Yesterday on his CNN Headline News show, Glenn Beck mentioned the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, stating that he was “surprised” the “media jumped all over this story”:
Well, after weathering the storm of congressional calls for his resignation, Alberto Gonzales has finally done just that, he has resigned. But the thing is, I don’t think anybody cares. I don’t think how he — anybody cares how he was connected to the firing of those nine U.S. attorneys.
Watch it:
Despite Beck’s claim that no one cared about Gonzales’s role in the U.S. attorney scandal, the Attorney General’s approval rating was at just 28 percent in a recent poll.
(HT: My Two Sense)
Transcript:
BECK: Well, after weathering the storm of congressional calls for his resignation, Alberto Gonzales has finally done just that, he has resigned. But the thing is, I don`t think anybody cares. I don`t think how he — anybody cares how he was connected to the firing of those nine U.S. attorneys.
Bottom line, you want to know what people care about? Why is it Gonzales let the American people down when he failed to act on the cases dealing with protecting the border, keeping men like Ramos and Compean in federal prison, while illegal drug realers (sic) run around free in our country?
Why is it also, Mr. President, that you spent so much political capital defending men like Gonzales and Donald Rumsfeld, and then in the end they resign and everybody moves on?
Mike Allen, chief political correspondent for The Politico.
Mike, let me start here, and I mean this sincerely. Question No. 1, convince me that I should care.
MIKE ALLEN, THE POLITICO: Well, first of all, if this amounts to weathering the storm, I think I could win a beauty contest. This is pretty battered and bruised as the attorney general heads out of town.
But you`re right: what`s implicit in your question, Glenn, is that the structural damage has been done. What good does it do now? Very much like Republicans might tell you they hold one or both chambers of Congress if the — Defense Secretary Rumsfeld had left earlier.
BECK: Yes.
ALLEN: Why didn`t this happen in March? And as you can see from these two examples, and there are others, one lesson this administration has never learned is take your whipping and move on. Get it over with. That`s just something they don`t seem to be able to do.
But Glenn, why this matters is this is an opportunity for the president to re-establish some trust with the Hill. It`s a chance for each side to get something done. And that`s why they both have a little leverage here.
BECK: Mike, Mike…
ALLEN: Viewers know how bad Congress`s polls are.
BECK: Mike…
ALLEN: So they don`t want to look like they`re shutting down the whole Justice Department.
BECK: Mike, Mike, first question…
ALLEN: I can tell you, you`re…
BECK: No, no. First question was, convince me that I should care.
ALLEN: How did I do? How did I do?
BECK: Second question is, try again. I mean, nobody cares. Nobody cares. Because everybody sees this as just politics for politics` sake.
It`s just, what a surprise this is. Ted Kennedy comes out and says, “Next time George Bush will get somebody that will actually enforce the laws of the United States.”
What? Mr. Ted “I`m All for Amnesty” Kennedy is saying this?
ALLEN: I was going to say, once again, Glenn Beck, Ted Kennedy agreeing with each other. It happens all the time. All the time.
BECK: Give me a break, man! Mike, this is all about politics. That`s all it is. And people are sick of it.
ALLEN: Well, you sound surprised. You can`t be surprised.
BECK: No, I`m just surprised that the media is covering — the media jumped all over this story. You notice, it`s 20 some minutes after the hour as we get into this. I mean, the media is all over this like it`s a big story. Nobody cares!
ALLEN: Well, Glenn, here`s why you should care. If you care anything about this president getting anything done in the next 15 months, if you care about this president having the opportunity to do something besides count the days until he moves back to the ranch, you would want the chance for a clean slate or at least a fresh start between the two ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.
BECK: Mike, I`ve got…
ALLEN: Keep talking…
BECK: Twenty minutes. I`ve got to tell you, if you think that any kind of slate is actually going to get these people, these clowns in Washington to work together before the next election, you`re smoking something. I should try it…
ALLEN: That`s an opportunity…
BECK: I`ve got to run. I`ve got to run, Mike.
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