Republican Senate candidate Ken Buck's flip-flopping (known on the blogs as "buckpedaling") is well known in Colorado. Now, the story's gone national. Rachel Maddow showed a clip of Thursday's Senate debate in Pueblo where US Senator Michael Bennet seems to have had enough of Ken Buck's constantly changing platform, and nails him to the wall. In the clip, Bennet uses the example of Social Security, and offers several quotes from Ken Buck where he buckpedals in different venues for different audiences. Bennet accuses Buck of changing his stand on the issues to give each audience what they want to hear. Buck denies the flip-flops, yet Michael Bennet is prepared with a steady stream of quotes. Buck cannot explain the buckpedaling.
Maddow calls Buck's response, "Stop, squirm, and run." This is the Michael Bennet we love to see --Michael Bennet the fighter. Michael Bennet on fire. Michael Bennet who won't put up with any more inconsistencies from Ken Buck.
Perhaps even more entertaining is the newspaper reporter who seemingly was told by his boss before he went on camera, "Try to stay neutral, no matter what she says. Our readership is increasingly older and more conservative. Your job's on the line". The reporter will not take Maddow's bait -- instead of laughing, "Snap! Bennet kicked his Republican ass to the curb!" as many bloggers would have done, the mild-mannered reporter invents another "take." At least Buck stands for something, he points out, even if that stand changes everyday. In true Rachel Maddow form, she schools the reporter, too.
Michael Bennet verbally punching Ken Buck in the nose. Rachel Maddow showing us how squirmy mainstream conservative newspaper reporters have to be to keep their jobs. Aaaaah.... liberal television doesn't get much better than this.
Kudos to Michael Bennet. Kudos to Rachel Maddow. When's the next debate?