A matter of priorities

As a rule, “gotcha” political interviews make for good television, but that’s about all they do. Russert, Blitzer, & Co. will confront a policy maker with some old quote, pause for dramatic effect, and leave the interviewee temporarily flummoxed. Whether there’s a point to the exchange is oftentimes irrelevant.

That said, occasionally “gotcha” moments tell us quite a bit. Take, for example, this terrific interview on MSNBC yesterday between David Shuster and Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.

Shuster’s point, obviously, is one of hypocrisy. First, Blackburn is outraged with “General Betray Us,” because it came from a liberal group, but she’s blase about “Senator Betray Us,” because it came from Rush Limbaugh.

And second, Blackburn is consumed with the New York Times — including discussion of its stock price and staffing layoffs — but she knows nothing about Jeremy Bohannan, an 18-year-old soldier, who was the last American from her district killed in Iraq.

Asked why she knows all about Move On and the NYT, but nothing about Jeremy Bohannan, Blackburn said, “I do not know why I did not know the name,” but added, “You’re exactly right. I can say chapter and verse what was going on with MoveOn.org.” Responded Shuster, “[Y]ou were not appreciative enough to know the name of this young man. He was 18 years old and killed. Yet you can say chapter and verse about what’s going on with the New York Times and MoveOn.org.”

“Gotcha” interviewing? Sure. A worthwhile point about Republican lawmakers’ misplaced priorities? Absolutely.



If you can’t watch the video, the transcript is the next best thing:

SHUSTER: The Republican outcry is beginning to die down over that MoveOn ad, the one running in the “New York Times” that posed the question — General Petraeus or General Betray Us? But there’s a bigger question left unanswered, a question of hypocrisy when it comes to political attack. Where was the outrage when Rush Limbaugh said this about Republican Senator Chuck Hagel over one of the senator’s stances on Iraq? Limbaugh said, “by the way, we had a caller call, couldn’t stay on the air, got a new name for Senator Hagel of Nebraska. We got General Petraeus and Senator Betray-Us, new name for Senator Hagel.” Here to discuss all this is Marsha Blackburn, a Republican Congresswoman from Tennessee. Congresswoman, thanks for coming in. REP. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R), TENNESSEE: Good to be with you. SHUSTER: Do you want to take this opportunity to condemn what Rush Limbaugh said about Chuck Hagel? BLACKBURN: What I want to do is talk about the “New York Times.” Probably, Rush Limbaugh could have gotten by without saying that. SHUSTER: Could of gotten by? It was wrong, wasn’t it? BLACKBURN: He was referencing what a caller said. SHUSTER: But it was wrong for a caller or for Rush Limbaugh to call Chuck Hagel Senator Betray Us, right? BLACKBURN: But Rush Limbaugh did not go in and buy an ad and place it with the “New York Times” and get a special, preferred rate — SHUSTER: So there’s a difference between buying an ad in the “New York Times” and Rush Limbaugh hearing something that he likes to hear from one of his viewers and repeating it on the air. What’s the distinction? BLACKBURN: Rush Limbaugh should not have done that. But Rush Limbaugh did not go out and buy an ad and circumvent the “New York Times.” It takes two weeks for them to tell the truth on this and we find out that they did get a favored rate. SHUSTER: They didn’t know they got a favored rate. As soon as they found out they got a favored rate, they wrote a check. BLACKBURN: I don’t believe that. I think they did — SHUSTER: I understand that this is an issue that — You’re very concerned, of course, about the MoveOn ad, is that right? BLACKBURN: Everybody is concerned about the MoveOn ad. Everybody is concerned about what seems to be the violation of the public trust by the “New York Times.” Look, we all know that their circulation is down, that their stock is down, that they — I think it was last year fired 500 people. Everyone is aware of that. My goodness, to find out now that they are fire selling their ad space. SHUSTER: Congressman, let’s talk about the public trust. You represent, of course, a district in western Tennessee. What was the name of the last soldier from your district who was killed in Iraq? BLACKBURN: The name of the last soldier killed in Iraq, from my district, I do not know. SHUSTER: His name was Jeremy Bohannan (ph). He was killed August 9, 2007. How come you did not know that the name? BLACKBURN: I do not know why I did not know the name. We made contact with the families in our district. When you have a major military post, you are very sensitive to this and sensitive to working with those families, and that is something that my staff and I do daily. Our district director is a gentleman who has served in the U.S. Army and currently serves in the National Guard. And we do everything that we possibly can do to assist those families. We are very appreciative of the sacrifice. SHUSTER: But you were not appreciative enough to know the name of this young man. He was 18 years old and killed. Yet you can say chapter and verse about what’s going on with the “New York Times” and MoveOn.org. BLACKBURN: You’re exactly right. I can say chapter and verse what was going on with MoveOn.org. SHUSTER: Don’t you understand the problems that a lot of people would have, that you’re so focused on an ad. When was the last time a “New York Times” ad ever killed somebody? Yet here we have a war that took the life of an 18-year-old kid, Jeremy Bohannan, from your district and you didn’t know his name? BLACKBURN: Well — and — we work very closely, as I said, with those families. […] SHUSTER: I agree, Congresswoman, do you stay in touch with these military families. But I again, I still think it’s a little surprising that you did not know the name of the last soldier killed in Iraq, who is only 18 years old, and yet you know so much about the MoveOn.org ad and the tactics you don’t like.

It’s interesting. Keith Olbermann has his own show, and it’s the high-rated program on MSNBC prime-time. If the network were to, say, give David Shuster his own show, alongside Olbermann, MSNBC would probably get quite a ratings bump.