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This week, noted author Rob Long (come on, buy his book!) is back on the big show, so we booked a guest he’d have a lot to chat about with, California Congressman Devin Nunes. We talk collusion, Russia, Mueller, all the good stuff. Also, Bush the elder says the President “is a blowhard,” are entitlements bad for the nation’s health?, and Steve Martin’s King Tut is racist. Well, at least at Reed College it is.
Music from this week’s podcast: King Tut by Steve Martin
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I’m assuming it was the mechanics of the phone with Rep. Nunes, but that conversation was painful to listen to, with all of the crosstalk/interruptions and awkward pauses. You guys really need to learn to take turns.
At least do a google search before you repeat old talking points.
When you’re right, you’re right. Bush 43 and Obama each vetoed 12 bills during their eight years in office, tied for the lowest among modern presidents.
The Brookings Institute wrote about his veto-free presidency in 2006 (obviously the vetoes happened after that).
Did you think he vetoed about the right number of bills? Do you think he effectively used his presidential power to overcome the rising mania of the Left?
Do you think he has the standing, looking backward, to criticize the current president, particularly after his eight years of silence?
Just wondering if we agree on the point as opposed to a side issue.
His worst failing in office was not vetoing McCain/Feingold.
He could have used both the veto and the bully pulpit to push back the mania more. I disagree on his “standing” though, and on the 8 years of silence. The eight years of silence were appropriate- if he had criticized Obama, it would have strengthened Obama’s position among Dems and independents, while stifling the voices of up-and-coming Republicans making the same arguments. Criticizing Trump from the right, however, is an appropriate part of intra-party development as the party governs. Criticizing him from the left, a la Kasich, will just elicit boos.
Can’t you see that remarks like “that’s part of the reason we got Trump” is a tacit acknowledgement of his unsuitability? It is an admission that he’s a thug.
And incidentally, I agree with you, Trump is a thug.
So if we’re all on the same page that Trump is a thug, what is so wrong with pointing this out to people?
Your argument seems to be, “By demanding civility from our leaders, we got thuggery.”
Okay, so we should have demanded … what, exactly? Brutishness? And that would have gotten us civility?
Your argument turns against itself.
Love Lileks but he is dead wrong about Steve Martin. Plenty of Martin’s routines hold up beautifully and I would argue that THE JERK is as gaspingly funny today as it was back in 1979.
”I was born a poor black child…”
”He hates these cans! Stay away from these cans!”
”I don’t need you! I don’t need anything. Just this ashtray… and this paddle game! The ashtray and the paddle game and that’s all I need… And this remote control. The ashtray, the paddle game, the remote control, and that’s all I need… And these matches. The ashtray, these matches, the remote control, the paddle game… and this lamp! I need this lamp. The ashtray, the paddle game, the remote control, the lamp — and that’s all I need! And that’s ALL I need ! I don’t need one other thing, not one… I need this chair!”
Jeff, I take it you mean to say, breaking his “Read my lips, no new taxes” pledge was, if anything, even stupider than all those other stupid things I remembered to put down. And then, of course, he went out of his way to gratuitously insult everyone who had trusted him, with his “read my hips“ wisecrack.
@jameslileks doesn’t seem to remember how big the King Tut museum tour etc was, back then. Steve Martin didn’t just invent that song bit out of nothing.
Sometimes those “5 minute monologues” are how he asks a question. Because he’s just talking to fill time while he thinks of what he wants to ask. “Peter Robinson here again, Mr So-and-so, I’d like to ask a question, which I formulate as follows, to you, Mr So-and-so, who used to work for…”
Reminds me a bit of this: (with the guest, not the interviewer/host, representing Peter)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6zWjUhfj-M