The big story this morning is President Bush's remarks to the Israeli Knesset invoking the example of Hitler to warn against the appeasement of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In the opening segment, from Mika Brzezinski [subbing as host for Joe Scarborough this week] to Willie Geist to Pat Buchanan to Mike Barnicle to David Shuster, nary a word in defense of Bush was heard, with Shuster twice referring to Bush's remarks as "grotesque." The only slight straying from Bush-bashing orthodoxy was Barnicle's observation that when he first heard of the remarks, he took them as aimed at Jimmy Carter, not Barack Obama.
A show purporting to have any semblance of balance would surely have a defender, if not of Bush, then at least of John McCain [who has reacted approvingly to Bush's comments] as a subsequent guest on today's show. Well, here's the guest lineup that Mika announced:
- Bill Richardson--Obama endorser
- Joe Biden--who has called Bush's remarks "bull----"
- Susan Rice--Obama foreign policy advisor
- Jonathan Alter--liberal pundit and occasional Olbermann sidekick
Joe Scarborough, where are you? Is this the kind of "fair and balanced" show that breaks out in your absence?
Update | 7 AM: John Harwood of CNBC/NYT came in as an unannounced guest after the first break, and from what I saw of the segment played things down the middle, mentioning among other things that the Republicans are willing to take some hits on this in return for being able to "shape the contours" of the campaign and move the debate from domestic to foreign policy issues, where they are stronger. But Harwood was surely no partisan Bush backer in the way the announced lineup is composed exclusively of anti-Bush partisans. Harwood also took the opportunity to tout the new book he has co-authored with Gerald Seib.
Update | 7:20 AM LOL. Shuster tried to repair the damage done by Harwood, claiming the CNBC correspondent "got a little bit off the track" when he suggested that Republicans would be seen as "stronger" on national security. "No," corrected Shuster, "they may be seen as more aggressive" but not stronger. For good measure, Shuster referred to Bush's Knesset remarks as "one of the more idiotic statements we've ever heard from President Bush."
Update | 8:10 AM More "balance." Jamie Rubin, a Clinton foreign policy advisor, came on as another guest Mika hadn't announced at the top of the show. He hammered McCain for alleged hypocrisy and flip-flopping for his stance on talking with Hamas. Rubin has a column in today's WaPo on the subject.
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
















Editor at Large
Comments Policy
»→ In the tank
May 16, 2008 - 06:41 ET by Cool ArrowShuster and Mika sitting in Obama's tankful of lamonade.
Oh, wait a minute. That's not lemonade is it?
♣ a seal - starve a Polar Bear
»→ Mika insults Pat b>
May 16, 2008 - 06:51 ET by Cool ArrowMika just indicated Pat Buchanan and Neville Chamberlain were tight buddies. Held up two fingers together and said "He and Neville Chamberlain - like this"
Will Pat come back at her after the break?
♣ a seal - starve a Polar Bear
That is fair and balanced
May 16, 2008 - 06:58 ET by taterThat is fair and balanced in a libs world...all lefty views.
"They need to have a course in college called common sense and everyone should take it. Problem is there isn't too many people that could pass or teach it." -my grandfather
While the cat's
May 16, 2008 - 07:09 ET by motherbeltWhile the cat's away.....
Balance? We don't need no stinking balance!
This is what Mika is like without adult supervision.
I love it
May 16, 2008 - 07:11 ET by Cool ArrowThe whole MSM keeps replaying that clip from Bush's speech.
And the hilarious part is that it's the Media and the Dems who immediately associate Obama with Chamberlain.
Could it be that it was Obama who first aligned himself with appeasement?
♣ a seal - starve a Polar Bear
»→ Biden agrees
May 16, 2008 - 07:18 ET by Cool ArrowJoe Biden agrees with the MSM the appeasement comment is an obvious description of Barack Obama.
♣ a seal - starve a Polar Bear
G-d D--mn Insult
May 16, 2008 - 07:19 ET by Gat New YorkI have been watching this pathetic show this morning and getting very angry.
First it starts with this sh-t a-s laugh from Mika whose father is Obama anti-Israel chief foreign policy advisor.
Then you go to Mike Barnicle who makes one of THE most ignorant remarks saying that it is an insult to history. Barnicle doesn't get it. Exactly what will it take for them to understand that Ahmadinejad wants to exterminate Israel and the Jews??? Maybe the launching of a nuke into Tel Aviv might do it for them. Then they'll say they never saw it coming.
Then you go to Schuster who is a poor excuse for a human being doing a botched job of parsing phrases and history to come up with insults to Israelis and Jews here.
What IS interesting is that you don't see a single Jewish Senator or Congressman in that line-up nor have we heard from Schumer, Koch, Bloomberg, Frank, Weiner, or Feinstein. Cat got their tongue? Or maybe Steve Herbits is right and there will be a MASS exodus of Jews form the Democratic Party.
This show sickens me.
»→ Gat
May 16, 2008 - 07:26 ET by Cool ArrowPlease understand the Liberal press cares deeply about Jews and Israel.
If they can somehow be instrumental in the obliteration of Israel, they, by default, prove God does not exist.
We cannot kid ourselves into thinking otherwise. 60 years ago the world witnessed a miracle. They will not rest until it is proven to be smoke and mirrors.
♣ a seal - starve a Polar Bear
Dan Abrams
May 16, 2008 - 07:30 ET by Gat New YorkDan Abrams runs this loon network. I wonder what he thinks or is he one of those Jews who has placed his loyalty to the big "D" ahead of his faith and heritage?
You are right, the MSM canot wait to see Israel destroyed.
»→ Abrams
May 16, 2008 - 07:45 ET by Cool ArrowI get the feeling Abrams is to Judaism as Kennedy is to Catholicism.
I think that was one of the questions on an online IQ test.
♣ a seal - starve a Polar Bear
I was watching this also.
May 16, 2008 - 07:22 ET by the strugglerI was watching this also. It's completely out of control.They make up the news, then report on their made up crap like it's fact.The truth never gets through,and their all so proud of themselves.
MSNBC don't know much about history
May 16, 2008 - 07:34 ET by Jack BauerIt's quite amusing to listen to the likes of the spittle drooling Matthews, Shuster and the rest of MSNBC's Obama worshipping hacks, who don't know much about history.
Memo to MSNBC: the actual policy of appeasing Hitler DID NOT begin and end with the Munich Agreement which shamefully recognized Hitler's right to the Sudetenland.
Appeasement of Hitler began in 1933 and ran thru to 1939, with Chamberlain being an integral part of all the meaningless "talks" and "diplomacy," to which Hitler had NO intent of ever being persuaded by.
He simply used that time to plot and build up his armed forces whilst breaking every treaty. It was what he planned all along, NO MATTER what France and England said, did, threatened, blustered or capitulated on.
Just like Iran is doing today.
The Munich agreement was simply the written CULMINATION of all that previous pointless activity, but hey... what the hell, it made the appeasers feel oh so good that they weren't like that horrible warmonger Churchill.
And hey ho -- so six million Jews were exterminated, the world was plunged into a world war which killed another 30 million...
Forget that -- the really really important thing really is to ensure a naive fool like Obama is protected by a spittle drooler and his audience, which knows even less than him. And that's saying something.
So it is perfectly analogous to Obama's idiotic idea of him, personally, as President, talking with Iran face to face. What an ignorant dumbkopf Obama truly is.
Well, he was, after all, a "community organizer," thus is perfectly trained to be a liberal appeaser.
Yes, as Matthews was vaguely aware yesterday, Chamberlain did sign an agreement with Hitler, but that was merely a codified act of appeasement that followed on from all those fruitless "talks."
Following years of "talks" and "diplomacy," the first appeasement by Chamberlain and others, was the Anschluss, (annexation) of Austria into Greater Germany by the Nazi regime on March 12, 1938.
And seeing Iran has been annexing parts of Lebanon through its proxies for years, there again is another perfect analogy.
So please, let’s have less of the self-satisfied grunts from leftists whose grasp of history is even less tenuous than Keith Olbermann's relationship with reality.
leftists whose grasp of
May 16, 2008 - 08:23 ET by motherbeltleftists whose grasp of history is even less tenuous than Keith Olbermann's relationship with reality.
Jack, I love that!
They really do think they know everything!
And Chris Matthews moved the USS Cole attack all the way back to the first Bush administration! So he doesn't have room to talk about anyone's knowledge of history. And that's recent history. But it's not in history books yet, so I guess it doesn't count.
thanks mb -- check out my
May 16, 2008 - 09:05 ET by Jack Bauerthanks mb -- check out my slightly longer version on my blog www.hollycrud.com
plus funny photo and headline!!
Jack: Thank you
May 16, 2008 - 11:26 ET by stratmanJack:
Thank you for clarifying Nazi appeasement history. Hitler and his henchmen masterfully hid the intent of all their new factories for years in order to fly under the radar of prohibitive military manufacturing terms of the Treaty of Versailles, for instance.
Diplomatic negotiations were just a smoke and mirrors game used by Hitler to allow ample ramp up time for military industrialization and the political manipulation of the German population. The negotiation table was also used by Hitler to obtain certain objectives whilst never truly giving up anything along the way except for empty promises of peaceful coexistence.
Your analogy of Germany and today's Iran is valid. Ahmerdinnerjacket has zero desire to carry out lasting negotiations unless the terms are essentially all his. He must be taken at his word when he advocates/demands the destruction of Israel and the Great Satan, the United States. Iran is merely bidding their time with their ridiculous schizophrenic diplomatic entreaties, with near simultaneous calls for our death followed by a call for diplomacy. The actual goal, IMO, is to delay the Western world from taking definitive action against Iran until they actually do have a nuclear weapon, which they believe will innoculate them from attack, all the while holding the Western world captive, the bomb as equivalent of the sword of Damocles, in order to extort their demands from the world.
RRAM Tough!
The Fallacy of Assuming the World Thinks LIke You Do
May 16, 2008 - 07:51 ET by reasonsjesterDoes Joe Biden, John Kerry, Barack Obama et al. even follow the events in Iran? Are they not aware, or do they deny, that Iran is participating in the insurgency in Iraq?
Are they not aware of, or are they simply ambivalent to, the President of Iran's comments regarding Jews and Israel? Do not recent events like the Six-Day War suggest that most Middle Eastern countries actually desire to "wipe Israel from the map"? But enough about "ancient history" let's look to what has happened just this past week.
The latest from the Mayor of Crazytown: Israel is an "evil" regime that would soon be "annihilated" (May 11th, 2008).
Hitler was not even as brazen as Ahmadenijad to announce to the world that he intended to exterminate Jews.
So what is so controversial about Bush comparing Ahmadenijad to Hitler? The atmosphere of appeasement in the 1930s, and the isolationist tendencies of the country at that time, draw a reasonable comparison with the times now.
Bush is rightly indicating that Iran's position signals danger, which will not go away by imagining the Iranian government is as interested in peace and coexistence as the Americans are.
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. - Marcus Aurelius
»→ All constipated
May 16, 2008 - 07:58 ET by Cool ArrowJoe Biden, John Kerry, Barack Obama are all constipated in their common belief.
They will not be deturd.
♣ a seal - starve a Polar Bear
That is hysterical Cool
May 16, 2008 - 08:06 ET by Dee Bunkthey will not be deturd because they already are deturd.
hilarious
May 16, 2008 - 08:11 ET by dronetekI'm sitting here watching bits and pieces and its cracking me up how its an ALL LIBERAL panel. They go from one liberal point of view to the next and than Pat has nothing to do but roll-over.
None of these people had a problem with Clinton talking crap about Bush while speaking over seas. They had no problem with all these movie stars doing the same. Now suddenly bush tells a fact and they cant stand it. It really boggles the mind.
Yeah drone and unfortunately their tactics work
May 16, 2008 - 08:24 ET by Dee Bunkbecause the media runs with them. The fallacy will be planted in the minds of the ignorant people who don't follow things closely. It's what they did with all the "Bush Lied" crap. It takes time to take hold but it works. Conservatives need to start figuring out how to succeed in this environment.
None of these people had a
May 16, 2008 - 08:35 ET by motherbeltNone of these people had a problem with Clinton talking crap about Bush while speaking over seas.
Correct. And none of them had a problem with going overseas themselves and bashing this country from there.
But here is the real crux of the problem, to them.
From Politico:
"There is no escaping what the president is doing," said Durbin, who supports Obama. "It is an attack on Sen. Obama’s position that we should not be avoiding even those we disagree with when it comes to negotiations and diplomacy."
He is criticizing Obama's stand! How DARE he attack the Obama's position! The thoughts from the Obama's head and the words from his mouth are diamonds and pearls. The Obama is NOT to be disagreed with, nor criticized!
"The Obama"
May 16, 2008 - 08:54 ET by reasonsjesterHillarious nickname, reminds me of "The Oprah." And the cacophony of howls from the left indicates to me a direct hit from Bush. It all appears tp me a bit like a case of "Me thinks thou dost protest too much."
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. - Marcus Aurelius
It's come to the point were
May 16, 2008 - 08:13 ET by bobthemanIt's come to the point were I can't watch this Mika chick anymore... her intellect on the issue's is bordering on moronic and never adds any value to the conversation... she does better when she just sticks to reading off the teleprompter. If she didn't have the newspapers to keep holding up, she wouldn't have jack to talk about.
This show use to be somewhat tolerable and dare say... good, but now it's just degrading into a Olbermann mini-me show.
http://politicsofdes...
»→ Piling on
May 16, 2008 - 08:16 ET by Cool ArrowNow Biden's on Morning Joe claiming the President is wrong to call attention to Obama's policy of appeasement.
Obama! You're so vain. You probably think this song is about you. - Carly Simon
♣ a seal - starve a Polar Bear
Morning Ho
May 16, 2008 - 08:19 ET by opnpt0Scarborough dissapoints me half the time anyway. I don't think he'll have that gig in two years anyway with the way that channel is heading.
Wow... talk about
May 16, 2008 - 08:30 ET by MidAmericaWow... talk about overreaction. The media is so unsure of their candidate that any perceived slight gets an instant overreaction. The great unwashed masses most likely would not have heard Bush's speech and if they did they wouldn't have connected those statements to be a slam against obama. Now they do, thanks to the media.
The media will probably be doing a lot of this 'swat team' action because many of them thought that kerry did not answer back to the Swift Boat Veterans soon enough or forcefully enough. They think voters were deceived by the Swift Boaters because of a weak response, not because they were believable. The media is not about to let this happen again.
MSBDS
May 16, 2008 - 08:33 ET by BacchusThe definition of insanity is well known. Well, what came out of Olbermanns' mouth the other night was insane. He went so far over the top that I simply couldn't help myself laughing at it. Was he expecting a different result? Does doubling his anger seem to him to be the next logical step? I guess so.
The sheer number of falsehoods and inaccuracies in his diatribe was astonishing; garbage in, garbage out.
The people at MSBDS are sick. Seemingly rational voices (like John Harwood of CNBC/NYT) are quickly dismissed by the panel. These people all need professional help.
If there ever was a story
May 16, 2008 - 08:33 ET by Free ThinkerIf there ever was a story created by the msm to advance a candidate or agenda, this has to rate right up there. Bush's comment was accurate and general with no reference to Obama. But even if it was, it still challenges a belief that Obama continues to express. The msm, msnbc in particular, are trying to create a controversy and the public isn't buying it. What the President said was obvious to everyone except the leftist lightweights they continue to bring on tv.
On a side note, Jonathan Alter got spanked by the token conservative on Dan Abrams show last night and it was funny to see how angry he got after being embarrassed the way he was.
This has the ingenuity of
May 16, 2008 - 08:46 ET by badger.This has the ingenuity of Axelrod written all over it, (with the help of the MSM) to deflect the heat off of Obama's behind for a little while. Place the spotlight on the Republicans and McCain for a few days. I don't think Obama is smart enough to think up something like this strategic ploy on his own.
President Bush doesn't have to apologize for anything he said, he's not running for reelection. Just a bunch of HYPE from the Obama camp. If Bush is not scared of the terrorist around the world, he sure is heck ain't scared of Obama and the Democrats. This Texan is/has been in the Middle East numerous times.
President Bush said exactly what he wanted to. Speech writers that do this stuff for a living have been writing, rewriting, correcting, changes and more changes for days / weeks now. Plenty of staff writers to analyze and proof read each and every word.
Obama followers and all the Democrats sounding as if their so outraged by Bush's comments. Please spare me, what's outrageous is their sorry exaggerations.
Sorry, double post
May 16, 2008 - 08:53 ET by badger.Sorry, double post.
Those who do not study history
May 16, 2008 - 08:49 ET by c5thenAre condemned to repeat it.
Obama and the Democrats show again and again that they are incapable of learning from recent (or even older) foreign policy errors.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
Media At It Again
May 16, 2008 - 08:49 ET by SmartypantsThe msm, as usual, is missing the mark on this one. I believe most people, whether they favor Bush or not, agree with his statement. I think most Americans are smart enough to understand that appeasement is a very dangerous strategy, especially when dealing with individuals who would not hesitate to lie and cheat to get their way. Bush's statement was indeed very general and it is a stretch to say that he was aiming it at any one person, as opposed to the left overall. In the end, though, so what if he was speaking specifically about Obama? Is Obama above criticism? Isn't it Bush's job to speak out when he sees dangerous philosophies being endorsed by candidates for the presidency?
Thank You Mr. President
May 16, 2008 - 09:11 ET by BourbeauWe may not have alot to smile about these days, but your speech at the Knesset was a home run. Watching the liberals go into appeasement shock is a sight to behold, and we thank you for standing firm and saying exactly what's on your mind. We wait with great anticipation the formal response from Mr. Obama. We know it's coming, he's feeling a tad up against the appeasement wall and will be forced to respond. Get the popcorn, it's going to be good.
Ditto
May 16, 2008 - 09:21 ET by reasonsjesterIf we were in the House of Commons I'd give you a "hear hear."
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. - Marcus Aurelius
I had to laugh as
May 16, 2008 - 09:30 ET by DelsaRichardson suggested it has "always" been the policy of X presidents and others NOT to go overseas and take slaps (paraphrasing here) at the United States or current presidents, or US policy, or candidates......
Who the hell is he kidding? JCarter, Clinton,Pelosi et al, and others I can't put my finger on. Give me a break.
These Sanctimonious SOB"S
Truth is what it is. If the shoe fits?????
To be this exercised over Bush's statement shows their shoes must really be hurting their feet? They can't slip out of them fast enough.
"Sanctimonious" is a good
May 16, 2008 - 09:52 ET by motherbelt"Sanctimonious" is a good description of them, Delsa!
Former Presidents Clinton and Carter have publicly criticized just about everything President Bush has done! Her Speakerness went off on a jaunt to Syria on her own, to discuss her policy ideas with Assad. And let's not forget McDermott and his buddies who went to Iraq and said in Baghdad that we should take Saddam at his word, but shouldn't trust President Bush.
How they can spout this bunch of B as in B, S as in S, is just beyond me.
Great point
May 16, 2008 - 13:10 ET by reasonsjesterI had almost forgotten about the McDermott debacle motherbelt.
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. - Marcus Aurelius
Once again Mika demonstrates her intellectual prowess.
May 16, 2008 - 09:58 ET by CTThat is she is on a par with Olbermann, Shuster, Kos kiddies and the Huff & Puff crowd.
liberal-lock-step-group-think
May 16, 2008 - 10:06 ET by pocomocoWell, there they go again.
The liberals were having a collective orgasm as they manufacture something into Bush’s remarks that he didn’t say.
It’s been a Bush-bashing marathon.
If he were running for president, I could understand why they are doing it but, since he is not, it defies all reasoning and logic which, again, proves that liberalism is a mental disease.
Because liberals are incapable speaking lucidly, they use hate to justify their existence. Since yesterday, there each one was yelling - Hey, look at me I hate Bush more than you do!
It was truly hilarious. It’s a prime example of liberal-lock-step-group-think.
Actually, I want to thank the media
May 16, 2008 - 10:25 ET by CobraManActually, I want to thank the media for repeating that section of President Bush's speech and linking it to Obama every hour on the hour. The more people see that link, the more they'll realize what Obama is proposing and how his policies will effect the world. This MSM bashing of Bush’s speech going to have a BIG negative effect on Obama. All that current negativity may be directed AT President Bush, but it is being linked DIRECTLY with Obama and his policies! Heh. You can’t buy that type of campaign advertisement! That's for doing the work for us, MSM, and for free! I really appreciate it.
If Bush was referring to
May 16, 2008 - 10:40 ET by marpelIf Bush was referring to ANYONE in particular in that speech, I took it to be Jimmy Carter, and if Obama got offended, fine...grow up Barack. And who knows if Bush really was referring to anyone in particular. Nonetheless, I love it when the MSM squeal like a bunch of poked ferrets. If only Bush could have inserted the phrase, "And to the MSM, F YOU". I've been waiting for him to say something about these jackals for so long. I hope he does when he gets out of office.
I'm writing in Duncan Hunter's name in the general. John McCain won't ever stand up to the MSM. Mark my words.
I don't think Joe Scarborough would have been the balance that was needed this morning. Pat Buchanan was a true disappointment.