Kiran Misses Mark

And Klein’s CNN “opinion-free, middle-of-the-road alternative”? Palin (and Tea Partiers) escapes unscathed. Today American Morning co-host Kiran Chetry seemed loaded for bear, or another moose predator, Sarah Palin. In a political segment (with Republican stalwart Mary Matalin and Democratic strategist Lanny Davis) entitled “Sarah Palin on the Stump,” Kiran a la Carol Costello seemed to be salivating for some piping hot minced Palin meat for breakfast. However, the big trophy game seemed a mite much for her to take down.

Before the discussion, Kiran commented, “Love her or hate her, it’s hard to ignore Sarah Palin. The former Alaska governor VOP [sic] vice presidential candidate is certainly a political lightning rod and she struck again over the weekend when she introduced Senator John McCain at a campaign event.”* Kiran continued, “After a year of sort of sniping between Senator John McCain’s camp and Sarah Palin’s camp, they’re back together….What’s going on, Mary?”

Countering Kiran’s clear implication, James Carville’s better half replied, “Well, the Senator and Governor Palin were never at odds. Campaigns…tend to get tense at the end there and that one did….But, the Senator has always been loyal to her and vice versa.”

Turning to Davis, Kiran persisted, “Well, Lanny,…John McCain was asked several months back to name some GOP…hopefuls that could run for President and he didn’t mention Sarah Palin, his former GOP running mate.” Then noting Palin’s popularity with “these crowds” and citing various polls that indicated that a majority of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents did not want her to run for President, Kiran asked, “What to make of that division there, Lanny?”

Unswayed by Kiran’s spin, Davis responded, “[N]ice to be on with Mary, and we usually agree which is a disappointment to your audience that loves partisanship. I agree with Mary…that John McCain has always taken a gracious high road and so has Sarah Palin….[D]espite the sniping among the staffs, it did not happen between the two of them.”

Then, the Clinton diehard added, “I give Sarah Palin a lot of credit. First of all, she’s always impressed me as a political performer and also a political talent, and I think any Democrat that underestimates her is making a mistake. Secondly, I give her credit for standing up to this Tea Party movement that is opposing John McCain, and… [her] going there tells me…that she’s willing to stand up to what she might consider her base: And, that is a good definition of political courage.”

Seemingly surprised by Davis’ positive evaluation of Palin, Kiran remarked, “Yeah, it’s a little bit confusing, though, because a lot of the things that she said are the exact things that the Tea Party wants to happen: I mean from less government, lower government. In fact, let’s listen to what she said. This is at a rally in Senator Harry Reid’s hometown of Searchlight, Nevada, on Saturday.”

[On the tape, Palin proclaims, “We’re not inciting violence. Don’t get sucked into the lame stream media’s lies about conservative America’s standing up for freedom as inciting violence. Violence isn’t the answer. It’s a bunch of bunk what the media is trying to feed you. Don’t let them divert attention from the debate.”]

After the footage aired, Kiran continued, “So, she [Palin] seemed to brush off the media and brush off the violence and sort of point the finger at the media. She also…said it was ‘ginned up’ and she referred to the media as the ‘lame stream media.’ Mary, does that work, blaming the media, instead of talking more seriously about some of these quite credible threats that have happened in the wake of health care reform passing?”

Matalin retorted, “Well, I don’t know that they’re necessarily credible. All of that was videotaped, and they’ve yet to appear to be any credible appearances filmed. But, that’s not the issue here. The Tea Party activists, we should be careful not to paint them with a broad brush: They’re not monolithic: They are largely pulled together by their constitutionalism….They want less government or government closer to the people that’s more accountable. And, the main stream press was slow to come to cover them.”

Then, underscoring her disagreement with Kiran’s claim of “quite credible threats,” Matalin asserted, “But, these notions of violence and threats that that has happened, I don’t think is credible. And, secondly, that it never happens to Republicans or conservatives or by the hands of liberal activists is nonsense.”

Appearing to seek some support, Kiran queried, “Lanny, do you take the same thoughts as Mary when it comes to whether or not this is a bigger deal what we’ve been talking about?”

Offering little solace, Davis declared, “I’m sorry to disappoint your audience that wants some fireworks here. But, I do agree with Mary….[T]he Tea Party movement does represent conservative thinking but there are extremists in both sides that both parties need to repudiate, including Sarah Palin. There was evidence of some nasty behavior and she should repudiate that the same way Democrats should among the haters on the left of which there are many.”

Apparently disappointed, a slightly smiling Kiran concluded, “Alright, Mary Matalin and Lanny Davis, great to get your take this morning. Appreciate it.” As Mary and Lanny bid each other adieu, Kiran’s co-host John Roberts sympathetically chuckled in the background before he took the reins again. In response, Kiran’s seemingly forced smiled briefly broadened.

Clearly, Kiran missed her mark this morning. No kill: ergo, no meal. Hunting hint: Reload and shoot straight.

*American Morning – 03/29/10 (@8:11 a.m. ET)

Megyn Flustered

Spirited Megyn Kelly, America’s Newsroom co-host, got flustered a bit today in her segment with Joe Farah, WorldNetDaily.com editor and friend of Obama Nation author Jerome Corsi. (Corsi had been detained by the Kenyan government because he allegedly did not have a work permit.) The feisty, foxy esquire prefaced her interview with statements that Corsi was in Kenya to promote his “unflattering” book, had been deported, and had made “disproven” claims that Obama was raised a Muslim.

Farah responded, “Let me correct a few errors there”: He stated that Corsi had not been deported and that Obama had indeed been raised a Muslim. Defensively, Megyn responded, “Understood but there’s no dispute that today Barack Obama is not a Muslim.” Farah replied that Corsi said that Obama is a Christian today. Megyn answered, “Got it. Okay. I’m not trying to smear Jerome Corsi.”

Then Megyn asserted that the AP had good sources and that it had said that Corsi had been deported and that she did not know the truth. Then she claimed anew that Corsi had gone over to promote his book: Farah scoffed, “Nobody goes to Kenya to promote a book: Jerome Corsi went down to continue his investigative work into Obama’s connections with Prime Minister Odinga.” After Farah elaborated further, Megyn heatedly replied, “Listen, don’t get defensive: I’m just trying to get to the bottom of why your guy has been detained in Kenya.”

Megyn relishes a combative approach to her interviews. E.g., later in AN, she put Obama spokesman Bill Burton (as to Bill Ayers) and McCain spokeswoman Nancy Pfotenhauer (as to the Keating Five) through their paces in rigorous aerobic workouts. (The generally conservative Megyn does not seem to be in the tank for either candidate.) However, today she seemed to take more from Farah than she dished out.

Cf. https://jakeho.wordpress.com/2008/04/08/gretch-sandbagged/ for a similar dust-up between Gretchen Carlson and Lanny Davis.

Sweet Silly Swede

Why must Fox & Friends co-host Gretchen Carlson continue to feed me fodder in such ample supply? Today Geraldo Rivera and Brian Kilmeade had a spirited exchange about the legal rights of Gitmo prisoners with a particular emphasis on Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the purported 9-11 attack mastermind. Not surprisingly, Geraldo argued that Khalid should be accorded rights as if he were on American soil while Brian contended that Khalid’s rights should be much more sharply curtailed. The debate was heated but civil.

Gretch couldn’t stand the heat: she tried unsuccessfully to lighten the polemic. She interjected repeatedly with regard to Khalid’s complaint that his court sketches were unflattering as to his nose. She sillily asserted, “I like his nose better in the sketch.” As the discussion continued, she moved close to Steve Doocy, put her arm around him, and said, “I’m scared.” Her fellow Swede co-host replied, “I’m scared.” Both kiddingly cowered and, finally Steve shouted, “Cut.”

Gretch should be able to move seamlessly between the hard news and the soft segments. However, she seems to have problems with a more hard-nosed approach. E.g., just yesterday she got hammered again by Hillary Clinton lackey Lanny Davis and has been snubbed on two consecutive occasions by Jackie Mason. Does anyone think that Megan Kelly, Page Hopkins, or American Morning’s Kiran Chetry would allow themselves to be abused by these old school boys? Gretch is a bit too sweet like Ainsley Earhardt: the difference is that Ainsley is on the weekend.

Gretch Sandbagged

Poor Gretchen Carlson, current co-host of FNC’s Fox & Friends! Yesterday, the former Miss America, who generally does friendlier interviews, got sandbagged by spinmeister Lanny Davis. When she queried the Clinton apologist about Hillary Clinton’s questionable hospital tale (death of poor mother and baby when the hospital allegedly failed to provide health care because of lack of $100 payment) and whether she would drop it from her future speeches, Lanny lit into her and the F&F producer’s tease. He heatedly declared that the story had been “verified” by a deputy sheriff, that the hospital had hedged, and that Hillary would continue to relate the story. As the interview ended, Davis patronizingly added, “And start your teaser differently and be accurate.” Gretchen icily stated, “Thanks for your thoughts, Lanny.”

[Later in the day, Lanny Davis aped his earlier answer to Bill Hemmer on America’s Election Headquarters: Hemmer confronted Lanny with a litany of facts about the story and the campaign’s decision to drop the speech as of last Sunday: Davis backpedalled about the veracity of the story and didn’t reply to Hillary’s dropping the anecdote.]