Hotline After Dark: Tell Me Something Goodling
Most of last night's TV concentrated on the feud between "The View"'s Rosie O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck, as well as Ex-DoJ WH liaison Monica Goodling's testimony before the House Jud Cmte 5/23.
MSNBC's Shuster: "Monica Goodling testified she was not very involved in the seemingly political firings of federal prosecutors. But, while trying to distance herself from the scandal, Goodling
damaged Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and outgoing Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty" ("Hardball," 5/23).
FNC's Angle: "Democratic critics were hoping Goodling's testimony would finally validate their suspicions of some kind of wrongdoing at the White House, especially by Karl Rove. ... But if that was the expectation, Goodling's testimony was an enormous disappointment" ("Special Report," 5/23).
Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL): "We continue to have reasons to believe that these U.S. attorneys were fired because of, in some instances, political pressure from outside the department, and that the Department of Justice didn't give us the straight story. ... We need to hear from Karl Rove and some of the White House to close this matter out" ("Newshour," PBS, 5/23).
CNN's Toobin: "To think that those great lawyers work for a fifth rate lawyer like Monica Goodling, you know, with her seventh rate law school education, I mean, it's just appalling to think how much power a woman like that has" ("AC 360," 5/23).
CNN's Arena: "Republicans keep trying to end this all. Today, complaining about the amount of money that's being spent on this investigation without any proof of any illegal activity. But there is little chance of that happening" ("Lou Dobbs Tonight," 5/23).
Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA): "The fact of the matter is, there is no illegality that has been presented with one iota of evidence with respect to the hiring or firing of these U.S. attorneys" ("Newshour," PBS, 5/23).
RUNNING ON FAITH
Mike Huckabee was on "Hannity & Colmes" last night to discuss why he canceled his appearance at a Baptist conference organized by Jimmy Carter.
Huckabee: "I think that to call a sitting president the worst in history, that's pretty much over the top.
... I think Jimmy Carter is a great humanitarian. And I even value him as a Christian brother. This isn't a personal thing about Jimmy Carter. But I just feel uncomfortable going on a program that was presented to me as a nonpolitical program. And then these comments this weekend seemed to have such an edge to them that I thought it's just better for me to pull away."
Asked if giving Carter the benefit of the doubt would be the Christian thing to do: "Well, the Christian thing to do is to continue to love him but to not go on the program with him" (FNC, 5/23).
EASIER SAID THAN DONE?
John Edwards was in the "Situation Room" last night to talk about Iraq.
Edwards, on the Dems: "What they should do is continue to submit funding bills supporting the troops to the president with a timetable for withdrawal. And if the president of the United States, George Bush, continues to veto those bills, it's the president who's deciding he's not going to fund the troops. And ultimately that would actually require George Bush to start withdrawing troops from Iraq."
On his critics suggesting it's easy for him to say that since he's not in the Congress right now: "Can I just say, respectfully, that I would disagree with that? First of all, I've been in that position. I have, in the past, voted against the funding bill, $87 billion, when I knew that George Bush was on the wrong course in Iraq. And, secondly, and I think more importantly, I'm running for president of the United States. All of us running for president will be held accountable, ultimately to voters, for the positions that we've taken."
On an increase in the minimum wage being included in the legislation: "Lord knows I'm for raising the minimum wage. Anyway we can get that done is a good thing. But it shouldn't be tied to what's happening in Iraq. What we should be doing in Iraq is standing our ground, stopping what this president is doing, forcing his hand and forcing him to withdraw troops from Iraq" (CNN, 5/23). [KATHERINE LEHR]