Hotline After Dark -- Gonna Stand My Ground, Won't Be Turned Around...
Last night's TV coverage was dominated by Gen. Wesley Clark's comments about John McCain. Clark appeared on "Verdict."
Clark: "I don't want to do anything to take away from this very important week when Barack Obama, the man I support to be president, is talking about patriotism and service. ... Now, I wasn't representing the Obama campaign in anything I said yesterday about John McCain. Those are comments I said for some weeks now, they've been repeated many times. ... National security is going to be a very important element of this campaign and people are going to be asking who can best protect America. But I want to assure you, I would never, never diss someone's service. When people chose to serve in uniform, I honor it."
Clark, asked if he's sorry for saying he doesn't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president: "It's a great line. I didn't make it up. It was given to me by the interviewer. ... I wish people hadn't misinterpreted that and lost sight of the important point. ... Serving the armed forces is a great thing. ... On the other hand, it depends on what your position was in the armed forces and what you did there as to how relevant that service is to the strategic decision-making that is the essence of protecting the United States as president. And that was the point I was making."
After the jump, more Clark, Obama's patriotism speech and Romney as VP?
(KATHERINE LEHR)
MSNBC's Abrams: "Is there anything about John McCain's service that you think is relevant in his effort to become president of the United States?"
Clark: "Absolutely. I think anybody who serves in uniform, who serves their country, especially in wartime who has gone through the kind of privations and hardships of John McCain, should be honored for his character and courage. ... I think people look for character and courage in their presidents, but I don't think you have to have been at war to show character and courage."
Abrams: "Have you called the Obama campaign since this became quite a story to either apologize or clarify your statement?"
Clark: "Well, I certainly talked to the Obama campaign."
Clark, asked again if he is sorry for his comments: "I'm not backing away from anything I said" (MSNBC, 6/30).
Bill Bennett, on whether the comments were part of an orchestrated attack by the Obama camp: "No, it would be bad orchestration and choreography, because they immediately apologized for it" ("AC 360," CNN, 6/30).
Washington Examiner's Sammon: "It was a gift to McCain, because it allowed the focus to shift to McCain's military record ... and implicitly the lack of military service by Barack Obama. We're back in 2004, folks. We're talking about searching for the truth. John Kerry is back in the mix. This is not good for Obama. ... The [VP] list got shorter by one name today" ("Special Report," FNC, 6/30).
GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway: "Wes Clark, if you were on the short list for VP, you're off of it now" ("Hannity & Colmes," FNC, 6/30).
Syndicated columnist Tony Blankley: "This is the seventh time that a major Obama supporter has taken a shot at McCain's military record. ... So, it begins to look like something other than the random decisions of random people. It looks like it's an Obama strategy."
More Blankley: "While it's a stupid thing for a guy who wants to run for vice president to do, it may be a shrewd thing to nibble and chip away at the strong point of an opponent. You know, win some votes. ... You're going to raise some doubt. It's a nasty business. That's what presidential campaigns are about" ("Race for the WH," MSNBC, 6/30).
A BUD-DING PROBLEM?
There was also talk concerning McCain's formation of a truth squad and placing Col. Bud Day on the cmte. Day was part of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
CNN's Toobin: "One of the people who defended John Kerry in the swift boat attacks was John McCain. McCain played a very honorable role, and he played no part in those attacks. ... That's why I think it was surprising to see one of the swift boat people there. ... It's an odd choice" ("Election Center," 6/30).
Washington Times' Wall: "I think it's a win. ... You go after the best when you want to get the job done. ... He picks one of the most successful ad campaigns in history and gets the folks that are in charge of that. ... I mean, who else is he going to use to lead this effort?" ("Verdict," MSNBC, 6/30).
THE PATRIOT
Meanwhile, Obama delivered a speech about what patriotism means to him in Independence, MO, on 6/30.
Bill Bennett: "It's always a legitimate question to ask how a candidate feels about his country. And, given some of his associations, sure, it's absolutely legitimate to ask. He obviously thinks it is, because he's addressing it. I think it was an excellent speech. He talked about America, using that great line of Lincoln's, as the last, best hope of Earth. I hope, you know, Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers were listening to that. That's a damn good line" ("AC 360," CNN, 6/30).
Washington Post's Robinson: "This has always been part of Barack Obama's core message: stop fighting the battles of the '60s. He promises to take us beyond that. He does so on patriotism, just as he did on race. And we'll see if he manages to do it, but that's his pitch" ("Race for the WH," MSNBC, 6/30).
Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer: "I thought the speech was very interesting. It pushed all the right buttons. It was, I thought, a very good speech on patriotism. It had the left of center approach, which is to put a heavy emphasis on the patriotic elements in dissent, which is OK. It had one cheap shot at the government of Iraq. ... But overall it was a fairly good speech" ("Special Report," FNC, 6/30).
10 THINGS HE HATES ABOUT HIM
And there was some reaction to Politico reporting that Mitt Romney is at the top of McCain's short list for VP.
CNBC's Harwood: "I think it's a clear collision between McCain's message on straight talk and the geographic emphasis he wants to place in his campaign. He would be an asset in Michigan. He'd also be an asset in New England. New Hampshire is a state that John McCain wants to take out of the Democratic column. ... But I suspect at the end of the day, and what my reporting tells me with McCain people, is the tie breaker in this case is going to be who he is really comfortable with. That tells me that maybe these reports are a bit overrated right now" ("Race for the WH," MSNBC, 6/30).
Dick Morris: "Let's start with the fact that John McCain hates Mitt Romney. ... I think John McCain would slit his throat rather than put Romney on his ticket. He'd have to live with him for four years. ... Let's remember Mitt Romney's electoral record. He outspent everyone 100-to-1 in Iowa and lost. Ditto in New Hampshire. Ditto in South Carolina. Ditto in Florida. He won Michigan by the skin of his teeth because his father was governor there. ... I think if McCain makes a conventional choice like Romney or some Republican governor ... he's going to hurt himself, or not help himself. And he needs help, big time" ("Hannity & Colmes," FNC, 6/30).
Jeffrey Toobin is a sham of a journalist. This became clear on the last election night coverage, when he sexistly called Hillary Clinton "deranged." Had Toobin called Gary Hart deranged when covering the '84 campaign? Or Jesse Jackson in '88? No he did not.
He and Keith Olbermann are two of the worst, most sexist journalists on TV. They need to get over their woman hatred, or their Clinton Derangement Syndrome, or both.
I think Toobin called Senator Clinton's actions those of a "deranged narcissist". That was a play on FP's characterization of Guiliani as a "delusional narcissist". In any event, "deranged" is only an adjective here, and I think you overstate the case.
It appears that it’s all down to Alaska Gov Sarah Palin or Mitt Romney, and team Romney fears Palin now has the best shot, so Romney camp is mounting a blogosphere-wide assault via Politico.
The tip-off that Politico is just a “promote Romney” piece is that it mentions EVERY NAME in the next two tiers of Veep prospects EXCEPT SARAH PALIN!!! — even names far more unlikely than Palin (since Romney camp knows Palin is the ONLY ONE who tops — I’ll say tops by far — Romney as McCain’s best pick).
Bottom line, Romney and Politico fear Palin most — as do the Dems and the MSM. (By the way, the Dems and MSM do not fear Romney the most — which says a lot.)
AOL, a main on-line pro-Obama/pro-Dem player, is now carrying the Politico piece promoting Romney buzz.
Clearly AOL wants McCain and the GOP to lose the general elction — hence they gladly promote Romney (no mention of Palin).
Also, CNN had Romney — kind of out of the blue — attacking Obama. Again, CNN, wanting McCain and the GOP to lose, gladly promotes Romney (to attempt to avert the Palin threat).
All the media frenzy which will surround the remarkable Palin “story” — essentially free to McCain — will be worth millions and millions of dollars of coverage and PR (more money than Romney would provide anyway).
It appears that it’s all down to Alaska Gov Sarah Palin or Mitt Romney, and team Romney fears Palin now has the best shot, so Romney camp is mounting a blogosphere-wide assault via Politico.
The tip-off that Politico is just a “promote Romney” piece is that it mentions EVERY NAME in the next two tiers of Veep prospects EXCEPT SARAH PALIN!!! — even names far more unlikely than Palin (since Romney camp knows Palin is the ONLY ONE who tops — I’ll say tops by far — Romney as McCain’s best pick).
Bottom line, Romney and Politico fear Palin most — as do the Dems and the MSM. (By the way, the Dems and MSM do not fear Romney the most — which says a lot.)
AOL, a main on-line pro-Obama/pro-Dem player, is now carrying the Politico piece promoting Romney buzz.
Clearly AOL wants McCain and the GOP to lose the general elction — hence they gladly promote Romney (no mention of Palin).
Also, CNN had Romney — kind of out of the blue — attacking Obama. Again, CNN, wanting McCain and the GOP to lose, gladly promotes Romney (to attempt to avert the Palin threat).
All the media frenzy which will surround the remarkable Palin “story” — essentially free to McCain — will be worth millions and millions of dollars of coverage and PR (more money than Romney would provide anyway).