Jeanne Shaheen catches Lou Dobbs being the usual Bush suck that he is

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0403/22/ldt.00.html

<snip>DOBBS: Yet, Governor Racicot and the president have suggested that that will result in a huge amount of spending, new spending. Governor Racicot suggesting well over $1 trillion.

SHAHEEN: Well, their numbers are really made up. And they really don't have any credibility. This is a president who said he was going to do something about the deficit. He's taken the biggest surplus in this country's history and turned it into the biggest deficit in the country's history. He said he was going to do something about creating jobs. He's lost jobs. He said, when he submitted a budget to Congress, that that was a budget that he was going to pay for, and he didn't even include the cost of the war in Iraq, which is costing us about $1 billion a week, and he also gave us the wrong numbers on the cost of the prescription drug benefit under Medicare. We know now, because we've heard from the top Medicare expert in the Bush administration, that he told the president that the cost of that program would be over $100 billion more than the Bush administration acknowledged to Congress. So they don't have any credibility.

DOBBS: Governor, let me ask you this, Governor, I know you could go on for some time, but allow me if I may to interrupt you, as rude as I must be in doing so.

SHAHEEN: You didn't interrupt Governor Racicot.

DOBBS: I know, I'm absolutely biased beyond belief and I apologize for that. The next time he goes on as long as your sentence, I assure you I will, in fact, interrupt him.

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[Qanisqineq]

1. I saw that

and I was liking Lou lately. :-(

[NNN0LHI]

4. Good old Republican shill Lou is just trying to set you up for the kill

Don't fall for it. He has his huge tax cut for the wealthy to protect.

Don

[Qanisqineq]

5. he lured me in with his bashing

of all those in favor of outsourcing. Damn him!!

[in_cog_ni_to]

6. I'm telling you

you CANNOT trust those people. They are an evil lot. Never believe anything they say. Whatever they say, the opposite is true. That's how I deal with repukes. :evilgrin:

[DemBones DemBones]

7. What's the "kill" he's setting us up for?

As I see it, he's doing an excellent job on many issues, though I don't agree with him 100% of the time. Who else is using the meme "cheap labor" on the air?

Seriously, Don, what do you think he's setting us up for?

BK TU

[NNN0LHI]

8. He is trying to build up a bi-partisanship following

Trying to give the impression that he is fair. Some will fall for his crap. I have seen him in action before and once he has the following by those who do not remember his past Bush ass licking, he will begin using his Rethug talking points again with great fervor while giving the impression that he is very fair minded. Which he is not. That is the kill. Some will fall for it. I won't. This is nothing but just a confidence game.

Don

[revcarol]

2. He rudely interrupted politely.

That was something to see. Just as disgusting as being rude.

[boobooday]

3. Rudeness!

The arrogance of the media is almost as astonishing as the arrogance of the Bush Administration.

And maybe more dangerous.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[Blue_Roses]

9. Quite disappointed

in Lou tonight. Someone must have told him to "get back in line and stop pandering," cause that was one of the rudest comments I've ever heard come out of Lou's mouth--and it was very uncalled for.

Yep, time to turn off Lou.

[PurityOfEssence]

10. On a tangent here, but SPOKESPEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SPEAK

She's a terrible public speaker, and even worse as an interviewee. Regardless what else she may do well, she shouldn't be the flak for the outfit, she should be flying a desk.

There should be a serious bigotry in place when choosing front-people for the operation, and that bigotry should be cold-bloodedly in favor of people who speak fluidly, comfortably and forcefully.

I guess Jan Schakowsky can't come running to help, now that her husband's getting thumped on for check-kiting, but there are plenty of good spokespeople for our cause, in all shapes, ages, colors, sexes and professions who could really make some hay on the airwaves.

If you want staid caucasian brilliance, trot out Pete Stark. For solid all-around common-sense rectitude, bring in Dick Durbin. For some serious fire, there's Barbara Boxer. For unassailable nerdishness, get Henry Waxman. It's not like we have a shortage of people who can handle themselves in front of a camera.

Geez, guys, this is showbiz!

[DemBones DemBones]

11. Of course Lou Dobbs is more conservative than

most of us on most issues, but for some time now he has been going on the air every night and criticizing the outsourcing of jobs, the search for cheap labor, etc. (He uses the meme "cheap labor" pretty often.) I missed his show with Racicot and Shaheen, but read the transcript after reading thise thread. Looking at the transcript, it does appear he gave more time to Racicot than to Shaheen. However, he also interrupted Racicot and corrected him on his statement about "low unemployment." The transcript doesn't allow me to judge rudeness with any accuracy. I note that Purity of Essence thinks Jeanne Shaheen is not a good speaker or interviewee. Perhaps Lou Dobbs feels the same way, hates having her on the show. There are people whose voice and style of speaking drive me up the wall, and she could even be one. I don't know since I can't recall Shaheen's voice and missed last night's show

I understand your point, Don, or think I do. You think that Dobbs will schnooker people who like his stance on outsourcing jobs into listening to him when he spouts GOP talking points on other economic issues, perhaps trying to sell us on privatization of Social Security. He may try to do so but I don't think that people who know what they believe in can be conned that way. I think they'll react the way I do, saying "Well, this guy is good on X but his ideas on Y are completely wrong." He may be able to sell it to a few, but certainly not to all.

It's my impression that many of those who watch and write in already share his conservative ideas so perhaps he's selling progressive ideas to the GOP faithful as well!

Whatever his motivations, whatever his game all the issues that Dobbs is covering on his program are very important and I don't see anyone else doing the work. I've pulled a bunch of bits from last night's transcript that illustrate how he's striking out at business practices. It's not wise to trust anyone too much but I like this campaign of his .


DOBBS: We've been reporting here for some time on what we call the middle-class squeeze. Tonight, we focus on health care; 44 million Americans are now living without even the most basic health insurance. One reason, premiums have skyrocketed while wages have fallen. The result, millions of hardworking middle-class families are unable to pay for their health care.

Lisa Sylvester reports.

<snip>

DOBBS: Well, if you think economic conditions are tougher than ever, you're exactly right. The middle class is being squeezed and squeezed hard.

Christine Romans is here now with more disturbing news about shrinking American paychecks -- Christine.

<snip>

DOBBS: Well, it's not good news and we haven't had much good news for working people in this country for some time. Thank you very much.

ROMANS: You're welcome.

DOBBS: Corporate America may not be hiring workers, but excessive CEO pay is certainly alive, well and growing more excessive, it seems, almost every day. We'll have that report for you. And President Bush's campaign chairman, Marc Racicot, is our guest tonight.

Please stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DOBBS: The economy is growing, but that growth has not yet, at least, created jobs, not that any of that is restraining corporate CEO pay. In fact, when it comes to compensation, many top executives have their heads buried in the trough.

Later, he interrupted Racicot:

RACICOT: <SNIP> . . . We have low unemployment below the rates of the 70s and 80s and 90s so the fact is that we're pointed in the right direction. Senator Kerry would bring that process to a complete, screeching halt.

(Notice Racicot claims we have low unemployment; they just open their mouths and lies fall out!))

DOBBS: Governor, I have to, just if I may, temper in response a couple of your indicators, one, of course, with the 5.6 percent unemployment rate, we do have almost a total of 15 million people, including discouraged workers. We have at the same time a half trillion-dollar federal budget deficit, a half trillion dollar trade deficit. Are we to expect -- you suggested that the past was prologue in governance. Are we to expect that this administration is committed to those kinds of deficits in terms of trade going forward?

<skip>

DOBBS: When we continue, the wage gap is a decades-old issue. Men being paid more for doing the same jobs as women. Tonight, we'll tell you why that issue won't be ignored this election year.

And the government puts out a suicide warning for popular prescription medications. We'll have much more on that story. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DOBBS: Equal pay for equal work. It's a campaign slogan from the 1970s, but one that continues this year. According to government and private surveys, women are still paid less than men for doing the same work. Senator Kerry is making the pay gap a campaign issue. He says we should improve enforcement and disclosure about payment practices. Kitty Pilgrim has the story.

(DOBBS and PILGRIM followed her report with some crosstalk about how they were surprised that 1)both government and private studies show that women still only make about 3/4 of what men do, or 73 cents on the dollar, for the same jobs, and 2) 78% of women with school-age children are in the work force. Both were surprised at how little things had improved for most working women.)


DOBBS: Tonight, we want to congratulate the state of Michigan, the governor of that state, for fighting to keep jobs and tax dollars from being shipped overseas. Governor Jennifer Granholm is working for us by signing two executive directives to address the impact of outsourcing and offshore tax havens. The measures discouraged the state from awarding contracts to companies and offshore tax havens and actually require the Department of Management and Budget to gather information as on the location of the company's employees. Those directives also call for contracts to be awarded to Michigan-based companies who employ American workers whenever possible. The governor's directives were inspired by a bill from Michigan State Representative Andy Meisner. Congratulations to you both.

[NNN0LHI]

12. Pretty fair assessment DB DB

As for Jeanne Shaheens speaking ability, I would have to say I was impressed with her. It was the first time I have seen her and I thought she did great. But I am biased being a Kerry supporter since he has won the nomination. I thought she was very pleasant and was hitting all of the right Dem talking points, and my impression was Dobbs noticed she was being especially effective and put a quick stop to it. And when she instantly realized what he was doing she called him on it in a very pleasant but damning way. Lou knew he was caught too and made to look foolish so he blew it of with nervous laughter and a quick comeback.

As I said I agree with much of what you said and some of what Dobbs is preaching too. But lets face it. He is a Republican who gave money to Bush's campaign and voted for him in 2000 and he makes no secret of that.

When Crossfire used to be on an hour right after Dobbs show he was doing a live preview with Paul Begala and Begala mentioned Bush being the subject of the nights show and Dobbs very sternly and with no smile at all corrected Begala with "I think you mean President Bush, don't you"? That was just last year, so I assume that Dobbs still respects Junior and plans on voting for him again this November? Until he says otherwise I will still consider him a snake.

Don

[NNN0LHI]

15. Here is how Dobbs slips it in without you hardly knowing like he did today

He has on this scum bag Woosley (alone by the way) to call Clarke a liar without giving Clarke or anyone else a chance to defend Clarkes reputation and he sits there and swallows Woosleys crap like its gospel. Here look:

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0403/23/ldt.00.html

<snip>JAMES WOOLSEY, FMR. CIA DIRECTOR: Well, I'm glad if that's the approach, because they really do need to look at the whole picture. I think that one very important issue here, Lou is whether there had been any ties between Iraq and al Qaeda back in the 90s. And, you know, George Tenet wrote in 2002, October 7, to the Senate, saying that there were senior level contacts going back ten years, senior al Qaeda in Iraq and training by the Iraqis of al Qaeda in, quote, "poisons, gases and conventional explosive."

So although there are a number of people, some of who served at senior levels in the Clinton administration, who don't want there to have been any contacts of any kind and don't want to admit it between al Qaeda and Iraq, I think including Dick Clarke, because then they would be charged with not having done enough to lean on Saddam. I think those contacts are clear at least in George Tenet's eyes and there's been more detail come out since.

DOBBS: Dick Clarke, Richard Clarke, asserts there were no clear ties between the September 11 attacks and Iraq. You obviously -- what would be the reason for him to say? He was in charge of counterterrorism at that point.

WOOLSEY: There may not have been Iraqi ordering of 9/11. The contacts going back a long time are clear. Clarke, on page 95 of his book, which I've just been reading, has at least three important misstatements. First of all, he does not seem to recognize at all that one of the major plotters in the '93 attack on the World Trade Center was an Iraqi citizen, went back to Iraq after the attack, was seen by ABC News in Baghdad outside his father's home and was told that he was being taken care of by the Iraqi government.

And reports of documents we captured during the invasion indicate that Yassin was on a monthly stipend from the Iraqi government and was given a house. Why would the Iraqis do that with one of the World Trade Center bombers of '93 unless they had some kind of relationship with him. Clarke doesn't even seem to be curious about something like that.

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There, see how he did that? Smooth ain't they? Woosley spewed his lies which Dobbs assuredly knows are lies if he watches 60 minutes or ever reads a paper but just sits there bobbing his head up and down like an idiot without even questioning dipshit Woosley about his bogus crap. He never interupted him either. Here is the 60 Minutes transcript about Abdul Rahman Yasin that Woosley talked of who is not an Iraqi citizen (First lie-More to come) as Woosley says he his. He is an American citizen. Born here and everything. The whole interview is worth reading.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/06/02/60minutes/main510847.shtml

Transcript: The Yasin Interview

(CBS) THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY IS ABDUL RAHMAN YASIN, ONE OF THE FBI’S MOST WANTED TERRORISTS, A KEY PARTICIPANT IN THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO BLOW UP THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN 1993. THE BOMBING THAT KILLED 6 AND INJURED MORE THAN 1,000. IT WAS AT THE TIME THE SINGLE WORST ACT OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM EVER ON U.S. SOIL.

BECAUSE YASIN FLED TO IRAQ AFTER THE BOMBING, IT’S BEEN SUGGESTED THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN MAY HAVE HAD A HAND IN THE ATTACK. THAT’S BEEN CITED AS ONE OF SEVERAL REASONS WHY THE IRAQI DICTATOR SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM POWER.

AFTER SEPTEMBER 11TH, PRESIDENT BUSH PUT YASIN ON A NEW MOST WANTED LIST OF TERRORISTS WITH A REWARD OF 25 MILLION DOLLARS.

WITH YASIN IN IRAQ ALL THESE YEARS, HE HAS BEEN OUT OF THE REACH OF U-S LAW ENFORCEMENT. WE MET WITH HIM…IN BAGHDAD TEN DAYS AGO.

AND HERE HE IS – ONE OF THE MOST WANTED TERRORISTS IN THE WORLD -- IN PRISON PAJAMAS UNDER HEAVY GUARD. YASIN IS ACTUALLY AN AMERICAN CITIZEN, BORN IN BLOOMINGTON INDIANA, WHERE HIS IRAQI FATHER WAS GETTING A PhD. BUT HE GREW UP IN BAGHDAD, SO WHEN HE FLED AFTER THE BOMBING, HE WAS COMING HOME. AFTER A YEAR OF FREEDOM, HE WAS ARRESTED BY THE IRAQI AUTHROTIES IN 1994. HE’S NEVER BEEN CHARGED WITH A CRIME, BUT THE IRAQI INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, THE MUKHABARAT, SAYS HE’S BEEN IN CUSTODY FOR THE PAST 8 YRS. snip

YASIN WAS SO HELPFUL, THE FBI RELEASED HIM.

STAHL: The FBI let you go?

YASIN: Yeah. Yeah.

STAHL: They let you go.

YASIN: He drove me back home in the FBI car. snip

AND THE DEALER IS DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER TARIQ AZIZ. HE SAYS THAT IRAQ HAS BEEN TRYING TO TURN YASIN OVER TO THE UNITED STATES, BUT CLAIMS THE GOVERNMENT IN WASHINGTON DOESN'T WANT THE 25 MILLION DOLLAR FUGITIVE.

TARIQ AZIZ: Twice, we ask them to come and take him. They refused.

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[TheWebHead]

13. I actually thought Shaheen meant that as a joke

to make light of Dobbs' "rude" comment, but he didn't take it as such and acted hostile. I thought Shaheen looked pretty green as a spokesperson, she seemed a bit nervous and wasn't able to fire out answers quickly as Racicot or most other polished spokespeople at that level can, which was why Lou became impatient with her.

[w4rma]

14. "... as long as your sentence ..."

...
RACICOT: Well, it's actually -- that's an underestimation of how much we're talking about.

Senator Kerry's been all over the country promising a lot of spending, about 73 different programs. And we have independent evidence that calculates the cost for 23 of those programs. And it amounts to about $1.7 billion -- or trillion dollars -- excuse me. And he's proposed about $700 trillion -- or $700 billion in increases in revenue. So that leaves you a trillion unaccounted for. It's a huge amount of money and a substantial underestimation really of how much it's going to cost.
...
RACICOT: Well, it's patent nonsense. The record is overpowering supporting the notion that upon first entry into office, after receiving briefings from the previous administration, which I might add is the administration that was in charge when these cells first started infiltrating this country, the president focused immediately and with a sense of great urgency upon al Qaeda and the Taliban.

And there's evidence throughout thereafter that he pursued that very, very diligently, as did the entire administration. So Mr. Clarke's representations go beyond patent nonsense. In my judgment, they're almost malevolent in their design.
...
RACICOT: Very comfortable, because you determine what it is that somebody's going to do in the future, Lou, by what they've done in the past.

This senator who is running as the Democratic nominee voted with very aggressive language associated with his vote to use force in Iraq and then, within months thereafter, after putting his finger in the wind, decided that he wasn't going to approve the appropriations for our troops in Iraq that supplied them everything from body armor to hazard pay.

So the fact of the matter is how you reacted in the past determines what you're going to do in the future. The American people have a right to know what John Kerry did.
...
RACICOT: Well, I think the president has set about to reach as broadly as he possibly can. We had more nations involved in the coalition that went into Iraq and that have been associated with the reconstruction activities than we did in 1991. So the fact of the matter is, there are more nations, more democracies, associated with this than ever before. The president has reached out all along. He's also displayed leadership, however, and thank God for Prime Minister Blair because he has displayed the same kind of leadership. This is no time for us to cower and shrink back into the position we were before which is we were worried about being fearful all the time, wondering what might happen, hoping something wouldn't happen.

This president said from the beginning, we're going to address this issue of terrorism and I think the American people wholeheartedly endorse that concept.
...
RACICOT: Well, the fact is the president has addressed the economy virtually every single day and has a six-point plan to do that very aggressively. The flip side is, of course, that you have Senator Kerry, who wants to instantly raise taxes, he won't fight against frivolous lawsuits. He hasn't proposed a plan that makes health care more affordable to the American people. On and on and on with regulation cap-based standards that would put 100,000 people out of work in the automotive industry almost overnight.

So the fact is, this president has this economy pointed in the right direction. You mentioned, Lou, that in your earlier report, one of the reasons that incomes are being impacted is because of energy. This president put forward an energy bill that a good senator from Massachusetts didn't even show up to vote on. And the fact is we do need an energy program but the Americans I think, know that every economic indicator is pointed in the right direction. Almost 400,000 jobs created over the last six months. Largest growth we've ever had in the last half of last year, in 20 years. We have low unemployment below the rates of the 70s and 80s and 90s so the fact is that we're pointed in the right direction. Senator Kerry would bring that process to a complete, screeching halt.
...
RACICOT: There's no doubt about it. Absolutely no doubt about that. Lou, from the very beginning, the president's talked about the deficit and has a plan in place to reduce it over the course of the next five years by half. But when you have to choose between protecting your friends and neighbors and the people you work for and you have to choose whether or not you're going to make certain the jobs are created, you have to proceed rapidly and you know every business on occasion has to take out a loan or has to do something to address urgent circumstances, that's what the president did and now, the deficit is in the crosshairs of his focus and he has a plan on the table. The flipside is Senator Kerry talks about nothing but increased spending.
...
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0403/22/ldt.00.html

Imho, big media personalities do not tend to treat Democratic folks with the same respect they give Republican folks. I do not like this. That noted, I still like Dobbs. He is talking about very important issues regarding our country. And, it is my understanding that, he is on the side of the average American in a majority of his positions.

[DaveSZ]

16. .

It seems Lou is helping the Democrats more with his rhetoric about outsourcing.

[seabeyond]

17. i didnt see it that way at all

and she was going on and on and hesitating adn then more adn he neeeded to interupt and redirect. adn i thought she said it as joke adn didnt come out as joke. trying to be coy but he didnt catch it and then got a bit defensive. a little uncomfortable, but i didnt think it was his fault at all

adn no that doesnt make me a freeper, just disagree he was being disrespectful to her

[RummyTheDummy]

18. Im skeptical

Isn't it really that he says things we agree with for a while then the second he says something we don't agree with, he's back to being evil.

That's how it is with Tweety and that's how it is with Dobbs. In other words, people make up your fucking minds. Love him or hate him. It cant be both.