Sunday, December 27, 2015

Meet The Press – December 27, 2015

Host: Jon Karl
Guests:
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Wendy Sherman – Fmr. Under Sec. of State
Michael McFaul – Fmr. Amb. To Russia
Matt Bai
Helene Cooper
Amy Walter
Michael Gerson


Mitchell: omg Donald Trump is 
still leading in the polls and Bernie 
Sanders hasn't lost yet!

Mitchell: the old order is being swept away

Trump: Clinton goes to the bathroom 
which is disgusting

Clinton: he's a bigot

Sanders: I also go to the bathroom 
when I can!

Mitchell: welcome Senator Sanders

Sanders: nice to see you again Martha

Mitchell: you fired staffers on the data breach

Sanders: we did the right thing that one time

Mitchell: okay

Sanders: but that has nothing to do
with the disappearance of the middle class

Mitchell: Trump used a vulgar term about
Hillary and Trump attacked Bill Clinton!

Sanders: who cares Andrea

Mitchell: I care

Sanders: Trump thinks wages are
too high and wants to give tax cuts
to the richest Americans

Mitchell: well everyone I know is rich

Sanders: why are the rich doing 
so well and why is the middle class
is getting crushed

Mitchell: maybe we should try 
some more tax cuts

Sanders: it's the warmest Christmas 
eve since the first one!

Mitchell: right

Sanders: it's warmer in Bethlehem
Pennsylvania than in the original Bethlehem!

Sanders: Trump denies reality 
on climate change!

Mitchell: but Americans are more 
worried about being killed by terrorists
than anything else

Sanders: because people like you 
keep scaring them

Mitchell: your poll numbers dropped 
after terror attacks

Sanders: not true – we gained 
12 points on Clinton

Mitchell: but you're weak on terror

Sanders: we're closing the gap
and catching up to her!

Mitchell: look we're all terrified Bernie

Sanders: we must destroy
ISIS but be smart about it

Mitchell: you lost me with that last part

Sanders: what?

Mitchell: how you would persuade the
Saudis to ignore Yemen and attack ISIS

Sanders: we have a lot of leverage angela

Mitchell: we do?

Sanders: we need a coalition 
– Qatar is very rich!

Mitchell: we all know that

Sanders: America should put together
a coalition of other countries to fight this war

Mitchell: great idea but how

Sanders: Americans don't have 
enough money to retire on and their
kids can't go to college

Mitchell: don't you want to talk about terror

Sanders: we need to prove
health care and family leave!

Mitchell: is the DNC trying to 
sabotage your campaign?

Sanders: when I started I was at 3%
and now I may win New Hampshire

Mitchell: that is impressive

Sanders: we have a big grass roots organization

Mitchell: is the DNC fair to you?

Sanders: look we all want to 
defeat right-wing extremists

Mitchell: thanks for coming Bernie

Sanders: thank you Andrew

[ break ]

Mitchell: welcome Debbie

Wasserman-Schultz: good morning Andrea

Mitchell: Donald Trump attacked Bill Clinton!

Wasserman-Schultz: he's vulgar 
and his hair is weird

Mitchell: true enough

Wasserman-Schultz: the lowest depths
I've ever seen on Presidential campaign since
Lloyd Bentsen called Dan Quayle
'you impertinent whippersnapper'

Mitchell: that was something else

Wasserman-Schultz: you would think Trump
would want to uphold some minimal level of
leadership and values if only to avoid further
embarrassing his children

Mitchell: Trump is going to bring up
Bill Clinton's past – does that worry you

Wasserman-Schultz: he will attack
Bill Clinton his own peril

Mitchell: perhaps

Wasserman-Schultz: he's one of the most
popular and admired men in the world

Mitchell: Trump said Hillary got schlonged

Wasserman-Schultz: if I ever used that word
my bubbe would given me such a punishment

Mitchell: oy vey

Wasserman-Schultz: he's a schmuck! 
He's mishegas!

Mitchell: I'm going to plotz!

Wasserman-Schultz: anyway the larger
issue is the GOP war on women

Mitchell: but he's in a class by himself

Wasserman-Schultz: he is terrible

Mitchell: Trump says Hillary has no
energy and no stamina and goes to
sleep for days at a time like a vampire

Wasserman-Schultz: he's a sexist – 
he went after Carly Fiorina and 
Megan Kelly and even me

Mitchell: why is it working so well for him?

Wasserman-Schultz: because the Republican
party opposes women rights on choice 
and birth control and equal pay

Mitchell: oh right

Wasserman-Schultz: also the Republican
party created a Depression

Mitchell: thanks for coming Deb

Wasserman-Schultz: thanks for inviting me

[ break ]

Mitchell: welcome panelists

Mitchell: Trump is going after 
Bill Clinton now!

Walter: he gets the GOP base like
no one else – but he's guaranteed
to lose next November

Mitchell: Matt you have a unique insight
into millennial women – thrill us with 
your acumen

Bai: Hillary Clinton keeps getting lucky 
– just like Obama

Mitchell: Bernie failed to bomb ISIS

Cooper: everyone wants a coalition to
bomb ISIS which Obama is already doing

Mitchell: people hate the media

Trump: I would probably not murder
reporters but I really do hate them enough
to do it and ethics or laws wouldn't stop
me so maybe I would

Mitchell: these attacks on the 
media are scary!

Gerson: he's praising Vladimir Putin
for committing murder 
– it's getting frightening!

Mitchell: demanding Obama's birth certificate
was funny but this is no longer amusing

Gerson: he's flirting with authoritarianism
it's a serious matter!

Bai: support for Trump is a reaction to
the major media's being shallow and glib
and smug and being generally frivolous
self-regarding assholes

Mitchell: interesting point

Bai: pundits have treated politics like 
a pointless reality game show and 
and Trump has exploited it

Mitchell: but Trump versus Bill Clinton
is so much more fun than policy which
affects millions of people

Bai: media is still giving Trump free 
air time even now!

Mitchell: we have to

Bai: you're hurting America

[ break ]

Mitchell: these are the scariest 
days since 9/11!!

Mitchell: omg we're all gonna die!

Mitchell: terror threats in America!

Mitchell: Americans killed in Afghanistan!

Mitchell: Iraq and Syria are not peaceful!

Mitchell: ISIS is on the march!

Mitchell: Putin is scary too!

Mitchell: Clinton has called for a no-fly zone!

Mitchell: Putin is bombing Syria

Mitchell: Russia and the U.S. may go to war!

Mitchell: Europe is overwhelmed by refugees

Cruz: Obama is a lunatic!

Graham: I love me some Islam

Mitchell: what about all this 
anti-Muslim rhetoric?

Sherman: it's incredibly dangerous –
only the Muslim world can defeat isis

Mitchell: first Putin bombs rebels
then he bombed a terrorist – 
what's his deal anyway?

McFaul: he's supporting Assad

Mitchell: we know that

McFaul: he's killing moderate rebels 
– not ISIS

Mitchell: Trump is a great admirer of 
Vladimir Putin

McFaul: Putin only acts in Russia's interests
so if he endorses Trump it's because he
thinks it would be good for Russia

Mitchell: interesting

McFaul: Trump says there's a moral
equivalence with U.S. soldiers and
thugs committing murder

Mitchell: Chuck Hagel is whining about
not bombing Syria after the red line

Sherman: Assad gave up his 
chemical weapons

Mitchell: I suppose

Sherman: we don't need slogans 
– we need to crush ISIS

Mitchell: but ISIS is spreading to Kenya
and Nigeria and I think Georgetown

McFaul: the solution is a patient
long-term strategy

Mitchell: but I'm panicked now!

McFaul: we've had 9,000 attacks on ISIS

Mitchell: I'm still scared

McFaul: Muslims will defeat ISIS

Mitchell: this year we lost Fred Thompson
Mario Cuomo Bob Simon Julian Bond
Fank Gifford Yogi Berra and Beau Biden

[ break ]

Mitchell: there have been 3,000
shooting victims in Chicago this year

Todd: welcome Spike Lee

Lee: hi Chuck

Todd: who's the audience for Chi-Raq?

Lee: 88 Americans die from guns
every day – that's 30,000 year

Lee: that affects white rural Americans!

Todd: but this movie is for black Americans

Lee: not at all

Todd: but your message is black
America needs to stop gun violence

Lee: well it's not all cops shooting
black people

Todd: why is Chicago so violent?

Lee: I asked experts and no one knows

Todd: well I'm stumped

Lee: it's Americas biggest 
segregated city

Todd: is it a war zone?

Lee: on the first day of filming we 
had to go to a funeral

Lee: 331 people were shot in
Chicago while we were filming

Todd: where is the outrage?

Lee: it's not Sandy Hook!

Todd: true

Lee: people are numb because
it happens so much

Todd: they're comfortably numb

Lee: the problem is guns!

Todd: what do you think
of black lives matter?

Lee: I like 'em

Todd: can Obama fix Chicago?

Lee: ask him

Todd: just bash Obama for me

Lee: this is about gun violence
all over America

Todd: thanks for coming Spike

[ break ]

Mitchell: who can stop Trump?

Gerson: can he get actual votes?

Mitchell: um yes

Gerson: and who is the alternative to Trump?


Gerson: there needs to be one
establishment choice or he will win!

Mitchell: Christie is blocking Rubio

Walter: the problem with being
the establishment choice is that is 
the kiss of death

Walter: Christie may yet
win New Hampshire

Walter: but Chris Christie
can't win anywhere else

Mitchell: of course I am terrified of terrorism

Cooper: the GOP wants to carpet bomb
Iraq and Syria and probably France

Mitchell: Clinton messed up Egypt
among the other failed Obama policies

Cooper: I don't worry about that Andrea

Bai: no one has done more
for Bernie Sanders than Larry David

Walter: this was the craziest year ever!

Gerson: wait 'til next year!

Mitchell: look at Clinton and
Obama in New Hampshire

Cooper: I am so ready for some
actual votes to be cast

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




This Week with George Stephanopoulos – December 27, 2015

Host: Jon Karl

Guests:
Donald Trump
Gov. Jon Kasich (R-OH)
Matthew Dowd
LZ Granderson
Bill Kristol
Mary Bruce


Karl: OMG Donald Trump was 
on a twitter tirade!

Trump: Hillary is a sexist!

Karl: to my credit I've covered 
Trump since 2013!

Karl: 2015 was the Year of Trump!

Trump: America sucks!

Karl: ha ha

Trump: God wants to me to be President!

Karl: did even you think
you would be this awesome?

Trump: no I didn't – I underestimated
how wonderful I would be this year

Karl: to be fair to you Mr. Trump we
all underestimated how great you are

Trump: understandable

Karl: we covered him two years ago
when the elites dismissed him

Trump: [ 2013 ] I may run for President

Karl: I would be shocked if you ran

Trump: I may surprise you

Karl: then he rode down
the escalator like a boss

Karl: why do you people
love you so much?

Trump: we make bad deals –
the special interests control politicians

Karl: he sort-of pledged he
won't run a third party campaign

Trump: I probably won't destroy the GOP!

Karl: he insulted women, Mexicans 
and Muslims

Paul Ryan: Trump is not what 
this country stands for!

Karl: are you tapping into 
white people's anger?

Trump: I'm not tapping into anger –
I'm merely exploiting the rage of the
emasculated white male

Karl: I can relate to that

Trump: If we elect Hillary Clinton after Obama
white men are not going to have a country

Karl: so true – all the really sexist countries
are run by brown people or Muslims

Trump: Hillary got schlonged!

Karl: people love the Trump!

Karl: He's got the poll numbers!
Magazine covers! Saturday Night Live!

Karl: Poltifact gave Trump the award for 
Lie of the Year

Karl: not just for one lie – for all the 
many lies he's told

Trump: I tell the most lies! I tell the best lies!

Karl: he's the greatest at everything 
– even lying

Trump: political correctness is 
killing this country

Jeb: you can't insult your way to the Presidency

Trump: hey Jebbie I'm at 43% and 
you're at 2%

Karl: he's been leading for 5 months now

Karl: can he win any votes?

Karl: and what if he loses in Iowa?

Karl: so many questions

[ break ]

Karl: welcome Jon Kasich

Kasich: nice to see you again Jon

Karl: you too Jon

Kasich: and you Jon

Karl: Obama may be going to deport illegals!

Karl: Trump is claiming credit 
for this crackdown

Karl: are we seeing a 'Tump Effect'?

Kasich: everyone undocumented
person should be in prison

Karl: whoa

Kasich: it wasn't Trump – 
my good friend Bill O'Reilly started 
all this hating on immigrants

Karl: so why is Trump so popular

Kasich: poor white guys hate lobbyists

Karl: who will speak for the white men?

Kasich: there's no unemployment in Ohio

Karl: really?

Kasich: yep we got rid of it

Karl: so that sly Obama
wrecked America except for Ohio

Kasich: and we give you free
health care if you have autism

Karl: that's nice of you

Kasich: attacking women and
Muslims and Hispanics is not smart

Karl: when you put them
together that is a lot of people

Karl: Cruz wants to deport
11 million undocumented people

Kasich: dumb

Karl: you say that so are you
out of touch with the GOP voters?

Kasich: I've done more town
hall meetings than anyone else

Karl: I'm sorry to hear that

Karl: what's your plan?

Kasich: finish the border

Karl: is it not finished?

Kasich: we're not going to split up
families and deport 11 million people
it's just not going to happen

Kasich: ignore the polls – I'm begging you!

Karl: okay

and also please ignore who ever wins Iowa

Karl: all right then

Kasich: also New Hampshire

Karl: will you support Trump
if he's the nominee?

Kasich: well he's toned down the rhetoric

Karl: he has?

Kasich: Ohio voters don't
want a bunch of windbags

Karl: so picky

Kasich: you can't win the White House without Ohio

Karl: you really want to be
Vice President don't you

Kasich: we give you free health care!

Karl: do you have to win the
New Hampshire primary?

Kasich: I have to come in
third or maybe fourth

Karl: aim high Jon

Kasich: I will catch fire and then who knows

Karl: stop drop and roll?

Kasich: I will do New Hampshire
town halls even after the primaries!

Karl: that is just sad

Kasich: please vote for me –
oh god what have I become

Karl: you're about to get bumped
down to the kiddie table debate

Kasich: I hope to be allowed on the big stage

Karl: you hope?

Kasich: I got a great ground game
that's what wins elections

Karl: no the best ideas or best 
proposals or best party or best track 
record or the best person?

Kasich: no it's organization and money

Karl: well thanks for coming Jon

Kasich: you too Jon

[ break ]

Karl: welcome panelists

Karl: Matthew Dowd in September
you predicted Trump would be the nominee

Dowd: nailed it

Karl: what could stop Donald Trump?

Dowd: a self–inflicted wound – for example
if said something really embarrassing

Karl: ??

Dowd: heh

Karl: like calling American soldiers murderers?

Dowd: no I get what you're saying –
it's Trump's nomination to lose!

Rick Perry: as I quit I would just like
to say Donald Trump is an idiot
and is wrecking my party

Scott Walker: God asked me to run 
and now God wants to me drop out and 
as I leave I would just to beg everyone to 
drop out too or we'll end up with that nut 
Trump as our party's nominee

Jindal: I am dropping out because
voters don't want policy – they want
that racist demagogue oh lord what 
have we created

Lindsay Graham: I have to drop out but
I am warning y'all this is not a game show

Karl: nothing can stop Donald Trump!

Kristol: GOP voters hate the media 
and their leadership and the 
establishment and America 
and also reality

Kristol: their irrational hatred of 
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and 
has transferred to Republican leaders

Karl: you loved it and nourished it when
it was Vince Foster and Birthers and
now you can't control it

Kristol: I still think Trump will collapse

Karl: dream on

Kristol: he's vulnerable! I swear!

Bruce: when he loses Iowa will he freak out?

Karl: probably not

Bruce: he has no pollsters or
anyone on the ground

Karl: he has no campaign staff –
but who cares he's winning

Granderson: these are the chickens are
coming home to roost – Republicans coyly
flirted with birtherism and they're 
stuck plucking the chicken that hatched 
from the egg they layed

Karl: well put LZ

Granderson: now they can't control 
the monster they stitched together from 
the dead body parts of George Wallace 
and Strom Thurmond and Rush Limbaugh

Karl: Limbaugh is still alive

Granderson: have you checked lately

Karl: when Trump was birther 
they ignored him

Granderson: no they didn't 
– they embraced him!

Dowd: the American people want
strength that why Trump is winning

Karl: who wins Iowa and New Hampshire?

Dowd: Iowa is between Cruz and Trump
with Cruz winning a close one

Dowd: more interesting is who 
comes in third?

Dowd: Trump wins South Carolina too

Granderson: Cruz wins Iowa
then it goes Trump and Trump

Kristol: Trump doesn't win either

Karl: oh really

Kristol: Cruz wins Iowa and Christie wins
New Hampshire then Trump wins South
Carolina because why the hell not

Kristol: but I could be wrong – I usually am

Karl: that's true

Kristol: one of the many things I've
been wrong about is the idea Trump
bubble would burst

Kristol: also he's a got a bigger 
staff than people think

Bruce: I predict Trump wins Iowa 
– Christie wins New Hampshire and 
then Trump South Carolina

Dowd: it's a state-by-state race 
for the first four states and then 
it's a cage match free for all

Karl: so exciting!

Dowd: by mid March we'll have nominee

Granderson: what can stop Trump – nothing!

Kristol: but he's not even leading in Iowa!

Granderson: you're desperate

Kristol: he won't be the nominee!

Karl: you're hoping and praying

Kristol: what is life without prayer

Karl: so what stops him?

Kristol: Ohio and Florida are winner-take-all
and they're home to Kasich and Rubio

Bruce: then we'll have a brokered
convention will run by Paul Ryan!

Karl: the fun is just starting!