No laughing matter

December 9, 2007

In September, Hillary Clinton appeared on all five Sunday morning shows, but drew the most attention for laughing at some of the questions she was asked. As The Daily Show documented in a now-infamous clip, Chris Wallace asked the senator about “hyper partisanship,” and Clinton laughed. Wolf Blitzer asked about some attack from Rudy Giuliani, and Clinton laughed. Bob Schieffer asked about healthcare, and Clinton laughed. It was pretty harmless, but campaign reporters quickly focused on almost nothing else.

With this in mind, I wonder if Giuliani’s laugh-filled appearance on Meet the Press this morning might spark some media interest. I’m sure someone will have a video up fairly soon, but here’s a transcript:

RUSSERT: Why would you do business with someone who helped Khalid Sheikh Muhammad?

GIULIANI: (Laughter) […]

RUSSERT: People are calling into question your judgment, they also cite that your law firm did work for Hugo Chavez, the head of Venezuela.

GIULIANI: (Laughter)

RUSSERT: They’ve now quit that, but they did represent Citgo, which is run by Hugo Chavez.

GIULIANI: (Struggling to speak through enthusiastic laughter) Tim, that’s a stretch.

RUSSERT: It’s not. One more and then I’m going to give you a chance on this. One more, a Las Vegas developer that you worked with who had a close relationship with a Hong Kong billionaire who was close with Kim Jung Il.

GIULIANI: (Laughter)

RUSSERT: These are all accusations being made, in a very serious way, about your business. In order to deal with all of this, why not say to the American people, “These are all my clients, this is who I work for, so you can know who I’ve been involved with and who might be trying to influence me if I ever became president.”

Giuliani seemed to find all of this hilarious, laughing and clapping as if Russert were Jerry Seinfeld.

I understand the point — making light of a controversial subject is supposed to downplay its significance — but here’s a question for those who saw the interview: is it me, or was this genuinely creepy?

[comment deleted]

  • Uh, “regina” (AKA Hillary Plant), please don’t cut and paste a totally off-the-topic campaign piece about Hillary Clinton. It’s about as irritating as a right-winger coming to paste something about their candidate or a Ron Paul-ite capturing the thread with some diatribe about Ron Paul.

    Jesus H Christ, I hate campaign season!

  • It’s a laugh not a “cackle”. That’s just the worst term Hillary haters could come up with to describe her laugh. It is however insulting to refer to her laugh in such a trashy manner. I’m surprised they didn’t add , “she smiles like a bitch”. Like watching pigs trying to insult sheep.

    Guiliani won’t answer the questions because they are endless. The only reason he’s still in the race is because the MSM has given him a pass and there has been little scrutiny of his activities. The list has gotten so large and outrageous that it’s more difficult to continue to ignore it. He has abused his powers of office and hired others to do the same. Power and money is all this guy cares about. Laws and rules…they’re for the other guy.

    Guiliani and Kerick are mob trophies and any other corrupt bastard that can afford to pay can get a piece.
    From cocaine sales and possession to misuse of public funds, Guiliani is up to his neck in scandal and corruption but still has an ego large enough to think we should make him “ruler” of our nation. It is laughable…but it is the public that should be laughing, not Rudy.

  • What Tremonius said. Besides, it is not lady-like to laugh aloud.

    Or run for office.

    Gooliphiles will say his laughter signifies a manly self-confidence and determination not to let little details stand in the way of getting things done. They’re probably drooling themselves to the point of dehydration over the way he put TRussert in his place.

    Also, what phoebes said. That shit’s so damn annoying I have to wonder if the people like regina and the Pauliticers are working for an opp. candidate

  • Didn’t he also laugh when he said he didn’t think homosexuality was a sin because of his Catholic upbringing? That should reinforce his Catholic support/

  • I did think it was weird, but I also noticed that, unfortunately, it worked, in the sense that it put Russert off-balance. Russert started sputtering, “it’s important! seriously!!”

    Oh, and maybe I missed it, but did Russert get far enough to ask him about why he hid the Judith security expenses or buried them in various departments?

  • I was out and couldn’t watch MTP this morning, but even if I could have, I wasn’t prepared to start my Sunday with stroke-level blood pressure.

    All I can say is that at least the questions were asked – finally – even if Giuliani was so overcome with laughter that he couldn’t answer them.

    If Timmy’s asking, it can’t be a good sign, can it?

    Haven’t been over to TPM, but I’m sure Josh must have a video compilation up that will be making its way through the blogoshpere.

  • I imagine he laughed because he was visualizing President Guiliani turning Tim Russert on a spit over a slow fire, as his fat popped and sizzled in the coals and his eyeballs burst from the heat.

    More tellingly, Tim Russert would never have gone after him so aggressively if he thought there was the slightest chance of that happening – Rudy becoming president, I mean, not him getting his fat ass cooked. Remember the sympathetic interviews he’s given in the past to those who either already wielded considerable power, or in Tim’s appreciation looked likely to acquire it soon? The questions that started with, “isn’t it true that…..”, or, “do you feel that perhaps….” and then went on to frame a juicy talking point so that dumbkopfs like Bush wouldn’t have to think?

    Tim Russert might not have a real job, and he might not be anywhere near as funny as Jerry Seinfeld, but he has been around politics long enough to know what opportunity smells like when it flashes off into ozone. Elvis Presley has a better chance of becoming the next president than Rudy Giuliani.

  • Rudy gives meaning to the word shyster. I don’t think he did himself any good today with a national audience. For me, however, the money quote came with him saying,”I don’t make mistakes often, but when I do make them, they’re big ones.” That’s real encouraging. I would expect that little remark to come back to haunt him.

  • And we all know, don’t we, that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? Giuliani probably turned green with envy when he realized that Hillary had avoided answering questions or responding to statements by laughing instead. Of course, we can always point out that his laughter was so Hillary derivative, not original at all.

  • It was definitely creepy. It’s almost as if his handlers have told him “no matter how mad you get, you crazy ole fool, don’t show emotion. When you feel your New York fury taking over, stop yourself and do the opposite. Laugh. Laugh like a madman, if you have to. Just don’t lose control.”

    I found myself yelling at the TV “HE’S HAVING A MELTDOWN…” it was that off-putting.

    But, ever the skillful BS artist, it did seem to work and knock the pins out from under Russert who eventually changed the subject.

  • The Presidaint (In memory of Ogden Nash 1902-1971)

    A lady on the bus at Carnegie Way
    said, “I really mustn’t fuss today,”
    I nodded and I looked away,
    but she clearly had some more to say
    “The president,” she then began,
    “I guess he is a clever man,
    but when he says ‘nu-cu–ler’
    I assume it’s the vernuculer!”
    “I, really, losers can’t abide!
    I guess the blame fool’s hands are tied,
    Iraq’s a mess, but what to do?
    It isn’t him, it’s me and you!”
    I turned and (quite discretely) flirted,
    “It’s all the same to me,” I blurted,
    I winked and then I looked away,
    but she clearly had some more to say!
    “The presidential wife,” she said,
    “She grins…her eyes roll in her head!
    I’m not quite sure that she’s all there,
    I do not like her loony stare!”
    “Uh..huh,” I said, uncomfortably,
    but she was not yet done with me,
    I fidgeted and looked away,
    but she clearly had some more to say!
    “That man,” says she, “that wicked Dick,
    he needs a good and solid kick
    right where his legs meet at the thigh!
    I think he’s such a nasty guy!”
    “Ahem!” I said, and looked around,
    my shoes I shuffled on the ground,
    I nervously did look away,
    but she clearly had some more to say…
    “…and all those nasty White House wimps!
    I’d like to lock ’em up with chimps,
    and then you’d see them stop that game
    of Plame stage-name defame declaim!”
    “That’s too complex for me,” says I,
    I blushed and I began to cry,
    my visage turned from good to gray,
    but she clearly had some more to say
    “And what about that bad Osama?
    I heard them say,’He’s gonna bomb ya!’
    then I saw him speak on Al-jazeera,
    cool, if you please, as a cucumbeezer!
    I ask you, what’s the world coming to?”
    I miserably whispered, “I wish I knew!”
    I tried to pretend she’d gone away,
    but she clearly had some more to say
    “Global warmin’ what a bore!”
    “That foolish fellow Albert Gore!”
    “That Kyoto protocol is hooey!”
    “The thought of it excites ennui!”
    She screamed, “That Nancy Pelosi,
    she’ll never make a preziosi!”
    “And if old Dubs and Dicky die,
    I swear I’m just a-gonna cry!”
    “And as for that young fool, Obama,
    he hasn’t got a chance-a-rama!”
    “That John McCain, he’s old and farty!”
    “That Giuliani thinks he’s smarty!”
    “He ruined New York, don’t you see?”
    She thumped her knees and howled at me,
    “He’s turned it into Disneyland!”
    “His hairdo’s getting out of hand!”
    “Huckabee – Suckabee!” she fell about, laughing,
    “Hunter – Punter!” she was almost barfing!
    “Biden – Bidet!’,” she yelled with joy,
    “Kucinich! What a vacuous boy!”
    “Billy Richardson hasn’t got a clue!”
    “That Gravel looks like Old Baloo!”
    ‘Dodd – dodd – doddering!’ she yelled aloud,
    “Ron only makes his mommy proud!”
    “Thompson, Tancredo, begin with T,
    and so does Twit!” she shrieked at me.
    “Romney? Hah!” she yelled with scorn,
    “A lesser man was never born!”
    She fell about with ribald bliss.
    Her skirt rode up; I tried to miss
    the glimpse I got, then, of her panties,
    but my two eyes were vigilantes!
    I swear, I tried to look away,
    but there was one thing more to say,
    “I guess that leaves Hillary,” I stammered,
    My temples pulsed, my angina yammered,
    “You shet yer mouth!” she now declared,
    and in her eyes, large klieg lights flared.
    She dropped down on one slender knee;
    She blazoned with sincerity!
    She prayerfully held her stance,
    My nerves began to twitch and dance,
    “Oh, what is it?” I cried in fear,
    Her glaucous eye released a tear,
    She soft opined, “That girl’s a saint!
    “She’s gonna be the Presidaint!”

  • Rudy and Russert: They are both jokes.

    Off screen, they are both laughing their a$$es off at all of us. But they save the biggest belly laughs for the Repubs that vote them into office and then get schutted up the p00per by them.

  • Glen wrote: Off screen, they are both laughing their a$$es off at all of us.

    If you think Russert and Rudy are on the same side, you’re totally wrong. Russert was taking him out to the woodshed. Russert is in favor of whichever Republicans (or I guess Democrats, if you count Lieberman) he’s told to favor. It seems like the man of the hour is Romney. To the extent Russert and his ilk stray from the script of ass-kissing, it’s just window dressing, a fig-leaf- so it’s really still just part of the script.

  • Rudy either isn’t going to get the nomination, or he’s going to lose the general, so he’ll have plenty of time to laugh at how stupid he acts during his binges and hangovers, then.

  • He was on again. Another clip. He now claims the police department made him do it. I’m trying to imagine the Chief of Police demanding of Goo that all his affairs receive bodyguards and gofer and dog walking privileges, and what’s more the expenses must be hidden in the budget of that indigent attorney account. Then Goo gave his What was I to do? shrug. He now says the Secret Service should protect his mistresses if he’s in the Offal Office. He didn’t say there was a limit in number neither.

    Monica is exulting! Yipeee! I’m back in the White House again.

    He looks exactly like a very corrupt mortician. When he talks, I think, how do we know Uncle Walt was actually buried in his blue serge like he wanted? Rudy’s suit looks so familiar…

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  • I wouldn’t mind a little focus on pointless laughter.

    Laughter at non-funny things is a defense mechanism.
    The jolly people are either thoroughly unsure of themselves or are stalling for time while they try to spin some plausible drivel that evades the question.

    That goes for Rudy and Hil.

    This hackneyed tradition is almost as common as the obligatory “I’m thoughtful” fist-on-chin pose for the camera. Stop it. You’re looking at a camera. You’re not THINKING about anything, you weed.

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