Earlier today Neil Cavuto “spoke” with Rep. Mike Capuano (D-MA) about the President’s “scary talk” on sequestration, in Cavuto’s words. But Cavuto spent so much time interrupting and talking over Capuano that it was pretty much a one-sided conversation. And while he was at it, Cavuto pretended President Obama had threatened the cuts would lead to horse meat in our meat supply.
Before the horse meat came up, Capuano began by saying, “Facts are sometimes scary. What the President just said is fact.”
Capuano couldn’t even get out one complete before Cavuto began interrupting. “Wait, wait, Congressman… Let’s say all this other stuff is coming, right? A week ago, why would he go golfing? Why would you guys be off this week?”
Capuano answered, “I agree with you, we voted to stay in. …At the same time, being there and doing something are two different things. I think we should be doing something.”
Cavuto interrupted again. “No I understand… and you’re a pretty pragmatic guy about this sort of stuff, but with the President going away last week, and knowing that all these problems were on the way, and that we were going to see all these cuts and beef inspectors’ cuts and all the other hellacious things that were to happen, man, I wouldn’t leave the White House.”
Capuano argued, “With today’s modern technology, the telephone, the Blackberry...”
Again, Capuano did not get the opportunity to finish his response. Cavuto said, “From a golf course? You don’t have to scare people, right, Congressman? …Riddle me this, Batman, (Capuano was still trying to talk) …If you’re running the Department of Agriculture, and you know under your purview our beef inspectors all the way down to picket fences on federal property, wouldn’t you sooner be looking at cutting the picket fences than you would beef inspectors so that people aren’t at risk of eating poisoned beef?”
Capuano said, “I truly hope that they will do all of those things first?” These cuts are deeper…"
Another interruption. “But they’re not. The one they mentioned first is the threat of our maybe having horse meat, and you know that’s outrageous,” Cavuto lectured.
“I don’t think the President said that,” Capuano said.
Cavuto talked over him - with a tacit acknowledgment that no, President Obama had not said that. Cavuto said, “He said that beef inspectors might be cut. What does that lead Americans to believe who heard about horse meat in Europe?”
Capuano argued, “That presumes that the meat producers are going to feed us horse feed if there’s no inspectors there to be had.” He didn’t get to finish that response either.
Finally, after a brief break in Cavuto’s scolding in which he hilariously lectured Democrats to “calm down, bring it down, dial it back,” Capuano said, “The point is what’s going to happen when these cuts come. And people need to know that. …They (Republicans) want to use this to cripple the government.”
Cavuto couldn’t restrain himself any longer. “You’re the same way about 'revenues better be included,'” he said, interrupting.
In between further interruptions and accusations of intransigence, Capuano said, “I think compromise is compromise. …We have already cut $2.4 trillion, and I will talk about additional cuts if put on the table in a thoughtful manner. I did not vote for the sequester because I think we have a responsibility to actually make thoughtful cuts and across the board cuts are not that.”
Cavuto closed by saying, “Congressman, always good seeing you.” Sure it is. Because Neil gets to do all the talking!
A: As often as the Dem begins to speak.