Matt Lauer said the right thing. Was it for the wrong reason?
Discussing on this morning's "Today" with Tim Russert the current wrangling between the Bush administration and the Dem congress over a bill to fund the Iraq war and the Dems' attempt to include a "date certain" for troop withdrawal, Matt Lauer said:
"Robert Gates, the Defense Secretary, has said that sometime next month that the funding for troops on the ground will run out. So now we've got a very high stakes game of political chicken. And can you imagine the Democrats getting to a point where they actually stop the funding for troops on the ground? That would be a disaster, wouldn't it?"
View video here.
Russert took the question as a purely political one:
"Politically, they're [the Dems] obviously very fearful of that. On the other hand, the White House also realizes that if they are unrelenting in saying we want the money, no restrictions, no conditions, no non-binding resolutions; we are going to fight this war for as long as we want and will not accept any date certain or any kind of benchmark on the Iraqis, the Democrats think they can lay claim."
Bonus Coverage on Edwards Family: Later in the interview, Lauer, with considerable trepidation, asked Russert whether Elizabeth Edwards' illness might provide a political boost for her husband's campaign.
LAUER: I'm stalling a little bit here, because the question I want to ask you is one that's going to sound terribly inappropriate and I'm trying to figure out the right way to say it. Neither John nor Elizabeth Edwards asked for this. However, one of the facts that remains this morning is that John Edwards' picture is on the front page of the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today. And in some ways we have to ask the political question of what is the impact going to be on a campaign that was toiling in third place?"
RUSSERT: I think people see them as a couple of resolve. They look at them with some sympathy, with some compassion. And in politics, whenever you connect, whenever you relate, it is obviously of benefit.
I say Matt was right to broach the matter. In other "Today" segments, the appropriate sympathies were expressed and the medical implications analyzed. Thousands of families confront these kinds of situations every day. This family's situation is receiving extensive attention because John Edwards is a candidate for President of the United States. Mrs. Edwards' illness is likely to have a political impact, and as uncomfortable as it might be to raise, it can and should be discussed, which Matt did in a reasonable way.
Mark was in Iraq in November. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
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I only wish the best for Mrs.
March 23, 2007 - 09:20 ET by dscottI only wish the best for Mrs. Edwards and hope her medical treatment will allow her to live with dignity with the minimum of suffering. I would though have to question why John Edwards would want to be POTUS when her illness is a very time demanding thing just as being President would be. I don't see how he can do both the POTUS job and not sacrifice the quality time required for her. John Edwards doesn't need to be POTUS to bring home the bacon nor is he the only one available to push the Dem agenda, he has the finances to stay home and tend to his spouse and should do so. John needs to make a choice: her or us, the correct answer is her.
“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 disagree. I understand your
March 23, 2007 - 09:50 ET by KC MulvilleI disagree. I understand your position, but this is their choice.
(Again, if any of the Edwards campaign reads this, we send along prayers.) I oppose almost everything that Edwards supports. He's a liberal and I'm not. But if she really wants him to continue, that's between her and her husband, and we should respect that. On the other hand, our sympathy for her situation can't be used to forestall criticism of him. That's the unwritten deal that the body politic has with candidates; to run is your choice, to vote is my choice.
I may be wrong about Edward
March 23, 2007 - 09:59 ET by MightyMouthI may be wrong about Edwards, but if he uses his wife's cancer (beyond the "I'm still running" announcment) to further his political ambitions then he will be confirmed as a sham in my book.
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Where was your outrage when t
March 23, 2007 - 13:39 ET by joe conservativeWhere was your outrage when the GOP made Newt boy Speaker of the House after he served his first wife divorce papers while she was recovering in a hospital from cancer. The myth of Republican family values is a sham.
Sounds like someone is a litt
March 23, 2007 - 13:54 ET by dscottSounds like someone is a little sensitive to the whole idea of family values... Did we hit a nerve, that you had to dredge something up from many years ago to distract from the issue of the moment???? What's the problem? Aren't there enough Dem candidates for you to choose from without Edwards? Why is it so important to you Edwards has to run when Hillary and Obama are available? The POTUS is an all consuming high pressure job. Tell us please how you expect Edwards to focus his attention on a sick spouse while being the POTUS? Irregardless of his wife agrees to it, why is it so important to John Edwards to run?
“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
Edwards --
March 23, 2007 - 14:00 ET by misterbillEdwards -- He is in love with himself. He cannot control his inner drive to be the most important person (politically) on the planet. He has never had a bad hair day!
That may be true about his eg
March 23, 2007 - 14:09 ET by dscottThat may be true about his ego or ambition, however, without dragging other people into it, why would anyone want to embark on a job or project that demands your total 24/7 attention when you have a terminally ill spouse? Or am I mistaken as to the seriousness of her condition? Being POTUS is not a Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 job. I would think that job requires your attention every waking hour. It's no wonder that frequent mini-vacations are necessary, but even those periods are "working" times off.
“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
Exactly--
March 23, 2007 - 21:41 ET by misterbillExactly, I thank God I am not in the position he is in. (His wife's illness.). I retired early because of family problems. I felt it was more important for me to be home to support my son than to be on the job. (I DO miss the paycheck!)
Posting just to see your wo
March 23, 2007 - 14:10 ET by MightyMouthPosting just to see your words in print? Next time put a little thought into your statements. There is no "myth" of republican family values. There are just "family values". Democrats and Republicans both hold them. But you are too blinded by hate to see that. From what I can tell, Newt isn't in this race, and he probably shouldn't be.
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Hey, Joe! You ever hear the p
March 23, 2007 - 14:14 ET by bassndudeHey, Joe! You ever hear the phrase, "A mind is a terriable thing to waste."? Well, your proof.
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
Little discussed fact is tha
March 23, 2007 - 15:54 ET by BDLittle discussed fact is that cancer survivors have an unusually high divorce rate based on a desire to completely change their lives post cancer.
Can you be certain that this was not a part of the case in the Gingrich case?
Well, that's a question for N
March 23, 2007 - 16:48 ET by dscottWell, that's a question for Newt and his wife, the story was he asked her for the divorce while she was in the hospital, but that's the story, what really happened? Without context in a society that automatically assumes the male is at fault when a marriage fails Newt gets the total blame which casts his ex as the victim. Few divorces are 100% the fault of only one party, ususally there is plenty of blame to go around, even when it comes to adultery. So the question is what part did Newt's ex play in this? Did she want a change and Newt acted on it, i.e. a mutual thing?
“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
Joe, if the "the myth&qu
March 23, 2007 - 21:34 ET by Mark FinkelsteinJoe, if the "the myth" of Republican family values is "a sham," then doesn't that mean they're real?
I would go beyond Mr. and Mrs
March 23, 2007 - 09:57 ET by Senior ChiefI would go beyond Mr. and Mrs. Edwards and include their children in the equation- yes, their little ones. If Mrs. Edwards' illness is incurable, she(they) should devote the remaining time with her children. I am not saying that they weren't doing so prior to Wednesday's news. From a child perspective whose parent/s are in the military, I say it is hard. When I told my children I'm going back to sea duty in the coming months, tears starts flowing from their eyes. I said, "Look I'm coming back home". Well, I might not be coming home, only God knows. I've missed a number of my children birthdays, school performances and games. If military folks has advanced knowledge if they're coming home or not, it will play a tremendous role in their decision to re-up or stay with the family. But then again, I am not in the Edwards' shoes...
I will be praying for Mrs. Edwards' health situation. May the Lord heal her completely.
cut then run
March 23, 2007 - 09:42 ET by the mad poleAre we running out of Kosovo too? RE-DEPLOY TO TEHRAN !
Iraq War pullout
March 23, 2007 - 09:58 ET by ahusserOf course it would be a disaster if we pulled out before the country is stable. But the Runocrats are in charge and the bloodbath will ensue sooner or later a la Vietnam where hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese were killed, "re-educated", and lost on the high seas trying to escape and that includes the Cambodian's who, because of the destabilisation of the region, suffered millions dead by the Khmer Rouge. Democrats before the fall said the human cost would be minimal. You seek friendship with the United States at your peril. The people of the United States have the attention span of a fruitfly and any endeavor which takes longer than a few moments will end up kicking you in the behind. It is ironic though that the Wimpocrats typically and continually side with our Country's enemies and it is a long tradition dating back to the Civil War (i.e. The Copperhead's et al). Bush's mistake in Iraq was that he thought the enemy was terrorism and terrorists but that is for another blog.
Iraq War pullout
March 23, 2007 - 09:59 ET by ahusserOf course it would be a disaster if we pulled out before the country is stable. But the Runocrats are in charge and the bloodbath will ensue sooner or later a la Vietnam where hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese were killed, "re-educated", and lost on the high seas trying to escape and that includes the Cambodian's who, because of the destabilisation of the region, suffered millions dead by the Khmer Rouge. Democrats before the fall said the human cost would be minimal. You seek friendship with the United States at your peril. The people of the United States have the attention span of a fruitfly and any endeavor which takes longer than a few moments will end up kicking you in the behind. It is ironic though that the Wimpocrats typically and continually side with our Country's enemies and it is a long tradition dating back to the Civil War (i.e. The Copperhead's et al). Bush's mistake in Iraq was that he thought the enemy was terrorism and terrorists but that is for another blog.
Sorry, i hit the post comment
March 23, 2007 - 10:02 ET by ahusserSorry, i hit the post comment twice after the webpage lagged a bit.
Not to worry, It happens ALL
March 23, 2007 - 10:05 ET by MightyMouthNot to worry, It happens ALL the time! :-)
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Write on ahusser
March 23, 2007 - 10:07 ET by acumenNo apology necessary ahusser. What you so astutely stated bears repeating twice. It needs repeating constantly to combat the inept commentary of the demediacrats. Two thumbs way up.
Bizzaro Directions
March 23, 2007 - 10:03 ET by acumenYeah, what a wonderful time to think about leaving Iraq now that we've finally got enough Iraqi soldiers trained to help us sweep the rift raft out of the 4 remaining provinces they are held up in. The Demediacrats new direction revealed; Hey terrorists, no need to stay in Iraq and fight, just take a break, re-arm and hang in Tehran or Damascus until such and such a date and then you can skate on back in, set up shop and catch the next flight to NY. What we don't see but should from Matt, Tim and the rest of the Demediacrats.
Bonus coverage - What kind of person would vote for someone who has found out their wife is terminally ill and would rather keep on campaigning around the country rather than spend every second of what precious little time he has left devoted to being with his wife? That's certainly a "new direction". At least we now know Matt and Tim evidently fit that kind of voter. If ever there was a time to say you are ashamed to be from the same state as a politician it is now.
Meredith
March 23, 2007 - 11:23 ET by PawpawNHow about when Meredith stated to the 2 animal guys from DISCOVERY CHANNEL special, "Maybe you should be the ones hunting down Osama Bin Laden!"
Reporter: Mr. Preside
March 23, 2007 - 13:31 ET by joe conservativeReporter: Mr. President, in your speeches now, you rarely talk or mention Osama bin Laden. Why is that?
Prez AWOL: I don't know where he is. Nor -- you know, I just don't spend that much time on him really, to be honest with you.
9/11 Victims: Bush is a loser.
joe
March 23, 2007 - 14:29 ET by gfrrmanMaybe it's just me, but you obviously have a reading comprehension problem and it's quite apparent that you suffer BDS....you are a one track-minded, SSDD broken record. Nowhere in the item is Bush mentioned and you have to act the fool and inject your rather childish little chatter. If you don't have anything to say that pertains to the thread then go to HuffPo or DKos where you belong. You really are lame.....YOU are the loser!! Did you miss the bus today for your 5th grade field trip?