Meet the Press Senate Debates, Round 2

Russert brought Republican Senator Jim Talent and Democratic challenger state auditor Claire McCaskill on Sunday. Pretty telling in a few spots, I believe. Some outtakes:

McCASKILL: Tim, as a former prosecutor, I had to handle dozens and dozens of heartbreaking cases where children had been sexually abused, where predators had been doing their work. I know this: that when a 50-year-old man is asking a teenage boy on the Internet for his picture, the response needs to be something other than, “I better go tell the chairman of the Republican Campaign Committee.”

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MR. RUSSERT: In your three years in the Senate, you have voted with the president 94 percent of the time. Why shouldn’t voters in Missouri say “Jim Talent is a rubber stamp for George W. Bush. If I disagree with George W. Bush, goodbye, Talent”?

SEN. TALENT: Well, with surveys, it all depends on the issues you look at, Tim. I mean, if you survey immigration, if you survey farm policy, if you survey highway and transportation infrastructure funding, you’ll find the president and I disagreed. I mean, there are surveys that show I’m one of the most independent Republicans. It all depends on...

MR. RUSSERT: Well, the Congressional Quarterly says you voted with him 94 percent of the time.

SEN. TALENT: I think it was the National Journal that said I was, like, one of the most independent Republicans. Yeah, and why don’t they ever say in those surveys that the president agreed with me a certain percentage of the time? I mean, I’ve been in public life a lot longer when he has. When I went into Congress, I think he was still running the Texas Rangers. Now, he’s come a little bit further, I guess, than I have since then. The point is, I have a set of views, a set of things I want to do to make the system work for Missouri. Let me take just 60 seconds, because the election’s really about the state auditor and me...

MR. RUSSERT: Well, let me ask you—but, but the issue of President Bush’s...(unintelligible). Do you believe that President Bush is a great president?

SEN. TALENT: History judges presidents, and I think it’s going to make a judgment based on his record when it’s completed...

MR. RUSSERT: But you supported him 94 percent of the time, and he’s been in the state four times campaigning for you. Why not?

SEN. TALENT: I think he’s going to be—I think history’s going to say there were some things he did that were right, and some things he did that were wrong. Certainly, he’s going to end up better than Jimmy Carter, probably not as good as Ronald Reagan, and a lot depends on what happens on whether we complete the mission, and, and—in, in Iraq, and win the war on terror. I mean...
...you got to have some distance before you make judgments like that. He was right in the tax cuts that have driven economic growth, and he’s right in a pro-growth, pro-renewable energy policy, he’s wrong in his immigration policy, wrong to support an amnesty and oppose a security fence. My opponent agrees with him there.
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These are pretty fun. Russert is being pretty tough on both sides. Also, they had Woodward on, who pretty much scewers folks like Scocroft who said they never talked to him. (Do they think a journo -- a veteran journo -- isn't going to keep notes about when and where they spoke?)

Full transcript: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15116699/

 

Oops. Seems like this was actually Round 4. Missed the first two.
Here's the sched:
September 3rd - PENNSYLVANIA Incumbent Senator Rick Santorum (R) vs. State Treasurer Bob Casey (D)

September 17th - VIRGINIA Incumbent Senator George Allen (R) vs. former Secretary of the Navy Jim Webb (D)

October 1st - OHIO Incumbent Senator Mike DeWine (R) vs. Rep. Sherrod Brown (D)

October 8th - MISSOURI Incumbent Senator Jim Talent (R) vs. State Auditor Claire McCaskill (D)

October 15th - MINNESOTA OPEN SEAT - Sen. Mark Dayton (D) is retiring. Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar (D) vs. Rep. Mark Kennedy (R)

October 29th - MARYLAND OPEN SEAT - Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D) is retiring. Rep. Ben Cardin (D) vs. Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (R).

 

I thought McCaskill and Talent both acquitted themselves rather well.

I am also interested in how the 94% is measured. If it is based on voting for bills that Bush signed, I think that number is misleading. I bet almost all Dems would be well above 50% -- consider how many minor bills are passed unanmiously.

 

Except this passage from Talent is not inspiring:

SEN. TALENT: ...it was the—I think it was the only possible strategic choice. Look, Saddam had been an organic threat in the region for a long time. He represented a threat to us. That threat is now gone. Tim, look at what’s not happening.

Organic threat?
Look at what's not happening?
Urgh.

 

What's not happening? Wow. The earth hasn't spiraled into the sun, so I guess that's a positive the GOP can point to.

 

Look at what's not happening?
Well, Rerun died a while back.

 

That was Clinton's fault

 

No matter how the 94 percent is measured, it certainly appeared Talent wanted there to be no connection between his campaign and the president. Backpedaled far away from the question "do you think he's a great president?" Then, included that little swipe about why it isn't the president agreeing with him. "...I’ve been in public life a lot longer when he has. When I went into Congress, I think he was still running the Texas Rangers."

Didn't exactly come across as respect for the party's leader.

... and if, at a 94 percent agreement with Bush, he's one of the "most independent Republicans," what does that say about partisanship?

 

What's not happening? Wow. The earth hasn't spiraled into the sun, so I guess that's a positive the GOP can point to.
[/quote]

Mission Accomplished!

 

Mission Accomplished!
[/quote]

That's because GWB is the greatest hero in the history of the world.

Sorry, I couldn't find the graphic.

 

I thought Talent oozed insider guy who needs to be booted.

 

I thought he just didn't come off as forthright. He seemed to back away from almost every question, kept trying to change the subject. Russert had to yank his collar back into the fray a few times. And he was a bit confused, too.

Meanwhile, the chick answered the tough questions. Abortion, Clinton, fuel bill... she answered.