Democratic payback or GOP payola
By Creature
Today on The Chris Matthews Show, under the banner "PAYBACK TIME!," Chris and his panel discussed what is behind the Democrats' bloodthirsty desire to get Karl Rove under oath regarding his role in the US attorney purge scandal. Chris and his panel completely ignored the seriousness of the scandal, and I believe an independent DOJ is serious business, and all agreed that getting Rove under the "klieg lights" is all about politics and payback. Both of which will come back to haunt the Democrats with the voters, to which, I call bull.
Richard Stengel (Time magazine): "I am so uninterested in the Democrats wanting Karl Rove, because it is so bad for them, because it shows business as usual, tit for tat, vengeance, that's not what voters want to see."
Norah O'Donnell (NBC): "The Democrats have to be very careful that they look like they're not the party of investigation rather than legislation and trying to change things."
Gloria Borger (US News): [In answer to the question: "What do the Democrats want?"] "They want the American public to see their public enemy number one ... and for some reason they think that it would help the Democrats to get him out there. I'm not that sure."
This is pure inside-the-beltway thinking.
First, to ignore the seriousness of the scandal, is not only a parroting of GOP talking points, but it belittles the importance of an independent DOJ and the importance of checks and balances.
Next, to ask "What do the Democrats want?" and for no one on the panel to put forth the simple answer "the truth" is ridiculous. I may be naïve, but I do fundamentally believe that is what the Democrats want here, and more importantly a few Republicans want this as well.
And finally, to the political point, I believe this inside-the-beltway panel cannot see past the DC monuments. Investigation and oversight (including Karl Rove being called up to testify) is exactly what the voters want to see. The 2006 midterm elections were about many things, but the overall theme was a disgruntled public that wanted, in some way, to hold the Bushies accountable. For this panel to try to frame this story as an overreaching Democratically controlled Congress is just plain wrong. These cautionary warnings to Democrats about overreach is exactly what got this country into the mess we are in today.
Update 3/26/07: Glenn Greenwald writes on the very same segment and includes the YouTube clip. Thanks, Glenn.
(H/T: my DVR -- Cross-posted at State of the Day.)
Today on The Chris Matthews Show, under the banner "PAYBACK TIME!," Chris and his panel discussed what is behind the Democrats' bloodthirsty desire to get Karl Rove under oath regarding his role in the US attorney purge scandal. Chris and his panel completely ignored the seriousness of the scandal, and I believe an independent DOJ is serious business, and all agreed that getting Rove under the "klieg lights" is all about politics and payback. Both of which will come back to haunt the Democrats with the voters, to which, I call bull.
Richard Stengel (Time magazine): "I am so uninterested in the Democrats wanting Karl Rove, because it is so bad for them, because it shows business as usual, tit for tat, vengeance, that's not what voters want to see."
Norah O'Donnell (NBC): "The Democrats have to be very careful that they look like they're not the party of investigation rather than legislation and trying to change things."
Gloria Borger (US News): [In answer to the question: "What do the Democrats want?"] "They want the American public to see their public enemy number one ... and for some reason they think that it would help the Democrats to get him out there. I'm not that sure."
This is pure inside-the-beltway thinking.
First, to ignore the seriousness of the scandal, is not only a parroting of GOP talking points, but it belittles the importance of an independent DOJ and the importance of checks and balances.
Next, to ask "What do the Democrats want?" and for no one on the panel to put forth the simple answer "the truth" is ridiculous. I may be naïve, but I do fundamentally believe that is what the Democrats want here, and more importantly a few Republicans want this as well.
And finally, to the political point, I believe this inside-the-beltway panel cannot see past the DC monuments. Investigation and oversight (including Karl Rove being called up to testify) is exactly what the voters want to see. The 2006 midterm elections were about many things, but the overall theme was a disgruntled public that wanted, in some way, to hold the Bushies accountable. For this panel to try to frame this story as an overreaching Democratically controlled Congress is just plain wrong. These cautionary warnings to Democrats about overreach is exactly what got this country into the mess we are in today.
Update 3/26/07: Glenn Greenwald writes on the very same segment and includes the YouTube clip. Thanks, Glenn.
(H/T: my DVR -- Cross-posted at State of the Day.)
posted by creature at
6:51 PM
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