. As usual O'Donnell launches into a stream of incoherent attacks against Thiessen trying to make the point the real failure against terrorism came under the Bush administration on September 11th. This was entirely beside the point of the segment, however, which was to question whether the dissolution of the CIA interrogation program under the Obama administration would keep America safer or would, as Thiessen argues, bring us back to the pre 9/11 mentality that essentially invites another attack. I have broken the entire 10 minute segment into two parts. The first shows O'Donnell so completely out of control the segment ends with Joe Scarborough cutting off O'Donnell asking to go to break so he could interview Thiessen himself. When they return Scarborough makes a comment about O'Donnell being off his meds. The second portion shows Thiessen making a strong argument the Obama policies have left us much less safe. Scarborough also makes the point he had been contacted by Intelligence officials who say there is no longer a choice whether to try a suspected terrorist as the Bush administration did with Richard Reid or use the CIA program since that program has been decimated.
Towards the very end of the second portion of video they take the straight jacket off O'Donnell and allow him to ask a question of Thiessen, he calmly attacks his private school upbringing, attendance at Vassar and lack of military experience questioning his credentials to comment on the efficacy of interrogation programs. Irony anyone? Can anyone imagine O'Donnell making those same ad hominem attacks on Barack Obama? Thiessen handles himself very well and O'Donnell is left looking as though they took the straight jacket off a bit too soon.
I stopped watching Morning Joe months ago but did watch it this morning because of your guest Marc Thiessen who has the new book out about the CIA interrogation program. I have to say I was not surprised to hear Lawrence O'Donnell spew his normal "Hollyweird" vomit against Mr. Thiessen. When you’re running like a rat on a sinking ship, it is hard to concentrate while trying to have an intelligent conversation, isn't it Mr. O'Donnell. Come to think about it, Mr. O’Donnell is the same guy who continued his comments about Mitt Romney and Mormonism during an in-depth interview with radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt, wherein he criticized other religions including his own Catholic faith, but declined to publicly criticize Islamic fundamentalism because he said he was afraid for his life. How else would a "European socialist" ( as Mr. O’Donnell calls himself) act, except act as a coward when pushed into a corner? I can’t wait for the next elections so we can send the “elitist Socialists” back to Hollywood were they belong. If there is a California? Since all the Democratic controlled states are going insolvent, maybe the Socialists will have to run back to Europe where they will feel cozy.
ReplyDeleteThiessen was really interesting once he was allowed to speak that is. O'Donnell is venomous and I read on twitter he was pleased as punch with himself for his outrageous diatribe.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading Thiessen's book now and believe it or not, it's a real page turner! I hate to put it down. I highly recommend it.
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