It's not news, it's the Sunday Chat & Chews.
Yes, it's that time again. Where some delude themselves that real conversations take place on their TV sets. If you're one of those afflicted with the delusion, check your local listings for air time.
At NBC's Meet the Press, Timmy Russert intends to trip back to the nineties by engaging in some Clinton hating. He'll chat and chew on it with Louis Freeh aka "I am not responsible!" (By the way, we never did get the promised breakdown of Freeh at a site, everyone knows which one I mean. We got trash women. We got an excuse and a promise that never panned out and by the end of the week, apparently, it was time to go through the mail for invites and pull out the yearbook for shout outs. But no Freeh. Now that he's an announced guest for Sunday, don't be surprised to see a rush post from someone who goofed off all week and suddenly wants to weigh in and act as though he's been on the job.)
When not pleasuring himself by trashing Clinton, Timmy will have Condi back! Will they make football bets again! It's always the most pressing issues on Meet Timmy! Here's a thought. If we're discussing the charter, why not bring on people to explain the charter. Not Condi to tell us what's what (which is practically how MTP announces it) and Carl Levin "for the Democratic view" but how about some historians who've read the charter (all versions of it)? No roundtable. Is there concern Timmy can no longer fit around one?
That's why you'll never get reality in the chat & chews. It's all about who they can cozy up to (the hosts). But people persit in watching this nonsense.
ABC's This Week offer Zalmay Khalilzad to weigh in on Iraq. How long was he wrong about Afghanistan? (When was he ever right?) But he's brought on and given ample time to spin. The Sunday Chat & Chews are a consquence free zone. He'll tell you we've turned a corner.
Jack Reed will also talk Iraq. Richard Ben-Veniste and Joseph diGenova will talk Plamegate (and give Steph credit for that -- what you thought Baby Timmy would finally break his silence?). Martha Raddatz reports "on the ground in Baghdad." Which means safe from the Green Zone. And more "Things are looking up" reporting because no one will tell you of life outside the Green Zone or the continued and continual upheavals everywhere outside the Green Zone. They can't report what they can't see.
All the mainstream reporters need to start singing "Safe In My Green Zone" to the tune of "Safe In My Garden" (the Mamas and the Papas off the album The Papas and the Mamas, written by John Phillips).
"Finally, Time Magazine columnist Joe Klein; Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International; and ABC News' George Will join me for a roundtable discussion on Iraq, continued confirmation troubles for Harriet Miers, and the CIA leak investigation and its implications for the White House."
Why does This Week have more guests and more planned segments? If Condi and Timmy are going to play macho and talk up football, the time has to come out of something else, people!
Face The Nation (and CBS) have finally left the service ramp and started down the information highway -- meaning they've retooled the web site. They'll discuss the CIA leak and Miers. Guests will be Joe Biden, Chuck Hagel, reporters Doyle McManus (LA Times), Jan Greenburg (Chicago Tribune) and Lara Logan (CBS news).
Two shows tackle Plamegate the week Rove is yet again called in. And Timmy? Is he silent or is he just stuffing his face? Regardless, Meet the Press has shown no real interest in the topic and viewers still haven't gotten an explanation from Russert about his own involvement. But by God, he will have Condi and he will have football.
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