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# Posted 8:18 PM by Ariel David Adesnik

A VERY LATE SUNDAY ROUND-UP: Still relevant 48 hours later! Newt Gingrich was on NBC. Stephen Hadley was on CBS, followed by Arlen Specter and Jane Harman. Joe Biden and Chuck Hagel were on ABC, followed by Laura Bush.

Gingrich: B. It's a lot easier to criticize your party when your political career is over. Even so, it's good to have a major figure like Gingrich tell the GOP to acknowledge its mistakes and get its act together.

Hadley: B-. NSA collecting phone records? Evade, evade, evade. I'm guessing he's following orders and that he really is limited by classification concerns. Even so, he could've done a lot better.

Specter: B+. Reasonable as always. Demanded more information about the NSA phone records program.

Harman: No grade. Harman blasts a "lawless White House out of control." And it wasn't just that one phrase. Harman was angry. I'm inclined to take her concerns seriously, since she was so even-tempered during the first NSA eavesdropping debate. But why is Harman the only one already convinced that the phone records progam is unconscionable? I want more information.

Biden: B+. Won't condemn the NSA program until he has more information.

Hagel: B+. Won't condemn the NSA program until he has more information.

Laura Bush: B. Was this a real interview or a friendly chat? Stephanopoulos couldn't decide. Sometimes he pushed, but he never followed up the First Lady's talking points with a real challenge. Laura has charm, but clearly isn't ready for cross-examination.

And the hosts:

Russert: B. If you attack your own party, Russert will take it easy on you. In other words, Gingrich was filling in for John McCain.

Schieffer: B. Who knew he was a poet?

Stephanopoulos: B.

Hasta la vista, baby.

(7) opinions -- Add your opinion

Comments:

I've always believed that Joe Biden could be an A- or A if he were out of politics. He's got a good mind for foreign policy, but he's a political whore, just like everyone else in Washington.

# posted by

Anonymous : 6:22 AM

If you're familiar with Les Miserables, you know that the most downtrodden of whores often have hearts of gold.

# posted by

Ariel David Adesnik : 9:23 AM

No, Biden would do worse out of politics; the need to be re-elected forces him to hide the "I think I have a higher IQ than you do" Biden.

# posted by

Sanjay : 4:19 PM

"It's a lot easier to criticize your party when your political career is over."

It's unclear from this whether you've noticed that Gingrich is running, hard, for President.

# posted by

Gary Farber : 7:36 PM

Actually, I think Gingrich is running for the bestseller list. He tempts the talking heads with talk of a presidential run, so they will invite him on their shows where he can plug his book (or even better, have them plug it for him).

# posted by

Ariel David Adesnik : 1:03 AM

Um, I've actually copyedited one of Gingrich's books, and known one of his publishers well, very well (we're talking a not large outfit), and I've been in the room with Newt not making a speech, and had other acquaintanceship with his correspondence,
and there are things I can't say, but I'm saying he's running for President.

I'm not commenting on the realism of it. But I'm saying he's very serious.

Believe me or not.

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# posted by

Aditi Jain : 6:29 AM