Brian Williams On The Late Show: "I'm A Maverick, And I May Not Answer The Questions Tonight"

Friday night on the Late Show, it was a meeting of the two most prominent media personalities spurned by the McCain campaign -- Brian Williams and David Letterman.

Neither man is terribly happy about being rejected by McCain-land, but they both manage to maintain their sense of humor. Here's video:

Earlier in the show, Letterman had a number of zingers from McCain in his monologue. This one jumped out at me:

John McCain loved Palin's debate performance. Matter of fact, he applauded so much, all the lights in his home kept on going on and off.

Comments

[drzoon]

The "Maverick" thing has gone on too long. Besides the fact that it's not true, i'm not really sure what it means. I think if we look it up it has something to do with a calf that has strayed from the heard not knowing any better. If its a popular culture reference from the TV show and then later the movie starring Mel Gibson, then its a reference to a charming character who has a gambling problem and happens to get himself in trouble because he's a con man at heart.

i will assume the later.

[RRonin]

Back in the 19th Century there was a rancher named Sam Maverick. He refused to brand his cattle. Neighboring ranchers always could spot his cattle because they had no brand. Unbranded cattle belong to anyone who claims them. It's not always that smart to be a Maverick. There is an unconfirmed story that Tom Cruise's character in "Top Gun" was a tribute to McCain. He was called Maverick. He got his buddy Goose killed. It's not always that smart to be a Maverick. On the old TV show Maverick was a professional gambler who flew by the seat of his pants and was usually one step ahead of a sherriff or lynch mob. It's not always that smart to be a Maverick

[Bitsko]

Brett Maverick often got tripped up by a woman too.

[Centaur]

I'm going to alter this line a bit. "Hell hath no fury like a comedian/talk show host scorned!" Keep givin'
'em hell, Dave!

[Stayalert]

I would have loved to have a woman on the ticket, either ticket.

I do not like her ironclad views.
I think she is inexperienced for this big a step.
I think she would change policy as best she could if in office to the detriment of women.
She reminds me of girls in high school who liked you for 5 min and then were mean behind your back.
I think she has a big future.

Our nation is in a world of hurt and I think white men have done a travesty on wallstreet and in the White House/ Pentagon. I would love to see more women in HIGH places.

I believe that religion/ gov is and always should be Separation of church and state.

I also believe that churchs should not be exempt from taxes when they even utter a word of politics, either during a sermon, or after. Churchs are for people who want to have a spiritual support.
All mega churchs should absolutely pay taxes. All of them in fact.
It is long past due.

[Stayalert]

The other thing, is that when one gets to be in a high office like
GOV, one should absolutely know some history. Period.
Without history, one is making the same mistakes, and hasn't
an idea of the entire context of things.

And the other thing to is that she has a great disdain for the
lower states.

[TKI]

Funny, but how could one be trusted, or be relied upon to do the bidding of the people if, by one's very ingrained nature, one was characterized otherwise, especially, if the people thought the Presidency was an institution grounded in democratic trust and accountability... especially, when one had threatened to make the veto pen ("this pen that Ronald Reagan gave me") the central instrument of one's tenure? You would think a maverick belonged more at the head of an Autocracy or a Tyranny than a Democracy or a Republic, certainly not at the helm of a Democracy that liked to see itself at the head of the Free World. And, you would think that accountability started with ability to answer the questions asked, as they were asked, not what you wanted asked, or as you would rather have them asked.

[whatsthatsound]

Yes! Her lucid, and scary, comments about the expanded and flexible role of the vice presidency makes it sound like she thinks the Constitution is an improv piece. Combine this with both Bush and McCain making "jokes" about being a dictator, and Cheney being too clever to say it but just acting like one. What you have are disturbing signs that far too many Americans seem to be ignoring. They are not connecting the dots because if they do, they get a picture they don't want to see. They prefer to think of Republicans as the God lovin', unborn baby protectin', tax lowerin' good guys.

[IowaKid]

I'm surprised I didn't realize that Brian Williams had such a good sense of humor and he's good at it.

[GoodwithWood]

Look for his guest appearances on the Daily Show. Funny man.

[SteveMDFP]

Indeed. If he ever gets tired of broadcast journalism, I suspect he'd do well in Congress. Or comedy. I've never seen a genuinely funny person who wasn't extremely intelligent.

[pie8ter]

Brian Williams gave me a good punch line to use at work.

I am going to respond to republican co-workers as "I am a maverick and I may not answer to all your request".

[Voting Must Happen]

Oct 4 Polling Update
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=89&ArticleName=Poll+Update

Bridging the Partisan Divide of Election Projections
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=88&ArticleName=Bridging+the+Partisan+Divide

Checkout my piece on Youth Voter Registration. For every 100 registered voters aged 18-24, the democrats accrue a 9 vote advantage.
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=85&ArticleName=Youth+Vote%3a+The+Power+of+Registration

VP Debate Live Analysis
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=86&ArticleName=VP+Debate%3a+Live+Analysis

Obama 355, McCain 183
http://voteforamerica.net/electoral.aspx

Will McCain Re-suspend his Campaign?
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=80&ArticleName=Will+McCain+Re-suspend+his+Campaign%3f

[gifu]

"Clap on, clap off, clap on, clap off....the Clapper." "Operator? I have fallen in the polls and I can't get up!" Thanks for that one............

[barkanomics]

I think she said, Can I call you Joe? as a way of invoking the hottie fantasy. Geeze, all that winking? Baby, you were talking about the possibility of another Great Depression looming a few days ago. And we're in two foreign occupations right now. The American Justice Department is shot, as is the EPA, the Department of the Interior. Our military is broken. Americans are losing their houses, their jobs. Inflation is through the roof. There's serious s... going down! Obviously the Republicans don't care, don't have any solutions, only want to get elected so that they can hang on to their piece of the pie. And now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Sarah Palin. She's white, she's cute and she doesn't give a rat's ass about the environment!

[gifu]

"Drill Baby, drill!" How cute, huh?

[TKI]

"The line is Drill Baby Drill"...How childish! You would think you were watching a high school debate session.

[DoTheMath]

Mark Shields noted that the request to call Senator Biden Joe was not only an attempt to trick him into calling her Sarah, which he knew better than to fall for, but also a setup for the "Say it isn't so, Joe" at the end. What a conniving you-know-what. You are absolutely right that we have too many serious problems to deal with; this Annie Oakley skit doesn't deserve two minutes of our time, let alone 90.

[whatsthatsound]

She asked "Can I call you Joe?" just so she could use that stupid, "Say it ain't so, Joe!" line. It was transparent and LAME!!

[txgal44]

You are so right!! Nobody but the hard up repubs fell for that $_hitt!! She's a snake. And while Joe is our VP, Sarah, come re-election,is going to lose her job in Alaska. I can't wait!

[glamorous1908]

Im sorry, I was trying to say what the heck is a maverick ???

[bluesman49]

a stray cow

[DoTheMath]

Good one.

[CrankyCurmudgeon]

A maverick is an unbranded range animal, especially a motherless calf; it can also mean a person who thinks independently; a lone dissenter; a non-conformist or rebel. The word first arose in mid-19th century America from Samuel Augustus Maverick, a Texas politician with a large ranch full of unbranded cattle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maverick

[CrankyCurmudgeon]

Maverick is a comedy-western television series created by Roy Huggins that ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8, 1962 on ABC and featured James Garner, Jack Kelly, Roger Moore, and Robert Colbert as the poker-playing traveling Mavericks (Bret, Bart, Beau, & Brent). Moore and Colbert were later additions, though there were never more than two current Mavericks in the series at any given time, and sometimes only one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maverick_(TV_series)

[CrankyCurmudgeon]

And now for an answer regarding wtf John McCain is trying to say by calling himself a Maverick. The good Senator (and I love him just as much as Joe Biden does) is trying to tell us he's an independent thinker. That's why he can so easily change his mind on issues such as torture, deregulation, immigration, the state of the economy, and a host of other things. He's also letting us know he marches to a different drummer. That's why he refused to vote for George Bush's policies a full 10% of the time! John McCain is an independent, strong, principled man, by golly. You betcha!

[glamorous1908]

Thanks for the clarification!

[glamorous1908]

Will someone PLEASE explain to me what the heck a actually is and/or what is it supposed to stand for???

[NotAPollStat]

Interesting -- Williams said he wasn't able to comment, yet he pointed out that people in viewing audience want someone fresh like Palin as opposed to been in Senate 30+ years like Biden. Williams is just pussyfooting around because he wants an interview with Palin so bad. That the McCain campaign is penalizing NBC because of Keith Olbermann is deplorable and shows how childish McCain is. (Like cancelling Larry King because of Campbell Brown's questioning of Tucker Bounds.) McCain and company want a network (NBC and MSNBC) where no one criticizes them (like Fox.) Joe Scarborough rants for 3 hours anti-Obama, yet Obama still appears on NBC and MSNBC. Voters are wise to McCain's tactics and the tactics are getting old. See the poll numbers.

[Outofnowhere]

Don't forget Obama also appeared on Fox of all places, so McPalin has no excuses.

[neurologymatters]

Dave-Great zinger about the lights.

[DieHardObamaSupporter]

FIRED UP READY TO GO!


1. If your state has early voting, PLEASE VOTE EARLY and take others with you.

2. If you qualify for ABSENTEE voting, do it and tell others who qualify.

3. Advise SENIOR CITIZENS to do absentee voting if early voting is not an option, b/c the lines will be too long for them. Their age alone will qualify them.

4. Due to the record breaking lines on this historical election day, those who do not have the above options, request a PERSONAL LEAVE DAY from your job, if it does not cause you any substantial hardship. It's worth what we need to do. McBush in office is a hardship we cannot afford.

5. Advise EVERYONE to vote a straight democratic ticket to get the filibuster proof, 60 seat majority, so O can get legislation passed.

6. Pass the above info to family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, other blogs, local Obama Campaign offices, man at the gas pump, lady in the grocery store, person you run into at the Post Office, heck even your dog or cat, et al........You get the picture. SPREAD THE WORD.


CHECK this WEBSITE to see if your state has early voting or absentee voting.

http://earlyvoting.net/states/abslaws.php


After Nov 4th, let's see who got jokes about COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS.

I apologize for the caps. I am not yelling just emphasizing.

P.S. If anyone has any other helpful strategies, please share with us and other blogs.

[TKI]

Thanks! 'Will do.

[pb28]

Williams is such a Palin apologists just to get an interview with her

I have been hearing all these ridiculous pundits saying all is forgiven, Palin passed the test. Please. What test are they talking about? Reading preprogrammed talking points off a teleprompter? Well she already passed that test at the RNC convention. No the test she needed to pass at the VP debate was weather she actually understood what she was saying as well as the ability to answer a follow up question. Judging by what I saw Plain gets a F.

[jorge4u]

What did Joe say after Palin asked him if she could him by his first name? I missed the debate. I was working late.

[LynnElizabeth]

Joe said, "Of course you can call me Joe."

[neurologymatters]

Joe was very polite and said Palin could do so. (not verbatim)

[glamorous1908]

Hey said yes, but she was trying to be sarcastic.....

[jorge4u]

The understatement of the year... LOL

[jorge4u]

That should have been a "no, no." I would've politely declined.

[bluesman49]

you can call me Ray