Greta Van Susteren was part of the This Week roundtable yesterday where she hit every Fox News talking point Roger Ailes could have wished for: accusing President Obama of hypocrisy about NSA data mining, criticizing President Obama for not having the courage to “move forward” and stop blaming “the last guy” and complaining that the DOJ’s examination of Fox reporter James Rosen’s phone records means that reporters who publish leaks “are now going to be prosecuted” even though Rosen was never prosecuted and won’t be, e.g. But when she ventured into lecturing Democrats on partisanship and attacking Susan Rice for “just taking directive” and not asking questions before going on TV – well, critical-minded Fox watchers must have been guffawing across the country
While discussing datamining by the NSA, there was the following exchange between Republican Matthew Dowd and Van Susteren (as per ABC News' transcript):
DOWD: The problem, Greta, as you and I—you and I talked about it is, that everything in Washington is viewed through a partisan lens. So if George W. Bush did something and Democrats didn’t like it, it was bad. And if Barack Obama does something and if Republicans don’t like it’s bad. And even things that Barack Obama has done...
VAN SUSTEREN: Maybe it’s time to stop it.
DOWD: I agree.
VAN SUSTEREN: Maybe someone should have the courage, and say, “Look, I’m not going to blame the last guy and I really am not going to blame the last guy.” And, yes, and move forward.
It’s gratifying to see Van Susteren argue for moving beyond partisanship, even if she did so via a Fox-friendly jab at President Obama. And even if her own record is one of promoting partisanship, not moving forward.
But when the discussion turned to President Obama’s appointment of Rice to the position of National Security Advisor, Van Susteren said:
You know what, the president described Ambassador Rice as a patriot, fearless and tough. I’m sure she is. But what we need is someone who is going to say, instead ask questions like, “How do you know?" "Why are you saying this?” You know, just taking directive and going out to the five Sunday shows and saying the same thing is not, you know, not the job.
…It would have been better if he chose someone that we knew would stand up and say, "How do you know that?" "Why are you saying that?" This doesn’t make sense.
Well, unless Van Susteren thinks that independence and asking questions before going on TV and regurgitating a party line is only important in government officials, she’s got some ‘splaining to do for her own self.
For example:
Van Susteren recently helped advance as “news,” a campaign-friendly hunch of Virginia’s Republican gubernatorial candidate, Ken Cuccinelli, that he was targeted by the IRS. Van Susteren asked for no evidence for Cuccinelli to prove his belief, didn’t point out that he was fundraising on the claim that even he admitted was mere guesswork.
Van Susteren went along with Fox News’ agenda when she gave Donald Trump a platform to promote his completly debunked and discredited birther attacks on President Obama – with only the mildest of pushbacks. This, even though Van Susteren has made it clear she disagrees.
Van Susteren was in synch with Sean Hannity when she helped promote Donald Rumsfeld as a figure of great Washington gravitas by repeatedly teasing an upcoming interview with the question, “What would Donald Rumsfeld advise?”
Van Susteren asked no questions about how Rush Limbaugh “knew” or why he said President Obama believes “achievers, affluent people have somehow come by (their affluence) in an ill-gotten way... and he’s gonna give back... and redistribute it to a larger group of people... He sees in Chavez a kindred spirit.”
So before she goes complaining that anyone else is an on-air lackey, Van Susteren ought to take a good look at her own behavior.
Video: Roundtable I: Privacy vs. Security
General allen, you can't even tell us in an open session yes or no whether the national security agency intercepts the telephone conversations of american citizens in america. Sir, I believe that a discussion of our operations is properly held in closed sessions. The action that we do is very closely circumscribed.
Video: Roundtable II: What We're Watching
Let's go quickly around the table. George, what's on your radar this week? As the immigration debate intensifies two republicans to look at, concern for example, access to health care for illegals. Orrin hatch, republican of utah worried about back taxes to be paid.