Axelrod and Schumer are grinning broadly. I'm just sayin'.
Sunday,October 12, 2008
PREFACE:
On FOX News Sunday, host Chris Wallace first talked toRick Davis and David Axelrod, who spoke mostly at the same time.Davis posited that the media would not discuss Bill Ayers, andAxelrod countered that Bill Ayers the most discussed "unknownpublic figure" in the history, I suppose, of unknown publicfigures. In the next segment, Governor Tim Pawlenty stressedObama's inexperience while Governor Ed Rendell said that, despitehis ravings about how Pennsylvanians hate blacks, this time theeconomy will trump race in his State. Rendell said also thatdivided government is a bad thing and the entire system should berun by one party.
On ABC's This Week, host George Stephanopoulos talkedfirst to former Larry Summers and James Baker. Summers said that itis time to stop talking and to start acting. Former TreasurySecretary James Baker said that "this will be with us for a while,"but "we will come out of it." In the next segment, CongressmanBarney Franks said that it is "very important to get this donetoday." Congressman Roy Blunt argued that there were going to belosses, but it should not be the taxpayers who lose.
On NBC's Meet the Press, it was Rob Portman and JohnCorzine. It was a civil exchange between adults, despite Tom Brokawattempts to stir things up. For instance, Portman spoke of McCain'sproposed spending freeze while Corzine spoke of Obama's plan tostart spending $50-billion dollars to create jobs, rebuildinginfrastructure, converting to alternative energy, etc.
On CBS's Face the Nation, Lindsey Graham took offense atthe Obama campaign comparing John McCain and Sarah Palin to GeorgeWallace. Congressman Adam Putnam sees McCain as strong in Florida.Douglas Wilder sees the Bradley Effect being nullified because ofObama's gifts and because "America is ready." Colorado GovernorBill Ritter declared that "the gloss has come off Governor Palin."NEXT SEGMENT, Fred Bergsten, a former official in theAdministration of Jimmy Carter, declared that there is now a"crisis of confidence." (Where have we heard that one before?)However, he thinks the "authorities" are doing the right thingsthis time and we should come out of it alright.
On CNN's Late Edition, Senators Chuckie Schumer and ArlenSpecter had a major dustup over Schumer's political attacks onSenate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on an issue over whicheveryone agreed that there would be no partisan attacks.
DAVIS AND AXELROD ON FNS. On FOX News Sunday thismorning, host Chris Wallace opened by talking to McCain's campaignmanager Rick Davis and Obama's chief strategist David Axelrod.Davis was in studio, the back ground was blue with light "FOX NewsSunday" letters moving from one side to the other, and reverse byalternating lines, creating a distracting, almost-nauseatingswimming effect. Axelrod, of course, was given a stablebackground.
They discussed Congressman John Lewis's statement comparing JohnMcCain and former segregationist Alabama Governor George Wallace.Axelrod noted that this was brought about because of the incendiaryrhetoric coming from the McCain campaign inciting the racistRepublican voters into a giant fit of hatred. He averred that notonly the Obama campaign was condemning this nastiness from McCain,but so were newspaper editorialists and Republicans. (As a"Republican" condemning McCain's "angry rhetoric," Axelrod citedfrom Representative Jim Leach, who spoke to the DNC and who mighthave switched parties.) Axelrod said that the Republicans have tospread hatred because they cannot discuss the economy, "which hangsfrom their neck like the anchor of the Lusitania."
Host Wallace agreed, pointing out that some people at the McCainand Palin rallies have been shouting that Obama is a liar whoconsorts with terrorists. Davis countered that the George Wallacecomparison was over-the-top, and that John McCain was in prisoncamp while Wallace was doing his "segregation now, segregationtomorrow, segregation forever" bit.
They talked about the Obama ad which called McCain an unstableold man, but for only long enough to give Axelrod a chance to arguethat McCain is risky, what with his handling of the economiccrisis. He argued that "we" have issued a statement condemningLewis's comparison. Davis asked who he meant by "we," and Axelrodwould not answer whether or not this included Obama.
The two mostly interrupted and talked over each other, evenwhile accusing one another of interrupting and talking over.
Wallace played the McCain commercial linking Obama and Ayers,talking of "blind ambition." He played the clip of McCain at thetown hall telling his crowd they had no reason to fear an Obamapresidency. He asked Davis why we should not be afraid of an ObamaAdministration. Davis said that McCain was not addressing the adwhen he made that statement. Axelrod argued that he was.
Wallace asked why McCain was spending time on Bill Ayers, andDavis told him that the press would not discuss Bill Ayers. Axelrodcountered that Ayers was the most discussed "unknown public figure"around.
Wallace asked about the Tasergate report, which had assertedthat Palin had abused her office. Axelrod said that the voters willdecide whether or not they want more power abusers in Washington.Davis argued that the report was empty and the investigation was apolitical one which was going nowhere until Palin joined theRepublican ticket.
PAWLENTY AND RENDELL ON FNS. Next up for Wallace were twosurrogates: Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty for McCain andPennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell for Obama. Pawlenty argued Obama'sinexperience, pointing out that one doesn't put a rookie into theSuper Bowl. Wallace asked him why McCain was wasting his timeattacking Ayers when it might be better to go after Pelosi, Reid,and the specter of a Dem government in place in Washington. Rendellcountered that divided government is a bad thing, because childrengo uninsured. He added that Americans know we have to "respond& respond quickly" to problems.
Rendell added that the bad state of the economy had thrown anypossible "Bradley Effect," as he put it, "into the river." Thismeans that McCain would win the Commonwealth despite what EdRendell had once described as Pennsylvania's racial hatred ofAfrican Americans.
SUMMERS AND BAKER ON TW. Over on ABC's This Week,host George Stephanopoulos talked to former Secretary of theTreasury James Baker, who served under President Ronald Reagan.Also on hand was Larry Summers, former president of Harvard andformer Clinton (Bill) treasury secretary.
Summers said that government had to deal with the fiscal crisisin a direct way, rebuilding trust and creating a "comprehensiveapproach" to the problems. He said that it is time to stop talkingand to start acting.
Secretary Baker forecast that "this will be with us for awhile," adding: "We will come out of it." It will take longer thistime than in 1987, he suggested, because of the "esotericderivatives" in the system currently. He called for moretransparency."
BLUNT AND FRANK ON TW. Next up for Steph were HouseRepublican whip Roy Blunt and House Financial Services ChairmanBarney Frank. Blunt called for a solution with provided lots ofoversight and lots of transparency. He cited a "quickly changingenvironment."
Barney said that it is "very important to get this done today."He thinks it wise that when the Federal government buys ournation's banks, they do not have voting stock. He thinks that anyprofits the banks might make should be diverted to "the taxpayers"to buy bad mortgages, reduce the payments, and stopforeclosures.
Blunt argued that there were going to be losses, but it shouldnot be the taxpayers who lose. He said that there were merits toMcCain's plan, but that those who lent the money in the first place"should take significant penalty." Part of the problem, he argued,was the lack of regulations of Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac. Frankcountered that no one saw these problems coming and that it was theRepublicans fault that there were not additional regulations onFanny&Freddie.
On Face the Nation, Host Bob Schieffer spoke to LindseyGraham; Dem Governor Bill Ritter of Colorado, Richmond’s Dem MayorDoug Wilder, and Republican Representative Adam Putnam ofFlorida.
First Graham. After all the polls Schieffer showed favored Obamain a big way, Schieffer asked Graham if there were any good newsfor McCain. Graham said that the upcoming debate will be JohnMcCain's chance to prove that he is the one to handle the economy.He added that it was reprehensible to compare McCain and Palin toGeorge Wallace. Schieffer corrected him, pointing out that therallies were ugly because people are saying that they cannot trustObama. Schieffer argued that even McCain thought that "this hasgone over the line." Graham said that campaign became ugly whenObama attacked and that he had no control over what people say atrallies. He finds it offensive that they would compare McCain andPalin to the "way Wallace conducted himself."
Wilder agreed with Lewis and added: "This campaign is aboutchange." He said that McCain was not talking about issues andsolutions, and that the American people "want to know who is withthem." He painted a picture of people coming together forObama.
Adam Putnam, from Florida, said that this election was aboutanxiety on the economy, and John McCain has great support inFlorida. He conceded that Obama "has opened a small lead," butstated that we have "a long way to go."
Bill Ritter, in Colorado. He spoke of their "different styles ofleadership" on the economy, saying that Obama is resonating.
Lindsey Graham said that the advisers will speak this afternoon,but McCain will start talking about how now is the time to reducetax rates on investors. And he talked about refinancing homes "atthe actual value."
Schieffer asked Wilder about the Bradley Effect, also called theWilder Effect. Wilder said that his internal polls were closer thanthe media polls, so there was no effect. He advised Obama not to betoo confidant. "He needs to stay with the issues." He said thatAmerica is ready.
Schieffer asked Putnam if Palin were a factor in Florida.Congressman Putnam said that she is a "very powerful motivatingforce." He asked Democrat Ritter the same question of Colorado, andRitter admitted that there was one early, "but the gloss has comeoff Governor Palin."
CORZINE AND PORTMAN ON MTP. Surrogates for moderator TomBrokaw on NBC's Meet the Press. Jon Corzine spoke for Obamaand Rob Portman for McCain.
Brokaw asked: "Is the economy going to get worse before it getsbetter?" Corzine's answer? "Unfortunately, yes." He said that thevalue of people's retirement savings has been destroyed, which"erodes confidence" and hurts the economy. He argued that we've notyet felt these effects "in the real economy," but, boy, we're goingto. Portman countered that if we move, "and move quickly, we canpull out of this." He agrees with John McCain that the focus shouldbe on the housing crisis and stabilizing housing prices.
Brokaw insisted that the National Review was a "veryconservative publication" arguing that instead of going with theMcCain plan, we should give Frank-Dodd and the Paulson plan time towork. Portman said flat-out that "they're wrong because there areconditions attached to it so it's not focused on the lenders. It'sfocused on the people who are underwater in their mortgages wheretheir house value is not equal to their mortgage."
Brokaw mentioned the new economic plan which McCain will soonunveil, mentioned in a Mike Allenpiece at Politco.com, described as more tax cuts (cap gains)than writing "a check to everyone in sight." When asked about this,Portman responded: "I don't know, but" that raising cap gains anddividend taxes, as Obama has suggested, would be a mistake. Firstthings first, Portman said, we must fix the housing crisis.
Corzine argued that "now is the time for steady leadership,"adding that "we can't have a new economic plan every morning wewake up." To restore confidence, Corzine said that Obama isproposing that the government build highways and infrastructure,build schools, "build our energy system." All this, "So we[government] can create jobs, get people back to work." Obama hasproposed to start with $50-billion to start.
Director Portman cautioned that "we have to be really carefulhere." We have a $10-trillion debt and Obama keeps hatching newideas to spend money when that's what got us into thissituation.
Portman said that John McCain is ready to freeze spending and goafter programs "not just with a scalpel, but sometimes with ascalpel, a hatchet – and in some cases, you have to eliminateprograms altogether." [Cue the applause. Seriously.] Corzinecountered this with Obama's approach, that he recognizes that thereare some areas in which he may not be able to increase spending "asmuch as we'd like." Obama wants to create jobs. "Green jobs,converting into alternate energy and conservation." He then calledour emergency rooms, "Universal Health Care."
Brokaw played McCain's "Blind ambition, bad judgment" ad anddeclared that it could be stirring up racial hatred in Minnesota.They played a clip, heavily edited, of a man in a gray t-shirt anda blue ball cap at a Minnesota rally saying that he's afraid ofObama because he hangs around with domestic terrorists like WilliamAyers. This is a legitimate concern, but McCain, of course, toldthe man that he did not have to fear an Obama presidency. Then theblonde lady said she thought Obama was an Arab. He asked Portman ifthis had gone too far. Portman questioned Obama's judgment and histruthfulness about his relationship with Ayers.
Brokaw did not repeat his lie from last week, that Bill Ayerswas naught be a "school reformer from Illinois."
BERGSTEN ON FTN. Next, Schieffer spoke to Fred Bergsten,an assistant secretary of the Treasury under Jimmy Carter. He saidthat the United States "is almost certainly in a recession," but hedoesn't think it is global. He added that there is a "crisis ofconfidence."
In 1979, Bergsten's boss famously toldthe nation:
It is a crisis of confidence. It is a crisis thatstrikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will.… The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening todestroy the social and the political fabric ofAmerica.
This time, however, Bergsten sees the authorities being on topof the situation and the outcome positive. He said that there is nochance whatsoever of another "depression."
SCHUMER AND SPECTER ON LE On CNN, Late Editionhost Wolf Blitzer interviewed Chuckie Schumer and Arlen Specter.Schumer's was on a satellite feed, so there were no punchesthrown.
He started with Chuckie. He asked about the "amazing drop" inthe Dow over the past year. He asked what our government should do,and Schumer said that the government had to open the credit market.He complained that the recent rescue plan was doing little but thatwe ought to inject lots and lots of capital into the banks.
Specter said that we need more credit. He said we have to injectthe capital but be very careful that we do not nationalize ourbanking system. This must be done "on a temporary basis." He calledpurchasing the bank stock ,"the avenue of last resort." Schumeragreed that this should be temporary and should not be a governmenttakeover of the banks. Schumer argued that the RSC should make lotsof profit from this move.
Specter argued that we should drop the partisanship, but nowSchumer is going against Mitch McConnell, breaking a "gentleman'sagreement." He questioned "whether we have gentlemen here." Hecited an article in today's Washington Post.
Schumer argued that he finds it ironic that "Arlen" wouldcondemn partisanship then make a partisan remark. Specter arguedthat Schumer had been injecting politics, and Schumer laughed athim. "Schumer's not being fair," Specter argued. Schumer said thatthe "gentleman's so-called agreement" was that the vote of therescue package would not be used for political purposes. Schumer isarguing that the Bush deregulation "has led to the problem."
Specter said, "When Schumer points the finger at McConnell, heought to look in the mirror."
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And there we have it. What say you?
original article