A DEMOCRATIC OPERATIVE HAS A GLASS MAN-JAW.

One salutary consequence of the emergence of populist Republicans over the past thirty years is that the Sunday shows are no longer safe spaces for Conventional Wisdom.  That's good, because Conventional Wisdom has meant the squandering of the Victory Dividend in nation building wars and buying off of favored constituencies.

Sometimes, that emergence makes for compelling television.  "A pretty embarrassing slip by NBC News' Kristen Welker yesterday. Sen. Tom Cotton was a guest on NBC's Meet the Press and he had several feisty exchanges with Welker over the course of the 15 minute interview."  It used to be that when one of those Sunday moderators recited a Democrat talking point, the squishy Republicans they'd have on would kinda-sorta go along to get along.  Senator Cotton, not so much.

The moderator, whose interviewing style is off-putting even without the truculent chipmunk's pen in hand, was so flummoxed she, in that exaggerated chewing mode of speaking, twice repeated a falsehood.  "Welker thought she was fact-checking Sen. Cotton but in the end, she got fact-checked by her own show."  I wonder if the Militant Normals should boycott Meet the Press until the moderator opens with a public Act of Contrition.  Until then, we'll have to make do with a confession by social media.

On our broadcast this morning, we incorrectly implied that both President Biden and Vice President Harris attended the dignified transfer of 13 American service members killed during the Afghanistan withdrawal. Biden was in attendance but Harris was not.

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) September 1, 2024

The comments to that tweet are lit.  Sixty years ago, the major networks called attention to credibility gaps in Washington.  Today, they give Kramer and Thurston a run for their money creating credibility gaps.