Charlie Rose

TABS  09/23/2008 03:14 AM Report

Is Obama going to DUMP Biden over a supposed health issue in favor of Hillary? Rumor has it October 5Th is the date. Could it be that the Obama campaign read TABS and his "Advantage McCain" piece and sees that the symbolism of an older woman as VP is the only way to counter Palin?--------------------However to dump Biden for anything less than being on his death bed will be disastrous to the Obama campaign. Why couldn't he just get it right the first time will be the cry.--------------------------------In light of the current economic crisis, it really doesn't matter which candidate wins the election. Either candidate as President will be hamstrung, with little or no latitude for anything other than survival.

Steve Brown  09/22/2008 03:58 AM Report

Bob Schieffer of CBS News is a classic newsman. Schieffer is the last of the breed who gave CBS their golden reputation for journalistic integrity. Jonathan Alter of Newsweek is so predisposed to the Democratic candidate; it makes for a poor interview. I was surprised Alter was not wearing an Obama campaign button. Paul Begala of CNN, a diehard Democrat, balanced his comments and was very interesting. Begala on political strategy is a good listen no matter where you reside on the political spectrum. Newsweek has a much better stable of journalists than what Alter represents. When "lipstick on a pig" is hotly debated, it proves substance is truly missing in this election. It still makes me laugh when people like Alter say "this is a change election." Anyone who thinks either Obama or McCain are agents of change will be hanging their heads in despair in four years. It is sad we need something like the former Soviet Union to inspire us to greatness. Our congested Congress holds us down.

SBAT  09/21/2008 05:41 PM Report

Hey TABS you Dumba*s you said when takling about the change slogan "The difference here is that Mr McCain is not the sitting President running for reelection". Well you conveniently ignore the fact that John McCain's policies are the same as those of Bush. So if it isn't change that Obama is running on, when he is trying to move the country away from a third term of Bush, then what is it?

Jamie  09/16/2008 01:36 AM Report

Someone should call Sarah Palin out for overtly playing the gender card.

Why is no one doing this?

She is saying in campaign speeches about "shattering the hardest glass ceiling of all."

She is OVERTLY playing the GENDER CARD. What if Obama goes out and says that this is a wonderful time for black people? How would that play in the media. Yet, the media is letting her get away with this obnoxious statements.

aa  09/15/2008 11:17 PM Report

haha! lets se what ur stupid americasn going to vote this time ur so smart that u elected bush twice!! haha if u americans never learn that war dosnt do anything exept hate!! if mccain is going to be president then u will see 4 or 8 years of bush again maybe a little differens who nobody will see! i prey for u stupid lives americans get a desent president! u should just know how stupid u look to us skandinavies!! take care of ur people first u let people die on the streets! its 1000 of wrong thing with america and none of u retars see it?? i just laught to ur stupidity! lets see a change prove that u arent stupid, but that are a impossible task for stupidones!

grettz from sweden

Lance Dugger  09/15/2008 10:47 AM Report

An additional thought just crossed my mind about the political campaign yet to be waged by Sen. Obama, he should have Hilary Clinton speak to her boosters on the not so subtle race question she herself exploited in the primaries, and its legacy now being reaped by Sen. McCain in the general election. Former president Clinton would also be a strong voice to speak to those Democrats who would rather throw over all their lofty principals than vote for a black man. Finally America should be put on notice that the Black population of this nation, while being ignored by the media pundits, neverless are not ignoring the choice white America is making and what it says about the true intent of this country and how that impacts their future here.

Lance Dugger  09/15/2008 10:33 AM Report

Gentelmen, The more I listen to analysis of the upcoming presidential election, the more depressed I get. I don't believe the entire print and video media haven't got a clue as to what we are now witnessing. Its been obvious to Black Americans what this election and the attendent hubub is all about. It isn't about whether Sen Obama is ready and or qualified to be President of the United States, which he obviously is, but rather whether white America is ready for a Black President, which it equally as obviously isn't. The only question left to be answered by this election is whether this rascist remnant of the old body politic is large enough to deny the country the kind of chief executive it desperately needs at this dire moment in our and the world's history.

TABS  09/15/2008 05:56 AM Report

There is one way for the Obama campaign to overcome the advantage of the McCain campaign symbolism. Let us see if the Dems are smart enough to get it?

Travis  09/14/2008 11:37 PM Report

True. The title should have read 'A discussion about the Obama Campaign: How do they get their lead back.' LOL.

Shalom Freedman  09/14/2008 09:11 AM Report

This was an informative discussion although not a particularly balanced one. Begala and Alter are Obama supporters clearly, and Schieffer is neutral. I believe Charlie Rose should have selected a clear McCain supporter as one of three panelists.

These are all informed intelligent in- the- know people. They provide angles and insights I, and I suspect most viewers, learn from.

But none of these three commentators had a spark of brilliance or humor so as to make the show entertaining. This may not be most important but it is 'television' after all.

One small aside. The state of Israel was not mentioned in the interview. Still at least one person had to make a hate- filled remark about it. Obsessive Anti- Semitic sickies- shazam.

sock puppet  09/13/2008 09:35 PM Report

TABS -

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

Preston's

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

right

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

you

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

know!

TABS  09/13/2008 08:35 PM Report

Dear SBAT:---------------------If that is the case than Gore and Clinton were 2 peas in apod. Republicans would argue that both Bush and MCCain may share the same philisophies and even the same policies. However the APPROACH will be totally different. What the Dems have a grievence about is the approach and not the philisophy or even policy. One must also realize that many of the policys of both the Republican and Democrat administrations have nothing to do with partisan politics but a consistant policy that has evolved over decades. The US government has been the proponent of certain philisophys such as Free Trade since the end of WW2.

dmg  09/13/2008 12:47 PM Report

Bob should take a long break and watch clips that he's commenting on. Obama's comments preceeding 'lipstick on a pig' were all about McCain's policies. He never once mentioned Palin.

Alter and Begala were clear and insightful. Would be interesting to see Palin again to expound on her world view - as soon as she memorizes it from her tutors.

Preston  09/13/2008 10:10 AM Report

TABS, forget the "lines" to divide paragraphs. sock puppet is crazy; it makes it less attractive to read, like you're just yelling repetitious sound bites. Only sock puppet and his vicious pet, Thing-Fish, use those annoying "lines" for grammar.

Polecater  09/13/2008 08:07 AM Report

Watch the video at about 35:00. Jonathan Alter shines a very bright light into the liberal mind. Referencing "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", he likens America's leadership position in the world to that of Tom being told to paint the fence. Alter actually believes that it is a GOOD thing that Tom lies, cajoles and cons his friends into doing the work for him!!!! The moral of the story is that Tom should have done the work himself and learned the lessons of hard work and leadership. Whereas liberals liken us to Tom at the beginning of the book, we should strive to be more like him at the end of it. America is looked up to because we will look beyond our own borders and interests to help those less fortunate and those oppressed. Trying to get others to do this for us weakens us and makes us less than we are.

Tom Kemp  09/13/2008 06:10 AM Report

Wow. Negative campaigning works. Thanks for the insight, Bob.

TABS  09/13/2008 06:10 AM Report

Mr Belgala spoke that the Democrats should push the agenda of "change" like Carter did with Ford, Reagan with Carter and Clinton with Bush the Elder. The thing that he failed to take into account was that each of those candidates were speaking about incumbent Presidents. The difference here is that Mr McCain is not the sitting President running for reelection.

TABS  09/13/2008 06:10 AM Report

Here is the deal, no matter how ethical a candidate is in wanting to run a clean campaign he has untold supporters that are working very hard to get him elected. As such he is the representative of those people and has to fight for the office using every legal means at his disposal. As much as that maybe an unpalatable truth it is never the less a fact of life.

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Mr Rose and his guests giggled when the stories about LBJ and his election frauds were perpetuated. So we are now going to call the kettle black?

Ricardo C. Amaral  09/13/2008 02:28 AM Report

Last night when I was watching The CRS when Jonathan Alter said that it is important for the new US president to focus on rebuilding the US prestige and clout around the world to be able to operate in the future and stop the decline of US influence around the world.

Only 2 days ago I posted the following information on 3 forums about the coming US election that is relevant to what Mr. Alter said on this show. My screen name on the Elite Trader Forum is SouthAmerica.

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September 09, 2008

SouthAmerica: I posted the following at Brazzil magazine in response to people asking me to give further justification as to why I am saying that Barack Obama is going to lose the election in November 2008.

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I have avoided up to now to write about this subject. But for some reason a lot of people don’t understand the reality of life and you have to spell out to the last detail for them to understand the point of view that you are trying to make it.

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I know it is politically incorrect to mention this subject, but at the end of the day that does not make the reality of life to go away. The fact that most people don’t want to go there it does not means that the problem is not there.

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I have no intention to insult anyone on this forum with this posting. As a matter of fact I wish that the people on the Brazzil magazine forum had not asked me to give further explanation to my point of view.

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I know that this point of view is also being discussed in other countries because a number of people brought to my attention the race issue when I spoke with them in Brazil and also with visiting friends from other countries.

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As a matter of fact this presidential race issue is opening a can of worms also in Brazil.

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*****

Here is a copy of my posting on Brazzil magazine.

Reply to Dnbaiacu - Race vs. Gender

At the end of the day this election has been defined for a long time as being about race and gender.

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If wasn’t because of his race Barack Obama would not have got so much publicity as a presidential candidate. That’s why the other candidates dropped out of the race so soon – the mainstream media had defined the race between race (Obama) and gender (Hillary). This presidential race has been just an experiment run by the Democratic Party and in the process they did split the party along these lines.

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Hillary would be the current Democratic Party nominee if the Democratic Party were playing games about honoring the primaries in states such as Florida and Michigan.

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If they had honored the results of the primaries on these states then the tide of the following primaries would have gone Hillary’s way and she would be the Democratic Party nominee today.

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Now that John McCain picked a woman to be his running mate also is going to help get some of the vote of Hillary’s supporters.

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Hillary won the primary by 20 points in swing states such as Pennsylvania because Barack Obama pissed the blue-collar workers of that state. (Many of these blue-collar workers are going to vote for Sarah Palin in November)

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Based on the state of the US economy, basically we have a collapsing economy here in the United States and we just have bad news and it does not matter where you look at most of the US population is hurting and things are getting worse by the day for most of the people around the country.

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This is the worse economic crisis we have had here in the United States since the last Great Depression and with all that going in favor of the Democratic Party (at this point Barack Obama was supposed to be ahead by 20 points) in the latest polls shows that John McCain is ahead of Barack Obama for the first time – and right now John McCain is ahead in the average by 2 points.

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John McCain is gaining momentum and he is going to win the election in November 2008.

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In today’s world it is not politically correct to say that, but on Election Day more people than you can ever imagine is going to vote for the candidate of their own race. It is natural for people to vote for their own kind.

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At the end of the day a lot of things regarding the United States it is about image and many people are having second thoughts about having a black president which most likely is going to surround himself with a circle of black advisors.

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I am writing about this subject to explain to the readers the impact that the election of Barack Obama is going to have on the image of the United States around the world.

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Right now the United States has an image of a country that is in complete economic decline, its prestige and clout is in complete free fall and the election of a black man as president is going just to reinforce the idea that the United States is really sinking like the Titanic.

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If people like it or not the image that black leaders have around the world is not good and it does not matter how you look at their past record.

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Let me clarify the perception that the world has about black leaders. About 10 years ago Time magazine had a cover article about Africa. In the cover of the magazine they had the map of the African Continent and inside the map they had a picture of a very skinny African boy.

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It was a special article about Africa, but I never forgot one piece of information that they had on that article, because that summarized on a nutshell the kind of leadership Africa project to the rest of the world. The article said: “ the Sub-Sahara Africa had at that time a population larger than 600 million people and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of all these countries combined was lower than the GDP of Belgium with a population of 10 million people.

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I asked a few very intelligent and well-educated friends of mine to give me the name of one black leader that did a good job running a country – any country, anywhere.

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After thinking for a while all of them came up with only one name – Nelson Mandela.

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Then I told them Nelson Mandela’s claim to fame is based on the fact that he was in prison for 27 years and not because he had made his name as a superb leader of a country such as South Africa - Nelson Mandela was a revolutionary.

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Mandela became president of South Africa, but today the economy of South Africa still is nothing to write home about for most of their population.

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For a country obsessed with image the election of Barack Obama as its new president would project an image of economic decline to the rest of the world since Barack Obama is a black man and the rest of the world associate the African Continent and black leadership in general with the image of economic failure.

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The discussion continued about the above thread at Elite Trader Forum at:

http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=74835&perpage=6&pagenumber=126

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The race subject is something that I did not want to go into detail, but people could not read between the lines and I had to spell it out.

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I am not mentioning this from a racist point of view – first I had direct business relationship with Angola for many years., and when I made a proposal for economic development plan for Angola I had to learn a lot about the history of that country….

.

sall  09/13/2008 01:04 AM Report

Begala is only slightly better than Carville in that he does admit to some truths, but they're are both snakes. I cannot believe a simpleton like Schieffer is hosting an extremely important debate. Anyone else notice how Begala could hardly contain his disdain for Alter for having worked for MSNBC, criticizing his friend Carville, and just altogether being decidedly pro-Obama? Begala is trying hard not to condescend to Alter. It looks like Charlie had Schieffer on because he feels sorry for him. What a waste of a guest. Charlie's been doing much better lately. He's been asking better questions and just getting out of the way.

Cheryl  09/12/2008 09:34 PM Report

Another side note to my previous post is that many posted about Gibson's interview with Palin.

Remember Charlie Gibson is republican and very much on the side of the religious right. I was present at a convention that he spoke to several years ago. He is more in line with Sarah Palin's views than John McCain. I'm sure He was prompted on what to ask her. ABC is a Republican station.

cheryl  09/12/2008 09:28 PM Report

Charlie,

Thanks for tackling this hard line issue. I am optimistic that Barack will win this election and our country will shine throughout the world.

I am also grateful for the youth vote in this country. They are visionaries who see and understand the future for this country.

Some people will not vote for Barack because of his color. There is nothing we can say to change their mind. I know because I am from the South.

Barack's strategy must be to stay on message about the issues and continue to register new voters in the battleground states. He fight is with McCain. Palin should not be mentioned by anyone in the democratic party. The party should treat her as though she does not exist. If you notice McCain can not draw crowds without her. That is why he is on the airways while she is in Alaska.

Another theory I have about McCain is that he wanted town meetings with Barack because of the crowds that follow Barack not to compare the issues. McCain does not have a platform on the issues.

John Owen  09/12/2008 07:18 PM Report

This discussion was not balanced at all. I have graduate degrees in Political Science. That discussion was not biased; it went far beyond bias. I have always liked Charlie Rose for offering reasoned dialogue. That show was not- from body language, to the obvious disdain demostrated by word choice, to the "edited" presentation of facts- it was out of control. Charlie will lose his audience if he can not or chooses not to try and address this recent trend. Jonathan Alter should not be on if he is there as a balanced commentator. Naturally, he has the right to his opinion, but not to be presented as an "objective" journalist. It is embarrassing for this show to expect viewers to think that was "objective".

Raymond Hand  09/12/2008 06:15 PM Report

Bob Schieffer, who I usually admire, said that Presidential campaigns have always used lies about opponents and did not seem to think it was much to be concerned about. President Bush lied us into war and thousands have died as a result of that lie. If Senator McCain is willing to lie to become President, what will he lie to us about when he is President? I was an Eagle Scout and a Naval Officer too and I was taught that Eagle Scouts and Naval Officers do not lie. I do not lie and I find it unacceptable in a President.

francois  09/12/2008 06:00 PM Report

Interesting to read the delusional comments of the American people and its castrated media. The American people sound like a bunch of psychos, and so they shall inherit the world reserved for psychos. Imagining America with McCain and Palin at the helm is something all citizens of the world should fear.

You Americans are scary – and your culture, your great American "system", has finally gone completely insane. You should listen to yourself.

francois  09/12/2008 04:14 PM Report

You know, watching you Americans debate all this stuff these days is like watching a roomful of schizophrenics trying to convince each other that their delusion is the "real" one.

Franco  09/12/2008 04:09 PM Report

Charlie, I think this weeks shows, especially

on the economy and fiscal crisis have been

excellent. I would like to see at least a little commentary from a conservative. It's

great that you like Sen. Obama, but when all of

your guests use his name to start half their

sentences, always with a positive spin, it's a little tiresome.

Mary W.  09/12/2008 03:47 PM Report

It is the press's job in a democracy to ask the toughest questions possible of any candidate for president or vice president, especially when there are fewer than two months left before the election and the candidate for vice president is virtually unknown.

And how can anyone in this country to reads or pays even minimal attention to what is going on in the world now know about the "Bush doctrine" and preemptive strikes? My sister-in-law (Bush supporter) and I argued about that 5 years ago and it's been referred to numerous times.

But it's not Palin's lack of knowledge and experience that's as important as McCain's lack of judgment in picking her and abandoning the moral integrity he's been standing on for years.

Keep asking Palin hard questions and keep asking McCain (and Obama) what specifically they're going to do to improve the messes we have in this country.

bayravin  09/12/2008 02:41 PM Report

It is a fundamental obligation on John McCain's part to avail Sarah Palin to the American public and grill her with all kinds of questions so that we get a good idea of who she is. The Reps are just stalling and will gloss over us through the election with just rhetoric

m. fausset  09/12/2008 02:09 PM Report

For the first time since we started watching your program we elected to change channels after the outrageously biased comments of Paul Begala. We look forward to hearing dissenting views and comments but not falsehoods and spin.

kevin  09/12/2008 01:40 PM Report

Regarding the interview with Sarah Palin, I thought most of the questions were good questions. However, Charlie's demenor, posture, and overall presence was very arogant. He seemed to have a frown the entire time, talked over her, and basically seemed upset that he was even there. In other words, he didn't give her the respect she deserved.

Also, there is no such thing as the "Bush Doctrine". That was a trick question and purposely placed to make her look uninformed. Yes, President Bush did say those things, but it was never published as a "Doctrine",only as part of a speach.

Charlie Rose has shown that he is jused as biased as the liberal team at NBC.

Mimi  09/12/2008 01:12 PM Report

It was just another infomercial for the Dems.

val ansel  09/12/2008 11:42 AM Report

One thing that I found highly disturbing was the

the relative acceptance and lack of real outrage at

some of the recent negative campaigning. In

particular, the ad characterizing Obama as promoting comprehensive sex education for kinder-

garteners is pure slime and shown to be so. Why

doesn't someone like Schieffer call McCain on this!

Frances Berens  09/12/2008 11:02 AM Report

I love it that all the people here complaining about the interview panel do so on the basis of disagreeing with what was said. Is that NOT the point of an interview, is to get the input of the person being interviewed? If you find an opposing view SO intimidating, then turn the channel. If what you believe cannot stand up to scrutiny of another opinion, then you are not fully invested in what you "say" you beleive. All three of the gentlemen on the panel are experts in their respective areas of political intercourse - news, editorial journalism and political stategy. We all should be interested in what they say, whether or not we agree politically. The more rightish among us, who are so afraid of the "fairness doctrine" certainly seem to want to tamp down oppositional views - opposite to THEM, that is. Press bashing is such a rightist tactic, that it is started to become a point of humour for the man in the street, who is not political. Oh, poor babies. Tell it to Rush.

The New Englander  09/12/2008 10:53 AM Report

As usual last nights show had a little for everyone to love and not love. However, everyone of these shows - political commentary by the "pros" - always gets around to the need for "Washington", whatever that means, to stop being so partisan and work together for the good of the country. Washington is 536 personal fiefdoms whose only objective is to stay there surrounded by fawning supplicants. We are only witnesses to a continuous War of the Roses. By the way as a country we hold our national government in low esteem but we continually re-elect the vast majority of them. As beloved Pogo said "we have seen the enemy and he is us"

BloggerRadio.com  09/12/2008 10:29 AM Report

Good show, as always Chuckie!

Ignore the long-winded blow hard commenter(s) on here who are crying 'foul'.

I loved the bit about the only two numbers anyone needs to remember is 91% (percent that McSame voted with McBush) and 134 (lobbyists) ... the number from the Corporatocracy running McSame's campaign. I enjoyed that part so well, I Blogged about just to make Bob Schieffer cringe a little, lol! ;-)

Blog On!

B. Wilt  09/12/2008 09:44 AM Report

CharlieRose 9/12/08 comment

Charlie, for some reason WGBH ran your 9/9 interview w/ Tom Friedman Thursday at 7 p.m. (9/11/08), instead of this session of political chin music.

You asked Friedman to suggest an answer to why US Citizens haven't been out in the streets, around the reflecting pool, etc., to demand a massive new commitment to curing our addiction to additive-enriched foreign oil.

Tom's answer was, typically, thoughtful, "nuanced," and a little dismissive of the general citizenry's ability to flog our national elected followers into enlightened action on our energy problems--centering around the need to appropriately "explain" this complicated set of issues, in suitably down-simpled sentences, to hol polloi.

My reaction was "Naaaah. IRSophobe David Cay Johnston [another of the NYTimes' 'long-form writers'\ had already provided le mots juste in his book "Perfectly Legal" (or "How Woody Guthrie hit the nail on the head when he wrote -Some will rob you with a six-gun, some with a fountain pen' — my subtitle — {How apposite that, in today's world of "privatized profit and socialized risk" Guthrie's contemplative coda concluded, "Yes, as through your life you roam/You won't never see an outlaw/Drive a family from their home," no?}).

Johnston's phrase to describe the citizenry's failure to revolt in the face of being screwed by Congress, lobbyists and IRS regs year in and year out was this: "Sullen resignation."

Doesn't that just cap it? Does for me.

Reminds me of when I was consulting at 435 N. Michigan Ave. (and had money) and could just cross the street for a Vente Latte and, in the afternoon, so's not to be vibrating at C(affeine) = 524, or so, all evening, order a "Really Big Why Bother?" Soon enough, the caffeinistas didn't have to ask and, without frother ado, straightaway made my vente decaf w/ skimmed milk.

After major effort in 2006 to redress the imbalance of power in Congress, citizens who voted gave the Demicans a majority in the appropriations-initiating wing of Congress. A purpose-built majority, so we/they thought, powerful enough to yank the purse strings shut around Bush's wrist as he tried to withdraw yet more "emergency" money from the nation's treasury for the fourth, fifth and now sixth years of his Iraq misadventure.

Didn't happen that way, as 86 Democrats became Demicans.

So, as the night follows day, as America's empire returns into sand, vanishes from our hands--as we forget about today until tomorrow (thanks, Zimmerman!), as our Fourth Estate holds no one to account--the strange circumstance of the watchdogs in the night — they didn't bark, did they? Do they? Nope, not IMHO.

Sullen resignation. Why bother? Not a dime's-worth of difference. Demicans and Republicrats. The American Incumbents' Party. The Perpetual Princelings of Power, Patronage and Pork. (My congressperson's a 32-year incumbent--longest continuous service in the 7th CD-MA since it was created c. 1789. He hasn't lifted a finger to honor his oath of office. But he's in bad company -- all 537 of 'em, maybe minus Kucinich, Wexler, Paul, Leahy (?--though Leahy wouldn't order out the Sergeant-At-Arms to arrest Rove, Miers, et al., for contempt of Congress--knows the Constitution; he has the power to order the arrest, but apparently lacks the moxie to do so, I suppose) and maybe Ol' Man Byrd.

What the hay and what can yuh say, when these 537 elected officials variously swear to "preserve, protect and defend" (as per Art II) or "support and defend" the US Constitution against all enemies, foreign and Cheneybush, and then, in violation of their oaths (both oral and in writing) for foreswearing them entirely, do nothing in the face of low, middle and high crimes & misdemeanors?

Seems to me like at least nearly every member of Congress is him- herself now eligible for impeachment and removal from office.

We'd probably have to dive into the 10th Amendment powers "reserved…to the people" and impanel a super ne-plus-ultra-grande jury of the people to sit as acting congresspersons in consideration of the articles of impeachment & subsequent trial of all the Incumbent Party members. We can use either the Clinton articles of impeachment as a template, or the two offered up by Rep. Kucinich.

D'you think the traditional media would cover such an activity? In a year of "historic firsts," we might as well try this one, too. It'd round out: 1st pres. nominated African American, 1st vp nominated Republicrat XX-chromosomed biped; 1st impeachment and removal from office of an entire Congress, the President, ViceP and cabinet officers since the ratification of the US Constitution (June 21, 1788) and the Bill of Rights (Dec. 15, 1791).

Interesting to note that it took the US from 1776 to 1791 — 15 years — to get a republic going, and we expect the Iraqis to perform a similar feat in, what, 2 or 3 years? We probably should have had them just translate ours into Arabic. Woulda, coulda shoulda had the job done in three weeks.

Russell Fuhrman  09/12/2008 07:10 AM Report

I would hope that Charlie Rose and the producers of his show, the finest in television, would follow the lead of NBC wherein they sidelined Chris Matthews and Keith Obermann as being too partisan (read lacking journalistic integrity) from participating in serious forums and apply such a standard to the make-up of their program. Last night's show should have been better balanced. Paul Begalia is fine-he presents himself as a professional Democrat, however, Jonathan Alter should be placed in the penalty box along with Matthews and Obermann.

Dee- Rochester, NY  09/12/2008 04:40 AM Report

Charlie, Thank you for a very soulful conversation with Alter, Begala and Schieffer.

Where do I begin? The partisan rhetoric against Obama is deafening and filled with so much vitriol. As a well educated adult, I have finally learned this year what the term "spin" really is. Instead of simply saying you don't agree with the sentiments/comments of these guests, you say--Charlie Rose was unprepared tonight, they pandered to the Democrats, they are in the tank for Obama, Begala is a fake, Shieffer is old, etc. Geez. Agree w/o being so derisive. Stick to the issues. The respite today (i.e. the presidential forum) from the bitter partisan exchanges was such a welcome relief.

Yes, this is a tight race, but not so tight that all your viscera is poured out at every perceived slight, gaffe or exclusion of your candidate. Stick to the issues. Your crudeness is showing, badly!

Amy  09/12/2008 04:36 AM Report

If the mainstream media would do their job; reporting on the issues and holding the candidates feet to the fire when they lie or mislead, we could rightly say that our political system and our news organizations were the finest in the world. But when MSNBC and other mainstream media outlets turn away from reporting hard news and instead, morph into a quasi Entertainment Tonight, one has to wonder if the world's greatest democracy will eventually slide into oligarchy. ..... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/26655727#26655727

stephen israel  09/12/2008 03:30 AM Report

alter is spot on, begala a politician, schieffer the judge.

take it for what it's worth. but there's plenty to be learned.

Rick L.  09/12/2008 02:12 AM Report

Disgustingly skewed panel with Begala and Alter. There was no Republican voice on the panel. Alter is pretty much Obama's biggest cheerleader in the media. I mean come on Charlie I know you are liberal but good grief at least one Republican voice are you trying to emulate MSNBC in their bias.

Wil S.  09/12/2008 01:59 AM Report

Please discuss Obama's "lipstick" comment in context. Tonight, you did not. He said "lipstick on a pig" and he said "an old fish". Both can refer to policies, but is it not correct to discuss the "possible" double meaning? Is it not obvious, even to Obama's followers? Why has the media ignored the "old fish" part of his statement, as it might be taken as a reference to Sen. McCain?

Lynx  09/12/2008 01:57 AM Report

Sarah Palin doesn't know what the Bush Doctrine is?! This woman does haven't the competance to coach the Siberian hockey team! Simply astounding...

FrijoleNegra  09/12/2008 01:53 AM Report

Schieffer said (paraphase) "McCain never talks about his war record?" Was that a joke?

sock puppet  09/12/2008 01:04 AM Report

The elephant in the room is the Russia-Georgia-Ukraine issue. In short NATO. The candidates will doubtless posture from a tough-guy stance, which could ultimately be disastrous. Economic power has shifted to Russia. We are trading places. A return match of the cold-war would be lost by us this time, so tough-talk will merely expose our paper-tiger position in the world and virtually deneuter NATO. Paradoxically, the one that demurs for less tough-talk will lose. We hate to give up on our arrogance. At what cost is an open question.

Heide  09/12/2008 01:02 AM Report

Paul Begala talked about McCain being a fighter pilot, implying that he fights his campaign like one. I thought that he served as a bomber pilot (and yes, it shows in his campaign).

jpod  09/12/2008 12:35 AM Report

How disappointing to see Alter and Begala on Charlie Rose. I think the country is tired of wise fools like these gentlemen. The only value that I received from tonight's program is that I plan on terminating my Newsweek subscription after 20 years. Charlie, other than Bob Schieffer, these guests were not up to your high standards.

Donangelo  09/12/2008 12:22 AM Report

This discussion of the campaign provides further evidence that the society in which I live is hopelessly insane. The paramount issue facing us today is the destruction of the environment which supports us all. Global warming is only the most discussed aspect of the coming collapse. Yet this issue was not even mentioned by any of the panel. McCain does not deal with it, and Obama only marginally. We are clearly doomed.

judithod  09/12/2008 12:09 AM Report

Can't resist another comment, Charlie. Is the purpose of tonight's conversation to get Obama's campaign back on track? Can these guys be more partisan and you be more unprepared? When the comment is made that McCain has 100+ lobbyists working on his campaign, why not bring up Obama's obvious partisanship (voting records of 94.8% and 96% with his party in the U.S. Senate) versus McCain's nonpartisanship record (never 90% with Bush as Obama claims). And how about the millions of earmarks that both Obama and Biden have supported versus McCain combatting them. And can any of these guys explain why Obama is qualified for the presidency? And why would he be an agent of "change"? He's given no evidence of that in his brief senate career.