‘This Week’ This Week – 7/11/2010 – The Annotated Version
EmailOn "This Week" this morning, we talked to White House senior adviser David Axelrod about the economy, criticism of the Obama administration from the business community, the president's recess appointment of Dr. Donald Berwick, and the BP oil spill.
You can read more about Berwick HERE.
We also touched on Gen. David Petraeus clashing with Afghan President Hamid Karzai over war strategy (read more about that HERE) and testimony in the corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich that mentioned President Obama (read more about that HERE.)
Here's part one of the Axelrod interview:
Here's part two:
Then we had a debate on immigration between Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., chairman of the Democratic Caucus Immigration Task Force and chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Immigration Task Force; and Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Calif., chairman of the Immigration Reform Caucus.
Our roundtable consisted of George Will, National Journal's Ron Brownstein, the National Review's Reihan Salam, and the Washington Post's Ruth Marcus.
I mentioned Brownstein recently visiting the Denver suburbs to talk to voters; you can read his column on that HERE.
We also talked about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the U.S., former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's new "mama grizzly" video, and LeBron James' move to Miami.
Here's part one of the roundtable:
Here's part two:
Here's in Memoriam:
In the Green Room, our roundtablers made their World Cup predictions:
Thanks for watching!
- Jake Tapper
Gulf of Mexico to Become Gulf of America? 
Can Mitt Romney Win Conservatives Back?
This was one of the worst pieces of politically biased journalism I have ever seen. Outside of the very end when jake got tired of Axlerod pontificated, I was expecting Jake to ask if there was anything else he could do in support of the Obama administration or there agenda. He asked reasonable tough questions, but gave Axlerod all the time he needed without challenging anything he had to say. Alxerod went into talking points and back to the blame Bush strategy. Given that Obama has been in office for almost 1/2 of his term already, couldn’t Jake have forced Axlerod to focus on what Obama is doing and what he will do going forward.
When George had the reins you always knew that no matter who came it they were going to have to shoot straight or suffer the consequences. He was tough on everyone, but especially those who tried to spin. I wish you could bring him back, I really enjoyed the show when you was your well balanced moderator. Jake clearly has an agenda and it makes it impossible to get any value out of his presentation.
I am going to give it one more week, but after a few years of watching, I find myself ready to remove your show from my TIVO and watch something else that is more balanced. Bring back George!
Posted by: Scott Schreiber | July 11, 2010, 2:43 pm 2:43 pm
How does Axelrod keep his job? Obama must need someone dumber than himself to keep this guy around. He never answers a question and goes off on a tangient that has nothing to do with the current discussion. Jake you should hold his feet to the fire and dont let him move on…..
Posted by: earl | July 11, 2010, 2:56 pm 2:56 pm
Agreed with the first comment. Sometimes I wonder why Axelrod is in the position he currently holds.
Posted by: iEDGE | July 11, 2010, 4:38 pm 4:38 pm
Maybe, Scott Schreiber, and I listened two different programs today. I thought that Jake Tapper was combative and abusive toward Axlerod. I liked the way that Axlerod refused to be pushed around by the belligerent Tapper. What is wrong with the Sunday morning talk show folks, are they all vying for a shot at being hired by Faux news? Axlerod did an excellent job and Tapper was embarrassing to watch. I understand that a real newsperson will be replacing Tapper and it cannot be soon enough for me. I have already stopped Tivoing Foxnews Sunday and am thinking about dropping Meet the Press as well because David Gregory is a bully. It seems that all of these guys want to be another Bill O’Really. That is not a misspelling, I meant Oh’Really? You know, the guy from the all spin zone.
Posted by: Gene W. DeVaux | July 11, 2010, 9:12 pm 9:12 pm
Scott Schreiber wondered why Tapper didn’t keep Axlerod on a tight leash and force him to explain what the Obama administration was doing. In fact, Axlerod was trying to do just that but Tapper kept trying to interrupt him. There is no escaping the fact that the mess that Obama is trying to pull this country out of was made by the Bush administration and the Republicans in Congress, the same guys who are trying to thwart Obama’s efforts to pull this country out of the “ditch” that Republicans drove our country into. Why would anyone vote to put those incompetents back into power?
Posted by: Gene W. DeVaux | July 11, 2010, 9:24 pm 9:24 pm
Gene W. deVaux, you are funny! Way off base, but the usual funny liberal talking out of his butt. Whinning constantly that the mess and unsustainable debt we are in is entirely Bush’s fault perpetuates the view of you “it’s not my fault” liberals that most intelligent middle of the road people have of you. Boo flipping hooooo!
Posted by: TXmom | July 11, 2010, 11:16 pm 11:16 pm
CO2 – carbon dioxide – the warmers would have you believe it is the enemy… a toxic substance… but is it?
What percentage of the atmosphere is CO2? Considerably less than 1 percent…
Is C02 of any use in the atmosphere? It is absolutely essential to life on Earth! Plants absorb C02 from the the atmosphere and expose it to sunlight. Through a process called photosynthesis,
they create organic compounds and release 02 into the atmosphere…
All animal life depends on the plants for as an original food source, and as a source of oxygen to breathe. In short, no Atmospheric C02, no plant life, no animal life, no warmers to worry about the CO2 levels….
Since C02 is less than one percent of the atmosphere, what is the safe minimum level to maintain life on earth? I don’t know, neither do you, neither do the warmers… It is question they should be required to answer…
Is CO2 a “greenhouse” gas”? Maybe, but it is a minor “greenhouse” gas. The most significant “greenhouse” gas is water vapor and it totally swamps any “greenhouse” effects of CO2.
Has the temperature of Earth ever been warmer? Yes. Has the temperature of earth ever been cooler? Yes. What is the salient characteristic of the temperature on earth? It changes.
What is the real agenda of the warmers? To control absolutely every aspect of your life from the time you get up until the time you go to sleep.
If we are not to fear C02, what can we fear? Planet-Killer NEOs, Super volcanoes, the fact that the Earth’s magnetic field is decreasing rapidly, esp. during the last 20 years… do a couple of searches on these and you will see…
So why are these other issues not being raised? Because they don’t offer the possibility to control your life…
Don’t buy into the warmers’ agenda.
Posted by: Quo Warranto? | July 12, 2010, 12:52 am 12:52 am
“Why would anyone vote to put those incompetents back into power?” – Gene W. DeVaux
Republican Incompetents are far better and safer than Social Experimenting Progressive Liberals. Responsible voters will plug their noses and vote conservative this November.
Posted by: Noz | July 12, 2010, 11:43 am 11:43 am
Bring back George! What a dumb idea,he is just a lap dog for the Obama regime.
Posted by: Johnny L | July 12, 2010, 4:19 pm 4:19 pm