IF IT’S SUNDAY…. NBC News is excited to let us know about the “Meet the Press” guest list for this Sunday’s episode.
This Sunday: Exclusive!
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)After sparring with his 2008 presidential opponent — President Barack Obama — at this week’s health care summit, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) sits down for an exclusive interview on this Sunday’s “Meet the Press.” What, if anything, was achieved at this bipartisan meeting? And how will Democrats and Republicans work together to confront health care reform and all the other challenges facing Washington, including terrorism, the economy and more?
I especially enjoyed the “Exclusive!” with the exclamation point, as if this were a rare, special occurrence — instead of McCain’s fourth “MTP” interview since March.
For those keeping score, this will be McCain’s 20th appearance on a Sunday morning talk show since Obama’s inauguration. That’s an average of 1.5 appearances a month, every month, for over a year — more than any other public official in the country.
Since the president’s took office, McCain has been on ABC’s “This Week” three times (9.27.09, 8.23.09, and 5.10.09), “Fox News Sunday” four times (12.20.09, 7.2.09, 3.8.09, and 1.25.09), CNN’s “State of the Union” four times (1.10.10, 10.11.09, 8.2.09, and 2.15.09), and CBS’s “Face the Nation” five times (1.24.10, 10.25.09, 8.30.09, 4.26.09, and 2.8.09). His appearance on “Meet the Press” this weekend will be his fourth since Obama’s inauguration (2.28.10, 12.6.09, 7.12.09, and 3.29.09).
And who, exactly, is John McCain? He’s the one who lost the 2008 presidential race badly, and is now just another reactionary conservative senator in the minority. Gregory will apparently ask for McCain’s thoughts about health care, despite the fact that the senator’s thoughts on the subject appear to fall somewhere between wrong, petty, and ridiculous.
There’s just no reason for the media’s obsession with McCain. None. Twenty Sunday-show appearances in 13 months? For an un-influential member of the minority? It’s farcical.
