 |
 |
|
|
|
Listen to On the Media with Real Audio |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
| | |
Wolf in Pigskin
February 9, 2002
BROOKE GLADSTONE:
Two weeks ago our producer-at-large Mike Pesca was on talking about a Wolf Blitzer interview with John Ashcroft on CNN. He's back with an update of sorts. Mike, what have you got?
MIKE PESCA:
Well, Brooke, to harken back to that interview, two weeks ago on CNN Wolf Blitzer asked Ashcroft about Enron and Ashcroft said: I won't talk about it. I've recused myself.
BROOKE GLADSTONE:
Right. And Wolf punted on any followup by changing the subject to the upcoming Rams/Eagles game.
MIKE PESCA:
Okay. With that as prologue, I found Wolf's Q&A with another member of the administration, Condoleezza Rice, very interesting. Wolf read this provocative quote from Ariel Sharon.
WOLF BLITZER:
[READING] "There was an agreement on Lebanon not to kill Yasir Arafat. Actually I am sorry that we did not kill him. If Arafat takes all the steps we are demanding that he take, as far as I'm concerned he will again be a partner to negotiation."
MIKE PESCA:
To which Rice responded:
CONDOLEEZZA RICE:
I'm not going to comment on everything the Israeli prime minister says.
MIKE PESCA:
But on the second part--
BROOKE GLADSTONE:
So she had talked about the second part. The part that didn't have anything to do with wanting to kill Arafat. The part that was a totally commonplace utterance as opposed to the shocking first part.
MIKE PESCA:
Right. And just like with Ashcroft, Wolf didn't press her on it. In fact, here's what happened next.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE:
...aspirations of the Palestinian people.
WOLF BLITZER:
Dr. Rice, we have to leave it right there, but today being the Super Bowl here in the United States, a lot of speculation that one day when you leave government, you'd like to be the commissioner of the NFL.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE:
That's true! That's not speculation. That's fact.
WOLF BLITZER:
So you want to tell us who's going to win the Super Bowl?
CONDOLEEZZA RICE:
Well shouldn't I be reserved--
BROOKE GLADSTONE:
It's the endaround re-visited!
MIKE PESCA:
[LAUGHS] I just wanted to note that if during the Dolphin/Ravens game President Bush was answering policy questions as opposed to snacking, he would have saved himself from a very embarrassing pretzel-related mishap.
BROOKE GLADSTONE:
Very sobering, Mike. Thank you. Mike Pesca is OTM's producer-at-large and current co-host of Wolf Blitzer's Political Pigskin.
BOB GARFIELD:
Coming up, the man who put big sounds in small boxes, and the latest take on the Hollywood Shuffle.
BROOKE GLADSTONE:
This is On the Media from National Public Radio.
copyright 2002 WNYC Radio
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
