got that Right!

And I thought Kerry handled that part of the interview pretty well. I'm dying to see the GQ now..hoping they will have some nice photos of him.

[sandnsea]

17. It's a pro-Hillary, anti-Kerry hit piece n/t

[benny05]

18. Oh if that's the case, forget it...

I won't buy one, that's for sure.

[sandnsea]

19. We've got great Democrats

Clark, Edwards, Feingold, Kerry, Obama, Boxer, Reid, Slaughter, Conyers, a bunch more. I think it's high time that the few, or maybe even one, who are willing to split the party should be outed. And that the left should be encouraged, or beaten over the head, to get them to speak to the issues instead of diminishing the credibility of the party.

[benny05]

20. I'm confused by your last sentence

Unless you are referring to the left who support Hiliary.

[sandnsea]

21. No

I'm referring to a very far left that often spends more time bashing Democrats than advocating for their issues so the average voter is left thinking that the whole party is dissolving into chaos. Who wants to vote for that? It's stunning to me that we couldn't come together on disengagement in Iraq, whether in 6 months or a year, just stunning that we got bogged down when the core is the same, we're inciting violence in Iraq and need to disengage. It wasn't necessary to split the party over that, but that's what happened. Again. Find the points in common and build from there, stop the blood-letting. From all corners.

[benny05]

22. I went to lunch and thought about the Interview with Kerry

And the more I thought about it, I realized that Kerry didn't lose control of the conversation. He was engaged with disrepect by the host. I wrote a comment on "This Week"'s form:

A comment about the 1/22 show

Mr. Stephanopoulos: I thought your tenor in conducting the interview with Senator Kerry was one of disrespect. Several times, you interrupted Sen. Kerry when he was trying to supply answers to your questions about OBL and Karl Rove. I might add the interview was too skewed towards Rove and not about other issues, such as the Patriot Act, and our troops' problems of being overextended in Iraq.

Senator Kerry was a major 2004 Presidential contender. If you were interviewing President Bush, your tone would have been more respectful. I hope that if Senator Kerry is invited back, that you treat him like you would our president.

I was disappointed in the show today.

[1932]

6. That other Obama post criticizes him for not saying Dems don't take $

but that would have set Russert up for pointing out Obama raises a LOT of money.

What Obama did was smart. He turned the money question into an implied statement that when people give him money, they're helping keep in office a guy who is trying to get money out of politics.

[sandnsea]

8. That wasn't the discussion

He changed the discussion to what Democrats are going to do to fix the problem which is more important in the long run. But it certainly wasn't a weak DLC mushy interview the way people said it was.

[karynnj]

7. Kerry was great

He dealt directly with the real question - that the Republicans (Rove) are saying the Democrats are waek on defense - He explain Tora Bora and said that the Republicans didn't get Osama because of their RISK ADVERSE policy.

His answer on Abramoff - that he didn't give money to him or Democrats. They did get money from some clients out somewhere in the country who contributed. - was clear and supportive of Dean. He also said Bush should have veto bills with spending on stuff for lobbyists.

Even the people on Kos , who are usually not Kerry fans basically agree that he did an excellent job.

[benny05]

9. His post on DK was certainly good

I guess I expected him to be more like that post. Unfortunately, I think he lost control of the interview.

[Edgewater_Joe]

11. I'm An Illinoisan ... And I Have To Say ...

... Kerry was better.

Obama's trying to debate and discuss as if the Robertson Repunks who control their party want rational debate. They don't.

Kerry -- and WHY THE HELL DIDN'T HE DO MORE OF THAT IN '04??!?! -- slammed them directly, bluntly, and repeatedly.

THAT is what has to be done in '06.

Maybe Obama's approach could work in '08, but only if we keep inflicting body shots on the Repunks to soften them (and the electorate) up. Right now we need fire; Obama gave us semi-hot water.

[1932]

14. Didn't see Kerry, but I thought Obama struck exactly the right tone

with Russert and redirected without deflecting, and was smart and calm and left viewers thinking that he is right and Republicans are wrong with their policy and that Democrats have better ideas, and that the things Russert thinks are important in the Belafonte and Clinton quotes are not imortant.

[Kahuna]

12. Although he was knocked by many DUers I though he did a pretty..

good job. Tim tried to get him to criticize other Dems and say something that would come back to haunt him later if he tries to run for higher office. Obama skillfully sidestepped all of those attempts.