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Tuesday
night offered a classic study of the liberal media and what draws their
attention as the “big three” networks of ABC, CBS, and NBC all censored
from their evening newscasts any mention of a massive development in
the Hillary Clinton e-mail scandal in favor of ten minutes and 31
seconds of coverage across five segments on Sarah Palin’s endorsement of
Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race.
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On Tuesday, ABC’s World News Tonight
didn’t find it pertinent to inform their millions of viewers that the
Supreme Court decided hours earlier that it will hear a case concerning
the legality of President Obama’s executive amnesty after having worked
its way up through the federal court system. Amidst the media obsession
with Donald Trump, the CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News found 23 and 19 seconds, respectively, to allude to this news from the Supreme Court in separate news briefs.
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Liberal MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow and liberal Washington Post
columnist E.J. Dionne on Monday delighted in mocking the affinity
conservatives have for Ronald Reagan, dismissing his record as “fake.”
Promoting Dionne’s new book, Maddow introduced, “Ronald Reagan's real
record has been submarined and all of his faults and compromises have
been ascribed to other people and not to him.”
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CNN's Alisyn Camerota pressed former New York Governor George Pataki on Tuesday's New Day
over Ted Cruz's "New York values" attack on Donald Trump. Camerota
noted how Pataki asserted that Cruz "was obviously referring to the
liberal values of New York politicians," but wondered, "Wasn't he also
talking about...regular New Yorkers?" When the Republican politician
denied this was the case, the anchor followed up by asking, "The people
of New York voted these politicians in. So, isn't there some smear that
they, too, are morally bankrupt?"
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Good Morning America’s
journalists on Tuesday couldn’t help but push far-left politics into
the story of Flint, Michigan’s contaminated water supply. While talking
about the emergency situation and the protests against Republican
Governor Rick Snyder, reporter Alex Perez casually mentioned, “And one
of the city's most famed sons, filmmaker Michael Moore, calling for the
governor of Michigan to be arrested.”
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Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne appeared on Morning Joe Tuesday morning to promote his new book Why the Right Went Wrong. He
expressed horror at the idea of a Republican president with the
doomsday claim: “It will be just like Herbert Hoover! And we saw what
happened after that!”
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Appearing on Tuesday’s NBC Today
to promote her new documentary series on Netflix, left-wing comedian
and talk show host Chelsea Handler highlighted the topic of one episode:
“...you think you know about racism and then you delve into it and you
kind of realize how little you do know and then how embarrassed you are
about how little you know. And how embarrassing people in this country
are when you talk to them.”
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By Curtis Houck
Tuesday
night offered a classic study of the liberal media and what draws their
attention as the “big three” networks of ABC, CBS, and NBC all censored
from their evening newscasts any mention of a massive development in
the Hillary Clinton e-mail scandal in favor of ten minutes and 31
seconds of coverage across five segments on Sarah Palin’s endorsement of
Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race.
In contrast, FNC’s Special Report led with this story (before going to the campaign trail) with chief intelligence correspondent Catherine Herridge highlighting how Clinton received material on her private, unsecured e-mail server that contained some of the country’s “most secretive and highly classified organization operations.”
Herridge began her portion of the two-minute-and-59-second segment by noting that
“[a]s the FBI investigation expands, confirmation tonight from a senior
government watchdog that Mrs. Clinton's email problems are much worse
than previously reported.”
Citing an unclassified letter Fox News obtained, Herridge reported: “Hillary
Clinton's e-mails on her unsecured personal server contained
intelligence from the U.S. government's most secretive and highly
classified organization operations, called special access programs, or
SAPs.”
She also included two soundbites from former CIA operations officer Charles Faddis explaining that such SAPs “are the crown jewels of the American intelligence community of the United States government” and would cause “very serious national security damage” to the country if it fell into the wrong hands.
In between those clips, Herridge quoted from the letter to House and Senate oversight committees:
The
intelligence community's inspector general, Charles McCullough III,
notified congressional oversight committees on January 14th. The letter
says a comprehensive review by the intelligence agencies who is have
final say on classification matters, found quote, “several dozen emails
containing classified information...at the CONFIDENTIAL, SECRET, and TOP
SECRET/SAP levels.” That is more sensitive than top secret and brings
new scrutiny to the presidential candidate's handling of government
secrets.
The intrepid FNC correspondent made sure to mention the punishment leveled against retired General David Petraeus and that such “findings are striking, given Clinton's first public statement about her personal server” in which Clinton told reporters on March 10, 2015 that was “no classified material” on her server and “well aware of the classification requirements.”
Naturally,
the networks saw no interest in even mentioning it to their viewers in
their coverage of the 2016 campaign. As this writer noted above, the
networks reserved a whopping five segments (one on ABC, one on CBS, and
three on NBC) for the Iowa rally in which the 2008 GOP vice presidential
nominee endorsed the billionaire frontrunner.
Leaving
even that aside, all three networks spent a separate three minutes and
46 seconds across two reports and one news brief on the Democratic race
but did not use that opportunity to even once allude to the cloud
surrounding the former secretary of state (as socialist Senator Bernie
Sanders opened up a 27-point lead against her in a new poll from New
Hampshire).
As the race goes forward and more developments break concerning either the Clinton e-mail server or Clinton Foundation
scandals, it will be worth watching to see if the networks flock to the
latest happenings concerning Trump as an excuse for not covering these
scandals. Based on recent history, there’s no reason to doubt that this
will not be the case.
The relevant portions of the transcript from FNC’s Special Report with Bret Baier on January 19 can be found below.
FNC’s Special Report with Bret Baier
January 19, 2016
6:01 p.m. Eastern
 CATHERINE
HERRIDGE: As the FBI investigation expands, confirmation tonight from a
senior government watchdog that Mrs. Clinton's email problems are much
worse than previously reported. According to this letter, first obtained
by Fox News, Hillary Clinton's e-mails on her unsecured personal server
contained intelligence from the U.S. government's most secretive and
highly classified organization operations, called special access
programs, or SAPs.
FORMER
CIA OPERATIONS OFFICER CHARLES FADDIS: These are the crown jewels of
the American intelligence community of the United States government.
HERRIDGE:
The intelligence community's inspector general, Charles McCullough III,
notified congressional oversight committees on January 14th. The letter
says a comprehensive review by the intelligence agencies who is have
final say on classification matters, found quote, “several dozen emails
containing classified information...at the CONFIDENTIAL, SECRET, and TOP
SECRET/SAP levels.” That is more sensitive than top secret and brings
new scrutiny to the presidential candidate's handling of government
secrets.
FADDIS:
If this information is compromised, we're going to suffer very serious
national security damage. There's no mistake, you don't accidentally
stumble across it and not realize what it is.
HERRIDGE: Access to these programs is highly restricted and on a need-to-know basis, only.
(....)
HERRIDGE: The new findings are striking, giving Clinton's first public statement about her personal server.
 HILLARY CLINTON [on 03/10/15]: There is there is no classified material. I'm well aware of the classification requirements.
HERRIDGE:
According to court documents, former CIA Director David Petraeus was
prosecuted for sharing special access program intelligence with his
biographer Paula Broadwell. Both Petraeus and then-Secretary of State
Clinton were required to sign non-disclosure agreements, promising to
protect Special Access Programs with the understanding that a failure to
do so has significant legal consequences.
(....)
HERRIDGE:
A new e-mail first obtained by the Daily Caller shows the State
Department knew about the personal account as early as August 2011 and
suggestions to use a government blackberry and a .gov account were
rejected by Hillary Clinton's aide, Huma Abedin.
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By Curtis Houck
On Tuesday, ABC’s World News Tonight didn’t
find it pertinent to inform their millions of viewers that the Supreme
Court decided hours earlier that it will hear a case concerning the
legality of President Obama’s executive amnesty after having worked its
way up through the federal court system.
Amidst the media obsession with Donald Trump, the CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News found 23 and 19 seconds, respectively, to allude to this news from the Supreme Court in separate news briefs.
On CBS, anchor Scott Pelley reported that “the United States Supreme Court said it will rule on a showdown between President Obama and Congress” following the President’s December 2014 decision to go around “Congress
and issued executive actions that would shield millions of illegal
immigrants from deportation, such as the parents of children born in the
United States.”
As per the usual for blockbuster cases, Pelley mentioned that the Court will decide by late June “whether the President overstepped his power.”
Meanwhile, NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt started his brief by explaining that “[t]he stage is now set for what could be a major Supreme Court ruling on presidential power.”
Holt then harped on the fact that the President’s plans on immigration “have been blocked by lower courts” and the Supreme Court acting as “the
administration's last chance to put into affect measures that would
shield some four million undocumented migrants from deportation.”
The transcript of the brief from the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley on January 19 can be found below.
CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley January 19, 2016  6:39 p.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Immigration Lawsuit]
SCOTT
PELLEY: Today, the United States Supreme Court said it will rule on a
showdown between President Obama and Congress. In 2014, Mr. Obama
bypassed Congress and issued executive actions that would shield
millions of illegal immigrants from deportation, such as the parents of
children born in the United States. The Court will decide by summer
whether the President overstepped his power.
The transcript of the brief from January 19's NBC Nightly News can be found below.
NBC Nightly News
January 19, 2016
7:11 p.m. Eastern
 [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Immigration Battle]
LESTER
HOLT: The stage is now set for what could be a major Supreme Court
ruling on presidential power. The high court will take up President
Obama's executive actions on immigration which have been blocked by
lower courts. This will be the administration's last chance to put into
affect measures that would shield some four million undocumented
migrants from deportation.
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By Scott Whitlock
Liberal MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow and liberal Washington Post
columnist E.J. Dionne on Monday delighted in mocking the affinity
conservatives have for Ronald Reagan, dismissing his record as “fake.”
Promoting Dionne’s new book,
Maddow introduced, “Ronald Reagan's real record has been submarined and
all of his faults and compromises have been ascribed to other people
and not to him.”
The
smug Maddow continued, “So, conservatives can have one hero in modern
history about whom they don't feel terrible disappointment and betrayal.
They basically reinvented Reagan as perfect....They need something to believe in, even if it's fake.”
Dionne
snidely made this comparison when discussing Reagan and how
conservatives look at him: “In a way, George H.W. Bush died for Ronald
Reagan's sins, because when Reagan raised taxes seven or eight times
that didn't matter, but when Bush raised taxes, that became a great
sin.”
Of course, what Dionne didn’t explain is that, while Reagan did raise taxes, the tax burden went down. Per Politifact:
 It’s
accurate to say Reagan increased levies during five years of his
administration, but there’s a caveat: The overall tax burden on
businesses and individuals went down during his presidency.
...
When
Reagan took office in 1981, federal taxes were 19.6 percent of GDP, the
highest level since World War II. That figure dropped to 17.3 percent
during his first term and rose to 18.2 percent at the end of his second
term.
Reagan also dropped the top marginal tax rate from 50 percent to 28 percent.
 The Rachel Maddow Show 1/18/16
RACHEL MADDOW: The great and big-hearted E.J. Dionne at The Washington Post has an excellent book out called Why the Right Went Wrong: Conservatism from Goldwater to the Tea Party and Beyond.
And it is a great book, and the central thesis of the book is, that I’m
quoting E.J. here, "The history of contemporary American conservatism
is a story of disappointment and betrayal." In the opening chapters of
the book are about Ronald Reagan and among other things, this
fascinating and weird development in our time in which Ronald Reagan is
basically deliberately misremembered on the right, how Ronald Reagan’s
real record has been submarined and all of his faults and compromises
have been ascribed to other people and not to him.
So,
conservatives can have one hero in modern history about whom they don’t
feel terrible disappointment and betrayal. They basically reinvented
Reagan as perfect. Even on Iran of all things, because they need
something to believe in, even if it’s fake. But because he’s E.J.
Dionne, he says it much more nicely than that and with way more
footnotes. Joining us now is the great and big-hearted "Washington Post"
columnist E.J. Dionne. E.J., it’s great to see you. Congratulations on
this.
E.J. DIONNE, THE WASHINGTON POST: Thank you so much.
MADDOW:
I -- the whole book is not about Reagan, but this element of Reagan
being remembered as perfect because modern conservatives need a hero is a
very evocative thesis to me.
DIONNE:
Well, I think it’s absolutely true. And right at the beginning of the
book I quote a conservative, Charles Krauthammer, who says you can
choose your Reagan.
MADDOW: Yes.
DIONNE:
Because I think one of the ways in which conservatives can hold Ronald
Reagan up is — there’s different kinds of conservatives, remember
different Reagans. A lot of the Tea Party conservatives remember the
movement Reagan. At the beginning, I quote Chris McDaniel, that
right-wing candidate down in Mississippi who remembers this really
hard-line Reagan. And then I quote Governor Haley Barbour who remembers
Ronald Reagan as a very flexible guy. Purity is the enemy of victory
says Hailey Barbour. But if you actually go back at that time, there
were a lot of conservatives who were very critical of Reagan, among
other things for being too dovish. He committed those troops to Lebanon.
I was there at the time. It was a terrible mistake. But then he pulled
them out. And he —
MADDOW: He said he wouldn’t pull them out and then he pulled them out. Yes.
DIONNE:
Which was the right thing to do. Only it was too late. There were
conservatives who criticized him for not sending troops down to Central
America. But I think one of the things that saved Reagan is the
presidency of George H.W. Bush. In a way, George H.W. Bush died for
Ronald Reagan’s sins, because when Reagan raised taxes seven or eight
times that didn’t matter, but when Bush raised taxes, that became a
great sin.
MADDOW:
He became sort of a heat shield in that sense? Anything that Reagan had
done that conservatives didn’t like, they decided it was a Poppy Bush
problem.
DIONNE:
Exactly. And I think the border problem is — I appreciate your doing
the opening sentence because I think this sense of betrayal on the part
of conservatives, even if they hold Reagan off, reflects the fact that
ever since Goldwater’s time, and I take it all the way back to
Goldwater, conservative politicians have had to make a series of
promises to the conservative base that they couldn’t possibly keep. They
promised a much smaller government but the country doesn’t really want
it. Even Tea Partiers who are on Social Security and Medicare don’t want
a smaller government. They promised to roll back cultural change, but
guess what? Most of the country actually supports the cultural changes
since the 1960s. Most of the country supports equality between men and
women. Now, most of the country supports gay marriage.
So, you have
all these conservatives out there who feel we elect our guys and then
they don’t get done the things that they said they get done, and I think
that gives us this campaign, where Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are the
two leading candidates of the primaries.
MADDOW:
And the — I mean, it’s not incidental that Goldwater who sets this tone
is the Goldwater who lost and never had to govern by the principles
that he was articulating. And the Goldwater who ended up repenting later
in life when some of his hardest-line positions is one who would have
not been welcome in the party today.
DIONNE: Right. And Ronald Reagan did a lot of things that would not be welcome in the party today.
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By Matthew Balan
 CNN's Alisyn Camerota pressed former New York Governor George Pataki on Tuesday's New Day
over Ted Cruz's "New York values" attack on Donald Trump. Camerota
noted how Pataki asserted that Cruz "was obviously referring to the
liberal values of New York politicians," but wondered, " Wasn't he also talking about... regular New Yorkers?" When the Republican politician denied this was the case, the anchor followed up by asking, " The people of New York voted these politicians in. So, isn't there some smear that they, too, are morally bankrupt?" [ video below]
Fill-in
anchor John Berman raised Cruz's remark at the beginning of the
interview of the former Republican presidential contender: "So, you got
out just before New York became the central issue of the entire
campaign. Ted Cruz says Donald Trump has New York values. Donald Trump
says, how dare you question my values — you know, New York values? We
stood up after 9/11, worked together, rebuilt the city." Pataki
responded, in part, that "the idea that Donald Trump is the great
defender of the diversity and the values of New York, to me, is a little
offensive."
Camerota then pointed out that "it
sounds like you're kind of sticking up for Ted Cruz and what he said,
because you Tweeted this out: 'Any suggestion that Ted Cruz was
referring to 9/11 is absurd. He was obviously referring to the liberal
values of New York politicians — such as liberal New York
politicians like Bill de Blasio, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, New York
Governor [Andrew] Cuomo, Chuck Schumer.'" She continued with her
"regular New Yorkers" question.
Pataki replied, "I don't think he was talking about regular New Yorkers....there is an image, in the country, of New York; and it's not the guy who rides the subway....It's the political leadership. Bill de Blasio is in the national press all the time. He's not a liberal. He is a leftist....The
people of New York are great, and I think that Americans know that. I
think Ted Cruz knows that...and I don't want to defend somebody
attacking New York, but I'm also not going to deny the fact that this, politically, is a very liberal, one-party city."
When
the CNN anchor asked her "morally bankrupt" question, the Republican
guest again denied that Cruz was attacking "regular" New Yorkers, and
added, "The people of New York are great." Berman interjected, "Except those ones you identified in your Tweet."
Pataki underlined, "I'm not criticizing them. I just disagree with
them....They have a right to be there. I'm not criticizing them and
saying they're bad people because my political philosophy is different. But
my political philosophy — and, I believe, the philosophy of America —
is different from the very left leadership we have here in the city."
The transcript of the relevant portion of the George Pataki interview from the January 19, 2016 interview of CNN's New Day:
JOHN BERMAN: So, you got out—
GEORGE PATAKI (R), FORMER NEW YORK GOVERNOR: I got out—
BERMAN:
Just before New York became the central issue of the entire campaign.
Ted Cruz says Donald Trump has New York values. Donald Trump says, how
dare you question my values — you know, New York values? We stood up
after 9/11, worked together, rebuilt the city.
[CNN Graphic: "Cruz, Trump Trade Insults Ahead Of Iowa Caucuses; Pataki On Cruz's 'New York Values' Comment"]
PATAKI:
If I have any regrets about getting out, it's that Donald Trump is the
one defending New York values — the guy who demonized Mexicans and
veterans, and goes after minorities on a regular basis. I just think
it's unfortunate. This is a great city. I'm proud to have represented it
— led it for 12 years. I'm proud of how New York responds to all sorts
of crises — how patriotic the city is — but it is liberal. You know, it
is a very liberal, political city. There's no question about that. But
the idea that Donald Trump is the great defender of the diversity and
the values of New York, to me, is a little offensive.
ALISYN
CAMEROTA: But it sounds like you're kind of sticking up for Ted Cruz
and what he said, because you Tweeted this out: 'Any suggestion that Ted
Cruz was referring to 9/11 is absurd. He was obviously referring to the
liberal values of New York politicians — such as liberal New York
politicians like Bill de Blasio, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, New York
Governor [Andrew] Cuomo, Chuck Schumer.' But wasn't he also talking
about New Yorkers — regular New Yorkers?
[CNN Graphic: "Pataki: Suggestion Cruz Was Referring To 9/11 Is Absurd"]
PATAKI:
I don't think he was talking about regular New Yorkers. I think he —
there is an image, in the country, of New York; and it's not the guy who
rides the subway — brings his lunch with him. It's not the cop or the
firefighter. It's the political leadership. Bill de Blasio is in the
national press all the time. He's not a liberal. He is a leftist. The
city council is not liberal. It is leftist.
The
people of New York are great, and I think that Americans know that. I
think Ted Cruz knows that — you know — and I don't want to defend
somebody attacking New York, but I'm also not going to deny the fact
that this, politically, is a very liberal, one-party city.
CAMEROTA: Well, sure, but — I mean, these — the people in New York voted—
PATAKI: Well, sure! (laughs)
CAMEROTA: It is a liberal city—
PATAKI: Correct—
CAMEROTA: But the people of New York voted these politicians in—
PATAKI: That's right—
CAMEROTA: So, isn't there some smear that they, too, are morally bankrupt?
PATAKI: No, I don't think so at all. The people of New York are great, and I'm proud to—
BERMAN: Except those ones you identified in your Tweet— (Camerota laughs)
PATAKI:
I'm not criticizing them. I just disagree with them. They are liberals —
liberals or leftist. De Blasio is an unabashed leftist. They have a
right to be there. I'm not criticizing them and saying they're bad
people because my political philosophy is different. But my political
philosophy — and, I believe, the philosophy of America — is different
from the very left leadership we have here in the city.
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By Scott Whitlock
Good Morning America’s
journalists on Tuesday couldn’t help but push far-left politics into
the story of Flint, Michigan’s contaminated water supply. While talking
about the emergency situation and the protests against Republican
Governor Rick Snyder, reporter Alex Perez casually mentioned, “And one
of the city's most famed sons, filmmaker Michael Moore, calling for the
governor of Michigan to be arrested.”
He then featured a clip of Moore screaming, “We're all angry. This was purposely done! They knew it was poisoned. They knew it was toxic!” So, to review: Governor Snyder “purposely” poisoned the people of Flint and should be arrested.
In the 7:30 half hour, GMA
again cited Moore. Co-host Robin Roberts discussed the boycott of the
Oscars due to no African Americans being nominated in major categories.
She highlighted, “Michael Moore, he tweeted this overnight saying ‘I
support Jada Pinkett Smith and Spike Lee and will join with them. I
believe the Academy will fix this.’”
A transcript of the segment on Flint can be found below:
 GMA 1/19/16 7:09am ET
GEORGE
STEPHANOPOULOS: We move on now to that water crisis in Flint, Michigan,
where dozens of national guardsmen are on the ground this morning and
new lawsuits set to be filed this afternoon. ABC's Alex Perez has the
latest.
ALEX
PEREZ: This morning, the Flint water scandal erupting, protesters
rallying outside Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's home. Class action
lawsuits expected to be filed today against city and state officials
over the ongoing water crisis. Newly revealed e-mails show when
officials switched the water source from Lake Huron to the Flint river
they waited nearly five months to warn the public of the toxic levels of
lead created by the switch.
 SONYA AUSTIN: My baby and I, we breaking out in itching from bathing in the water. I don't like the idea my baby can't drink.
PEREZ: The state attorney general now investigating why it took the governor and other officials so long to respond.
MAN: Every day.
PEREZ:
President Obama declaring a federal emergency here, National Guard
troops pouring into Flint to pass out water and filters. Even
celebrities now trying to help residents. Cher teaming up with a company
to donate more than 180,000 bottles of water, tweeting, “maybe fellow
artists will help Flint.” And one of the city's most famed sons,
filmmaker Michael Moore, calling for the governor of Michigan to be
arrested.
MICHAEL MOORE: We're all angry. This was purposely done! They knew it was poisoned. They knew it was toxic!
PEREZ:
The system has been switched back to Lake Huron water but the river
damaged the pipe system so badly, water is still not safe to drink. And
officials here say it could be months before the water is safe to drink.
The governor is expected to tackle this tonight in his state of the
state address, Robin?
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By Nicholas Fondacaro
Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne appeared on Morning Joe Tuesday morning to promote his new book Why the Right Went Wrong. He
expressed horror at the idea of a Republican president with the
doomsday claim: “It will be just like Herbert Hoover! And we saw what
happened after that!”
Dionne’s hyperbole came after host Joe Scarborough paraphrased an article by Dan Balz, the chief political correspondent at the Washington Post:
“If the Republicans actually ever do win the White House again, it
would be the greatest dominance of American politics in 60, 70, 80
years. If you look at the fact that they own sixty percent of the
governor’s mansions, sixty percent of the state legislatures – the
House.”
“Oh my gosh, it would be incredible. It would be horrible,” lamented Morning Joe co-host, Mika Brzezinski agreeing with Dionne’s sentiment.
Dionne
doubled down on his statement saying: “No, it will be like the Hoover
era. That was the last time [Republicans controlled the whole federal
government].” The idea of Republicans controlling two branches of
government must be so traumatizing to Dionne that he completely blocked
out every political memory from 2001 to 2007. President George W. Bush
had a Republican majority during that time.
Dionne
went farther, predicting that Republicans would lose elections and
Democrats would save the country from the return of Hoovervilles: “And
all things being equal, [Republicans] will keep losing … the country
could become like California where Democrats now completely dominate
because they're ahead of the country in terms of cultural change.”
Transcript below:
Morning Joe
January 19, 2016
8:34:11 - 8:36:43
E.J.
DIONNE: I think there is something else going on in this election,
which is that since Goldwater’s time, conservatives have made a whole
series of promises to conservatives that they couldn’t keep. They keep
promising to reduce the size of government. Actually, the country
including tea partiers, on social security and Medicare don’t want to
reduce the size of government that much. They promised to change the
culture. Actually, these cultural changes are accepted by the country.
And
the other explosion you’re seeing here is the rage of people who say
“we’ve promised this and Republican president after Republican president
– even Reagan – couldn’t achieve these changes.”
MARK HALPERIN: So
Florida, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Maine, Massachusetts, they all have
Republican governors. Republicans control the House and the Senate. So,
is it really a party in crisis? All they lack is the presidency. And
they could win that this year.
DIONNE: The ah—it’s the old adage the exception proves the rule.
I mean, one of the things I argue in the book is that we have this kind
of weird dysfunctional divided government, because we have two
electorates. The good news for the Republicans is their electorate is
older, and whiter, and those voters turn out a lot. So therefore they
win these midterm elections. The bad news for Republicans, is that
constituency has a time limit on it. They cannot keep winning elections
with an aging white base.
HALPERIN: Current old-people are being replaced with new old-people.
DIONNE: True, at the same time— 
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Old-people are being replaced by new old-people.
DIONNE: But the newer old-people are less conservative than the old old-people.
SCARBOROUGH: It’s
interesting though, Dan Balz did write a column probably two months ago
saying If the republicans actually ever do win the White House again,
it would be the greatest dominance of American politics in 60, 70, 80
years. If you look at the fact that they own sixty percent of the
governor’s mansions, sixty percent of the state legislatures – the
House.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Oh my gosh, it would be incredible. It would be horrible.
DIONNE: It will be just like Herbert Hoover! And we saw what happened after that!
BRZEZINSKI: Yes, Thank you.
SCARBOROUGH: No, I’m just saying –
DIONNE: No, it will be like the Hoover era. That was the last time.
SCARBOROUGH: It’s
interesting that for a party that so dominates all levels of government
right now, they have lost five of the six last presidential races; in
the popular vote.
DIONNE: Right. And all things being equal, they will keep losing.
Again, this presidential election, who knows how it’s going to turn
out, but I think over time they are going to have to face this crisis
and some Republicans are straight up about it and say the country could
become like California where Democrats now completely dominate because
they're ahead of the country in terms of cultural change.
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By Kyle Drennen
Appearing on Tuesday’s NBC Today to promote her new documentary series on Netflix, left-wing comedian and talk show host Chelsea Handler highlighted the topic of one episode: “...you
think you know about racism and then you delve into it and you kind of
realize how little you do know and then how embarrassed you are about
how little you know. And how embarrassing people in this country are
when you talk to them.”
Handler continued: “Because people, I think associate like racism with really like dumb, you know, people from the south who aren't educated
or – ” Co-host Matt Lauer interjected: “Ignorant racism.” Handler
added: “Right. But I met with a lot of really like educated,
intellectual racists, which I find amazing, so I wanted to illustrate
that.”
Later
in the interview, Lauer touted how Handler “went to Peru to do
hallucinogenic drugs” for another episode. Handler joked: “...the great
thing about Netflix is that they will fund my personal life and put it
on camera....I said I wanted to do one on drugs....because I have a very
close relationship with drugs and I've experienced so many...”
In
addition to the documentary series, Lauer noted that Handler would be
“doing another talk show for Netflix.” Handler explained how it would be
different from her last show : “It’s not going to be anything like
Chelsea Lately....I'm using these documentaries as kind of a bridge to
show people like tonally where I'm going. It’s not too – like I don't
want people to think I'm trying to become Barbara Walters because I
wouldn't want to become her, no one can.”
Here are excerpts of the January 19 exchange:
8:41 AM ET
MATT
LAUER: We are back now, 8:40, with the always unpredictable Chelsea
Handler. No pressure. She spent the better part of last year filming
Chelsea Does, a documentary series for Netflix. It covering four
thought-provoking topics....I like this concept, I really do. I was
reading about it last night, four very different topics. Did you know a
lot about each one of these topics before you started?
 CHELSEA
HANDLER: Well, I thought I knew a little bit about certain topics –
like you think you know about racism and then you delve into it and you
kind of realize how little you do know and then how embarrassed you are
about how little you know. And how embarrassing people in this country
are when you talk to them. Because people, I think associate like racism
with really like dumb, you know, people from the south who aren't
educated or –
LAUER: Ignorant racism.
HANDLER:
Right. But I met with a lot of really like educated, intellectual
racists, which I find amazing, so I wanted to illustrate that.
(...)
LAUER: You went to Peru to do hallucinogenic drugs, was that part of the show or was that just a weekend?
HANDLER:
That’s an interesting question, and the great thing about Netflix is
that they will fund my personal life and put it on camera.
LAUER: Tell me about that trip.
HANDLER:
Well, I said I wanted to do one on drugs. So my documentary on drugs
obviously because I have a very close relationship with drugs and I've
experienced so many, and I thought why not put myself on camera looking,
you know, bad or not flattering because nobody in this business nobody
really likes to do that and I think I have no problem with it. So I did a
lot of drugs on camera that were supervised, like mixing sleeping pills
with alcohol, just to illustrate to people what you look like when
you're doing that.
LAUER: Scary?
HANDLER:
Not scary, but it's not pretty, it’s not attractive. And then I said to
Netflix, “Hey, I also want to go to Peru and do Iowsaka.” And they’re
like, “Go.” And I’m, “This is the best place I’ve ever worked in my
life.”
LAUER: Iowaska being?
CHANDLER: Is the drug, yeah.
LAUER: You’re doing another talk show for Netflix.
CHANDLER: I am.
LAUER: Is it going to be like Chelsea Lately?
CHANDLER: No.
LAUER: No?
CHANDLER: It’s not going to be anything like Chelsea Lately.
LAUER: That’s great.
CHANDLER:
I'm using these documentaries as kind of a bridge to show people like
tonally where I'm going. It’s not too – like I don't want people to
think I'm trying to become Barbara Walters because I wouldn't want to
become her, no one can.
LAUER: Gonna leave it at that, alright?
CHANDLER: Yes, let’s.
LAUER: Better to just let that go.
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