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First two stories on tonight's "Countdown":
• Coverage of Obama's trip to the G2 with something akin to disbelief that the British reporters asked him harsh questions. And, by the way, the "who's to blame?" question was completely not about America; essentially it was "Gordon Brown's been trying to dump this entire economic crisis on America, but the French and Germans say that British policies also played a part. Did British policies play a part in causing this crisis?", so IMO there's no need for Keith to segue from City financiers dressing down "to avoid being attacked" to "President Obama having received NO warning of the reception he would receive from members of the British news media"...awww, was po' widdle Obambi being "attacked" by those mean Bwitish wepawtahs? How awful! Just like those hooligans in the streets ("professional anarchists" Richard Wolffe sniffed), what an uncouth country Britain must be not to treat Barry with his due deference. ("The first joint news conference between an American President and the British Prime Minister is, according to tradition, usually rather deferential, few fireworks. Instead, did the President seem to be put on the defensive from the outset for a crisis that was certainly not of his making, even if it might be attributed to his nation?" Wah, wah, wah, it's not Barry's fault, you mean British people! Screw worldwide catastrophe, I demand softball questions! It's a tradition!) Whatever, Keith.
• actually SPINNING DoJ's decision to set Stevens free as "absolutely shocking" in a GOOD way because, Keith claims, it's a break from Bush using the Department for political purposes, because Stevens is a Repub and Holder is a Dem. So that makes letting the crook off okay? The who in the what in the huh?
I don't know exactly what legal defalcations there were by the Bush team that prosecuted Stevens, but lets say that the conviction has to be thrown out. Fine, fine. You know what you do next, Keith? You RE-TRY the bastard! Because Stevens still belongs in jail, bad trial or not.
Instead we get this drivel: "Any handwringing over Stevens sort of 'beating the rap' (although I think that's probably not a fair construction here), but isn't the point that whatever he did, whether misdemeanor or felony or a slap on the wrist subject, it's almost beside the point when there's misconduct like this in a democratic system of justice? There's no choice, right? You don't withhold evidence from the defense, no matter what."
All well and good and I hate prosecutors who cheat as much as the next guy who roots for the defendants on Law & Order, but what in Sam Hill does that have to do with the decision not to retry Stevens, um, because he's old? If he committed the crimes, he still committed the crimes. (Which earned him seven years in Federal prison, not a "slap on the wrist", KEITH.) He's entitled to a new trial, a fair trial, not a free pass.
This looks to me like the Obama administration trying to buy peace with the Repubs by ducking out on its duty to prosecute, just as it has stifled efforts to investigate Bush administration misconduct. You cover for us, we'll cover for you, don't worry everybody's safe. "Shocking", indeed, Keith...but hardly praiseworthy.
Ugh, now I'm scared to watch the rest of the show.
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