Monica Crowley

The Silver Foxes

On the Sunday morning talk shows today, two men, each with great shocks of silver hair, made the rounds.

One was the former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. He spoke about his decision not to enter the race for the Republican nomination for president. And then he deconstructed the Republicans' liabilities and assets heading into 2008, articulated a clear strategy for the party, and discussed policy with the brilliance of a policy wonk.

The other was former president Bill Clinton, who spoke of his role as his wife's lead cheerleader. And then he deconstructed the Republicans' liabilities and assets, articulated a clear strategy for his party, and discussed policy with the brilliance of a policy wonk.

Forget about these interminably excruciating Democratic and Republican debates, with their dizzying array of multiple no-chance candidates and their 60 second empty soundbytes.

Give us Newt and Bill.  Mano a mano. Give us these two political titans, these two towering intellects, these two genius strategists. Put the two of them on a stage together and let them duke it out over the nation's most important issues.  Give us these two real policy thinkers and doers. Give us a real debate.

Bring on the silver foxes.

John McCain: The Comeback Kid?

Is John McCain poised to become the comeback kid?  I'll be joined by the Senator for a LIVE interview from the campaign trail in New Hampshire!  If your local station is preempting the program for college football, remember to visit the STATION FINDER section here on the site, for a complete list of stations offering streaming audio of the broadcast.

Then, we'll focus on the Democrats, who are finally turning their gun turrets on Hillary.  I'll talk about their debate this week, what happened, and why Hillary made the same mistake Rudy Giuliani did last week.

And, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hugo Chavez AND Kevin Spacey walk into a bar... Plus, more politics galore and why the Democrats ought to stop having schadenfreude over the GOP's troubles.

Ball and Chain

You can just imagine the sound and the fury that engulfed Chez Clinton late last night.

During the Democratic debate in New Hampshire, New York's Junior Senator was asked if a president should have the ability to order the torture of a terrorist to extract information in the event of an imminent attack.

"It cannot be American policy, period," Mrs. Clinton replied, then sat back to take in the inevitable applause from the liberal, mostly college-age crowd. 

Used to softballs, she was unprepared for what happened next:  getting whipsawed by a follow-up from moderator Tim Russert, who reminded her that her lovemuffin, Bill, had SUPPORTED the torture exemption recently on "Meet the Press."

Behold the icy stare.

The Junior Senator clasped the podium, and through gritted teeth and phony smile, said, "Well, I'll talk to him later."

The Ice Queen cometh.

The New York Daily News reports today that Bill wasn't the only one who has supported a presidential exception for emergency torture.  In fact, the Missus told the Daily News last October that she did too:  "If we're going to be preparing for the kind of improbable but possible eventuality, then it has to be done within the rule of law."

She went on to say that "the ticking time bomb" scenario represented an exception to her opposition to torture:  "...then," she said, "the decision to depart from standard international practices must be made by the president..."

Did she just contradict herself last night?  Yeah, she did!  This so rarely happens it's like seeing the Biblical red heifer.

You can just imagine her "conversation" with Bill as soon as the lights at Dartmouth went down:

Her: "I'm sick and tired of answering for you, fool!  From now on, zip it!"

Him:  "But honey, I was just echoing what you said last October."

Her:  "You're not helping, Bill."

Him:  "Sweet pea, you've got to pay attention to your own positions.  I can't do that for you."

Her:  "Shouldn't you be having a nightcap with Brad and Angie or something?  Huma!  Get me Eleanor Roosevelt on the line."

"Space" Cadets

In the high-minded and patriotic and not-at-all treasonous tradition of Sean Penn and Danny Glover, actor Kevin Spacey met yesterday with Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.  Getting face time with the tyrant was a big score for Spacey, as he hasn't had a serious movie role in years.  Guess this was his way of reminding Hollywood that he's still "relevant." 

The worse the oppressor, the more chic it is for these Hollywood types to be seen with them.  Chavez is a sworn enemy of the United States, has called President Bush "the devil" (although many in this country have called him worse), is allied with Cuba's Castro and Ahmadinejad's Iran.  He manipulates his country's formidable oil supplies to jack up world prices.  And he supports Islamic terrorist and organized crime syndicates in their operations against the United States.

But Hollywood eats the guy up. Just as so many elites applauded Ahmadinejad this week as he spoke at Columbia and the United Nations.  Hating the United States is "cool;" therefore, embracing those who hate America is "cool."  In his Columbia speech, Ahmadinejad had most of the elites going along with him---until he blew it by saying he wanted more "research" into the Holocaust, and by proclaiming there were no gays in Iran.  That didn't go over particularly well with the far-left crowd.

The problem with Spacey's visit with Chavez and the podium granted to Ahmadinejad was that they confer legitimacy upon enemies of America who should only be denied it.  They also send a signal to the opposition in Venezuela and Iran and elsewhere to forget about any real support from the U.S. because our elites are enthralled by their oppressors. 

The "artistic" and "intellectual" communities have long been in love with America's enemies, for a whole range of reasons from guilt to shame to haughty self-righteousness.  So the movie stars and playwrights, directors and writers, visit those enemies, schmooze with the dictators, and proclaim themselves "enlightened."  But have you ever noticed that none of them actually relocates to the places they so romanticize?

Laugh-In

New York's Junior Senator must have visited the dentist right before her appearance on all of the Sunday morning talk shows yesterday, because she giggled her way through each and every one of them. It must have been the remnants of laughing gas, as there is no other credible explanation for her laughfest.

She did the full tour of the networks and was asked in each forum about her newest health care reform proposal. Instead of answering, she lapsed into a fit of the cackles.

"Senator, your critics say this is socialized medicine."

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

"Senator, how are you going to pay the $110 billion a year price tag?"

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

"Senator, how are you going to force Americans to buy health insurance?"

"HAHAHAHAHA! You know, Bob...."

I don't know which high-priced political consultant advised her to descend into giggles when asked about the centerpiece of her campaign, but they ought to be fired. I don't know what a president of the United States sounds like, but I know what a president DOESN'T sound like, and it's this: phony, faux girlish, ridiculous. It's clearly an attempt to deflect answering the actual question, of course, but there are ways to do that a bit more sophisticated than sounding like a teenage girl having finished her first beer.

Stop with the fake laughing. Nobody is laughing with you, but they are laughing at you.

Stupid celebrities, Hillary's denial and Evil in the City

This weekend on the radio, self-inflicted celebrity stupidity and the use of Jesus by celebrities for political and legal purposes.  I'll be joined by Eric Metaxis, author of Everything You Wanted to Know About God (But Were Afraid to Ask) LINK

Then, Hillary denies being a lesbian LINK and won't condemn the MoveOn.Org ad.  LINK

And, should teachers be allowed to bring guns to school? Lawyers for the Medford, Ore. high school teacher who wants the right to bring her Glock-9mm pistol to school filed suit in Jackson County Circuit Court Tuesday, in a case that's being closely watched by both gun rights groups and school boards nationwide.  LINK

Finally, the Mahmoud Takes Manhattan!  LINK

All Rise!

Judges are getting their groove on this week.

Case #1:  The People v. Orenthal James Simpson (again).  This complicated mess of a case is the THIRD trial in TWELVE YEARS in which OJ Simpson has been the defendant.  Three trials in twelve years!  He needs to start reimbursing the American people for court costs.

Case #2:  Britney Spears v. Kevin Federline.  A family court judge ordered Spears to get sober, quit the drugs, and lay off the booze, or face losing her two children.  So what does Brit Brit do?  P-A-R-T-Y, woo-hoo!  She was spotted at LA hotspots until the wee hours last night, showing everyone how seriously she takes motherhood. 

Case #3:  The People v. Andrew Meyer.  This University of Florida student staged a heckling of Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, refused to exit gracefully, and got tasered by the campus police, leading to the most notable quotable of the month:  "Don't taser me, bro!  Ow!  Ow!"

Their cases are wildly different, but they do have this in common: Their utter disregard for the law and authority---and for any sense of what is right.  They're getting a lot of public attention because they're famous---or just famously stupid.  But on some level, they get satisfaction from being the nation's center of attention.  It's almost as if the country needs OJ Simpson and Britney Spears to act out, and they are just fulfilling their roles.

Back To The Future

OJ Simpson under arrest.  Hillary Clinton talking about her universal health care plan.

We're partying like it's 1994.

It's amazing how far arrogance can take you.  Since her first health care debacle, Hillary Clinton says she's learned her lesson, learned how to compromise and build consensus, and learned that nationalizing America's health system was not the way to go.

Behold Hillary's NEW health plan, unveiled by the Junior Senator today.  Although it's a bit less ambitious than the first one, it's chock-full of government-run initiatives and expanded programs.  And of course, it wouldn't be a Hillary program if it didn't have a big tax hike.  She claims it will cost $110 billion a year.  That's a low-ball estimate if I ever heard one, given what this plan tries to do.  And hey, Senator: was there any Republican input?  Any of that "consensus" and "compromise" you seemed to have discovered the way celebrities in trouble find Jesus?

Didn't think so.

OJ Simpson back in the Big House, this time for alleged armed robbery.  No lessons learned here, either.

I hope you liked the mid-1990s, because you're about to relive them.

World War IV, Petraeus and another Hsu drops

This weekend on the radio: World War IV.  What Kathy Griffin can teach us about the current war.  LINK  Plus, my very special guest: Norman Podhoretz, author of World War IV.

Then, Iraq, Petraeus, Hillary, Rudy, and the New York Times:  what's really behind all of the headlines  LINK

Also, the Top 10 Reasons Why the Media Loved the First Clinton Co-Presidency.  And the Top Ten Reasons Why They'd Like Another!  Plus, another Hsu drops! LINK

Getting away with murder

It was just a matter of time.

Today we were treated to the news that OJ Simpson is under investigation for allegedly breaking into a Vegas hotel room. He claims he was just trying to get back some sports memorabilia--and apparently the suit he wore when he was acquitted of double homicide--that he says belong to him.

The Vegas police have a different take. Based on eyewitness accounts, they say he forced his way into the room, flanked by five armed thugs, who forced the memorabilia dealer to hand over the stuff at gunpoint.

We don't know the facts of this case yet. But we do know this: somebody who killed two people is not someone who will feel a particular affinity for the law. He is also a classic narcissist who craves the spotlight.  That explains the two perverse episodes that have OJ back in the headlines this week. Only a narcissist would write a so-called "fictionalized" account of how he committed that double murder. And only a narcissist who got away with that double murder would push the envelope by allegedly breaking into a hotel room surrounded by gangsters with guns.

This is what happens when justice does not prevail. When someone is permitted to get away with murder, bad things follow. That's no surprise. The only surprise here is that it took so long for OJ to ensnare himself again.