I was bummed that I missed this on Friday. Thankfully, AmberJane recorded it, and made it available as a podcast, which can be seen here.
Since I endured Fox News, including Gibson and his blond Ken-doll hair and obnoxious stereotyping (starting off by framing Friday’s “Blue on Blue” debate as “moderate Democrat versus angry left”) long enough to transcribe it, it seems only right to crosspost this transcript. That way my own “suffering and sacrifice” can benefit the largest number of people. 😉
John “War on Christmas” Gibson: For our “Blue on Blue” debate today, moderate Democrat versus angry left–Fox’s political analyst and Democratic strategist Bob Beckel and Maryscott O’Connor, a blogger from MyLeftwing.com. So Maryscott, let me ask you first, one of the things I read from the left is that people on your side of things really don’t like Hillary Clinton, John Kerry seems to have shifted a little leftwards, and Al Gore was already there. What’s wrong with Hillary?
Maryscott O’Connor: She’s too much of a centrist.
John Gibson: Meaning what?
Maryscott O’Connor: …and she voted for the war. She’s a pro-war Democrat.
John Gibson: And she has not backed off that position?
Maryscott O’Connor: I haven’t seen her back off of it, have you?
John Gibson No, I haven’t. I take it though, that people in the blog world, and more on the left than Beckel, this is really sticking in their craw, and they’re not going to support her come presidential talk in ’08.
Maryscott O’Connor: She’s not my first, second, or third choice, let’s put it that way. (Smile)
Johh Gibson (laughing) All right, Beckel, did you think John Kerry in his latest statements has gone farther to the left than he has been, am I perceiving this correctly?
Bob Beckel Well, first of all, what you’re perceiving incorrectly is that I’m a centrist Democrat. I’ve been proud to be a liberal my entire life! I started thirty years ago as a liberal, in the civil rights movement, and so I don’t–that’s your characterization. Now maybe–
Johh Gibson –but, Beckel, one’s position on the spectrum depends on who’s to your left. I perceive, and I could be wrong, that Maryscott is quite a bit left of you as of this moment.
Bob Beckel As of this moment. And let me just say this. If there’s one authority we want to go to on Democratic liberal politics, it’s you on this, (Maryscott laughs) and I’m glad you’re asking the questions. But look, I remember back when I first started out in 1974–73–in politics. I was outraged that Democrats were not trying to impeach Richard Nixon. This was at the beginning of Watergate. It took them 18 months before they finally got him. I couldn’t understand it–it drove me crazy. Now I can understand why–
Johh Gibson (interrupting) The circle is closed.
Bob Beckel –now wait a minute–I can understand why liberal blogs, and Maryscott feels very strongly about the war–so do I. But the truth is that this is not bad. It is not a bad thing that the tension is there, and I think the tension helps move some of these people from the dead center. There’s no such thing as a moderate! What’s a moderate? A moderate’s a waste of time!
Johh Gibson All right. Maryscott, let me put it this way. If the candidates you support were to win in September, and Democrats take over the House again, would I be correct in assuming you would want them and you could expect them to either censure or impeach George Bush?
Maryscott O’Connor: I would expect both parties to impeach George W. Bush, because it’s a question of honor and principle.
Gibson interrupts, asking if she means Republicans too.
Maryscott O’Connor: Yes, absolutely! The Republicans were behind the push against Nixon. I long for the days of the Republicans in Nixon’s era.
John Gibson So, Beckel, is this a good place for the Democrats to be?
Bob Beckel Let me try to–you know, you’re trying to get a fight between a couple of liberals here, maybe one farther to the left than I am. It’s going to be harder to do, John. Let me tell you something. If I woke up tomorrow morning and George Bush was impeached and out of office, it would be the second best day since my children were born. (Crosstalk)
John Gibson But, but, you think that’s a good thing to tell the American people you want to impeach him over NSA or something?
Bob Beckel Wait a second. Here’s where Maryscott and I disagree. I think it would be almost impossible to impeach George Bush. It would get us off a lot of messages that I think can attract a lot of voters for this November. What is important, I’ve learned over 30 years is, if you don’t have a majority, you don’t get bills passed. And, at some point, your ideology can get in the way of winning–
John Gibson –all right, before we run out of time, Maryscott, does that sound like wisdom to you or not?
Maryscott O’Connor: It sounds like a strategist talking. This is about a principle. He broke the law. It shouldn’t be about whether it’s a “winning issue” or not. I think that Republicans and Democrats should be behind impeaching this man for breaking the law.
John Gibson All right, Maryscott O’Connor of MyLeftWing.com, and Bob Beckel, my MODERATE Democrat, even though he disavows it, I appreciate both of you. And, of course, the question of whether he broke the law is still a jump ball, but thanks to both of you.
This was originally posted at Howard-Empowered People. I didn’t think to crosspost it at first because there was already a recommended diary about Maryscott being on The Big Story. But I also know that some people don’t have a fast enough connection or whatever to watch video, and I didn’t want people to miss the content. Maryscott did a fantastic job of calmly asserting the obvious–Bush has broken the law, and both parties should impeach him for this.
for posting the transcript here. I am one of those technologically-challenged people who only managed to get snippets from the blogs.
The transcript makes it clear why so many (including me) are filled with admiration for MSOC’s comments.
Thank you!!!! Maryscott is a goddess and for those who could not see the clip because of connection speed this is wonderful!!!!
Thanks so much, Renee.
Maryscott was so dignified and spoke with such precision and clarity. She said she was scared to death going into it, but none of that showed. Great job.
I’m one of the dialup people, so thanks so much for posting this, Renee.
Sounds like MSOC did a good job — and managed to avoid dropping any F-bombs, lol — and I love that she hammered the message about impeaching because these people are criminals, not because it will or won’t win votes. Impeachment is right thing to do as a matter of principle, sure, and it’s also the right thing to do pragmatically if we want to save our system of government. Criminals of any sort cannot be allowed to remain in office, and the crimes of this administration are capital crimes. Go Maryscott!
What a great diary/post. But the way W and his gang think, maybe Abu Gonzalez with say “W has the inherent power to censure himself. So a formal Act of Congress to censure President Bush, is not necessary.
Maryscott was fabulous, as I knew she would be! I wonder if Beckel sounded as condesencing as his words seem to be. His “after 30 years in politics. . .” sounded like he wanted to put the “young whipersnapper” Maryscott out of the picture.
Thanks so much for your effort in transcribing this!
I listened to it on broadband and I don’t think Beckel came accross condescending at all. He and MSOC both did well with that rally slimy Gibson.
I tried to watch it over the weekend but couldn’t stomach the whole “let’s watch Democrats fight each other” premise of the piece. The only time Fox “News” has real Democrats on (ie, not Joe Lieberman) is to get them to yell at each other, like tying two cats together.
Thanks again!
MSOC did great: Looked great; Spoke great; and represented progressives very well, thank you very much. To quote the pillars of political punditry, Wayne and Garth, “if she was President, she’d be Babraham Lincoln.” This isn’t politically correct, but I have to say it anyway, assertive, intelligent women are really hot. MSOC is asertive and intelligent. QED.