Oye, it's a 'talk amongst yourselves' marathon as the msm fell all over themselves on the first night of the Democratic Convention in Denver yakking it up in the extreme. What a bust for the talking heads on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox...but mostly, for viewers interested in the convention.
I flipped the channel from C-Span and heard Karl Rove spouting off during Sen. Tom Harkin's introduction to Jim Leach from Iowa's 1st District, a 30-year Republican congressional veteran, known best for his early vote against the Iraq War and for not taking PAC money. Leach was defeated in 2006, partly because he refused to use homophobic material in his campaign.
Leach was endorsing Obama for president and I wanted to hear what he had to say, really I did. He's one of the smartest guys around, a former foreign officer in the State Department. But CNN, FOX, and MSNBC trained their cameras on Leach for a few minutes and then proceeded to talk over the former Congressman.
What did they talk about? Nothing that was news, to be sure.
I flipped back to C-Span to get away from the television blowhards. Apparently, hearing a long-time and respected moderate Republican endorsing a Democrat for president isn't worthy of real-time in America's version of television news.
While not a barn-burning speaker like Zell Miller, the crazy old Democrat featured at the Republican National Convention last time around, the bespectacled Leach told the assembled party-hat wearing audience of revved up delegates:
As a Republican, I stand before you with deep respect for the history and traditions of my political party. But it is clear to all Americans that something is out of kilter in our great Republic. In less than a decade, America's political and economic standing in the world has been diminished. Our nation's extraordinary leadership in so many areas is simply not reflected in the partisan bickering and ideological politics of Washington. Seldom has the case for an inspiring new political ethic been more compelling. And seldom has an emerging leader so matched the needs of the moment.
Leach went on to call Obama a "transcending candidate" similar to John F. Kennedy, as he pitched a brief historical overview of both Democratic and Republican "international statecraft and progressive leadership," which was enlightening and thoughtful. It deserved to be aired.
But oh no... the MSNBC gaggle was begging the questions:
Will Tom Brokaw please retire?
Will MSNBC please finally and permanently cut Pat Buchanan loose and let him do 100% of the time whatever he does now while not on air for 12-hours a day?
I've reached my limit with Buchanan, that ultimate bore of bores, who has been spouting the same line ever since Hillary Clinton lost the nomination way back on Super Tuesday: Make Hillary the veep! She didn't get a fair shake! She deserves to be president!
Buchanan is a Republican -- and a perennial failed presidential candidate -- who simply refuses to add any new insight to the political discourse of the day. He has been decidedly anti-Obama throughout the primary and uses his airtime to refer to Sen. Obama as "exotic." What does that mean? Sounds racist, doesn't it?
Joe Scarborough had a great time this morning, talking over not only his guests but his much smarter co-host, Mika Brzezinski. He cut her off at the knees every chance he could and Mika just sat there with her mouth hanging open, waiting to get a few licks in before Robert Gibbs walked off the set. It didn't happen.
Who understands why MSNBC hires an intellectually challenged spud head like Scarborough, whose contract was recently renewed?
A new twist to the day's coverage was adding Luke Russert, son of Saint Tim, to the election team. Luke is the preppie young man still wearing baby bangs though now channeling his father and exchanging adolescent references with Brian Williams (Brian is trying so hard to be hip, it's truly sad).
"What would your dad say about the convention?" asked Williams.
"He always called it his Superbowl," answered the smiling kid.
Oh, Really?
Didn't we hear all of 'that' news during the interminable coverage of his father's death and funeral and television specials devoted to his memory -- at the exclusion of any other 'real' news happening around the world?
Stay tuned. There's more election coverage from the "best political team" coming your way. My advice: Switch to C-Span.