Rather. Rinse. Then Repeat.
October 23, 2006 at 4:50 pm
A few weeks back Keith Olbermann did a segment on his MSNBC show about the famous 1987 on-air battle between George H.W. Bush and Dan Rather over Iran Contra. Olbermann was rather breathless in reporting that Roger Ailes played a big role in prodding Bush to go after Rather (the Olbermann segment was right after Chris Wallace interviewed Bill Clinton). Nearly 20 years after the incident, Olbermann gleefully looked like Indiana Jones discovering an antiquity no one knew existed. The folks at olbermannwatch recount the Sept. 29 segement quite nicely here.
I was reminded of that segment while reading the Washington Post story on Doro Bush Koch’s new book on her father, “My father, My President.” The Post:
While Bush’s live shouting match with Dan Rather on the “CBS Evening News” has not gone underreported, Koch offers a new, colorful version of the story as told by Roger Ailes, then Bush’s media adviser, who was in the room for the interview.
Sure enough, on page 244 of the book, we see a lengthy interview Koch conducts with Roger Ailes — about that incident. The key sentences:
“I grabbed the clipboard out of the bureau chief’s hand and I wrote WALKED OFF THE AIR. I showed it to him, made a fist, and said, “Go! Go! Just kick his ass!”
Hardly a scoop — when Ailes himself talks about it.
Keith Blobermann said,
October 24, 2006 @ 8:18 am
How dare anyone question me? I’m the smartest man in America. Just ask me.
Hammy Taddad said,
October 24, 2006 @ 8:32 am
Who’s sweating?
Two weeks and counting until the crucial midterm elections, and for one person, it’s already apparent who is optimistic about winning re-election and who is sweating bullets.
MSNBC Washington Vice President Tammy Haddad, executive producer of today’s daylong special, “Decision 2006: Battleground America — The Homestretch,” says she’s gotten an early, unexpected peek at the Nov. 7 elections simply by booking today’s guests.
There are those congressmen and senators who readily agreed to be interviewed on today’s show — in other words, she surmises, “they’re confident about where they are.” And then there are those, Mrs. Haddad says, “who are being very picky about their appearances, appearing worried about where they’ll be in two weeks.”
Today’s “Decision 2006″ lineup (the election preview airs from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.) includes Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat; Sen. Rick Santorum, Pennsylvania Republican; senatorial candidate Rep. Harold E. Ford Jr., Tennessee Democrat; Connecticut Democratic Senate hopeful Ned Lamont; Democrat Tim Mahoney (seeking the Florida seat previously held by former Republican Rep. Mark Foley); Sen. Evan Bayh, Indiana Democrat; Sen. Jim Talent, Missouri Republican; Texas independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman; Sen. Elizabeth Dole, North Carolina Republican; Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean; and Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman.
Sharon Ersteck said,
October 24, 2006 @ 9:30 am
Just remember - you can always cancel at the last minute (and get Chuck Todd to fill in for you).
Bob Smith said,
October 24, 2006 @ 10:16 am
Just be sure to wear one of these if you are within spitting range of Matthews:
http://www.helmetguy.com/gallery/albums/Texas-elite-mask/Texas_catchers_mask_top.jpg
…because you will be dealing with this:
http://www.etherealreflections.com/photos/archives/spit.jpg