Put another extremely slanted Meet The Press in the books. Today's episode included a panic-filled piece on Ebola in the United States (via one unfortunate doctor who recently returned from Liberia with the disease), a round table that was essentially a strategy session on how to get Republicans elected in the fall and the usual President Obama lacks "leadership" mantra.
Gregory then interviewed Ambassador from Israel, Ron Dermer. After Dermer basically said there is absolutely no way to diplomatically solve the Gaza conflict he proclaimed the only solution is to bomb them into next week. Republican strategist Mike Murphy mocked Secretary of State Kerry for trying for diplomacy and had to get a dig in on his many trips to solve conflicts peacefully. Murphy said,
I mean, John Kerry, I give him an A-plus for burning up jet fuel flying around the world. But when the economy deals with the Egyptians with very little influence now with Hamas. And you start creating space and tension in the American relationship with Israel, and the Israelis know the stakes now.
Carolyn Murphy (WaPo) and Kristen Soltis Anderson concurred there is a deficiency in leadership from the White House. Thank god that's settled. So we move on to the interview with Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and John Thune (R-SD).
He begins the segment with a video clip of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) angrily crossing the House floor to confront Pennsylvania Republican Tom Marino on his accusation that the Democrats are not doing anything on the border crisis. No word on whether this was true of course. Gregory began the interview with the two Senators by saying, "the scene is sadly representative of why this is one of the least productive congressional sessions of all time." Thune gets the first question asking why sue the President when we have matters of importance like immigration. Thune says,
Well, David, the House did pass a border security bill before they went out. The Senate has not. And you mentioned earlier people's frustration. I can understand that. Wages are flat, unemployment's high, everything from gas to food to health care costs more for the American people.
Menendez then reminds Thune of the bill on comprehensive immigration reform that was formulated by the Gang of Eight and which passed in the Senate with Sixty-Eight votes. Gregory asks him next how would he define victory here for the Israelis? Menendez says basically when there's peace. Thune's question ended with "As a friend of Israel, do you fear for Israel?" Gregory has to make sure the Republican Senator gets the questions about military strength because even though the Democrats have assisted in funding Iron Dome, the GOP is the party that Gregory seems to view as better equipped to deal with war.
We move back to border security. Notably absent from the discussion are the victims of violence: the refugee children. Here's Thune's solution.
As Marco Rubio has said, you can't fix legal immigration until you fix illegal immigration. And that means border security. That means building a strategic fence and having an E-Verify program and an entry/exit program that ensures that our borders in this country are secure.
Just build the dang fence already!
To close the show, Dave decides the important last point should be made by who else, but a Republican. To Ms. Anderson he says,
The week's big question, what issues should Congress focus on when it gets back from the August recess? And Kristen, my question is, how do you Republicans win the fall? What do you think they're leaving, going home, to think about?
She stresses "jobs and the economy." No one mentions the economy under President Obama is doing so much better. Of course not, that would be way too fair and balanced.
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