I watched CNN yesterday evening. I hadn't done that in a while. Sure, I flip over to the Situation Room every now and then just to see if the network has upgraded Wolf's big-honkin'-TV quota to 79 screens yet, but that's about it.
Lou Dobbs was something else last night. Here are two segue lines from Lou-- just a sampling of what he had to offer. The first introduces a segment on the American auto manufacturing industry:
DOBBS: Turning now to the war on the middle class in this country, the 60,000 American auto workers losing their jobs over the next three years don't appear to be a concern for this White House.
Right, because the Constitution very clearly states that the responsibility for ensuring the commercial success of every single American business lies in the Executive Branch. Lordy, I shudder to think how many businesses would be left if we followed Dobbs' plan. Luckily, the President is not with Dobbs.
The second segue moves us from that story to a story on China:
DOBBS: We're taking a closer look tonight at yet another complete U.S. policy failure...
Seriously? Subtle, Lou. According to this highly educated journalist who undoubtedly prides himself on his nuanced thinking, any and all troubles in the auto manufacturing industry or with China are caused entirely by U.S. policy toward them and nothing else. Surely, he could try on more innocuous segues for size.
Dobbs and Cafferty also talked briefly about an incident at Bush's press conference yesterday when a camera fell from its mounting and dangled from the ceiling over the press corps.
Bush was good-humored about the situtation, asking reporters if they were "wearing their helmets." In a truly astounding display of his ability to find fault with Bush at every turn, Dobbs said something along the lines of, "I didn't like the way he handled that. I think he should have waited a few minutes until it was cleared and people were safe."
In an equally astounding display of good humor of his own, Cafferty said he "thought the President handled it pretty well." (I can't find this segment in the transcript; not sure why, but I'll keep looking.)
And, thus, what would be Brit Hume's quick laugh clip at the end of the Special Report on Fox becomes a silly, dour debate about Bush's leadership style in the hands of CNN. No wonder their ratings aren't so hot.
Luckily, Pat Cleary at the NAM Blog watches Dobbs so you don't have to. I think I'll just check in with Pat from now on; I've had enough for a while.