NBC's David Gregory and Matt Lauer Advance Democratic Talking Points

David Gregory, just scolded by White House press secretary Tony Snow for advancing Democratic talking points, pushed them again, along with Matt Lauer, on this morning's Today show. Gregory repeated Democratic attacks on Donald Rumsfeld: "Critics have a long list of complaints against Rumsfeld. The abuse at Abu Ghraib and his role in advocating tougher treatment of prisoners. Underestimating troop levels for the war. And what critics call his arrogance in the face of bad news, like this response two-years ago to a soldier complaining about inadequate armor."

Lauer then followed Gregory's lead, pounding Senate Majority Bill Frist on the Secretary of Defense. Lauer repeatedly interrupted Frist with the following anti-Rumsfeld questions:

Lauer: "Let's talk about this letter that Senate Democrats or congressional Democrats sent to the President on Monday. Among other things they called for him to fire Donald Rumsfeld. They're even asking for a non-binding resolution of 'no confidence,' on the Defense Secretary. You gonna allow that to come to a vote, up or down, or are you gonna block it?"

Lauer: "So Senator if you were involved in a hotly contested run for reelection, which you are not, would you be out on the campaign trail embracing Donald Rumsfeld or would you, like Chris Shays and Joanne Davis and Tom Kean Jr., just move away from him?"

Lauer: "The President's been out making speeches. One of the main themes of the speech is, Senator, is connecting the war in Iraq to the overall war on terror. You know there are a lot of people who simply don't buy the connection, in fact they find the war in Iraq to be a distraction for the overall war on terror and others who say, okay if it is a front in the war on terror it's only one because we created such a mess in Iraq that we've allowed it to become a haven for terrorists. How do you respond to that?"

After Lauer was done roasting Frist over Rumsfeld and the war he moved on to Howard Dean talking point #2, the Republicans' inability to get anything done:

Lauer: "Alright we're, we're about, we got about a month left in what has been I, I think by some accounts a less than stellar session in the Senate. Only one of 13 spending bills has been passed, social security reform went nowhere, immigration reform went nowhere, lobbying reform went nowhere and yet before the August break you guys were down there talking about things like gay marriage and, and flag-burning. Have you and your colleagues, Senator, done the work in Washington in this session that the voters put you there to do?"

Lauer didn't waste anytime striking the anti-Rumsfeld tone as he opened show with the following teaser:

Lauer: "Good morning, tough talk. President Bush makes another major speech today about the war on terror while Democrats and some Republicans wage a war of their own to oust Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld...And when you stop and think about it, midterm elections just two weeks, two months away and the President's Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is feeling the heat from all sides. Democrats calling for a 'no confidence,' vote, even some Republicans are piling on. So should he stay? We'll talk about that with the Majority Leader in the Senate, Bill Frist, coming up."

The following is a complete transcript of Gregory's set-up piece, followed by all of Lauer's questions to Frist:

Ann Curry: "On Close Up this morning Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. The President stands behind him but there are increasing calls for him to be sent packing. Here's NBC's chief White House correspondent David Gregory."

David Gregory: "He's not on the ballot but Don Rumsfeld is a major target for the Democrats' anger this fall. In the Senate they want his resignation."

[Sen. Barbara Boxer: "Time and time again he's been wrong about Iraq and time and time again he's responded to his own mistakes by playing politics and attacking the American people and their patriotism."]

Gregory: "Even some Republicans have been sharply critical."

[Sen. John McCain: "The President has a right to pick his team. I've been asked a number of times if I had confidence in Secretary Rumsfeld and the answer is no."]

Gregory: "As for the brash 74-year-old Defense chief he is not backing down. Just last week he raised the volume in the Iraq debate by comparing war critics to those who gave ground to Nazi Germany in the '30s."

[Donald Rumsfeld: "Can we truly afford to believe that somehow, some way, vicious extremists can be appeased?"]

Gregory: "At the White House sources acknowledge that Rumsfeld is a political distraction but they add that even this week the President was just as adamant in his support for Rumsfeld as he was earlier this year."

[George W. Bush: "But I'm the decider and I decide what is best and what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the Secretary of Defense."]

[Sen. Mitch McConnell: "They want to attack Rumsfeld because they apparently don't have the courage to stand up and offer amendments to implement what they'd really like to do, which is to get out."]

Gregory: "Critics have a long list of complaints against Rumsfeld. The abuse at Abu Ghraib and his role in advocating tougher treatment of prisoners. Underestimating troop levels for the war. And what critics call his arrogance in the face of bad news, like this response two-years ago to a soldier complaining about inadequate armor."

[Rumsfeld: "You go to war with the army you have."]

Gregory: "Still White House sources say firing Rumsfeld would be an admission of a major mistake. CNBC's John Harwood."

[John Harwood: "For Bush to fire Don Rumsfeld right now would be to acknowledge publicly that the central effort of his presidency is failing and there's no sign the President's there right now."]

Gregory: "That leaves Don Rumsfeld in charge but under fire. For Today, David Gregory, NBC News, the White House."

Matt Lauer: "Tennessee Republican Bill Frist is the Senate Majority Leader. Senator Frist, good morning, nice to have you here."

[Sen. Bill Frist]

[Graphic: Can the GOP Hold Congress?]

Lauer: "Let's talk about this letter that Senate Democrats or congressional Democrats sent to the President on Monday. Among other things they called for him to fire Donald Rumsfeld. They're even asking for a non-binding resolution of 'no confidence,' on the Defense Secretary. You gonna allow that to come to a vote, up or down, or are you gonna block it?"

[Frist]

Lauer: "Right."

[Frist]

Lauer: "So Senator if you were involved in a hotly contested run for reelection, which you are not, would you be out on the campaign trail embracing Donald Rumsfeld or would you, like Chris Shays and Joanne Davis and Tom Kean Jr., just move away from him?"

[Frist]

Lauer: "The President's been out making speeches. One of the main themes of the speech is, Senator, is connecting the war in Iraq to the overall war on terror. You know there are a lot of people who simply don't buy the connection, in fact they find the war in Iraq to be a distraction for the overall war on terror and others who say, okay if it is a front in the war on terror it's only one because we created such a mess in Iraq that we've allowed it to become a haven for terrorists. How do you respond to that?"

[Frist]

Lauer: "As a matter of fact the President, 17 times, mentioned Bin Laden's name and even used a quote from him saying that Bin Laden has said that Iraq is, quote, 'the capital of the Caliphate,' and, and you agree with that?"

[Frist]

Lauer: "Alright we're, we're about, we got about a month left in what has been I, I think by some accounts a less than stellar session in the Senate. Only one of 13 spending bills has been passed, social security reform went nowhere, immigration reform went nowhere, lobbying reform went nowhere and yet before the August break you guys were down there talking about things like gay marriage and, and flag-burning. Have you and your colleagues, Senator, done the work in Washington in this session that the voters put you there to do?"

[Frist]

Lauer: "On, on the..."

[Frist]

Lauer: "On the subject of immigration reform, you said on this show on May 24th of this year, 'the problem is too big with millions of people coming across the border with hundreds dying as they come across the border with 12 million people here illegally, we as a governing body cannot simply turn and look the other way and say we're not going to do anything about it.' That was four months ago. What have you done about it?"

[Frist]

Lauer: "Can you, can you hammer out some kind of negotiation with the House on this before the midterm elections?"

[Frist]

Lauer: "Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Senator Frist always good to have you here. Thank you very much."

[Frist]

Lauer: "And a programming note. Today MSNBC and MSNBC.com will kick off the fall political season with all day special coverage. It's called Decision 2006: Battleground America. It will focus on the hottest races of the year. Tim Russert gets it started this morning, it will continue all day with NBC's top political team."