Pacifica is the real thing, not Air America
We highly recommend the Ian Masters program, Background Briefing, on KPFK.
Today he had on Lawrence O’Donnell, whose weaselly backtracking from his McLaughlin Group comments was highly entertaining. O’Donnell said that (a) he didn’t think Rove had violated the law in his discussions with TIME Magazine, and that (b) he didn’t think Rove lied to the Grand Jury. What appeared clear from O’Donnell’s comments is that he saw a nanosecond’s worth of opportunity to grab a headline, so he did. He apparently knew a bit about the conversations with TIME, but didn’t want to get dragged into the Wilson/Plame issue, so said what he did at the precise moment that TIME was turning over its emails to the special prosecutor, which was during the taping of the McLaughlin Group. In the future, we’ll all be Lawrence O’Donnell for fifteen seconds (photo via NRO).
A subsequent interview, after a dysfunctional session with General Odom on the problems with FBI reform, took place with a rather earnest gentleman, whose name we can’t presently recall, about his book or article based on interviews with all National Security Council chairs over the last 25 years. The fellow, who seemed to us a Brookings type — dedicated Democrat with a sharp mind, good facts, a love of reasoned debate, and a constructive disposition — made his case very well. (Thanks to the Apologist, we now believe that the interviewee was David J. Rothkopf.) He viewed the Bush adminstration’s Iraq policies as deeply flawed and destructive, but was polite and realistic in doing so, recognizing strengths where strengths were inarguable.
You should have heard the calls: KPFK listeners were furious. They did not want any part of reasoned debate. Chimpy McBushitler is the stupidest, evilest president ever. Condi Rice is just as stupid, and an incompetent liar. Bush stole 2000, and he stole 2004 too — his friends own all the voting machines. The war is all about oil and Halliburton. Bush is behind 9-11, etc.
It is just so pleasant to listen to the real Left, unfiltered and unashamed. Masters’ interview with John Conyers was equally rewarding — oops, we mean Chairman John Conyers.
July 4th, 2005 at 8:43 pm
Was your reasonable fellow David J. Rothkopf, author of “RUNNING THE WORLD The Inside Story of the National Security Council and the Architects of American Power”, perhaps? I saw him on After Words on Book TV this weekend, but I can barely stand that show anymore. Two people who agree with each other on Bush’s incompetence, amorality, and lust for oil and empire, talking about the national security establishment and the war in Iraq just isn’t interesting, let alone informative. It’s like listening to Tim Robbin’s inner monologue/dialogue.