Meet The Press - The Health Care Debate

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The nationwide debate on the future of America's health care system took center stage on Meet The Press Sunday. Host David Gregory was joined by former senator Tom Dashle, former representative Dick Armey, Republican Senator Tom Colbern of Oklahoma, and NSNBC's Rachel Maddow.

Maddow more than held her own against the gray-beards but I've got to admit statements like other of Colbern made her work easy. The Oklahoma Republican ran off at the mouth saying that people who disrupted town hall meeting were justified because they were angry at their government. Then he brought up a bunch of garbage examples like earmarks and other factors he mumbled. What Colbern was doing was using "Meet The Press" as a playform for encouraging the people who go to these events to keep acting silly.

Yes, "silly."

Silly because many of the people captured on video have said our country's going to you-know-what and give reasons that have nothing to do with health care. One person said "it's all here" raising the Bible, and while I read the good book, I know when and where it applies; not here. And in another video in Arkansas a rather thin and wild-haired woman cries that she's wants her country back.

That was the dumbest comment I've heard in this whole episode. It caused some in the media to think she was talking about America having elected its first African American president, and caused me to recall Harriet Christian, the woman who called then-Senator Obama an "inadequate black male" after the Democratic Party's rules committee voted for Obama over then-Senator Hilary Clinton.

Yikes!

Personally, I wish we'd ignore those town hall meetings. The health care issue is much more complex than being presented.

Senator Harry Reid on 'Meet the Press' Sunday - Politics: The Early Line - Las Vegas Sun

More at Las Vegas Sun: “WASHINGTON -- Tune in Sunday morning when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is scheduled to be a guest on “Meet the Press” as the 111th Congress is about to begin.

Reid is expected to discuss the economic stimulus package Congress hopes to have passed and waiting for President-elect Barack Obama shortly after he’s sworn in Jan. 20, his own re-election campaign as well as the escalating drama over Obama’s successor in the Senate.”

MEET THE PRESS FULL VIDEO: David Gregory, Dave Axelrod, The Economy

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Ok, I've gotten over my dismay at NBC's decision to select long-time White House Correspondent David Gregory over the newcomer Rachel Maddow, and have thus ended my self-emposed embargo on posting of the Meet The Press Videos.


Today, we have Obama Special Advisor Dave Axelrod being interviewed by Dave Gregory, and by all accounts he did well. But I disagree with the notion that the tax cut will be enough. I thinkk giving each taxpayer below $100,000 a $3,500 check would dramatically boost this economy and buy time for the other more long term programs to take effect.

David Gregory on Meet The Press - White males rule Sunday news shows - SfGate.com

White males rule Sunday news shows: “This is David Gregory's first Sunday as the host of NBC's long-running "Meet the Press," beginning what one of his rivals calls a new, post-Tim Russert era for the network Sunday public affairs shows. But some wonder if anything will really change.

Not only does Gregory's promotion in the aftermath of Russert's death ensure that all the shows will continue to be hosted by white men, roughly 80 percent of the newsmakers and pundits who have appeared on the shows over the past eight years also have been white men, according to an ongoing study by the liberal think tank Media Matters for America. (The organization's latest figures for "Fox News Sunday" are from 2005-06. In that period, 80 percent of the show's guests were male and 82 percent were white.)”

Barack Obama On Meet The Press - The Activist President-Elect

President-Elect Barack Obama appeared on the last "Meet The Press" hosted by Tom Brokaw who filed-in masterfully to take the place of Tim Russert after Russert's untimely death earlier this year. On the telecast, Obama presented a plan which can be summed-up as the "Activist President." The convergence of economic problems and President Bush's horrible performance has paved the way for an economically aggressive agenda by Obama that's the child of necessity. Even the most conservative economists agree that a large degree of spending must be done to lift the American Economy.

Thus, Obama talked to Brokaw about the need for such a program and then gave a statement that while he has been a critic of the American Car Industry, it's basically too large to allow to fail, so some kind of managed assistance program will be created for it.

Then, in discussing what plans he and First Lady Michelle Obama have for the White House, Obama said that it was "The People's House" and they planned to celebrate American arts and culture in all of its diversity, even mentioning poetry readings. I personally took Obama to mean that poetry slams, or at least one, would be part of this program. That's huge news if it's true and I don't see why it would not be. Poetry slams are an American-borne art form and the new expression of American urban culture. Since it was reportedly created in Chicago around the time Obama lived there, it's logical to believe the Obamas would introduce the White House to the sub-culture, and vice-versa.

What's so exciting is we finally have a President who reflects the diversity of America and not a part of it. Americans have come to think of the Presidency as the harvest for the rich, White staid upper-crust society and have done so without critical thinking. Obama has forced America to rethink how it's presented itself; now we see a country truly by all the people and for all the people emerging.

Barack Obama is committed to restoring the healthy American Middle Class of the 60s, but to do that will require not only a massive economic package but a return to a kind of economic nationalism not seen in two generations. It's time has come, because our G8 and G20 partners have formed economic programs around a nationalist perspective and it's wrecked America's economy.

NBC's David Gregory to moderate 'Meet the Press' - Meet the Press, online at MSNBC- msnbc.com

NBC's David Gregory to moderate 'Meet the Press' - Meet the Press, online at MSNBC- msnbc.com: “David Gregory has been named moderator of NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” effective immediately. In addition, Betsy Fischer, the program's longtime executive producer has extended her tenure with the top-rated broadcast. The announcements were made today by Steve Capus, President of NBC News. 

“For 61 years, this program has played a vital role in our nation’s political discourse and millions of Americans’ Sunday mornings,” said Capus. “We lost a legend this summer, and today we hand the program over to someone who has a true appreciation and respect for the ‘Meet the Press’ legacy, and a keen sense of what it needs to be in the future. David and Betsy are first-rate and I’m thrilled to have them in their roles at a key time in the program’s, and the country’s, history. I'd also like to thank Tom Brokaw, whose tremendous dedication has helped to lead ‘Meet the Press’ through this critical transition and extraordinary election season. He did so out of honor and respect for our friend Tim Russert, and we'll always be grateful.”

Blogger Oliver Willis called Gregory,"pro-war". More on this...

Obama on Meet The Press: Economy to get worse before it improves

From the Associated Press: Obama: Economy to get worse before it improves President-elect Barack Obama said the economy seems destined to get worse before it gets better and he pledged a recovery plan "that is equal to the task ahead."

Obama also said in an interview broadcast Sunday that the survival of the domestic car-making capacity is important, yet any bailout must be "conditioned on an auto industry emerging at the end of the process that actually works."

Less than six weeks before he takes office, Obama said that help for homeowners facing foreclosure is an option as part of his plan. He sidestepped a question about when he plans to raise taxes on wealthy Americans.

Obama's interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" was his most extensive since winning the White House more than a month ago.

In the intervening weeks, the economy has showed clear signs of worsening. Employers said they eliminated more than 500,000 jobs in November alone and retailers reported disappointing holiday-season sales.

"The economy is going to get worse before it gets better," he said twice in the early moments of the interview, taped Saturday in Chicago.

The president-elect announced on Saturday he would call for the most massive spending on public works since the creation of the interstate highway system a half-century ago. In a word of caution to powerful lawmakers, he said the first priority would be "shovel-ready" projects _ those that could create jobs rights away.

Rachel Maddow For Meet The Press Moderator

Rachel Maddow's the best choice to replace Tom Brokaw and the late Tim Russert before him. She would carry on Russert's tradition of fairness. As I stated earlier, she's a better choice for the role than NBC News Correspondent David Gregory.

"Meet The Press" 11/23/08 James Baker, William Daley, On Obama Economic Plan, Sen. Joe Liberman Full Video

This is today's full "Meet The Press" episode covering the Obama Economic Plan and featuring an interview with Senator Joe Liberman regarding how he campaigned against Barack Obama.

Barack Obama On Meet The Press More Proof Mark Halperin's Wrong About The Media Being "Pro-Obama"

I'm still not believing TIME Magazine political director Mark Halperin's comment that now-President-Elect Barack Obama was given a "free-pass" by the "pro-Obama" media.  And to prove my point that Halperin's wrong, I dug up this "Meet The Press" interview done early this year where the now-late Tim Russert grills Obama about the "Reverend Wright Issue" right off the start of the show.  


No other candidate faced such a potentially withering negative PR storm and came out the better for it. Perhaps that's missing -- deliberately? -- in Halperin's thoughts on the matter.  If so, he should reconsider.  See the full "Meet The Press" interview held May 4th, 2008 and just before the Indiana and North Carolina primaries, below:


Part One





Part Two

Joe Liberman On Meet The Press Does Not Apologize To Obama

As the Huffington Post pointed out, Senator Joe Liberman (I) Conneticut failed to say "I'm sorry" to President-Elect Barack Obama for the way Liberman went against the candidate and with Senator John McCain.

I think Liberman's darker devil believed that the American people would not elect an African American as President and so made a calculated bet -- and lost.

Here's Liberman doing the old Washington two-step:

COLIN POWELL ENDORSES BARACK OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT

Today, just less than an hour ago, a legendary figure in American politics and military history, Colin Powell, endorsed U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D) Illinois for President of The United States.


Powell is a giant in American Culture, as a decorated Army general, being a National Security Advisor to President Reagan, then the first Jamaican-American Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff and having sucessfully guided American forces in the "Desert Storm" effort of the Persian Gulf War, Powell.  Then Powell became the 65th Secretary of State under George W. Bush.  Because of his history, his association and registration with the Republican Party, and mostly his steady and calm demenor, Powell's name has been regularly surfaced as a presidential or vice-presidential candidate.


But few expected Powell to break from his party and endorse Obama and some also noted his friendship with Obama's challenger, U.S. Senator John McCain.  But Powell, motivated by McCain's increasingly nasty style of campaigning and the racist direction it was taking, decided to make the move to back Obama, annoucing his decision on Meet The Press, this morning.

Tim Russert Passes at 58: Rememberances

This is a hard day for America and especially for anyone who's a follower and lover of politics and the media. Tim Russert passed of cardiac arrest at the young age of 58, leaving behind a wife, son, father, relatives, friends, and millions of fans, including me.

The video above is from MSNBC and below from Veracifier on YouTube:



Senator and Presidential Candidate Barack Obama gave this speech on Tim Russert's passing:



This video is from a fan on YouTube, TRAILKIDS1:



This video was made from YouTubers tomaswk, who met Russert earlier this year:



Bloggers around America have weighed in on the news. Buddy TV reported Russert's passing; James Poniewozik at TIME Blog wrote that Russert's influence was "immense"; Futuremd informs that Russert once took MSNBC collegue Dave Gregory to task for being rude to a waitress while they were at dinner.

I check out that link.

From Jossip, I learned that Russert took issue with Keith Olbermann's activism and I learned that Dave Gregory not only had an imperious way with wait staffers at restaurants, but treated lower NBC News staff "like shit".

That stands in direct contrast to Russert's way. It's clear that he, Russert, was loved at NBC.

"Meet The Press" Tim Russert Dies Of A Heart Attack At 58

"Meet The Press" Tim Russert Dies Of A Heart Attack At 58

One of the main reasons I was so excited about attending the 2008 Democratic Convention was that I would get to meet Tim Russert, the ever-present host of the legendary show and one of my favorites, Meet The Press.

Now, I will not, because Tim Russert died of what the New York Post called an apparent heart attack today at 58 years of age.

I never met or knew Tim, but he felt like part of the American Cultural furniture and I always appreciated his on-air professionalism. In a world of "vetters", Russert was the vetter. No poitician was considered complete until they faced a grilling from Russert. Barack Obama's best presentations were on Meet The Press because he handled himself with grace and intelligence under Russerts withering line of questions.

But we always saw Russert as the person who sat as judge and jury in politics. Always fair. Always smart. Always informative. Always professional. It's no wonder Time Magazine named him one of the world's 100 most influential people this year. .

Tim Russert represented the best in media and I will miss him.

Here's Russert recently interviewing former Bush Press Secretary Scott McClellan.

Tim Russert, LA Times Fixing Obama News - Media Makes Errors and Ommissions Regarding Barack Obama News

If you've wondered about those negative stories about Barack Obama and whether they were "fixed" here's your answer: yes they were. If you've ever wanted one place to see all of those errors and ommissions with regard to Senator Obama's presidential run, you've come to the right place.

It's all here. From the LA times excluding Senator Obama's specific statements on human rights and national security, to Time Russert's famous "fixed" Meet the Press questions that sounded as if they were written by the Clinton campaign, to CNN's misrepresentations of Senator Obama's statements about Hillary Clinton.

They're all here for you. Share this with a friend and tell them how the mainstream media's unfairly fixing news against Barack Obama. They can't laugh at you; it's all here!

Check it out.

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  LA Times claimed Obama was "less than definitive" on human rights vs. national security, but omitted his specific statements
  
  
  Friday, November 16, 2007 5:07PM


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  Malveaux misrepresented Obama's statements about Clinton on Meet the Press
  
  
  Friday, November 16, 2007 2:19PM


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  On CNN, Gergen distorted Obama's response regarding U.S. deaths in Iraq
  
  
  
  Friday, November 16, 2007 1:40PM


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  GMA, NY Sun, Politico cut out part of Obama sentence in claiming he "stumbled" on driver's license question
  
  
  Friday, November 16, 2007 12:10PM


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  AP falsely suggested Obama said his state Senate records do not "exist at all"
  
  Thursday, November 15, 2007 6:11PM



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  AP claimed Obama's "mining lobbyist ties" are "raising questions" but did not say with whom
  
  Thursday, November 15, 2007 5:45PM


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  On O'Reilly, Newsmax's Kessler misrepresented Obama and Clinton vote on FISA, Edwards statement on "global war on terror"
  
  
  Wednesday, November 14, 2007 3:34PM


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  Russert misleadingly cropped Obama comment to claim he wasn't "firmly wedded against the war"
  
  
  Sunday, November 11, 2007 4:43PM


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  Politico claimed Dems' energy plans "set[] goals so distant that they won't be met until most of these contenders might be dead"
  
  Friday, November 9, 2007 5:19PM



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  Return of the "rookie mistake": Politico's Hearn blamed Obama for "flag flap"
  
  
  Friday, November 9, 2007 2:38PM



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  Citing NPR story, Wash. Post's Kornblut falsely claimed Obama was "unresponsive to a voter in a campaign stop"
  
  Thursday, November 8, 2007 4:49PM



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  Dobbs falsely claimed that Obama's "relationship with his faith [was] heretofore ... unexpressed"
  
  Wednesday, November 7, 2007 4:33PM



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  ABC News still ignoring O'Reilly's Obama/GMA falsehood
  
  Tuesday, November 6, 2007 1:21PM



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  Time's Halperin didn't check with Sun-Times columnist before falsely claiming that column was product of Clinton campaign opposition research
  
  Monday, November 5, 2007 6:23PM


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  CNN's Situation Room ignored McCain's missed votes in back-to-back segments
  
  Monday, November 5, 2007 5:35PM

"Meet The Press'" Tim Russert Misquotes Senator Barack Obama

Recently, NBC and MSNBC have been agressively working to change the terms of debate in the 2008 Presidential Race. This video's a great example. According to MediaMatters..

-- During his November 11 Meet the Press interview with Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (IL) on NBC's Meet the Press, host Tim Russert asserted that "critics will say you've not been a leader against the war," and then read a quote he attributed to Obama: "In July of 2004, Barack Obama: 'I'm not privy to Senate intelligence reports. ... What would I have done? I don't know,' in terms of how you would have voted on the war." After quoting two other Obama statements on the war, Russert concluded: "It doesn't seem that you were firmly wedded against the war and that you left some wiggle room that, if you were in the Senate, you may have voted for it." However, in citing Obama's comment "What would I have done? I don't know," Russert did not quote the very next sentence of Obama's statement, which was, "What I know is that from my vantage point the case [for authorizing the war] was not made." --

In other words, Tim Russert Misquoted Barack Obama, and perhaps deliberately. I think NBC's new approach is based on the idea that all politicians tell "less" than the truth about their beliefs. But it's easier to approach a line of questioning following that idea with Senator Clinton than it is with Senator Obama, who's quite authentic in his views -- that is, he's not always changing his stance, if he ever has, or has had to. This consistency of message damages NBC's approach, and results in this situation where Russert should appologize to Senator Obama.