John McCain wasn't available?

How did Arne Duncan allow himself to be touring the country with Newt Gingrich? Truly strange.

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/on-education/2009/08/17/arne-duncan-al-sharpton-and-newt-gingrich-join-forces.html

Al Sharpton is a joke.
Newt Gingrich is a joke.
See. Fair and balanced!

Gingrich says entertaining things and kisses up to the hosts. That's all these shows care about. You keep assuming the Sunday shows are intended to actually inform the public and/or relate to the actual governance of the country.

Why are any of these people on any of these "news" shows? Its the same people recycled over and over (they're all, apparently, experts on every conceivable issue). Its reality tv not news.

At the top of Andrea Mitchell's show today she had Pete Williams and David Gregory on to talk about Holder's announcement to try the 9/11 conspirators in NYC. Williams, ok, but Gregory? He's an expert on...what exactly?

Then they previewed his lineup for Sunday's MTP, and he was all agiggle over his focus on education and his guests. Arne Duncan, ok, but then "the odd couple"? Well, of course. Instead of folks who know about this stuff, who study it and make it their business to have facts and data and experience in the field, we get....political celebrities. That's all these guys are.

You know, we have some of the best universities in the world, with some very smart, engaging, even charismatic faculty members and researchers who would really be fun to listen to on the many perspectives that bear on this debate.

Newspapers, the evening news, Sunday news programs, all stuck in an outdated model of information and intelligent discourse.

Really sad.

Sharpton continues untouched as a tool of the corporate elite...

The producers like us, but they like large numberds more. It's not news or even serious thinkers anymore. It's all about ratings -- and entertainers boost ratings, not serious people talking about serious things -- like policy -- so we get entertainers, celebrities, people who are well-known for simply being well-known., These two professional clowns, Michael Steele, Bill Kristol, Jonah Goldberg -- entertaining clowns for the conversatives' bread and circuses.

Sad. Really sad.

No, No. The original odd couple debate tour was Timothy Leary and G Gordon Libby.

Compared to that freakshow, Gingrich/Sharpton is just an afterschool special (and not even a very special one).

This is just NBC doing audition for their new political freak show couple now that the Carville/Matlin freak show has moved to CNN.

MTP needs to hire some bookers with a political and cultural awareness that is current. I suppose that being stuck in 1995 is progress. It is an improvement over being stuck in 1982.

Cheers

They have to have Republicans for "balance". It's not MTP's fault that the Republicans don't have anyone better to offer than Gingrich and McCain.

I wouldn't say Gingrich and Sharpton are the original Odd Couple. But they beat Matthau and Lemmon for sure. The very concept of those two agreeing is enough that I'm surprised my head didn't explode. Apparently, I didn't think about it enough.

but [Newt's] been a featured guest on "Meet the Press" every other month this year since March.

McCain must be charging too much for appearances now.

Shouldn't good Dems rejoice everytime Newt's doublewide mug fills the screen?

Same for face-time for McCain, Steele, Lord Armey of Dick, etc.

Most folks know these losers are losers. The news programs will always give Republicans as much time as they want. Why gripe when the Republicans squander the favor by showcasing their most loathsome apostles?

Why is this so hard to understand?

What you are looking at is a graphic illustration of the total lack of GOP bench strength.

If you are going to be "bi-partisan," that means finding someone from the GOP.

OK....start running through the Rolodex and looking for those sharp intellectual thinkers, those leaders of the loyal opposition, those principled folks with alternative ideas.

OK....can't find any....well we'll have to go for the tried and true....Newt and John will ALWAYS fill a seat when summoned. We know what they will say and they will say "No," and they will say "the Obama Administration is making a mistake," and they will say "We are heading over a cliff," and when asked what their alternative is.....oh sorry....it would be impolite to ask such questions.

And that pretty much sums up what they have to say

Maybe it's how the Republicans plan on keeping the new Conservative party out of power. If they keep showing their old faces, the new faces can't get time to be recognized.

"..but he's been a featured guest on "Meet the Press" every other month this year since March."

Where is the "new generation" of Republican leaders they keep promising?