Sunday, August 11, 2013

Meet The Press - August 11, 2013


Guests:
Barton Gellman
Ted Koppel
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
Rep. Steve King (R-IA)
Ana Navarro
David Brooks
David Ignatius
Bill Richardson
Ted Koppel
Kara Swisher

Gregory: Bart has Edward Snowden won?

Gellman: he has already accomplished
more than he ever dreamed of – he's got the
President announcing changes to the
nation's secret surveillance programs

Gregory: Obama says he was going to
reform surveillance anyway

McCaul: these are great programs and
Obama won't defend them and with the
fake IRS scandal no one can trust Obama
with their phone records even though
these are great programs

Koppel: the problem is which President
is going choose not to use a technology
which can stop a terrorist attack?

Gregory: don't we need speed to stop terrorists?

McCaul: exactly right Fluffy 
– FISA warrants are a great hurdle 
but maybe the Patriot Act has 
been over interpreted

Gregory: Ted you say we have created
an industry of fear

Koppel: the terrorists were able to shut
down 20 embassies with a single conference call

McCaul: well sorry Ted but the threat is real

Gregory: uh huh

McCaul: Obama says we have to return
to a pre 9/11 mentality and he's very deceptive
and the threat of terrorism which 
is getting worse not better

Gregory: what the hell are you talking about?

McCaul: Obama has a pre 9/11 mentality
because he's ramping up drone strikes

Gregory: that makes no sense

McCaul: also Obama wants to be a
peacemaker unlike Bush but we need
to reach out to Muslims more

Gregory: Ted are we overreacting or underreacting?

Koppel: terrorism is the weapon of
the weak against the strong

Gregory: I suppose

Koppel: we're the ones who invaded Iraq

McCaul: Obama is pre-9/11 and he
wants to wish the threat away and
he's irresponsible by doing nothing and
also closing embassies which I approve of

Gregory: you're all over the place

McCaul: I hate terrorists and Obama!

Gregory: okay okay

[ break ]

Gregory: Claire the military has a real sex assault problem

McCaskill: we have new rules to protect victims

Gregory: the big debate is whether the
case stays in the chain of command –
Kirsten Gillibrand says the chain of command
can't be trusted and you don't agree

McCaskill: outside lawyers can't be trusted either

Gregory: oh really?

McCaskill: if the commander has signed
on to the prosecution that sends a 
strong protective message

Gregory: I suppose

McCaskill: we have to hold guilty 
commanders responsible and also give them
all the decision-making responsibility

Gregory: that seems problematic

McCaskill: commanders are going to
retaliate anyway so we might as well
give them the power

Gregory: isn't sex assault Obama's fault
for not naming a woman Secretary of Defense?

McCaskill: the women on the Armed Services
committee are going to hold the Pentagon's
feet to the fire on this David

[ break ]

Gregory: let's bash Obama!

Brooks: Obama's problem is that he
doesn't have great men like Larry Summers
around him and instead just competent
people interested in good government

Gregory: Obama says Republicans have
made preventing people from getting
health care their Holy Grail

Navarro: the GOP doesn't actually agree
on whether to shut down the
government over Obamacare

Richardson: Obamacare has a been a
great success for people with preexisting
conditions or those who may someday get sick

Gregory: interesting

Richardson: the tea party is so enraged by
the removal of lifetime caps they want
to shut down the FBI

Gregory: Obama went after Vlad Putin
comparing him to a bored teenager

Ignatius: he's making wisecracks
about the leader of a major nation

Gregory: he learned it from the tea party

Ignatius: and yet he's got mideast peace
talks started again which is amazing

Gregory: ooh

Ignatius: but Obama is naive if he thinks
the GOP is going to work with him

Brooks: I like it when Obama smacked down Putin

Richardson: that's cool but eventually
we will have to rebuild the relationship –
perhaps the President and Putin can go
to a deserted island together

Navarro: you go to an island with that psycho

Gregory: welcome Congressman King

King: my constituents think Obama 
has suspended all laws

Gregory: do you really believe 99% of
Dreamers are drug smugglers with big thighs?

King: that's true - most drug smugglers
have bigger thighs than valedictorians

Gregory: fascinating

King: I sit on the border and see nothing
but brown-skinned kids hauling
100 pounds of marijuana

Gregory: do you really?

King: I have great sympathy for Dreamers
but the Rule of Law and Sovereignty
requires that I call them druggies

Navarro: Steve King is a mediocre Congressman
who only makes news when he says
something racist or stupid or both

Gregory: but he's in the news a lot

King: terrorists are coming across
the border and killing little children

Navarro: this guy is a moron

King: insulting me isn't going to help anything

Navarro: don't talk to me about insults you racist

Richardson: the President should make
a deal on immigration

Gregory: but if it doesn't pass the House
then Obama is a total failure!!!

Ignatius: you know listening to Steve King
I wonder why the GOP has a problem
with hispanics, latinos, and tiny-thighed Americans

Gregory: Jeff Bezos bought the 
The Washington Post!

Swisher: this is not the end of news –
it's just that print is dead

Gregory: but the bloggers are so bloggy

Swisher: it's a myth that print is sacred and
wonderful and the Internet is evil and catty

Ignatius: when we heard the news at
The Washington Post we were stunned and
then we thought hey maybe Bezos can save
the paper and throw some nice parties

Gregory: you hosted Nightline when
it was nimble and relevant

Koppel: the great thing about
Meet The Press is it's cheap

Gregory: um thanks

Koppel: it's all about money Fluffy

Brooks: I used to read blogs until I found
out my favorites were written my
junior high school students

Gregory: that makes sense

Brooks: I think people will return to
print and books which are smart and quality

Swisher: oh my god that's stupid –
you sound like a monk bashing the printing press

Brooks: people like interesting things

Ignatius: the Washington Post should
try writing interesting things and also
steal our readers personal information

Gregory: and that's another
episode of Meet The Press

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