Interesting interview with Tucker Carlson on his new show, Iraq, etc.

[Pirate Smile]

I've been watching his new show "The Situation" on MSNBC after Countdown. I actually kind of like it. Rachel Maddow is almost always on it so both sides are heard, sometimes the Bush side is the one not mentioned because Tucker isn't really the Bush type of Republican.


Tucker Carlson talks

By Bill Steigerwald
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, July 9, 2005

Tucker Carlson's new 9 p.m. MSNBC talk show, "The Situation with Tucker Carlson," is only a month old, but it already has been trashed by The New York Times. The Times' TV critic, who obviously didn't appreciate "The Situation's" fast-and-furious pace or the illiberal politics of its libertarian-leaning conservative host, called for the show to be canceled after two weeks. More objective viewers, however, would give Carlson credit for developing a smart, politically balanced and often funny hour of civilized TV debate and commentary on the big news and issues of the day. I talked to the affable former co-host of CNN's "Crossfire" by telephone on Wednesday from his MSNBC offices in Secaucus, N.J.:

-snip-
Q: Is it too good-natured?

A: It's just not nasty enough. It's just not unpleasant enough. Yeah, one of our major problems.

Q: How do you define your politics?

A: I would say probably closer to Pat Buchanan than anyone else. I would say I am a traditional conservative. I am completely opposed to the war in Iraq.

Q: You were for the war until you went to Iraq. Then you came back enraged.

A: I was enraged because it sort of brought me back to first principles -- my own. And it reminded me that the only good reason to go to war is in self-defense -- or to protect the physical integrity of your country. Look, I have grave concerns about government's ability to do things well. I don't trust the post office to deliver the mail and all of a sudden you get conservatives trusting government to create a brand new society in a place that has remained unchanged for thousands of years.

Q: Talk about social engineering. I thought conservatives were supposed to be against that stuff.

A: Exactly right! The idea that I get called "liberal." I can't think of a subject on which I'm liberal. ... I'm much more libertarian on drugs than maybe some conservatives. I'm not for the death penalty. It makes me uncomfortable to give the government authority to kill people, except in self-defense, because I think that power has been misused. I'm adamantly against abortion. I don't see why people say I'm liberal or a moderate. I don't feel that way at all. People assume that President Bush speaks for all conservatives. That's absurd.

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/opinion/columnists/steigerwald/s_351490.html

[FreedomAngel82]

1. Interesting

So at least he's right about dealing with the government building another government. I don't trust the mail either. I've had a few things "lost" (:shrug:) myself. And at least he's not a flipflopper on the death and abortion issues. I've never understud how you could be against abortion but for the death penalty. :shrug: I've seen him a few times (once on some Washington Journal book thing with Al Franken and Laura Ingram) and then on Bill Maher's show I think it was. He wasn't too bad and is the only, the *only* one I like who's a rightwinger. He's tolerant at least and my blood doesn't boil. On his show is he honest about Iraq?

[Pirate Smile]

2. Yes, he is generally honest except he has one point on Iraq he

always goes back to for why he doesn't think they lied re WMD - they would have know they would get caught in not finding WMD.

[FreedomAngel82]

3. He should

talk to Wesley Clark then. Or some of us. Or even with Rachel.