Was Howard Dean on CNN today with Dana Bash? Did I hear Begala right?

[madfloridian]

I just heard Begala on CNN responding to John King about Dean's interview with Dana Bash today. Now I did not hear that one. I know Dean is on Countdown tonight, but I missed the CNN one.

Ok, sounded like Begala was agreeing with John King that when Dean was apparently talking about all the things we could do with the money being spent in Iraq...like helping Katrina victims that there was a danger for Democrats to do that, to speak up on that issue.

Ok, did I get that right? Was Dean on with Dana, and was Begala saying we risk danger in questioning the money spent there in Iraq. I caught portions.

[madfloridian]

1. Or am I totally confused and just hearing things.

Just wondering.

[calimary]

2. Dang, can't answer 'cause I didn't see it.

But I didn't want to leave you there hanging.

[madfloridian]

3. Thanks....LOL

I saw just enough to make me wonder, cause Begala just had to say something to be sure he did not agree with what Dean supposedly said...but then I don't even know what he was talking about cause I did not hear it.

I am not even sure what Begala said really. I am sure that he stood there and let Torie Clark and John King misrepresent Dem positions on things and did not speak up.

[madfloridian]

4. From the Situation Room transcript...still makes no sense.

Tori Clarke and Paul Begala were being interviewed by John King this afternoon. They were speaking of criticism of the war and Rummy.

"CLARKE: Now, coming up to the election this fall, the war should be a matter of debate. But it ought to be serious debate, a very discussion. And people should read the entire speech and see what he said from start to finish before they just pick out a few words here and there.

KING: Is there a risk for Democrats in this? They view Secretary Rumsfeld as a great political pinata.

You heard Dana Bash interview Howard Dean, the chairman of your party right now. He said we spent all of this money in Iraq that should be spent on Louisiana and Mississippi. Is there a danger for the Democrats to appear to be isolationalists? Or spend all that money at home. Don't worry about what's going on over there? (I can not find where Dean even said that...he criticized ignoring the victims of Katrina...but I can not find where he ever said what King said he did.

BEGALA: For some, yes. I mean, I think the better criticism of Rumsfeld is that he has failed in his job. As I said, bin Laden walks the earth. That is wrong. That is because, I believe, the mass incompetence of Donald Rumsfeld and President Bush.

And so, if you're working at the White House -- if you're Karl Rove, right? And I used to work there -- what do you do? You know, the president is not popular. Mr. Cheney is not popular.

The one person they have is Condoleezza Rice, who the country still likes and trusts. And yet, she's not out there.

Rumsfeld and Cheney and Bush are. And believe me -- you can check -- there are four or five different strains of venereal diseases more popular than Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld. And so, as a Democrat, I want to Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld to...

CLARKE: You've probably been waiting all summer to use that line.

BEGALA: I want them on the (inaudible) every day.

CLARKE: That's right up there with Jack Cafferty the other day.

(LAUGHTER)

KING: There are not many things that leave me speechless. That is one. I'll end this one right here.

Paul Begala, Torie Clarke, thank you both.

And Paul and Torie, of course, are part of the best political team on television, even when they say things like that."

Now, what Paul Begala could have done instead of being smarty was to question King on where Dean said that. He was really ineffective, and he did a lot of harm by not questioning. And I never heard Dean say anything near as tasteless as Begala just said today. He compared them to venereal diseases. Tasteless

[Cha]

5. rummy is a lyin' "pinata" and

corporate media is the reason we're in this friggin war on Iraq.

Corportate media is the reason that there is a bush.

[madfloridian]

6. I don't ever remember Dana Bash interviewing Dean...do you?

I thought that was the strangest reference, and Dean is no isolationist as John King tried to infer. Begala just stood there and compared Bush and company to venereal diseases...which is far more tasteless than anything Dean ever said.

Almost as bad as picking noses in Utah and Nebraska (or was it Nevada)?

On edit, I think she may have back in 03 or 04. Not sure.

[madfloridian]

7. If Dean compared Bush and Co. to venereal disease popularity...

it would be all over the internet by now...in video clips and all over the blogs.

I don't see anything yet, but Begala said it today.

I guess it is ok for him to do it.

[alfredo]

11. I saw Dean with Bash. He stayed on message and didn't say

anything about VD.

[madfloridian]

14. Oops, responded to wrong post..

Do you know what show and what time today?

[alfredo]

15. CNN, but I don't remember. It could have been the

Situation Room. I think that's it.


http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/sitroom.html Should show here


I went over to talk to the Democratic National Committee chairman, Howard Dean, just a short while ago. Take a listen to the way he talked about it in his office.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD DEAN, CHAIRMAN, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE: I believe Donald Rumsfeld is essentially an object of ridicule at this point. These ridiculous promises, they were going to pay for the war with the Iraqi oil revenues. That money's coming out of American taxpayers' -- for three months in Iraq, we could have totally fixed Mississippi and Louisiana as a result of what happened in Hurricane Katrina.

These folks who are leading this country have priorities that are wrong for America.

[madfloridian]

17. I found it and posted it below. Thanks so much.

I seldom if ever watch CNN during the day, it drives me crazy.

[alfredo]

18. I just added my snippet to the above post.

Dean was great on KO tonight. He's very disciplined now. He's on message.

[madfloridian]

12. Was it today? About what time.

I was looking for the CNN transcript to see if he said that John King reported.

[blm]

8. Begala will spin against Dean as much as any CNN anchor.

.

[madfloridian]

9. I just did a search to see if any Bush fans were irate...nope, no one.

I did not see a single thing yelling that Begala said there were venereal diseases more popular than Bush etc. Why is that? Now, don't get me wrong. I hate this WH bunch.

But I can't even find the interview with Bash, nor the statement King refers to. And Begala never questioned it. He let Tori Clarke just ramble on and bash away.

He did speak out against Bush and Rummy, I give credit for that. But he let the others say things that were not true, and that happens all the time on that show.

[blm]

10. Begala shuts up when he should be defending EVERY DEm leader, no matter

what. He gets in his hits on Bush but support for other Dems but his specific crowd just never materializes in any effective way.

Too bad these pundits are always looking out for their own mortgages instead of the rest of America.

[madfloridian]

13. You are right.

He has his loyalties. He always has.

[madfloridian]

16. Ok, I found it...Begala goofed. Dean did not. He called it like it is.

John King gave Begala a chance to defend what Dean said. King was saying could it hurt the Democrats to talk about the war and the money and Katrina I have it above. These are Dean's words to Dana Bash today, and Begala stood there like a fool comparing the president to venereal disease.

Hey Paul, of picking noses fame...who's got more class and integrity?

This is a very short clip from Bash, very short...

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, the Democrats really pounced on Secretary Rumsfeld's comments. They see it as a chance to keep one of their key election themes front and center. And that is what they call the administration's incompetence, and a chance to go after the man they think is the most flawed messenger for the administration when it comes to the war in Iraq.

There was a deluge of press releases, conference calls, not only calling Rumsfeld's comments reckless and overly political, and even untrue they said, but going personally after him and his stewardship on national security and the Iraq war.

I went over to talk to the Democratic National Committee chairman, Howard Dean, just a short while ago. Take a listen to the way he talked about it in his office.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD DEAN, CHAIRMAN, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE: I believe Donald Rumsfeld is essentially an object of ridicule at this point. These ridiculous promises, they were going to pay for the war with the Iraqi oil revenues. That money's coming out of American taxpayers' -- for three months in Iraq, we could have totally fixed Mississippi and Louisiana as a result of what happened in Hurricane Katrina.

These folks who are leading this country have priorities that are wrong for America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0608/30/sitroom.01.html

Begala should have said of course Howard Dean was right. There was no question at all.. that is what he should have said.