1. Stephanopoulos Hits Bush on 'Surrender,' Questioning Patriotism
In an interview with President George W. Bush conducted in North Carolina and excerpted on Wednesday's World News on ABC, George Stephanopoulos quoted to Bush how he once declared that the upcoming election is "a choice between Republicans and Democrats who want to wave the white flag of surrender in the war on terror." Stephanopoulos then demanded: "Can you name a Democrat who wants to 'wave the white flag of surrender'?" Referring to Senator John Kerry, Bush replied: "I can name a Democrat who said there ought to be a date certain from which to withdraw from Iraq, whether or not we've achieved a victory or not-" An astounded Stephanopoulos asked: "That's surrender?" Bush countered: "Yeah it is, if you pull the troops out before the job is done." To which Stephanopoulos suggested a nefarious motive: "So you don't think that's questioning their patriotism when you say that?" Bush rejected the notion: "No, I know it's not questioning their patriotism. I think it's questioning their judgment."

2. Olbermann Suggests 'Lying' Bush as Much a 'Threat' as Terrorists
On Wednesday's Countdown, MSNBC host Keith Olbermann delivered the latest in a recent series of "Special Comment" attacks on President Bush, inspired by the recently passed Military Commissions Act, as he suggested Bush was as big a "threat" to America as the "terrorists." The Countdown host not only referred to the government "becoming just a little bit like the terrorists," but he also labeled some of Bush's "invocations" as "terroristic" and compared the wish of a 9/11 planner to end America to what President Bush himself "has wrought." Olbermann: "One of the terrorists believed to have planned the 9/11 attacks, you told us yesterday, said he hoped the attacks would be the beginning of the end of America. That terrorist, sir, could only hope. Not his actions nor the actions of a ceaseless line of terrorists, real or imagined, could measure up to what you have wrought...These things you have done, Mr. Bush, they would constitute the beginning of the end of America." Olbermann also charged that Bush has "imposed subjugation and called it freedom," accused Bush several times of telling "lies," and proclaimed, addressing Bush, that "the threat this generation of Americans needed to take seriously was you."

3. Today Trumpets Poll Predicting 'Perfect Storm' to Wash Out GOP
Meredith Vieira, Matt Lauer and Tim Russert were so excited to announce the "perfect storm" of negative poll numbers for the GOP that they couldn't wait to report it. On Thursday's Today show viewers were greeted with these first words out of Vieira's mouth: "Good morning, poll plunge. A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows that huge numbers of Americans are losing faith over the war in Iraq and the news isn't any better for Republicans in Congress." (Wednesday's NBC Nightly News also led with the new poll numbers.)

4. CNN's Cafferty: Will Karl Rove Engineer an 'October Surprise?'
On Wednesday's The Situation Room, CNN's Jack Cafferty wondered about the possibility of an October surprise to save the Republicans in the midterm elections. He asserted that "many people think Karl Rove would be the architect" behind such an event. Cafferty, who made the comments during the 5:15pm EDT segment of his 'The Cafferty File,' speculated that such a surprise could include finding Osama bin Laden. The CNN host then noted ominously: "It just so happens, Rove told the Washington Times he's confident the Republicans will keep control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. He says, 'the Foley matter,' his words, will have impact in some limited districts, but not overall. Perhaps Mr. Rove knows something we don't."

5. On Leftist Radio Show, Cafferty Echoes Ohio-Obsessed Olbermann
CNN's crusty Situation Room commentator Jack Cafferty appeared (again) on the leftist, Bush-bashing Stephanie Miller radio show Wednesday morning, promoting his Thursday night CNN special on Broken Government. While he began by trying to be nonpartisan, and mentioning the Harry Reid financial non-disclosure, that Democrats are just a "different breed of weasel," he did end up sounding rather liberal in spots. Miller argued that votes aren't being counted because of President Clinton's mantra "when people vote, Democrats win." Cafferty replied that if people don't feel their votes are counted, then "this democracy's gone. We're trying to bring democracy to Iraq. Hell, we couldn't even bring it to Ohio." He sounds like Keith Olbermann, obsessing about Bush winning by "only" 120,000 votes in 2004.

Stephanopoulos Hits Bush on 'Surrender,'
Questioning Patriotism

     In an interview with President George W. Bush conducted in North Carolina and excerpted on Wednesday's World News on ABC, George Stephanopoulos quoted to Bush how he once declared that the upcoming election is "a choice between Republicans and Democrats who want to wave the white flag of surrender in the war on terror." Stephanopoulos then demanded: "Can you name a Democrat who wants to 'wave the white flag of surrender'?" Referring to Senator John Kerry, Bush replied: "I can name a Democrat who said there ought to be a date certain from which to withdraw from Iraq, whether or not we've achieved a victory or not-" An astounded Stephanopoulos asked: "That's surrender?" Bush countered: "Yeah it is, if you pull the troops out before the job is done." To which Stephanopoulos suggested a nefarious motive: "So you don't think that's questioning their patriotism when you say that?" Bush rejected the notion: "No, I know it's not questioning their patriotism. I think it's questioning their judgment."

     [This item was posted Wednesday night, with video, on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org. The video and audio will be added to the posted version of this CyberAlert, but in the meantime, to watch the Real or Windows Media or to listen to the plus MP3 audio, go to: newsbusters.org ]

     ABC's World News ran three segments -- totaling about eight minutes -- of the interview and more ran on Wednesday's Nightline.

     Online, ABCNews.com has posted an article about the interview, with a glaring headline, "EXCLUSIVE: Bush Accepts Iraq-Vietnam Comparison." Go to: abcnews.go.com

     Now, the exchange about surrender and patriotism, as aired on the October 18 World News:

     George Stephanopoulos: "You've used some pretty tough rhetoric. You said this election is 'a choice between Republicans and Democrats who want to wave the white flag of surrender in the war on terror.' Can you name a Democrat who wants to 'wave the white flag of surrender'?"
     President George W. Bush, referring to Senator John Kerry: "I can name a Democrat who said there ought to be a date certain from which to withdraw from Iraq, whether or not we've achieved a victory or not-"
     Stephanopoulos: "That's surrender?"
     Bush: "Yeah it is, if you pull the troops out before the job is done. Absolutely George."
     Stephanopoulos: "So you don't think that's questioning their patriotism when you say that?"
     Bush: "No, I know it's not questioning their patriotism. I think it's questioning their judgment."

Olbermann Suggests 'Lying' Bush as Much
a 'Threat' as Terrorists

     On Wednesday's Countdown, MSNBC host Keith Olbermann delivered the latest in a recent series of "Special Comment" attacks on President Bush, inspired by the recently passed Military Commissions Act, as he suggested Bush was as big a "threat" to America as the "terrorists." The Countdown host not only referred to the government "becoming just a little bit like the terrorists," but he also labeled some of Bush's "invocations" as "terroristic" and compared the wish of a 9/11 planner to end America to what President Bush himself "has wrought." Olbermann: "One of the terrorists believed to have planned the 9/11 attacks, you told us yesterday, said he hoped the attacks would be the beginning of the end of America. That terrorist, sir, could only hope. Not his actions nor the actions of a ceaseless line of terrorists, real or imagined, could measure up to what you have wrought...These things you have done, Mr. Bush, they would constitute the beginning of the end of America." Olbermann also charged that Bush has "imposed subjugation and called it freedom," accused Bush several times of telling "lies," and proclaimed, addressing Bush, that "the threat this generation of Americans needed to take seriously was you."

     [This item by Brad Wilmouth was posted Wednesday night, with video, on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org. The video and audio will be added to the posted version of this CyberAlert, but in the meantime, to watch the Real or Windows Media or to listen to the plus MP3 audio, of the last 5:35 of Olbermann's nine-minute diatribe, go to: newsbusters.org ]

     MSNBC.com's posted transcript with MSN video: www.msnbc.msn.com

     (Transcript below corrected against what he actually said on the air.)

     As Olbermann introduced his "Special Comment," he referred to America being in a time of "exaggerated crisis" and having a government "more dangerous to our liberty" than from the enemy the government "claims" to protect America from. Olbermann: "For on this first full day that the Military Commissions Act is in force, we now face what our ancestors faced at other times of exaggerated crisis and melodramatic fear-mongering: A government more dangerous to our liberty than is the enemy it claims to protect us from."

     The Countdown host then went through a list of other Presidents from history known for controversial actions with implications for civil liberties as he insulted President Bush by saying the other Presidents were "better and wiser and nobler" than Bush.

     Olbermann referred to America's acceptance that the government must become "a little bit like the terrorists." Olbermann: "We have accepted that the only way to stop the terrorists is to let the government become just a little bit like the terrorists, just the way we once accepted that the only way to stop the Soviets was to let the government become just a little bit like the Soviets. Or substitute the Japanese or the Germans or the socialists or the anarchists or the immigrants or the British or the aliens. The most vital, the most urgent, the most inescapable of reasons. And always, always, wrong."

     The MSNBC host soon contended that Bush himself was the "threat this generation of Americans needed to take seriously." Olbermann: "With the distance of history, the questions will be narrowed and few. Did this generation of Americans take the threat seriously? And did we do what it takes to defeat that threat? Wise words and ironic ones, Mr. Bush -- your own, of course, yesterday in signing the Military Commissions Act. You spoke so much more than you know, sir. Sadly, of course, the distance of history will recognize that the threat this generation of Americans needed to take seriously was you."

     Olbermann also charged that Bush has "imposed subjugation and called it freedom" and, addressing the viewer, argued that the new law gives the President the power to "declare you an unlawful enemy combatant and ship you somewhere, anywhere."

     The Countdown host then repeatedly accused the President of telling lies: "This President now has his blank check. He lied to get it. He lied as he received it. Is there any reason to even hope that he has not lied about how he intends to use it, nor who he intends to use it against?" After questioning the honesty of several statements by Bush, Olbermann continued: "Your words are lies, sir. They are lies that imperil us all."

     Olbermann then reached the portion of his rant in which he referred to one of the 9/11 planners who hoped to bring about the "end of America" as he suggested that Bush's actions would do just that. Olbermann: "One of the terrorists believed to have planned the 9/11 attacks, you told us yesterday, said he hoped the attacks would be the beginning of the end of America. That terrorist, sir, could only hope. Not his actions nor the actions of a ceaseless line of terrorists, real or imagined, could measure up to what you have wrought. Habeas corpus gone, the Geneva Conventions optional. The moral force we shined outwards to the world as an eternal beacon, and inwards at ourselves as an eternal protection, snuffed out. These things you have done, Mr. Bush, they would constitute the beginning of the end of America."

     In Olbermann's conclusion, he labeled some of Bush's "invocations" as "terroristic" as he addressed the President, bizarrely asking "did it ever occur" to Bush that after he leaves office, he could himself be as vulnerable to being declared an enemy combatant as the average person by "some irresponsible future President."

     Olbermann: "And did it ever occur to you once, sir, somewhere in amidst your eight separate gruesome, intentional terroristic invocations yesterday of the horrors of 9/11 that with only a little further shift in this world we now know, just a touch more repudiation of all of that for which our patriots have died, did it ever occur to you once that in just 27 months and two days from now, when you leave office, some irresponsible future President and a competent tribunal of his lackeys would be entitled by the actions of your own hand to declare the status of unlawful enemy combatant for and convene a military commission to try not John Walker Lindh, but George Walker Bush, for the most vital, the most urgent, the most inescapable of reasons? And doubtless, sir, all of them, as always, wrong. Joe Scarborough is next. Good night and good luck."

     Below is a complete transcript of Olbermann's "Special Comment," along with a few plugs for the segment, from the October 18 Countdown show:

     Keith Olbermann, in opening teaser: "And tonight a 'Special Comment,' the signing of the Military Commissions Act and the loss of habeas corpus. We have been asleep in this country. We must awaken and save it."

     ...

     Olbermann, about 8:21pm EDT before commercial break: "In signing away habeas corpus yesterday, the President quoted a terrorist who supposedly said he had hoped 9/11 would be the beginning of the end of America. How Mr. Bush has helped fulfill that terrorist's hopes. A 'Special Comment' ahead."

     ...

     Olbermann, about 8:38pm before commercial break: "Coming up, fiasco indeed. Currently, we do fear nothing but fear itself. And in the process, we have let the Bush administration destroy habeas corpus, and with it, our freedoms. 'Special Comment' ahead."

     ...

     Keith Olbermann, about 8:51pm: "And lastly, as promised, a 'Special Comment' tonight on the signing of the Military Commissions Act and the loss of habeas corpus. We have lived as if in a trance. We have lived as people in fear, and now, our rights and our freedoms in peril, we slowly awaken to learn that we have been afraid of the wrong thing. Therefore, tonight have we truly become the inheritors of our American legacy. For on this first full day that the Military Commissions Act is in force, we now face what our ancestors faced at other times of exaggerated crisis and melodramatic fear-mongering: A government more dangerous to our liberty than is the enemy it claims to protect us from.
     "We have been here before, and we have been here before led here by men better and wiser and nobler than George W. Bush. We have been here when President John Adams insisted that the Alien and Sedition Acts were necessary to save American lives, only to watch him use those acts to jail newspaper editors, American newspaper editors, in American jails for things they wrote about America. We have been here when President Woodrow Wilson insisted that the Espionage Act was necessary to save American lives, only to watch him use that act to prosecute 2,000 Americans, especially those he disparaged as hyphenated Americans, most of whom were guilty only of advocating peace in a time of war. American public speakers in American jails for things they said about America. And we have been here when President Franklin D. Roosevelt insisted that Executive Order 9066 was necessary to save American lives, only to watch him use that order to imprison and pauperize 110,000 Americans, while his man in charge, General DeWitt, told Congress, 'It makes no difference whether he is an American citizen, he is still a Japanese.' American citizens in American camps for something they neither wrote nor said nor did, but for the choices they or their ancestors had made about coming to America.
     "Each of these actions was undertaken for the most vital, the most urgent, the most inescapable of reasons. And each was a betrayal of that for which the President who advocated them claimed to be fighting. Adams and his party were swept from office and the Alien and Sedition Acts erased. Many of the very people Wilson silenced survived him, and one of them even ran to succeed him and got 900,000 votes, though his presidential campaign was conducted entirely from his jail cell. And Roosevelt's internment of the Japanese was not merely the worst blight on his record, but four decades later, it would necessitate a formal apology from the government of the United States to the citizens of the United States whose lives it ruined.
     "The most vital, the most urgent, the most inescapable of reasons. In times of fright, we have been only human. We have let Roosevelt's fear of fear itself overtake us. We have listened to the little voice inside that has said, 'The wolf is at the door, this will be temporary, this will be precise, this too shall pass.' We have accepted that the only way to stop the terrorists is to let the government become just a little bit like the terrorists, just the way we once accepted that the only way to stop the Soviets was to let the government become just a little bit like the Soviets. Or substitute the Japanese or the Germans or the socialists or the anarchists or the immigrants or the British or the aliens. The most vital, the most urgent, the most inescapable of reasons. And always, always, wrong.

     [Video/audio clip linked above starts here]
     "With the distance of history, the questions will be narrowed and few. Did this generation of Americans take the threat seriously? And did we do what it takes to defeat that threat? Wise words and ironic ones, Mr. Bush -- your own, of course, yesterday in signing the Military Commissions Act. You spoke so much more than you know, sir. Sadly, of course, the distance of history will recognize that the threat this generation of Americans needed to take seriously was you.
     "We have a long and painful history of ignoring the prophecy attributed to Benjamin Franklin, that those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. But even within this history, we have never before codified the poisoning of habeas corpus, that wellspring of protection from which all essential liberties flow. You, sir, have now befouled that spring. You, sir, have now given us chaos and called it order. You, sir, have now imposed subjugation and called it freedom -- for the most vital, the most urgent, the most inescapable of reasons. And again, Mr. Bush, all of them wrong. We have handed a blank check drawn against our own freedom to a man who has said it is unacceptable compare anything this country has ever done to anything the terrorists have every done. We have handed a blank check, drawn against our own freedom, to a man who has insisted again that the United States 'does not torture. It's against our laws and against our values.' And has said that with a straight face while the pictures from Abu Ghraib prison and the stories of waterboarding figuratively fade in and out around him.
     "We have handed a blank check drawn against our own freedom to a man who may now, if he so decides, declare not merely any non-American citizens unlawful enemy combatants and ship them somewhere, anywhere, but may now, if he so decides, declare you an unlawful enemy combatant and ship you somewhere, anywhere. And if you think this hyperbole or hysteria, ask the newspaper editors when John Adams was President, or the pacifists when Woodrow Wilson was President, or the Japanese at Manzanar when Franklin Roosevelt was President. And if you somehow think habeas corpus has not been suspended for American citizens, but only for everybody else, ask yourself this: If you are pulled off the street tomorrow and they call you an alien or an undocumented immigrant or an unlawful enemy combatant, exactly how are you going to convince them to give you a court hearing to prove you are not? Do you think this Attorney General is going to help you?
     "This President now has his blank check. He lied to get it. He lied as he received it. Is there any reason to even hope that he has not lied about how he intends to use it, nor who he intends to use it against? 'These military commissions will provide a fair trial,' you told us yesterday, Mr. Bush, 'in which the accused are presumed innocent, have access to an attorney, and can hear all the evidence against them.' Presumed innocent, Mr. Bush? The very piece of paper you signed as you said that allows for detainees to be abused up to the point just before they sustain 'serious mental and physical trauma' in the hope of getting them to incriminate themselves. And they may no longer even invoke the Geneva Conventions in their own defense. Access to an attorney, Mr. Bush? Lieutenant Commander Charles Swift said on this program, sir, and to the Supreme Court that he was only granted access to his detainee defendant on the promise that the detainee would plead guilty. Hearing all the evidence, Mr. Bush, the Military Commissions Act specifically permits the introduction of classified evidence not made available to the defense. Your words are lies, sir. They are lies that imperil us all.
     "One of the terrorists believed to have planned the 9/11 attacks, you told us yesterday, said he hoped the attacks would be the beginning of the end of America. That terrorist, sir, could only hope. Not his actions nor the actions of a ceaseless line of terrorists, real or imagined, could measure up to what you have wrought. Habeas corpus gone, the Geneva Conventions optional. The moral force we shined outwards to the world as an eternal beacon, and inwards at ourselves as an eternal protection, snuffed out. These things you have done, Mr. Bush, they would constitute the beginning of the end of America.
     "And did it ever occur to you once, sir, somewhere in amidst your eight separate gruesome, intentional terroristic invocations yesterday of the horrors of 9/11 that with only a little further shift in this world we now know, just a touch more repudiation of all of that for which our patriots have died, did it ever occur to you once that in just 27 months and two days from now, when you leave office, some irresponsible future President and a competent tribunal of his lackeys would be entitled by the actions of your own hand to declare the status of unlawful enemy combatant for and convene a military commission to try not John Walker Lyndh, but George Walker Bush, for the most vital, the most urgent, the most inescapable of reasons? And doubtless, sir, all of them, as always, wrong. Joe Scarborough is next. Good night and good luck."

Today Trumpets Poll Predicting 'Perfect
Storm' to Wash Out GOP

     Meredith Vieira, Matt Lauer and Tim Russert were so excited to announce the "perfect storm" of negative poll numbers for the GOP that they couldn't wait to report it. On Thursday's Today show viewers were greeted with these first words out of Vieira's mouth: "Good morning, poll plunge. A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows that huge numbers of Americans are losing faith over the war in Iraq and the news isn't any better for Republicans in Congress." (Wednesday's NBC Nightly News also led with the new poll numbers.)

     Then right after Today's theme music played Lauer and Vieira jumped right back to the poll:
     Matt Lauer: "This new poll shows a startling drop in public confidence when it comes to the war in Iraq. It's down 24 percentage points since June of this year and these are numbers that Republicans are gonna find very troubling. We're gonna talk to Tim Russert about that and some other poll numbers in just a minute."
     Vieira: "They are the lowest numbers, I think this poll has ever reported."
     Lauer: "In the history of the poll."
     Vieira: "Absolutely."

     Then after a quick rundown of upcoming stories, Today jumped to an eager Tim Russert as he and Matt predicted a "Level 5," "perfect storm" was about to wash out the Republicans.

     [This item, by Geoffrey Dickens, was posted Thursday morning on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]

     The following is the entire exchange between Lauer and Russert at the top of the October 19th, Today show:

     Matt Lauer: "But first let's talk about these midterm elections. Only 19 days away and that new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll could mean some big trouble for the Republicans. Are they going to lose their grip on power? Tim Russert is NBC's Washington bureau chief and moderator of Meet the Press. Hey Tim, good morning to you."
     Tim Russert: "Good morning, Matt."
     Lauer: "Before I get to specific poll numbers there seems to be an almost perfect storm brewing here. You've got Iraq boiling over. As a matter of fact October is shaping up to be the deadliest month for U.S. troops in that war in two years. You've got North Korea flexing its nuclear muscle, you've got the Foley scandal. How hard's it gonna be for the Republicans to hang on to power?"
     Russert: "Very difficult based on everyone I've talked to Matt and 'boiling over,' is exactly the right analogy. That's how one Republican said to me yesterday. It's a big pot and you dump in a little bit of Iraq, you dump in North Korea, you dump in Iran, you dump in the Jack Abramoff lobbyist scandal, you dump in the Mark Foley scandal. He said, 'It just boils over,' and it's that level of anxiety that is hurting the Republicans less than three weeks before the election."
     Lauer: "Let's talk about the poll numbers. President Bush's approval rating has gone down a point since last month. That's not a huge drop but his job approval rating on handling the war in Iraq is down five points in the last month. Is Iraq, issue number one when it comes to people going to the voting booth?"
     Russert: "Absolutely. People keep coming back to it Matt. In fact on the economy the President's approval has gone up but it's Iraq, Iraq, Iraq. And people's anxiety is enormous. They don't see what, 'stay the course,' means. They don't understand the strategy, they don't understand, they're starting to question exactly what our mission is."
     Lauer: "Let's get to these numbers that are, in my opinion, somewhat startling. According to the poll the American public's optimism about the war in Iraq has plunged 24 percentage points since June of this year. Now as you just said at a time when they're being asked to 'stay the course,' if they've lost hope in that war, you know, then how do they go about staying the course?"
     Russert: "That's the challenge for the President and for the Republicans. The American people hear the news each and every day as to what is going on in the ground in New York, in, in Iraq and they're wondering, exactly, what this means for the country. They no longer believe that Iraq, the war is beneficial to the overall war on terror, which is the fundamental premise of the Bush strategy."
     Lauer: "But Tim let me interrupt. Have they, the poll doesn't ask these voters if they've heard a better option from the Democrats. The Democrats have talked about redeploying troops to other roles in Iraq but have they given the voters enough to chew on to throw the party in power out?"
     Russert: "That was the big unanswered question and our pollsters had the following answer, Matt. That the Democrats have become marginally acceptable. That people do not know of a concrete Democratic proposal but the frustration is so high they're willing to say, at this point, 'Let's try something else.'"
     Lauer: "Alright on the question of who should control Congress? Back to our poll, 52 percent said Democrats, 37 percent said Republicans. It's a 15 point spread, Tim, and it's jumped from nine points last month. Just a couple of important points. The 15 point spread is the largest for any party in the history of this poll and an important point to make, Tim. Asked about their approval of Congress overall, so Republicans and Democrats, people in the poll gave it just a 16 percent approval rating. So they're saying, 'Hey I'm not really thrilled with either party.'"
     Russert: "Matt put this in context. When the Republicans took control in 1994, the so-called Republican Revolution, disapproval in Congress was 67 percent. Today it's 75. And in that generic question you ask, 'Which party do you want to take control?' The Democrats today have a 15 point advantage, back in November of '94 the Republicans had just a plus six. So this storm seems to be much more of a level 5 than what we saw in '94. The difference is they're aren't as many competitive seats at stake but nonetheless right now a wave seems to be building."
     Lauer: "Alright, Tim Russert in Washington with the new poll numbers from NBC News and the Wall Street Journal. Tim, thanks very much."
     Russert: "Thanks Matt."

CNN's Cafferty: Will Karl Rove Engineer
an 'October Surprise?'

     On Wednesday's The Situation Room, CNN's Jack Cafferty wondered about the possibility of an October surprise to save the Republicans in the midterm elections. He asserted that "many people think Karl Rove would be the architect" behind such an event. Cafferty, who made the comments during the 5:15pm EDT segment of his 'The Cafferty File,' speculated that such a surprise could include finding Osama bin Laden. The CNN host then noted ominously: "It just so happens, Rove told the Washington Times he's confident the Republicans will keep control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. He says, 'the Foley matter,' his words, will have impact in some limited districts, but not overall. Perhaps Mr. Rove knows something we don't."

     [This item, by Scott Whitlock, was posted Wednesday afternoon on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]

     Hmm, so optimism can now be labeled an October surprise? Here's the transcript of Cafferty's October 18 segment:

     Wolf Blitzer: "Let's go to New York and Jack Cafferty with 'The Cafferty File.' Jack?"
     Jack Cafferty: "20 days and counting to the midterm elections. A lot of time left for a so-called 'October surprise.' A lot of possibilities out there too on what might come along to effect the elections. International threats like North Korea's nuclear test. Iran's nuclear ambitions. The widely covered mess in Iraq, not to mention finding Osama bin Laden, to the domestic issues like the Mark Foley sex scandal. Many people think Karl Rove would be the architect behind an October surprise, if it comes. It just so happens, Rove told the Washington Times he's confident the Republicans will keep control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. He says, 'the Foley matter,' his words, will have impact in some limited districts, but not overall. Perhaps Mr. Rove knows something we don't. Here's the question: 'Is there time left before the midterm elections for an October surprise? And if so, what will it be?' E-mail us at Caffertyfile@cnn.com or go to CNN.com/CaffertyFile. Wolf?"

On Leftist Radio Show, Cafferty Echoes
Ohio-Obsessed Olbermann

     CNN's crusty Situation Room commentator Jack Cafferty appeared (again) on the leftist, Bush-bashing Stephanie Miller radio show Wednesday morning, promoting his Thursday night CNN special on Broken Government. While he began by trying to be nonpartisan, and mentioning the Harry Reid financial non-disclosure, that Democrats are just a "different breed of weasel," he did end up sounding rather liberal in spots. Miller argued that votes aren't being counted because of President Clinton's mantra "when people vote, Democrats win." Cafferty replied that if people don't feel their votes are counted, then "this democracy's gone. We're trying to bring democracy to Iraq. Hell, we couldn't even bring it to Ohio." He sounds like Keith Olbermann, obsessing about Bush winning by "only" 120,000 votes in 2004.

     Cafferty's special will air at 7pm EDT: www.cnn.com

     [This item, by Tim Graham, was posted Wednesday on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]

     After vexing Miller again by noting a Texas congressman is reporting that Hezbollah is sneaking over the Mexican border, he was asked about the new "torture" law signed by Bush -- allowing the CIA to continue to interrogate suspected terrorists. "It's just a disgrace," he said. When Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist was named, he said "all he's done is rubber-stamp those abuses for the White House...It's disgraceful. It's beyond disgraceful...It's obscene."

     From "obscene," the Miller crew shifted to the Mark Foley scandal. Miller said Foley was a "pedophile." Cafferty said he was a "degenerate," but not technically a pedophile. He was upset that House Speaker Dennis Hastert hasn't been held accountable enough, comparing Bush's support for Hastert to "heckuva job, Brownie" support for the FEMA chief after Katrina. He said "somebody ought to go to jail for this stuff." He also said "This is the party of family values," and Bush ran on "bringing respectability and honesty back to the White House. Give me a break."

     Earlier in the show, by the way, Miller was joking that Yahoo was asking for questions to interview Bush with, and she suggested "How's Condoleezza Rice in bed?" A few days ago, she was joking that former wrestling coach Hastert was homosexual. So much for liberal talk radio being civilized and factual.

-- Brent Baker

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