- from last night’s program:
Hardly ... unless you want to believe yesterday’s Washington Post article. From Baghdad, Jim Clancy reported that even though the surge has helped to keep al Qaeda at bay and that they have lost Sunni support, they’re still capable of mounting many deadly suicide attacks against civilians.
When Peter Bergen was asked by Anderson if the timing of the WP article was coincidental, given the negative public remarks made about the war effort by General Sanchez just this past Friday, Peter declined to answer. As a side note – I don’t think that’s happened before – with Peter, anyway.
A pre-recorded panel discussion with Peter and “Looming Tower” author Lawrence Wright was further enlightening – the discussion detailed how al Qaeda is “apocalyptic” in their long-term goals, as opposed to political. There is no middle ground within their demands, and any “good faith” efforts made to demonstrate compromise, such as withdrawal of troops from Saudi Arabia, receives no acknowledgement. The consensus appeared to be that although there may be a momentary “lull” in activity, these terrorists are still a significant force that will need to be dealt with for many (many) years to come.
Republicans on the attack – at one another ...
John King reported that since the Iowa votes are less than 3 months away and there is still no clear front-runner, the Republican Presidential candidates have turned to attacking each other in an effort to distinguish themselves (now there’s an oxymoron) and somehow get an edge in this neck-and-neck race. There is more effort to identify who is the true conservative in the group, particularly since the inheritance of the party leadership (post George W. Bush) is on the line.
David Gergen also weighed in with more comments about how the current candidates are breaking Ronald Reagan’s “11th Commandment” about not attacking fellow Republicans. It underscores what a fragile alliance is contained within the party, what with staunch conservatives on the far right, and moderates still entrenched in the middle.
What are friends for??
So should we be surprised that two of OJ Simpson’s co-defendents have arranged for plea deals and are scheduled to testify against him in “Memorabilia-gate”? And will it actually be a disadvantage or not? Regardless, it’s nice to see a tiny bit of humor in what will otherwise be arduous coverage of a meaningless trial for a (possible) petty theft – albeit with guns drawn, of course ...
Golf, anyone?
When will they learn? I know – rhetorical question. It seems that Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson has a ‘golfing buddy’ who just happened to receive a $400,000 no-bid Katrina rebuilding contract. And it was expedited. So we get water to people at the Super Dome, but it takes twice as long as it should, yet we can approve contracts for ‘friends’ in half the time that it normally takes? Now there’s an efficient Republican-run government for you … and this comes to light after Secretary Jackson has testified before a Senate committee this past May that he never gets involved in any aspect of contract awards. Yeah, right, Mr. Secretary ...
Space alien invasion?
Rudy Giuliani was asked what he would do if the United States were attacked by space aliens – this was, of course, from a young student in New Hampshire. His answer wasn’t broadcast, but perhaps it was being channeled through Tom Foreman ...
Planet in Peril preview ...
More footage of Anderson & Jeff in the Amazon Rainforest, showing the devastating destruction it’s undergoing and the effects it has on all of us ...
AC on Late Night ...
Anderson showed a clip of his appearance on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (also last night) – the full appearance was good, and funny, as can be expected. There was discussion about the making of Planet in Peril (but no preview clip shown), and also other discussion about how the “fat deposit” underneath Anderson’s left eye shows up so much more clearly on HD TV. And about how he consulted with a plastic surgeon to have it removed – and was given a list of “other” improvements that could also be made ... this so-called “surgeon” obviously needs glasses ...
Other News & Notes:
Another busy day for Anderson on Monday ...
In addition to anchoring 360° and appearing on Late Night (you can watch last night’s show here), Anderson also squeezed in some time to present an Edward R. Murrow Award at the Radio & Television News Director’s Annual Dinner last night – you can read a quick suumary of the event here.
AC on Sesame Street ...
Filling in for Oscar on GNN (Grouch News Network), Anderson made his Sesame Street debut today, interviewing “Dan Rather-not” and “Walter Cranky” – and getting some journalism “advice” from Oscar himself ... a very cute episode, to say the least ...
Canadians have EXCELLENT taste ... an excerpt from Shelley Fralic’s column in today’s Vancouver Sun:
“So many guilty pleasures, so little time”
“Even in the wake of a brand new season, with dozens of brand new shows, the pickings can be slim, as television remains a relentless treadmill of reality nonsense, bleary clones, inane game shows and mindlessly gory crime dramas.
Thank the TV gods, then, for Anderson Cooper, the thinking journalist's next generation and a guilty pleasure with substance.
Where the Jon Stewarts and Stephen Colberts charm critics with their clever biting sendups of news and political buffoonery, Cooper is actually out there finding real news and reporting real news, clearly a throwback to a time before the American news networks were lulled into complacency by pack journalism, celebrity obsession, rampant jingosim, Bush-bashing and wire-rip reading.
Cooper, prematurely grey at 40 and seriously intense at all times, is the Yale-educated son of New York socialite Gloria Vanderbilt and, with no prior experience in journalism, headed to Burma, Vietnam, Rwanda, Somalia and Bosnia in the early 1990s, filing freelance reports to a small network called Channel One.
He would spend a few years at ABC before signing on with CNN in 2001, in the wake of 9/11.
Today, he anchors CNN's Anderson Cooper 360° and pinch-hits on 60 Minutes, and he does it all with style and credibility.
Cooper inherently understands the concept of breaking news, and of staying on a story long after others have abandoned it.
He has reported from Iraq and Beirut, and is the reason the world is still paying attention to the social, environmental and political debacle that is New Orleans two years after Hurricane Katrina.”
Thanks for visiting ... updates posted as needed ... have a terrific day!
2 comments:
It looks like another “Mission Accomplished” moment to me. I think Peter is right, it is wishful thinking and al-Qaeda may come back with a vengeance. I also agree with Anderson; the timing of this article is rather suspicious coming on the heels of General Sanchez’s recent “nightmare with no end remark.” I was surprised that Peter did not respond to Anderson’s question; that was rather uncharacteristic of him. I think even Anderson was a bit startled.
I really like those Charlie Rose-like, in the dark interviews, like the one Anderson did with Michael Ware. They are much more intimate and dramatic; they force the viewer to focus in on what is being said without being distracted by any bells or whistles.
When I started watching the “Planet in Peril” segments on “360” I was constantly reminded of a quote by naturalist and Sierra Club founder John Muir:
"When one tugs at a single thing in nature; he finds it attached to the rest of the world."
- John Muir
If everyone would keep this sentiment in mind maybe they would make better choices.
The “fatty deposit” discussion on “Conan” was hilarious, but I wasn’t prepared for the up close and personal shot of Anderson’s baby blues!
I think that "fatty deposit" gives Anderson's face some character! I agree, that plastic surgeon does need glasses, thick ones!
"Sesame Street" was very sweet and Anderson looked like he had a lot of fun doing it.
Great blog and caps! Thanks again!
Thanks ... I just hope we don't get "lulled" into sense of complacency - for eveyone's sake - when it comes to al Qaeda and the entire mess that is now Iraq.
Post a Comment