Below the fold are my show notes from this morning’s Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer. We’re getting closer to the midterm elections, of course, and I have never seen Bob Schieffer behaving in this partisan a manner.


JACK MURTHA ON FTN. Bob Schieffer, host of CBS’s Face the Nation, first spoke to Jack Murtha by satellite from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Murtha accused the President of being “overly optimistic” when he says we’re winning in Iraq, and everyone wants to change the course. We can’t win the war rhetorically, he argued, we have to win it on the ground. Schieffer labeled Murtha as a hawk and said that people took him seriously when he argued to redeploy. He asked Murtha what would happen if we left. Murtha said that we’re fighting a civil war in Iraq, and if we withdraw troops, it will stabilize Iraq. He cited the Iraqi people as his source: “At least that’s what the Iraqi people are saying.”

Jack Murtha said that we’ve lost the hearts and minds of the people of Iraq. He said that we’re trying to “micromanage” Iraq, and we should let Prime Minister Maliki be his own man.

Jack Murtha said that there is “no question” that our troops are turning against the war. He said that we have no “achievable plan” in Iraq, and we’ve changed our excuse for going into Iraq a number of times.

Jack Murtha said that there is more terrorism in the world because we’re in Iraq. He cited as proof that “all the polls say this.” His “facts” are supposedly mere public opinion, and he did not document his assertions documented.

DUNCAN HUNTER ON FTN.Duncan Hunter countered that though he likes Murtha, “Jack Murtha is wrong.” He said that we are following three points in Iraq: we’re standing up a government, standing up the military to defend that government, then we can go. It’s what we’ve done everywhere, he said.

Hunter said that the American military is not turning against the military. He pointed out that Jack Murtha was “operating by polls.” He pointed out that the active-duty military supported Bush over Kerry, three-to-one. Another proof, he said, was that members of our military were reenlisting.

He said that we have followed our three points to bring Democracy around the world, but we’ve never set a timetable. He suggested moving the Iraqi battalions to Baghdad, a combat zone, where they can get training. That will get them ready more quickly than time in a “benign environment.”

SCHIEFFER AND MEHLMAN, Bob Schieffer first sneered at RNC Chair Ken Mehlman, in an interview in which Schieffer made more statements than asked questions. He was determined that Mehlman had deliberately played the race card with that nice Harold Ford.

Schieffer asked Mehlman if he thinks the war will turn on Iraq. Mehlman mentioned taxes and the Democrat rejection of the tools that help us win the war on terror. Iraq is a central front in that war. He asked why, in this divisive environment, the RNC is running an ad in Tennessee that points out that Ford is an African American. Mehlman pointed out that the ad was run independently of the RNC. The RNC did pay for it, but he wants to make it illegal for people to use RNC money and claim that it was from the RNC. He said that he did not approve the ad, and he is glad it was pulled. Schieffer said that the RNC lacked values because it used a law to air an ad. He said that the RNC has made the point it wanted to make with that ad.

Mehlman mentioned taxes, tools in the war on terror, and judges as reasons people should back the GOP.

Schieffer said that while he may not agree with Mehlman, he was a decent advocate for his position, and the voters’ would decide. Here, Schieffer smirked, and this was the most obviously partisan I have ever seen Bob Schieffer on this show.

HOWARD DEAN ADDRESSES BOB SCHIEFFER. Next up, Bob talked to Howard Dean. Dean said he had no intentions on raising taxes on anyone but the oil companies. He said that Nancy Pelosi, not Charlie Rangel, will control the Congressional agenda. Dean said that the accusation that the Dems will impeach the President is a “scare tactic.” Nancy Pelosi, he said, “wants to move the agenda forward.” The Dems will give us a “smart” defense policy. The Republicans, he said, have failed to protect us. He admitted that the Democrats will not be able to fix Iraq because the President still runs foreign policy. He said that once we flee Iraq, the Iraqis will do everything for themselves. He said that the Democrats want to leave Special Forces on the periphery of Iraq (Okinawa?). He said that we stayed in Vietnam “for five or ten years longer” than we needed to be.