Mike Pouraryan
SP Week-End Notes (11/8/2009): A Brief Wrap of the Sunday Talk Shows
The US Sunday Talk shows once again did not fail to disappoint. NBC, ABC & Fox featured the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Casey, talking about the Ft. Hood Tragedy. I wrote about it in SP's sister site, Outsider Views. I was especially concerned as I saw the tone of questions about the implied reliablity of Muslims in the US Army. It was another proud moment when General Casey reminded the reporters that America derives its' strength from the very diversity it represents. The hysteria about Hassan going to a Mosque and other matters should not be held against all Muslims. Although General Casey did not rule out Terrorism per se, he also did note that the stress on the Force is very much in evident with multiple deployments. What I found unfortunate was Joe Lieberman's annoucement that he was going to launch an investigation just to make himself be the "talk of the town". I wrote about that in SP's sister site, Kitten Politics.
Moving beyond the Ft. Hood tragedy, there was talk on Healthcare. Senator Graham declared the House bill D.O.A on Face the Nation. Mike Pence on Fox derided the "liberal establishment" in Washington for being on a tax and spend binge. I have seen some talk about Mike Pence wanting to go for the Presidency in 2012. He certainly tried to look the part by reminding how he went against his party and how the party paid the price. I also saw, on ABC, a vibrant debate between the Chairs of the Democratic and Republican National Committees. Michael Steele is quite a street fighter and really did in fact fillibuster Tim Kaine on multiple fronts. Also Michael Steele wanted to shift the debate as a Republican win, although Governor-Elect McConnell reminded the country that he ran a campaign based on the local issues. The question is whether he is able to translate the promises into real concerte action that he can boost. He has four years to do it.
Moving on to CNN, there was of course State of the Union with John King and GPS with Fareed Zakaria. The insights on those were quite remarkable. On GPS, I found the panel quite insightful:
I always have enjoyed Penny Noonan speaking on all major news channels. But, I always remember Peggy Noonan for having called out Bill Clinton a "one termer" and then 2 years later he was taking the oath of office for his second term.
The consesus I heard from all the luminaries was that people are worried about their economic well-being. What I agree with them all is that the Country is continuing to go through a transformation that is yet to work itself through it. I am with Robert Caro when he noted that , "....it will be fascinating to watch".
Moving beyond the Ft. Hood tragedy, there was talk on Healthcare. Senator Graham declared the House bill D.O.A on Face the Nation. Mike Pence on Fox derided the "liberal establishment" in Washington for being on a tax and spend binge. I have seen some talk about Mike Pence wanting to go for the Presidency in 2012. He certainly tried to look the part by reminding how he went against his party and how the party paid the price. I also saw, on ABC, a vibrant debate between the Chairs of the Democratic and Republican National Committees. Michael Steele is quite a street fighter and really did in fact fillibuster Tim Kaine on multiple fronts. Also Michael Steele wanted to shift the debate as a Republican win, although Governor-Elect McConnell reminded the country that he ran a campaign based on the local issues. The question is whether he is able to translate the promises into real concerte action that he can boost. He has four years to do it.
Moving on to CNN, there was of course State of the Union with John King and GPS with Fareed Zakaria. The insights on those were quite remarkable. On GPS, I found the panel quite insightful:
I always have enjoyed Penny Noonan speaking on all major news channels. But, I always remember Peggy Noonan for having called out Bill Clinton a "one termer" and then 2 years later he was taking the oath of office for his second term.
The consesus I heard from all the luminaries was that people are worried about their economic well-being. What I agree with them all is that the Country is continuing to go through a transformation that is yet to work itself through it. I am with Robert Caro when he noted that , "....it will be fascinating to watch".
