MEDIA WATCH SPECIAL REPORT: AMONG OTHER THINGS

. . . CARVILLE WATCH

http://www.buzzflash.com/mediawatch/2002/02/mw021802.html

February 16-17, 2002

"I noticed Carville was wearing a green jacket which I'm not sure is one of the "dress for success" colors when it comes to the area of "projecting authority."

Since Saturday night has become a virtual garbage dump of programming, I only flipped around the dial quickly before resorting to a tape of Pride and Prejudice . . . But not before FOX brought me up to speed on their weekend lineup. I guess I've been away so long that it was news to me that FOX "News" now has a "Weekend War" extravaganza populated with a bunch of second-stringers and sporting its own glitzy montage ad. Oh, I spotted a couple of the non-blonde "newsbreak" readers that I recognized along with a few new fresh-faced guys whom I didn't know. And lo and behold, it looks like Donna Fiducia is now on the team! Donna, for readers outside the NYC area, has long been an ace traffic reporter and within the last couple of years, had moved over to the local Fox AM show, if I'm not mistaken. How heartening to see a seasoned and well-versed veteran of traffic tie-ups at the Lincoln Tunnel now reporting on the international war effort!!

Sunday I tore myself from supervising the Chihuahuas so I could check out James Carville on Meet the Press. Rumor has it that James has gone soft, and since I hadn't seen him since he had appeared with Paul Begala on Russert a few weeks ago, I figured it was time to see if all this talk was indeed true.

But first I caught the tail end of Colin Powell commenting on condom use. Russert was using his most innocent "choir boy" expression as he nodded along with the Secretary of State's spew about about "conservative values" but I had to wonder why Powell decided to talk about condoms in the first place and why the subject in general has to be such a big deal in 2002 (unless we really HAVE time-traveled back to 1902 . . . ).

John McCain then put in an appearance to talk about the campaign finance reform bill.

McCain reiterated that he thinks CFR will get the votes in the Senate, even though Mitch McConnell says he has the 41 for a filibuster. McCain looked subdued and washed out. He praised some "very brave freshman Republicans" in the House. McCain said that he was confident that "over time we will prevail" so it seems that he's resigned to a long fight on this one. McCain said he didn't feel "betrayed" by those who voted against the bill in spite of his campaigning for them (10 out of 25 jumped ship) because he "understands the pressures they were under." He hopes that the 40 Republicans who bolted and voted for CFR can also work on the Patients' Bill of Rights and other issues, but frankly, I think he was paying lip service to the whole idea instead of harboring any real hope.

Russert then asked about loopholes in the bill and whether McCain was concerned. "I'm absolutely certain that there will be ways found to circumvent the law," McCain replied and then he went on to explain how this bill really is just an attempt to just go back to the laws that had been put into effect nearly 30 years ago. "There will be smart people who will find their way around it . . . and 20 years from now, there will be two Senators" who will start trying for reform again. It sure didn't seem to me that McCain was getting much "joy" out of this whole business.

On the subject of Iraq, McCain said that the opposition to Saddam had "never been given real opportunity by Clinton or Bush" to overthrow the government. McCain still thinks that's the first way to proceed now, but he does share Powell's view that Hussein poses a danger to the US and agrees that he should go.

Back to condoms!! McCain agrees with Powell that the emphasis should be on "faithfulness but with HIV reaching epidemic proportions, every means should be used. But I do believe abstinence should be given priority."

After questioning McCain about his latest skin surgery, Russert asked about a Presidential run in 2004. McCain said, "No, I don't envisage that . . . I think the President is doing a great job running the country." McCain's early exit from the race doesn't surprise me given the overall tired and listless appearance and performance today . . . even when talking about CFR.

At long last, Carville and Ed Gillespie were up!

Gillespie said he expected CFR to pass the Senate. Mmm . . . this prediction by the head of the RNC naturally raises my suspicions . . . ..

Russert asked Carville about David Broder's column which says the Dems should "be careful what you wish for" and surmises that the Repugs will have a tremendous advantage in dollars. Broder figures that the Dems' accelerated primary schedules means they will hit their spending limit in mid-March . . . and be off the TV airwaves then until mid-August (!) whereas previously they had run ads all the way up to the conventions.

Carville seemed to acknowledge the accuracy of this assessment when he said that "there's no way we'll stop this president" in the money department anyway because "all he has to do is go to GOP lobbyists" and because "he's given favors and gotten favors in spades." But Carville tried to put a good face on it when he said that "Anything that Armey and Delay are against, there's got to be something good about it!" I've read analyses, which say that the Repugs will hold the advantage now, but that in the future the Dems can benefit . . . so for now, who really knows how CFR will play out??

Russert then brought up the specious and almost now mandatory comment about how the Dems have gotten a load of Enron money. Carville delivered his now standard response about "this ludicrous idea" and dragged out the "73-23 percent split . . . it is not a tie . . ." routine.

Russert then decided to pick at the "issue" of "bipartisanship." He played a tape from LAST March 9 in South Dakota of Daschle and Bush, with Bush spewing his love talk. Russert then went on to discuss the political ads featuring Bush that are now attacking Tim Johnson, Max Baucus, and Jean Carnahan and a graphic went up showing that each had supported Bush 71% of the time!! "Why would Bush run negative ads?" asked Tim with the doe-eyed innocent of a child as he set the stage for Gillespie's response.

Gillespie tore right in—"Of course, that's the Senatorial committee, not the RNC or Bush running the ads . . . .There's nothing inaccurate about those ads . . . Johnson did oppose the bill for tax relief, he walked away from it . . . let's face the facts—Daschle has decided to stop moving forward, his decision to run for President so soon has affected the agenda . . . ."

So, Russert turns to Carville and serves up-- "Daschle did block the stimulus package and equated it to Enron . . ." Carville said, "Not really, it's way more serious than Enron . . . But let's go back and talk about this bipartisanship . . . Daschle, an air force vet who they tried to kill with anthrax, being compared to Saddam Hussein . . . This Bush budget was put together by a French skating judge . . . it's made the recession worse and $2 trillion has been taken out of the Social Security trust fund. We're way too moderate on this . . ."

Russert appeared shocked that Carville was saying the tax cut had made the recession worse. "It made the recession worse?? It passed in July!" Carville glossed over the tax cut issue and hit on Social Security again . . . "The truth is they've raided the Social Security trust fund, given up hope of ever reforming Social Security, and when it's needed, they're going to want to get rid of Social Security."

Gillespie countered that the Dems had "nothing to offer . . . and they just want to create an issue." Carville retorted that the Congressional Budget office had said the Bush plans was "the most ineffective stimulus package" that could be presented.

The truth is Carville was not as sharp as usual and the whole conversation was degenerating into a mish-mash of sound bites. I noticed Carville was wearing a green jacket which I'm not sure is one of the "dress for success" colors when it comes to the area of "projecting authority."

Russert then had to bring up Al Gore somehow, so he accomplished his task by saying that both Gore and Bush had pledged not to tap into the Social Security surplus. Russert noted that Bush is doing just that, but no Dems have talked about rescinding the tax cut. Carville lamely responded that some have questioned it, but Russert said no one "official" has, meaning Daschle or, in Russert's corrupted brain, possibly Gore.

Carville decided to fall back on Social Security AGAIN, by trotting out the $2 trillion figure . . . "You haven't seen nothing yet, wait 'til Americans see the numbers keep coming in . . . ."

But Russert wouldn't let it die. He asked if "Tim Johnson with an ad bragging about voting for a tax cut and Zell Miller" should be out there while you're talking about the tax cut and the effect on Social Security? (I thought Gillespie had said Johnson had voted against the bill, but Russert said he did vote for it, so what's going on?? Nothing like being confused by a "news" show!) (Author's Note: According to Johnson's web site, he was one of 14 Dems who voted FOR the tax cut, but then he voted AGAINST the final budget resolution. Obviously, Gillespie had "misspoken," but Russert let it go by the first time!)

Carville was way off stride. He said Sen. Johnson and Miller were "both great men" but that they were wrong, trying to contain the discrepancy to just a couple of senators. Good luck, James, on this one!!! The GOP will have every Dem Senator and Rep lined up before the firing squad . . . so I guess is doesn't matter HOW Johnson voted . . .

Meanwhile Gillespie tried to use spending on the war and homeland defense as an escape hatch on the problem with the budget. Russert countered, "But that's not over 10 years . . . " Gillespie tried to say that "Tax cuts will stimulate economic growth, that's what happened in the 90's . . . That's why the Democrats won't campaign against it . . ."

Carville chided using war as an excuse and cited "page 415 of Bush's own Budget. The country is going to wake up and see that this is the most colossal mistake made in years."

Russert wound up the discussion by asking which would be the most important issue in 2002. Gillespie said it would be "jobs and taxes—preserving families and enhancing the experience of work . . . Even my mother knows that Republicans aren't trying to cut Social Security."

Carville said that in 2002 "Somebody has to stand up for people" and cited the "breaking of promises to the poor people in Nevada," referring to the nuke waste issue, and how the Administration is "running wild . . . It stands up for industry against people at every juncture and has taken $ 2 trillion out of Social Security . . . ."

Russert picked up on Nevada—"those 4 electoral votes, if they had gone to Al Gore. Has Bush damaged his credibility?" Gillespie said "This is in the public's interest—I don't think he thought about the Electoral College." Oh, please, Ed!

Carville responded, "He didn't think about the electoral votes when he said he wouldn't do it?? This is a classic example of someone saying he would do something to get votes then turning around. They never had had any intention of him keeping his word . . . it's about people vs. power." "People vs. power"-- which sounds an awful like Gore's populist campaign, which has been dismissed as being a mistake by much of the Dem leadership . . .

Finally, it was time for a 2002 election prediction. Russert intoned the 73% Bush popularity number and asked if the GOP would expand their margin in the House and take back the Senate. Carville looked a little uncertain and at a loss, but managed to say that he's "very encouraged, we just have to make our point and we'll be fine. "Question: WHICH POINT??? Gillespie didn't get a chance to say anything as Russert did the cutaway to commercial and the upcoming Meet the Press minute.

The Meet the Press minute was a clip of Carl Sandburg from 1957 commenting on Abraham Lincoln. The thought crossed my mind about how Carl Sandburg would react to being a "Meet the Press" minute in 2002 and what he would think of the likes of Shrub in the Presidency. Then I wondered about what Abe Lincoln would think about Shrub parked in the White House, for that matter . . . Then I realized wondering about wondering was getting me nowhere since we're stuck in 2002 with Shrub and a public that does NO wondering unless it's about the three S's—feeding the stomach, sex, and sports.

No wonder I watch Pride and Prejudice for therapy . . . .

Copyright 2002, Gloria R. Lalumia

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