I've been critical of MTP's Tim Russert in the past. He has a tendency of being way too soft on the GOP. But maybe getting fingered as the guy who "really" outed Valerie Plame (by Karl Rove) has lit a fire under him. Case in point: Sunday's "Meet the Press" squashing of John McCain and George W. Bush. Round one (ding!) Russert nailed McCain on his flip-flops on everything from tax cuts to Jerry Falwell (both of which he used to be against but now -- magically -- he's for. Think Progress has the Falwell metastasy: RUSSERT: Do you believe that Jerry Falwell is still an agent of intolerance? MCCAIN: No, I don�t. I think that Jerry Falwell can explain to you his views on this program when you have him on. Really, John? That's not what you said back in 2000... Russert also nailed McCain on his present support for extending the Bush tax cuts, for which he was one of only four Senators to cast a "no" vote in 2001, and on his excuse-making for Bush on the war -- something he used to find the voice to criticize. McCain was read clips from op-eds retracting his "maverick" card, and he ended the interview saying he "hadn't had so much fun since his last interrogation." I'll bet. More detail on the interview from this Kos diarist, who writes: I'm not sure whether it was because Tim Russert's questions were so good or because John McCain's answers were so woefully strained, but the otherwise insufferable Meet the Press this morning actually proved to be compelling--and telling--television. Russert's "gotcha" journalism works well against the chameleon politics of McCain. In challenging McCain on everything from Bush hugs & kisses to the role of the religious right, Russert gave McCain no quarter as he used that tactic rarely used in interviews today: the follow-up. Indeed. It's worth watching the entire interview, which you can do here. Or just get the salient points from Think or C&L. One thing I did wish Russert had delved into with McCain -- Bush's apparent belief that he can sidestep the torture limits passed into law at McCain's urging. I'd have loved to hear McCain's Bush-coddling spin on that one... On to round two: in which Gen. Anthony Zinni, the former CENTCOM commander who was in charge of U.S. forces in the Mideast demolishes Bush's case for war, including Russert's expert set up, in which he recalls how Zinni sat through a Fall 2002 speech by Vice President Cheney in which Cheney said Iraq "definitely posessed WMD." Zinni's response: he knew then that they didn't, and he said as much to the Washington Post. The retired general also called on Rumsfeld and others to resign, saying loyalty is not a better substitute for competence and good judgement. Zinni also made the point that the media is being made the scapegoat for Iraq's failures, and that -- duh -- elections don't equal democracy. Somebody get this guy into a top job at the Pentagon. Stat. If you missed it, watch the entire episode on the MTP site. Tags: McCain, Politics, Bush, Iraq, Election, Republicans,MTP, Russert, Meet the Press |
