Bernie’s Q&A: Amy Robach, Trump's Kids, Brian Stelter, Elizabeth Warren, and more! (11/15) — Premium Interactive ($4 members)
Welcome to this week’s Premium Q&A session for Premium Interactive members. I appreciate you all signing up and joining me. Thank you.
Let’s get to your questions (and my answers):
With the recently so-called "hot-mic" video about the Epstein scandal, and now the ex-ABC supposed leaker being fired by CBS raises some serious concerns about transparency, among other things. Do you think if Amy Robach had any actual journalistic conscience or backbone, she would just go somewhere else to get "all of it" out there for the public to judge independently, ABC Executives be damned? -- Tim R.
Asking her to quit her job, it seems to me, is asking a lot. And accusing her of not having journalistic backbone and conscience, strikes me as unfair. We all live in the real world; not everything is ethical all the time. We can't quit whenever something happens that we encounter something that doesn't meet our high standards. I'm just being realistic.
By the way, the "supposed leaker" who got fired by CBS News says she wasn't the leaker. And she sounds convincing. If she really wasn't, CBS should say, Sorry, and re-hire her. Let's see if they do.
Elizabeth Warren says that the middle class won't pay for medicare-for-all. She could be right, because it could take all the money that the rich have. But what she's not saying is that the middle class is going to pay the full bill for climate change. How so? The rich already are getting soaked, and the poor have nothing to give. The middle class is going to get soaked for as much money as possible just shy of bankrupting us. That's a pretty coy play. Next time Warren mentions climate change, let's ask her how much money she is looking for per year so we can do the math. -- Bill N.
I suspect the national news media won't look at the math as closely as you or I would like. Why? Because they share her progressive values.
Hello again, mr. Goldberg! Have you seen/read any of the Amy Robach story on how ABC covered up an Epstein scoop for 3 years? What do you think? Another question also: I just heard the song "Stuck in the middle with you" by Stealers Wheel, did that song by any chance inspire your book title? -- Best wishes, Carl-Simon P.
I saw the tape and heard what she was saying. I have no idea what's true and what isn't.
As for the Stealers Wheel song: It has no influence on the title of my book, Crazies to the Left of Me, Wimps to the Right. But ... when I did interviews about the book on radio, a lot of hosts played the song. I had to make clear, I wasn't in the middle. I was on the right. But they couldn't resist playing Stuck in the Middle -- and that's OK with me.
Bernie, Self coming to the USA back in 1977, I have noted a shift in society, especially since the late 1990s. As someone involved in Boy Scouts, I'll use their creed of the three points of the Scout Oath to illustrate my point. Duty to God, Duty to Country (and others), and Duty to Self. It seems society has now reversed the order with Country (others) running a distant second and God running a very distant third or not at all. It seems the collective well-being of society is being marginalized in order to worship at the alter of the Self. I'm all for self-esteem and the 1st amendment regarding religion or no religion, but I'm also for a healthy society from which we can all grow and strive together. A little more us and a little less me. Your thoughts? -- Paul T.
We've been moving in the ME direction for a while now. The 70s were the so-called Me Decade. As a reporter at CBS News, I once said the 80s were the Me and my Stock Broker decade. My crystal ball is broken so I can't say if we'll move back in the other direction any time soon. But I agree, a little more US and a little less ME is probably a good thing for a nation.
Mr G. , Do you think Trumps’ sons are helpful at this point for their Fathers campaign? Even within their base? I’m beginning to feel not so much. I don’t think he needs their whining and stooping to Lib levels as seen on ABC Thursday and they should just keep the stooping and whining to Dad IMO. -- ScottyG
The base loves Donald Trump and if his sons are speaking up for him, that, I believe, won't be a problem for the president or his base. The real problem is that the most loyal portion of the base is not that big. And he can't win just with his hard core base. I'm sure of that, but not at all sure the president understands that.
A couple of questions:
What do you believe to be the most bias reporting over the past 50 years that proved totally opposite of MSM reporting?
What do you believe to be the biggest sports story of the past 50 years either positive or negative?
-- Tim H.
Reporters got the AIDS story wrong and scared the hell out of everybody in the process. Let me be clear: If even one person has AIDS it's a tragedy. But journalists repeatedly said it was going to spread to the wider population, beyond the high risk groups. That wasn't simply a case of bad reporting; it was bias reporting too ... because liberal journalists were championing a group of people who were often discriminated against. I reported for CBS that the disease was not speaking to mainstream America -- and caused quite a stir in house. Check out my reporting in Bias on the subject.
Press coverage of Donald Trump is right up there, too, when it comes to bias reporting.
Biggest sports story: Here are are few possibles: The NY Rangers win the Stanley Cup -- and I was in Madison Square Garden watching. Or maybe the NY Giants win the Super Bowl after David Tyree makes a great catch holding the ball against his helmet. Or it was when Derek Jeter tossed the ball to Jorge Passed -- one of the great moments in NY Yankees history. Wait: Could have been the 1973 NY Knicks NBA championship.
Are you noticing a pattern here.
But probably the biggest sports story of the past 50 years is when in a pickup basketball game, I couldn't miss. Whatever I threw up, went in. That' the day I earned a new nickname ... White Kobe. (My old nickname was Silk -- as in smooth as.)
OK, for real: Miracle on Ice, 1980, USA beats Russia at Lake Placid and (one game later) goes on to win Olympic Gold.
In view of the current polarization in our politics, ie:Nazism attributed to the right, Communism/Socialism to the left, do you think it's possible for the leaders of both parties to root out all of the people with those leanings and have them form their own parties so that reasonable politicians can get back to doing the people's business or is this a fantasy? What do you think if Harris Faulkner on FNC's Outnumbered. I find her opinions fair and reasonable. What say you? -- Joseph V.
To your first question about rooting out the fringes: Not going to happen.
I try to watch as little cable news as possible. Opinion shows are hopelessly biased. But based on the little I've watched of Ms. Faulkner, I guess she's fairer than most.
Bernie, What do you think about Michael Bloomberg entering the race? Trump already refers to him as "Little Mike." -- Clark F.
I knew President Trump would call him that -- because Bloomberg is short and Trump is a juvenile delinquent. Not sure he'll enter the race, though. If he does, get back to me and we'll pursue.
Bernie: I wanted to get your take when you hear Democrats utter the phrase "put country before party." Nancy Pelosi used it when she wanted to Republicans to join her party in the Ukraine inquiry. It was used at the service for Elijah Cummings when it was said that he always put country before party. Have you ever known a Democrat to do put the country ahead of the party especially in modern times? It's the same when media elites urge Republicans to be bipartisan and cross the aisle for legislation while the same is never mentioned for Democrats. It's seems to always be a one-way street. Thanks. -- William M.
I'm with you, William. Good points. There's a reason for this: Journalists -- too many of them anyway -- think the liberal position is the reasonable position ... which means that the Democratic position, to them, is the reasonable, civil position. That's why Republicans are called upon to live up to Democratic so-called standards -- and not the other way around.
With Brian Stelter inviting former Fox News people on his show to criticize Fox, I was wondering if he's invited you on? -- Casey
Yes he did. After I wrote a piece back in March on this website about why I'm no longer at Fox. I wouldn't play his game. I knew that he wanted me on because I was uncomplimentary of Fox. And I knew if I accepted I'd spend all my time bashing him and not answering his questions -- and that I'd look like the bad guy. So I turned down the invitation.
I'm reading Kim Strassel's book Resistance (At All Costs). It's about Trump's opponents being more destructive than Trump himself to America and its institutions. She describes the shocking behavior of civil servant bureaucrats in Executive Branch agencies. 95% of these servants contributed to Hillary and despise the man they're supposed to answer to. After Trump was elected, they didn't even try to hide the ball in working against the president's agenda that they are being paid to carry out, calling themselves patriots and whistleblowers. You have called out media bias throughout the years, but I think this Deep State bureaucratic bias is even worse. With the media, I can choose to read, ignore, disagree, etc. With government agencies and the judiciary, they have the power to make direct rules that govern my affairs. I'm very interested to get your opinion. -- Steve R.
There's a permanent bureaucracy that sticks around when presidents come and go. That's probably a good thing. Government couldn't function very well if everyone left when a new president came in. But ... they have to be non-partisan. And when they're not we have the situation you (and Kim) describe. I don't know how to combat the situation ... but if anyone is caught crossing the line, it seems to me the administration has the right to dismiss that person (assuming they actually broke an established rule).
Whether it's worse than a biased media ... that's up to each individual to decide. But a biased media is a real danger to our democracy. People need to have faith in the media -- to believe what they report. When we lose faith, we don't know what to believe. And when they tell us that someone powerful in government is doing something wrong, we might not believe them. Then what?
King Bernard.....I hate to get semi-serious...BUT...Understanding that your background is in ‘hard news’ (which you were terrific) and now knowing that one of your side gigs is in sports (which you are equally sensational, but don’t get cocky)...what are some of the similar and different aspects you have borrowed to make that smooth transaction -- Omaha, Omaha...hut, hut, hut.............Greggo
Greggo, nice hearing from you. I guess the "institution" lets you use the computer every now and then. As long as they keep sharp objects out of reach, I think we'll be just fine. (insert smiley face here)
The transition was easy because I see both hard news and sports news as ... news. It doesn't matter if the story is about a train wreck or horses dying on the racetrack. I cover each the same way. The transition was also easy because I don't do traditional sports stories -- about who's a better quarterback, this guy or that guy. Those stories hold no interest for me. The stories I do on Real Sports are more newsy than a lot of stuff I did at CBS. And thanks for the compliments.
Do you know why in almost every print or media interview is the persons party listed? I recently saw a list of every states college football coaches salary compared to the governors, after every gov. was either r. or d. why is that necessary? -- Lee K.
Sometimes it's important to know what party a politician is aligned with. It helps us understand why he or she did what they did. Not sure why it matters in the case you mentioned about football coach salaries vs. governor salaries. But it can't hurt.
Greetings Sir Bernie: Ben Shapiro has repeatedly stated that Bernie Sanders was kicked out of a commune several decades ago because he was allegedly too lazy to contribute to the commune, preferring instead to pontificate about the greatness of socialism. Do you know anything about this? To my knowledge, Ben Shapiro doesn't offer a premium Q&A like you do here, so I figured that I would ask you if you had any details about this allegation. -- Working Together For The Benefit Of All Regards, From The Emperor
Once again, Oh Enigmatic One, you've stumped me. I know nothing about Bernie's life in the commune. Nothing. Sometimes I think you're just trying to make me look dumb. If that's true, you're doing a good job. Congratulations!
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