Weekend Watchdog: Real Questions For the Dems (and Broder)

As I noted here last week, you can be a Weekend Watchdog and help suggest questions to the Sunday talk shows. If we want our media to ask relevant questions to our politicians, we need to speak up.

Each week at the Campaign for America's Future blog, we suggest questions for scheduled Sunday guests. You can add your own questions in the comment thread. Then, forward your questions onto the shows, using the contact information below, so we can let them know what their viewers want asked.

Then Sunday at 4 PM ET, tune in to Air America Radio's "Seder on Sundays" program, where I'll offer the Weekend Watchdog Wrap-Up and hold the shows accountable.

On to the questions!

The Sunday shows are largely featuring surrogates of Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. CBS' Face the Nation features Obama aide David Axelrod and Clinton aide Howard Wolfson. ABC's This Week has Clinton backers Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind. and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Tex., as well as Obama supporters former Sen. Tom Daschle and Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala.. Finally, Sen. Obama himself is on Fox News Sunday.

Perhaps a couple of questions about actual issues should be asked:

1. Both Sens. Clinton and Obama have proposals to combat global warming with a "cap and trade" system -- capping carbon emissions, issuing a limited number of pollution permits, and auctioning off those permits so private companies pay for polluting public sky.

The Lieberman-Warner global warming bill being considered in the Senate creates a cap-and-trade system, but only auctions off a quarter of those permits. Some contend that's a multi-billion dollar giveaway to polluters, which deprives us of revenue to invest in renewable energy and lower consumer energy bills.

Will you try to amend Lieberman-Warner to match your proposal? If you don't succeed, will you vote for the bill as is?

2. Last week, the New York Times reported on a coordinated propaganda effort by Bush's Defense Department to embed media outlets with "military analysts" who parrot the White House party line.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich. has asked the Pentagon to conduct an internal investigation. Meanwhile, at least Fox News is continuing to use military analysts named in the report.

Will you insist that the Senate conduct its own investigation of the Pentagon?

And David Broder will be punditfying on NBC's Meet The Press. A question for him:

3. You recently wrote that, "In an age of deep cynicism about politicians of both parties, McCain is the rare exception who is not assumed to be willing to sacrifice personal credibility to prevail in any contest."

Considering that more and more Americans recognize that McCain has repeatedly changed his views on tax cuts, torture, the state of our economy, immigration, Roe v. Wade, equal marriage rights and right-wing evangelical leaders, on what do you base your assessment?

CONTACT THE SHOWS AND SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS

Email CBS' Face The Nation at [e-mail]

Email Fox News Sunday at [e-mail]

Contact ABC's This Week by clicking here

Contact NBC's Meet The Press by clicking here

Remember: always be brief, polite and respectful when contacting the media, so our voices will be taken seriously.