TV loves politics

A couple of notes on politics on TV:

First, NBC's Luke Russert put his foot in his mouth on NBC's "Today."

Second, I'm not a Katie Couric hater, but I have to say her interviews today with U.S. Sen. John McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had an unfair exchange.

While chatting with Palin, there was this discussion about the proposed government bail out plan:

COURIC: If this doesn't pass, do you think there's a risk of another Great Depression?

PALIN: Unfortunately, that is the road that America may find itself on. Not necessarily this as it's been proposed has to pass or we're going to find ourselves in another Great Depression. There has got to be action--bipartisan effort--Congress not pointing fingers at one another but finding the solution to this, taking action, and being serious about the reforms on Wall Street that are needed.

Then in chatting later with McCain, Couric asked:

COURIC: Earlier today, Senator, I spoke with your running mate, Sarah Palin, and she told me that if action is not taken a Great Depression is, quote, "The road that America may find itself on."  Do you agree with that assessment? 

MCCAIN: I-- I don't know if-- if-- if it's exactly-- the depression.  But every respected economist in this country is saying, "You better address this problem, and you better do it now, or the consequences, obviously, of inaction are of the utmost seriousness."  So-- I agree with-- with Governor Palin.  There's so much at stake here.  That's why I am confident that we'll sit down and work together on this thing.

COURIC: But isn't so much of this, Senator McCain, about consumer confidence?

MCCAIN: Sure.

COURIC: And using rhetoric like the Great Depression, is that the kind of language Americans need to hear right now?

MCCAIN: Well, listen, I've heard language from respected people who are staring at the abyss.  I've-- I've heard all kinds of-- of things from people.  I don't think we need to scare people.  But I certainly think we need to tell them the truth.  And tell them what's at stake here.

And everyone says, and I say, this is the greatest crisis since the end of World War II.  You cannot-- I-- I mean, to-- to tell it-- American citizens that everything's fine, I-- I think just would be-- that would be outright deception.  I think it's of the utmost serious-- seriousness.  And this is a crisis of enormous proportions.  But we can fix it.  And America's best days are still ahead of us.

It sounds as if Couric is questioning Palin's use of "the Great Depression" when it was Couric who first used the term. That doesn't seem particularly fair.

***

More politics on TV: Tonight David Letterman talks poltics after McCain cancels an appearance on "The Late Show," saying, among other things, that suspending his campaign and wanting to postpone a presidential debate, "This just doesn't smell right. This is not the way a tested hero behaves. Somebody's putting something in his Metamucil."

He also unveiled this Top 10 list:

The Top Ten Questions People are Asking The John McCain Campaign

#10      "I just contributed to your campaign - how do I get a refund?

#9        "It's Sarah Palin - does this mean I'm pars'dent?"

#8        "Can't you solve this by selling some of your houses?"

#7        "This is Clay Aiken.  Is McCain single?"

#6        "Do you still think the fundamentals of our economy are strong, Genius?"

#5        "Are you doing all of this just to get out of going on Letterman?"

#4        "What would Matlock do?"

#3        "Hillary here - my schedule is free Friday night."

#2        "Is this just an excuse to catch up on napping?"

#1        "This is President Bush - what's all this trouble with the economy?"