Sportscaster Bob Costas Shows Up Political Colleagues In Bush Interview

It's not for nothing that Matt Yglesias seems to be nominating NBC Sports eminence grise Bob Costas for the Meet The Press chair. Last night's interview with President George W. Bush demonstrated that there's a world of difference between a reporter with chops, knowledge, and genuine curiosity and those who work for the empty calories of a "gotcha" moment. The ten-minute sit down included sufficient Olympics content to suit the occasion, but centered mainly on probing foreign policy questions from a superbly prepared Costas. The result was an interview that was neither softball nor pointlessly antagonistic.

I don't want to harp too much on Bush's responses, because he's fared a lot worse in interviews. Certainly, many a blogger has concentrated on Bush's "I don't see America having problems" remark. On the one hand, it's another instance of the President's trademark myopic optimism, but on the other hand, consider the setting: national optimism at the Olympics is akin to telling the students of Wellesley that their education has prepared them to compete in a male-dominated world. However, it was hard to miss Bush protesting that he could not "read [Hu Jintao's] mind" on a day where his inability to properly divine Vladimir Putin's soul was negatively impacting America's security abroad.

Also, there's this:

Q China is a nation that warmly received Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, who has since been indicted by the International Court on charges of genocide.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q Then this past week they revoked the visa of Joey Cheek, an exemplary Olympian who had planned to come here not to directly protest China's government, but to call attention to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q What's your reaction?

THE PRESIDENT: My reaction is I'm sorry Joey Cheek didn't come, he's a good man. Joey Cheek has just got to know that I took the Sudanese message for him. My attitude is, is if you got relations with Mr. Bashir, think about helping to solve the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. That was my message to the Chinese government.

I'm not sure how effective Bush was at carrying Cheek's "message" when he's under the impression that Cheek "didn't come" of his own accord.

[WATCH.]

[Full transcript available via the White House.]

Comments

[sLegal]

I love this guy Costas, he's almost good enough to be on the Daily Show.

[littlelordfauntleroy]

costas for MTP ? why would i, as costas leave the fun world of sports to get into the frivolity of politics, name calling and what have you? that would be sheer lunacy i say, i enjoy your nfl show on hbo now on show. stay there costas,

[M4DN3SS]

Good to know that "Merica" has no problems.

[nonconformist2]

You know I'm not at all surprised. Even though Bob Costas primarily does sports, he is unafraid to ask the hard questions.

I bet most of you don't realize, but Bob Costas was one of the first of the main stream media to ask hard questions about the Iraq war. While all the rest of the MSM was busy swooning and cheerleading, Bob Costas guest hosted Larry King Live. He had a republican pundit on who was using the same line about "supporting the troops" and that questioning the war was not supporting the troops or supporting the president during a time of war. At that time, it worked like a dream, all MSM journalists backed down and backtracked immediately. But not Bob Costas, he pushed the matter and told the pundit that it had nothing to do with the troops or the country, but that he had the right to question the "policies" of a particular adminstration. The pundit was so shocked to be questioned, he didn't know how to respond. It was a thing of beauty to watch and I never forgot it.

Maybe we should be considering Bob Costas as a replacement host on Meet the Press.

[jsinclair]

I remember Costas was supposed to become the new "sub" for King. But on his second gig, they had him doing one of those "gossip" or murder-related stories (maybe Anna Nicole?) and he refused.

That seemed to be the end of his agreement with LKL.

[happycat]

Natalee Holloway...I remember that he felt uncomfortable covering that story so he refused. The rest is history.

[realpolitic]

Costas points out that activist and olympian Joey Cheek could not come to China because the Chinese government revoked his passport. Bush replies he wish Joey Cheek would have come and that he is a good man. Do any of these journalists ever feel like ringing Mr. Bush's neck and saying "I just said his passport was revoked." He could not have come even if he wanted to." We have a president with some kind of learning disability. One needs an interpreter to speak with Bush even when speaking English.

[truegreen]

MSM TAKE NOTE: BOB COSTAS IS A REAL JOURNALIST.

[foxflood]

Before Bush was elected president, he'd left the country once to go to Cancun.

He's not really sure what it means to revoke a Visa. He thinks it means a credit card.

[nmjangirl]

LOL!

[robcat2075]

Bob Costas used to host "Later" on NBC and always did intelligent, wide-ranging interviews on that show so it shouldn't be a big surprise that he can do this well.

[happycat]

Loved, loved, loved that show...was totally worth staying up for. Costas is the best interviewer!

[Cynth]

That was one of the best shows on TV. Love his intelligence, wit, and curiosity.

[dmspeech]

Bob Costas in an interview with McCain would be very informative. No more snowball questions and no follow up. NBC is getting a note from me pushing Costas

[Toonadude]

Poor Costas. The guy who pulled the long straw got to interview O.J.

[ShamusNYC]

Some here are routing for Costas for MTP... Seems like a nice idea to me too - let's hope it gets some legs.

Smart, prepared, exceptionally non-partisan and should be able to garner respect from both sides. Not seen as having an axe to grind.

NBC - are you listening?

[happycat]

Costas is actually a self described liberal. He has in the past spoken passionately against the Bush administration. Unfortunately, I doubt that NBC will hire him for the job based on that. Let's not forgot that NBC is owned by General Electric.....follow the money trail.

[eXcommunicate]

Wow, the Chimp-in-Chief actually doesn't look like a complete idiot in an interview.

[nonconformist2]

Were you watching the same interview I was? He looked completely unprepared and uninformed.

[happycat]

I agree. He couldn't wait to get out of there.

[JFaye]

This is the most perfect example of being lucky (Geraldine F)... With all due respect, how in the world did this bumbling rattler become president of the US???

David Letterman just got a whole new batch of raw material for Great American President Speeches!!!

[DanielTana]

I agree that Mr. Costas did an excellent job as well. But man, is Bush out of touch. Costas asks him:

"If these Olympics are as successful as they are shaping up to be, most people believe this only further legitimizes the ruling party in the minds on most Chinese citizens...Therefore, what's the party's incentive to reform? "

Bush replies with an answer about religion, and how "once religion takes hold in a society it can't be stopped." First of all, that's true... and it's not a good thing. He ends his answer by saying that, "the Olympics are... a chance for people to come and see China the way it is, and let the Chinese... have the opportunity to converse with people from around the world. This is a very positive development, in my view, for peace."

Fair enough. It's certainly a step in the right direction, but is the suggestion that if religion "takes hold" of China then there will miraculously be peace? Because I can think of more than a few instances where religion has caused A LOT of violence and destruction (Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades...). I think that we need good leadership and education to bring about peace, not a lousy president babbling on about letting Jesus Take the Wheel.

Maybe I'm over-simplifying his response, but it seems to me like Bush is more concerned with being evangelical than doing his job. Not that it's anything new.

[mglred]

'[T]he Olympics are... a chance for people to come and see China the way it is, and let the Chinese... have the opportunity to converse with people from around the world. This is a very positive development, in my view, for peace."

And he refuses to give the suffering people of Cuba this same opportunity because...? No big dollar trade or loan implications there, right Mr. Hypocrite, Resident of the White House?

[DanielTana]

Good point. I honestly didn't even think of that at the time, but China sure does own $506.5 billion dollars worth of U.S. Treasury Securities (as of May 2008).

Source: http://www.treas.gov/tic/mfh.txt.

[nonconformist2]

It was a weird response, I thought maybe he was catering to the evangelicals.

[vinny]

Bush socializes with a lot of authoritarians. Odd behavior for a President of a democracy.

[nonconformist2]

A lot of authoritarians? You mean D.ick C.heney? 8 - )

[jfor]

Anyone who can sit across from Bush and not pull their hair out and scream deserves accolades. Good work Costas.