On the PBS NewsHour from Friday, December 28, the political round table discussion touched on the reaction of the Presidential candidates to the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan. David Brooks, New York Times columnist and conservative political pundit, stated that four candidates "addressed" the difficult issue: Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, Fred Thompson and John McCain. He then listed the candidates who handled the subject poorly, or "sidestepped" the issue: John Edwards and Hillary Clinton. "Most of the candidates," he said, "and most notably Clinton, have punted on [it]."
So what happened between Friday and Sunday?
On Sunday David Brooks returned to the airwaves on the round table of ABC's This Week. On this program, he again listed the candidates who laid out a "Presidential", realistic and sane policy for Pakistan - Biden, Thompson and McCain, and in addition, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards. What? Didn't he just say on Friday, two days earlier, that Clinton and Edwards sidestepped the issue? (He added that Bill Richardson's proposals were dangerous, which he didn't even hint at on Friday, while Romney, Giuliani and Obama had no policy at all.)
There may be a detailed, legalistic argument based on his exact words that Brooks can use to wiggle out of this apparent contradiction regarding Clinton and Edwards. Or maybe he just changed his mind from the taping on Friday to the taping for the Sunday show. (Certainly I have much more significant objections to David Brooks, such as the way he always manages to conclude that no matter how terrible Bush Administration and Republican policies are, you have to ultimately support Bush and the Republicans so they can continue to do more of the same.) More likely though, he is just full of hot air, filling time with words, and like most conservative TV commentators, shouldn't be taken seriously.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. not listen to the media in general, but like u said in an other blog Cenk; we live in a capitalist society
i find it sad that there isn't much coverage on Benazir Bhutto, all this time the media just mentions her death and nothing else, almost as though she didn't matter, sad because life is life,
its like that one lyric from that m of a Down song Boom: "why must we kill our own kind?"
i personally believe one death is too much
el mariachi at 2:46PM on Dec 30th 2007
2. He gets his advice from the Bush administration and the Bush administration gets its advice from Pat Robertson. As a result, the lights are on but nobody's home.
The Goddess Athena at 4:18PM on Dec 30th 2007
3. I think that the leaders are supposed to gain the confidence of the 'magical thinking' masses to get in the driver's seat... then try to 'steer a steady, reasonable course' dismissing all the complete nutbars... as complete nutbars.
I think that Thomas J Gassett et al would suggest that I am 'spewing stupid liberal vitriol'...
I just can't bring myself to doublethink that security is freedom... unending 'war' is victory...
... the entire left and middle wing of politics are undermining democracy.. 70 to 80 percent of Americans are unAmerican...
... or(as D'Souza seems to claim in his book), freedom is the freedom to be a servant of God... and the left just doesn't 'get it'.
pboyfloyd at 5:17PM on Dec 30th 2007
4. I have found David Brooks to be very moderate in his conservative views. I am more liberal, and I like him. I don't get the impression the man is a shill for the Bush administration - he has been quite critical of some of their policies.
I think we are just knit picking here.
David S. at 5:24PM on Dec 30th 2007
5. SHOCKING NEWS !!! Please google PNAC....check the videos....The Neo-Cons planned the Iraq, Iran, Syria invasion back in 1992......Hillary is a part of the plan to continue the mission which is why she is getting more contribution funds from defense contractors (tank, guns, bomb manufacturers, etc.) than any other candidate including the republicans. DON'T BE FOOLED. A vote for Billary is a vote for war escalation !!!!!BEWARE OF BILLARY AMERICA !!!! Then google 'clinton body count'.....then....'ron brown's death'.....SHOCKING NEWS !!! Hillary IS actually a Neo-Con....was even president of her college Republican Organization. Edwards is nice but just a rich con man....trying to cater to the poor (which he's NEVER done a thing for)....while he gets $400 haircuts.....OBAMA IS THE TRUE ANSWER.....FOR THE RE-BIRTH OF AMERICA !!!!!!
Greg Jones at 7:49PM on Dec 30th 2007
6. David Brooks Conservative??? In relation to the rest of the NY Times staff maybe, but definitely not overall. Besides, does PBS even let conservatives in the building.... :)
jb at 7:52PM on Dec 30th 2007
7. If Hillary is elected, I strongly suspect the "Young Turks" will provide her with total support even if her administration is awful and Democratic policies are dreadful. Do you people really believe your bias doesn't show? BB
Barbara Berry at 9:51PM on Dec 30th 2007
8. @ Barbara Berry ..7
Well, you can believe that if you want ... but if Hillary gets in there and acts like Bush... we're fucked anyways...
... but I for one will be against her.(as if that means anything ... )
pboyfloyd at 12:07AM on Dec 31st 2007
9. "Didn't he just say on Friday, two days earlier, that Clinton and Edwards sidestepped the issue? "
Could it be that after Clinton staff who "monitored" the Friday program then swung into action to counter so that two(2) days later things had changed slightly.
I agree with you about believing the pundits, however this includes ALL the media especially including web sites such as this! Oh, I forgot, do as I say not as "I" do.
M2D5 at 1:04PM on Jan 2nd 2008