Media meretricity and mendacity in miniature

CNN.com - Transcripts

GOV. SARAH PALIN, VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not going to stand in the way of progress that our congressional delegation and the position of strength that they have right now. They're making those efforts for the state of Alaska to build up our infrastructure. I would not get in the way of progress -- this project or other projects that they are working so hard on. [oink...oinkoinkoinkoink... Ed.]

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: That would appear, Paul, to end any argument over whether or not she supported the bridge initially. But why can't Barack Obama make that point stick?

PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Because the press won't do its job, John. I criticized Barack Obama when he hasn't been tough enough. Barack's job is to run against John McCain, right. Don't shoot the monkey when you can shoot for the organ grinder. His job is not to focus on number two but number one. But it is the media's job when a politician flat out lies like she's doing on this bridge to nowhere so call her on it. Or this matter of earmarks where she's attacking Barack Obama for having earmarks, when she was the mayor of little Wasilla, Alaska, 6,000 people, she hired a lobbyist who was connected to Jack Abramoff, who is a criminal and they brought home $27 million in earmarks. She carried so much pork home she got trichinosis. [!!!!!] But we in the media are letting her tell lies about her record.

ROBERTS: Hey, OK. We got to let Alex respond to that. Flat out lies, Alex?

ALEX CASTELLANOS, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Let's be a little gentle. Look, every elected official in this country works under the system we have, which is you try to get a little bit of your tax money back. You just don't want to leave it all in Washington. The amazing thing about Sarah Palin is when she became governor she actually stood up and said no. And she made it -

BEGALA: That's not true.

CASTELLANOS: She took a strong stand. That is rare and that never happened.

ROBERTS: All right.

BEGALA: That's just not true. You know, John, the facts matter. There's lots of things that are debatable who is more qualified or less experienced or more this or more passionate, whatever. It is a fact that she campaigned and supported that bridge to nowhere. It is a fact that she hired lobbyists to get earmarks. It is a fact that as governor she lobbies for earmarks. Her state is essentially a welfare state taking money from the federal government.

ROBERTS: We still have 56 days to talk about this back and forth. [!!!!!]

BEGALA: This is the problem. We have this false debate when we ought to have at least agreed upon facts.

ROBERTS: All right. Paul Begala, Alex Castellanos, thanks so much this morning, guys. Appreciate it.

Alex Castellanos is a paid GOP shill, so his response is to be expected. His job is to carry water for the McCain campaign, even though he helped Mitt Romney attack John McCain when he worked on Romney's presidential bid. But that's today's GOP - no shame, no ethics, no soul. But John Roberts is ostensibly an "objective journalist," and his response to Paul Begala's spot-on crticism is, "we still have 56 days to talk about this back and forth." Hello!?!?! Talk about what??? The facts are settled; that's it, done, 'nuf said. Did he just prove Begala's point or what?

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