All the fireworks today have to be between the Syrian and the Israeli ambassadors to the US. About the only thing that kept them from coming to blows is that Wolf interviewed them separately.
Imad Moustapha, Syrian ambassador to the United States-Syria supports the US war on terrorism. US is not sending suspected terrorists to Syria for interrogation. The stories about the man extradited from Canada are false. The stories demonizing Syria are false. Syria ready to negotiate with Israel. Bush's stories about Syria are appalling and false. Syria is not supporting terrorism; those stories are false. Terrorists are the archenemies of Syria. He concluded with, "Don't believe what you hear on the media."
Daniel Ayalon, Israeli ambassador to the United States-Syria cannot say they oppose terrorism while still supporting and harboring terrorist. Israel will not negotiate with Syria because they still support terrorists. Just as the US did not negotiate with Saddam, we will not negotiate with Syria. There must be a good reason why Syria is on the Terror List.
Other highlights from the Sunday shows:
Meet The Press
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa and Rep. Charles Rangel, D-NY discussed Social Security. The best moment came when Russert asked Rangel for the Democrat's plan to fix Social Security. Rangel laughed and said why should should the Democrats present a plan when there is no problem. The ball is in Bush's court, and he still has not proposed a plan. As someone else said, all Bush has done is float trial balloons. So far every balloon has floated like lead.
Rangel supports a thrift plan on top of Social Security. Grassley reiterated that "everything is on the table" without Bush's qualifier, "except raising payroll taxes." Grassley complained that the Democrats always want the rich to pay more, probably an oblique reference to the idea of raising the income ceiling. He said Americans would rather trust Wall Street than the government.
Then Natan Sharansky and Pat Buchanan debated the freedom as the foundation of foreign policy. According to Sharansky, he is a Russian Jew living in Gaza, and during the debate, it was clear that Gaza and Israeli politics are his emotional trigger. When asked if it was democratically decided that the Gaza settlers should leave Gaza, would he leave, he said no. He would like to see Saudia Arabia destabilized and believes that the stability of Saudi Arabia is the cause of instability throughout the Middle East.
When listening to Sharansky, we have to remember that he and Bush are engaged in a mutual admiration society. Bush was highly flattered when Sharansky, a few months ago, called him a dissident working for freedom. MTP read a quote where Bush considered Sharansky's book the DNA for Bush foreign policy. Sharansky repeated that dictators need an external enemy to survive. What concerns me is that Bush also seems to depend on external enemies for his political survival.
I am beginning to like Buchanan more and more. He repeated that "Intervention is the cause of terror, not the cure," and cited several examples of where terrorism ended when the intervenors left. Sharansky and Buchanan appeared to agree when Sharansky note that during the Reagan era, the Soviet Union fell without a shot because the US simply did not support the dictatorship. "You fight dictatorship by not supporting dictators." and recommends that the US withdraw its support from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt. Buchanan did not want to go that far and concluded that "Justice cannot wait upon democracy." Sharansky got the last word with, "There is no justice without democracy."
Fox News Sunday
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist R-Tenn. said that Democrats have to stop saying there is no problem. There is a problem demographically driven by the baby boomers. He said Bush will probably not present a specific plan until he can convince Americans that there is a problem, and Frist hopes that the process won't take all year.
Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del. Talked about the quagmire in Iraq, and repeated his advice that Rice should not listen to anything Rumsfeld or Cheney says because they have been wrong about everything.
This Week
I missed the guests but heard the panel discussion. Highlights: Dean has great organizational skills, but is an emotional liability for Democrats because he "hates" Republicans and everything they stand for. Bush's budget, though promised to be austere, is anything but. The only veto or promise to veto in the last four years is for any proposal to decrease the spending for the prescription drug plan. Bush is no conservative regarding spending. The numerous cuts are individually too minor to hurt anybody.
Face the Nation
Sens. Rick Santorum, R-Pa. beat the "there-is-a-problem" drum and pushed privatization naturally. Not one Republican today has mentioned the part where we actually borrow that 2% of our payroll tax. Instead "it's your money, you earned it." I don't consider money I borrow to be my money. It's is someone else's and I have to give it back. That's why we have heard we only get to keep the earnings over 3%, the amount the trust fund is earning now, according to Business Week, 09/06/2004. Santorum says that since people are likely to invest in government bonds, what the trust fund is invested in, the anticipated costs of privatization are not likely to materialize. If our private accounts are invested the same way as the trust fund, we see yet again, that what we own in the ownership society is the risk. (A good summary of Santorum's argument found in this diary).
Richard Durbin, D-Ill., when asked if the Democrats should put out their own Social Security plan, employed a football analogy Bush won the coin toss on Nov 2, he has the ball, he needs to make his play. Missed most of Durbin due to a phone call.
What I would like to see are bank accounts that are required to pay at least the rate of inflation. I do not understand how it can be legal for people to deposit their money in banks for banks to invest elsewhere, and not receive an interest rate at least equal to the rate of inflation. Right now the bank make their money, but depositors' money loses value just by being in the bank. When I asked a bank president about it, he said that at least I wasn't losing values as fast as if I put it under my mattress, and for that I should be grateful, not complaining.
Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer
Chalabi-Relations with Bush have been restored because allegations were not substantiated. Looking to be the new prime minister. Equivocates about meeting with Negroponte.
South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon-South Korea will probably not develop its own nuclear weapons in response to North Korea. North Korea insists that south Korea honor the nuclear nondevelopment agreement it signed.
Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan.-blames intelligence for mistake in invading Iraq. Will not admit that US is flying unmanned aerial vehicles over Iran to gather evidence of nuclear capability. Iran's threats to make life miserable for any aggressor may be only rhetoric. Favors 6-party talks over bilateral talks. US has no intention of attacking North Korea.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va-must get solid intelligence and not make the mistake we made invading Iraq. The Iraqi election does not validate the invasion because the basis for the invasion was a mistake. We must take Iran seriously. Iran more of a threat than Iraq ever was. Also blames intelligence failures for Iraq. Both intend to review and ask hard questions of the intelligence BEFORE taking action, not after. The mistake in Iraq was that Congress accepted the intelligence reports at face value. Says that because of the importance of face in Asian cultures, direct talks between US and North Korea would be more effective than 6-party talks.
Andan Patchichi (spelling?), top sunni leader-- Sunnis may be regretting their lack of participation in the election and hopes Sunnis will be able to particpate in the writing of the constitution. Does not question legitimacy of election but regrets Sunni disenfranchisement.
Baram Sala, newly elected Kurdish member of parliament-He is thrilled that he can participate in the government of Iraq "without fearing the gallows." The Kurds will be nominating Jalal Talibani (spelling?) for president. Refrains from an opinion on Chalabi.
Mafi, leading candidate for prime minister-Does not want Shiite or Islamic government. Okay with Sala as president.
Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico-Bush is saying to the states, "You're on your own." governors are expected to make up for the cuts in their own state budgets. When Wolf cited a recent CNN poll that 64% of Americans believe that Social Security will be bankrupt, he said we need a bipartisan solution that does not increase deficit and protects the later baby boomers. He also favors bilateral talks with North Korea over 6-party talks, and advises Bush to tone down the aggressive rhetoric.
Gov. Bill Owens of Colorado-Democrats talk about the overspending of government, but complain of cuts. He wants Democrats to come up with a plan for Social Security to show that they are interested in a bipartisan approach.
