FOR THOSE WHO TOOK THE TIME out of their busy holiday schedule to watch NBC’s “Meet The Press” Sunday morning this week, I suspect your impressions of Host David Gregory’s questions and his moderation of the guest panel were relatively positive. But was that really the case?
Included guests were former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Washington correspondent Andrea Mitchell. With a Democratic governor, a Republican House member and an Independent Mayor, the politicians appeared to provide a good cross-section of ideologies. As a member of the press, Andrea’s political leanings were properly restrained and more of a “fly on the wall” with occasional buffering comments.
Giving David credit where credit is due, I would be the first to say he conducted his discussions with civility and calmness that is wholly lacking with the vast majority of panel discussions on television today. At no time was there a raised voice and the all too common current practice of speaking over someone else or monopolizing the conversation, incessantly talking long after an initial point is made. For this I simply say “Thank you, David”.
Now comes the big three letter word: “BUT...”
David knows by now that Newt Gingrich has been too much of a Centrist for the past few years as he tries to regain his once powerful stature in Washington. Newt is still scholarly and a historian, but many believe way too watered down in hopes of a 2012 Presidential run. Gregory’s questions to Newt could have easily been more demanding and served a far greater purpose then the one near the end of the discussion, basically asking “What do Republicans do now?”
Newt has been asked that same question enough times that he could recite an answer in his sleep. “They need to be an ‘alternative’ party, not an ‘opposition’ party."
It would have been far more informative if David had asked: “Why, when Democrats clearly showed they were willing to do anything to get their pet bills passed, did it take Republicans ten months to get down into the trenches and start fighting back? Wasn’t there a level of naivety on the part of Party Leaders that Americans would not be outraged with first the Democrats and soon after, the Republicans in Washington? Look at the latest polls that put the “Tea Party” ahead of the two majors.”
David had the chance to hold Newt’s feet to the fire for the actions of his party members and (as many now perceive it to be), the ‘Old Guard’.
Just to prove how Newt got ‘softballs’ for questions was the fact that the other members of the panel -- including Democrat Patrick from Massachusetts, agreed with much of what Gingrich said. That same level of agreement lends credence to my previous statement that the former Speaker is more of a Centrist than many realize. Old perceptions die very hard. Look at the political power and control of some states like New Hampshire. In the eyes of many, many uninformed Americans across the country, they still think of that bastion of liberty in New England as a “red state”. It hasn’t been since a political kidnapping years ago by Bay State radicals, but the national media rarely if ever, makes a point of that in covering elections.
To me there is only one answer for that. It is very self-serving to portray what comes out of New Hampshire as Politically Moderate, Centrist or even (and here’s a stretch), Conservative. Using the actions of New Hampshire citizens as the starting point for discussions on “where America is”, is an intentional misrepresentation of the median. Certainly New Hampshire isn’t nearly as far Left as their “Independent” neighbor Vermont (another state that was long-ago politically kidnapped -- that time by New Yorkers), but if reporters would just paint the state blue and stop the masquerade, a small level of honesty would return to a disgraced profession.
But David’s treatment of Newt wasn’t my only concern.
Gregory actually allowed Governor Patrick (D-MA), to get away with saying President Obama was not to blame for anything that went on in Washington this year, had a lot on his plate and that (in his most unfounded claim), there was no lack of leadership on President Obama’s part. In total contrast to just about every other part of the day’s discussion, this was just another Democrat (obviously with an eye on the future), defending his man (or is it his banker?) in Washington.
When Barack Obama first walked into the Oval Office he began handing off responsibilities to a heck of a lot more than social secretaries. It is doubtful he ever saw a single page of the future Health Care (now Health Insurance) Bill, prior to “gifting” that project to Progressive Radical Nancy Pelosi. Many still believe she didn’t have the slightest clue what was to be done until she got a FedEx delivery from George Soros. How can anyone label this as “Leadership”?
Even his own party members decried his lack of intervention when the going got tough. Yes, a few arm-twisting sessions at the White House were conducted but heaven forbid, Cogress interfere with parties at the Big House, vacations to Cape Cod or now Hawaii (notice how that trip went without a scheduling hitch).
Is it all that hard to remember the globe-trotting with the out-of-the-box “World Apology Tour”, the not-so-secret (but don’t photograph me) golf outings, or the 500 plus entourage Obama took to England for one of his first major international appearances? I guess with a financial mess imitating the Great Depression and both the Housing and Jobs Markets on a land speed record attempt to drive off a cliff, anyone would think it’s was more important to go play golf.
What he then allowed Pelosi to do (in his “lack of leadership” role), was obscene. The thuggery, blackmail and bribery that so far have been the true earmarks of his Presidency, blossomed in the void (or worse yet, condolence).
Where was host David Gregory’s outrage or at least challenge of Deval Patrick? It was M.I.A. as is way too often the case today.
Leadership? What Leadership? This was the "empty suit", parading around like the figurehead he is and focusing on nothing more than the teleprompter three feet from his nose. Even though it took the President two tries to get it right, he did actually swear to "uphold" the Constitution or were those just another bunch of words? When Pelosi swore in a "common man" from New York (like Al, his election was not yet "certified") to actually cast a vote on the House Health Care Bill -- clearly a criminal violation of the Constitution, where was Obama's leadership then? Where is it even now as the Congress attempts to pass a Bill many consider to be Unconstitutional?
Yes, there were superficial discussions about the need for better education in America and Mayor Bloomberg did raise the insanity present in a government that exports our best and brightest by denying work visas to college graduates. Of course at the same time this same govenment throws open every door to illegal aliens and immigrant, cheap labor that itself destroys the wage scale in the country. (Note to self. PC fokes don’t want anyone using the term “illegal aliens” any more. “These peope are just Undocumented Democrats.”)
I still don’t understand why a “Living Wage” -- not through mandates like the false promises of “minimum wage”, is still a dirty word to so many. There’s one that truly does go back to “W”. Everytime George said the illegals were “just taking jobs Americans don’t want”, I looked out the window at high-rise condominiums being built by these same people, content to receive $8 an hour for construction work that previously would have paid ten or fifteen dollars more than that. Americans wanted those jobs. They simply wanted more than slave wages.
Could it be that with every passing year there is yet another stack of costly government regulations, taxes, mandates and other money grabbing challenges, that business is simply being forced into a war it never asked for and fights back by reducing its greatest cost -- labor?
Will we ever see the day when Congress men and women finally see the light and say to themselves: “We have met the enemy and he is us.” Unless there is a radical sea change soon and literally a major miracle takes place in Washington, politicians will continue to put more deck chairs on the Titanic, expand instead of reduce government, and spend far more money than all the people in the world could possibly ever come up with.
If Congress followed the lead of business over the last ten years, it would be half its size today!
I do congratulate the civility with which David Gregory conducted Sunday’s show. Media members on other NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, ABC, CBS and even FOX Business channels could all benefit in following his lead. On the other hand this is no longer the time for soft questions, kind words and (the usual) lack of accountability. America is at war with the most destructive mind set ever seen in our country’s history and right now we are losing!
There can be only one goal today. It is a goal behind which every single American must focus and act in support. It is time to do what is RIGHT FOR THE COUNTRY.
This will require change and sacrifice. It will require hard work and INTOLERANCE of anyone who stands in the way. For the first time in forty years, Americans must have the courage to say “No!!!” when others want to steal their country, their liberties and their future.
