Wingnuts Quest to Further Dumb Down America

On Meet the Press, Tom Friedman says that the objections to Obama speaking to schools is "flat out stupid." People need to stand up to stupidity. A toast to Friedman.

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David Gregory New Meet the Press Moderator?

David Gregory may (I say may because NBC hasn't confirmed) take over for Tom Brokaw who has been filling in for the late great Tim Russert. This Sunday, Obama will be on MTP with Brokaw.

HP: David Gregory will take the reins as moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press," the Huffington Post has learned. Gregory has been a leading contender for the permanent spot since Tom Brokaw stepped in as interim moderator following Tim Russert's death in June.

Ifill, Todd, Mitchell Could Be Next Meet the Press Host

Meet the Press is close to getting a new host. I'd pick Gwen Ifill. 

LAT: NBC executives are closing in on a decision about who will take over "Meet the Press," its venerable Sunday morning political talk show, with the announcement coming possibly on Dec. 7.

According to network sources, that may be Tom Brokaw's last day on the air as interim moderator of the program, a post he assumed after the sudden death of longtime host Tim Russert in June.

People close to the process said that they did not yet know who would be ultimately named to the job, arguably Washington's most powerful journalistic perch. The deliberations have been closely guarded by NBC Universal Chief Executive Jeff Zucker and NBC News President Steve Capus, who have not yet made a decision, said spokeswoman Allison Gollust.
Barring a last-minute surprise, network insiders and television news observers expect the new moderator -- or moderators -- will be drawn from a short list of candidates that include NBC chief White House correspondent David Gregory, PBS anchor Gwen Ifill, NBC chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell and NBC political director Chuck Todd. Dark horses include CBS anchor Katie Couric, whose name was floated in internal discussions, according to two sources, but is apparently not interested.

Veteran ABC anchor Ted Koppel has also been mentioned as a contender. But Koppel, who announced Tuesday that he was leaving his post at Discovery Channel, said he had not spoken with NBC and had little interest in getting into "a weekly grind again."

Luke Russert talks to the Buffalo News:

“Some children of famous people have real difficulty because they feel they have to live up to expectations,” he said. “I just try to live up to my own, which are very high. I’ve often said I can be one-eighth of the man who my father was and would have accomplished a great lot. So I’m really not worried about trying to outdo him, trying to be better than him. I’m very comfortable just being me.”

He appreciates the opportunity that NBC News gave him to be its youth reporter after he was so impressive during TV interviews following his father’s death.

“NBC took a lot of criticism for hiring me, saying that was just straight nepotism,” Russert said. “But they put me in the position to be successful, and I’m eternally grateful.”

Russert may follow the youth vote this weekend to Chippewa Street. “It is refreshing to pay those Buffalo beer prices when you live in Washington and spend a lot of time in New York and Boston,” he said. “You can actually get a beer for less than $7.”

Meet the Press Ratings Fall

It's just not the same without Tim Russert. They need someone more aggressive and passionate in that slot. Tom Brokaw just isn't cutting it.

NY Post: Late last month, for the first time in two years, CBS' "Face the Nation" beat "MTP" in total viewers - though CBS did have Barack Obama on that week.

Still, "Meet the Press" was hard-pressed to come in second that week, barely ahead of ABC's "This Week."

Viewers aren't so much abandoning "Meet the Press" as seeing what else is on the Sunday-morning newsmakers menu, says network news analyst Andrew Tyndall.

Joe Biden Meet the Press Sept. 7

Caroline Kennedy Staying in Politics

"Whatever I can do to help I'm right there," she told Tom Brokaw on Meet the Press.

Caroline Kennedy and Eric Holder vetted the vice president pool for Obama. She said she came away even more impressed with Obama, the way he listened and brought people together. She also said she was pleased with the quality of people in public service.

She blew off the question of Hillary-- whether Hillary was considered.
I ask, why should Hillary have been considered? She never got over herself.
Brokaw asked Kennedy about McCain's new ad that has Biden saying, during the primaries, that Obama wasn't ready.

She said it proves that Obama has the confidence and judgement to pick someone like Joe Biden, who knows and has worked with McCain.
There are serious problems to be solved, she said.

Brokaw asked: Would you take on a role in Washington, perhaps on education?
"I don't think there is a more important cause."
More on Kennedy's thoughts on the process at NYT

Presidential Debates Include Town Hall

Poster at obamaartreport.com

Of the three presidential debates there will be one town hall style, one table style and a traditional podium debate.

Politico:
THE CAMPAIGNS THIS MORNING RELEASED A JOINT STATEMENT ON DEBATES:

Summary Of McCain-Obama Debate Agreement:

The two campaigns agreed today on a framework for four General Election debates, to be sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Key elements of the agreement are:

1. First Presidential Debate:
- Date: September 26
- Site: University of Mississippi
- Topic: Foreign Policy & National Security
- Moderator: Jim Lehrer
- Staging: Podium debate
- Answer Format: The debate will be broken into nine, 9-minute segments. The moderator will introduce a topic and allow each candidate 2 minutes to comment. After these initial answers, the moderator will facilitate an open discussion of the topic for the remaining 5 minutes, ensuring that both candidates receive an equal amount of time to comment

2. Vice Presidential Debate
- Date: October 2nd
- Site: Washington University (St. Louis)
- Moderator: Gwen Ifill
- Staging/Answer Format: To be resolved after both parties' Vice Presidential nominees are selected.

3. Second Presidential Debate
- Date: October 7
- Site: Belmont University
- Moderator: Tom Brokaw
- Staging: Town Hall debate
- Format: The moderator will call on members of the audience (and draw questions from the internet). Each candidate will have 2 minutes to respond to each question. Following those initial answers, the moderator will invite the candidates to respond to the previous answers, for a total of 1 minute, ensuring that both candidates receive an equal amount of time to comment. In the spirit of the Town Hall, all questions will come from the audience (or internet), and not the moderator.

4. Third Presidential Debate
- Date: October 15
- Site: Hofstra University
- Topic: Domestic and Economic policy
- Moderator: Bob Schieffer
- Staging: Candidates will be seated at a table
- Answer Format: Same as First Presidential Debate
- Closing Statements: At the end of this debate (only) each candidate shall have the opportunity for a 90 second closing statement.
All four debates will begin at 9pm ET, and last for 90 minutes. Both campaigns also agreed to accept the CPD's participation rules for third-party candidate participation.