Hume, Williams FNS Smack-down Brings Joy to Sunday Morning Coffee Klatsch in the runner-up position.
It's a tough call this week between NBCs MTP and FNCs FNS for the "Big Weenie Award" as both shows had great moments in punditry.
But the consensus is you really have to give Russert this week's "BWA" for the show today. Russert has four of the best flacks in the business - Carville, Matalin, Murphy and Shrum - on the the full hour. It was GREAT for us junkies. The only thing that could have made it better would be to have included Beckel and Trippi.
While the Hume b*t#h-slapping of Juan Williams for playing the race card was classic FNS, and the Durbin-Feinstein cat-fight was really fun to watch, it didn't quite have the horse-power to overcome all the special opportunities presented by the panel of flacks that Russert lined up.
Among a multitude of great MTP moments, any there were many, was GOPer Mike Murphy (quoting Bismarck): "The biggest lies are told before the marriage, after the hunt, and during the political campaign." Aside from cracking me up, especially in the context of the discussion, it is so painfully true! Further, it's reminds us that if you "tell a big enough lie, often enough, the people will believe it". Or, in Obama-mama-mia's case, you tell the people nothing, often enough, and the people will think it's something. Well, that's another empty suit discussion for another day.
Take for instance, Hil's "It's 3a.m. ad." Aside from the obvious first question, "why isn't anyone answering the doggone phone before it wakes the kids?", nobody seems to be able to cite one circumstance where the Hil-ster has ever had to do anything other than maybe say, "Bill, it's for you", and then roll over and go back to sleep. Even Diane Feinstein had to do the duck-n-pivot with Wallace FNS when asked that same question. Apparently, the Clinton campaign had a conference call earlier this week in which a reporter from Slate asked that very question. "Can you name one time where Mrs. Clinton has ... yada yada " The answer, after an "uncomfortable pause", was that "Well, she serves on the Armed Services Committee." The follow up should have been, "OK, Mr. Penn, and that's relevant how?"
Watching Carville and Shrum is always entertaining, but especially so today. It's evident that the Ragin' Cajun is just doin' the doggie-paddle as fast as his little legs can go ... and while the water on the surface may seem calm, underneath you better believe it's churning. Still, you must admire his loyalty to, and friendship with, the Clinton's. He made every single argument you can make without coming out and saying "I don't care how many delegates Obama-mama has, Hil must get the nomination, and that's just the way it must be." That kind of loyalty is rare in big-time power politics. Yet, it's painful to watch the guy, who gave us that classic line, "It's the Economy Stupid", have to go on national TV and shill for the Hil. (I thought that his loving wife, Mary, was too kind to him. She only zinged him once during the whole hour - a brief comment about the Perot campaign defeating Bush "41", not the Jimmy & George team - which I thought was just a perfectly, lovingly delivered aside.)
Shrum, on the other hand, shilling for Obama-mama like he was on the payroll, still couldn't give us a single friggin' thing that Obama-mama has done and could not defend the fact that the Jr. Senator from Illinois hasn't been able to match his rhetoric with his record. Shrum was typically competent at the pivot every time, managing to adeptly change the subject, and both Russert and Murphy gave him passes. Too bad. It could have been even more entertaining watching Shrum try to make something out of nothing.
In the end, our friends on the other side are just so wrong. They're wrong on domestic policy. Wrong on Foreign Policy. Wrong on Pants Suits. Wrong on the whole Boxer/Brief thing. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
It's a great day to be a political junkie.
This just in from the Fashion Police: OMG, they've issued a warrant for Murphy's tie! I mean, can you believe that thing on National TV? Mike, we love ya man, but the tie, especially with the tabbed-collar shirt was just not working for ya pal. As well, the Cajun needs to take a trip to see Dr. Tavel. (I thought only geeks like Wilson wore those funky reading glasses? The only thing that could have made it worse would be if he had a silly rope or chain thingy ... jeez, come to think of it Wilson, you got one of those rope things too, don't you? Grrr.)
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