Published on OurFuture.org (http://www.ourfuture.org)
Weekend Watchdog
By Bill Scher
Created 06/29/2007 - 6:27pm

Every Friday in our Weekend Watchdog feature, we post suggested questions for scheduled Sunday guests. You can add your own questions in the comment thread. We'll also include contact information for the shows, so we can let them know what their viewers want asked.

And on Sunday at 4 PM ET, tune in to Air America [1] Radio's "Seder on Sundays" [2] program, where I'll offer the Weekend Watchdog Wrap-Up.

For Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Penn. (ABC's This Week [3]): Unlike Senate conservatives in your party [4], you have not voted to obstruct key reforms [5] for items such as renewable energy, lower drug prices and easier unionization. Are you concerned that your party's political fortunes will suffer if your colleagues continue blocking popular legislation?

(UPDATE: Looks like ABC had a schedule change and Specter will not be on. But we can ask a similar question to another This Week [6] guest, Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn.: You campaigned on your ability to "work across partisan lines to get things done." [7] Yet, the conservative minority has consistently obstructed key reforms [8] for items such as renewable energy, lower drug prices and easier unionization [9]. Are you going to continue to try to accommodate the minority, or will you seek to galvanize the public by forcefully standing up to those who obstruct?)

(Sign our petition [10] calling on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to challenge conservative obstruction by "bring[ing] essential reforms to the Senate floor, and KEEP them there until this minority yields, or takes deserved heat for obstructing progress.")

For Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind. (CBS' Face The Nation [11]): While you gave a speech criticizing the "surge" in US troops levels in Iraq, the same speech called for [12] "some level of American military presence in Iraq" to remain, in part to "protect oil flows."

While you may disagree with the White House about the size of the occupation, isn't it true you still support having an occupation?

For Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. (NBC's Meet The Press [13]): On Thursday, a "Senior Administration Official" gave a press briefing and said President Bush had "no personal involvement" in the prosecutor purge. The Next Hurrah [14] reports that official was White House Counsel Fred Fielding, and despite his assertion, there is evidence Bush did have personal involvement.

Can you negotiate with Mr. Fielding about White House compliance [15] with congressional demands, if he is not being honest with the public?

***

Contact ABC's This Week by clicking here [16]

Email CBS' Face The Nation at ftn@cbsnews.com [17]

Contact NBC's Meet The Press by clicking here [18]

Remember: always be brief, polite and respectful when contacting the media, so our voices will be taken seriously.

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Links:
[1] http://airamerica.com/
[2] http://www.samsedershow.com/
[3] http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ThisWeek/
[4] http://home.ourfuture.org/assets/20070629_filibusteredreport.pdf
[5] http://home.ourfuture.org/assets/20070629_filibusteredsenatevotematrix.pdf
[6] http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ThisWeek/
[7] http://mediamatters.org/items/200608220002
[8] http://home.ourfuture.org/assets/20070629_filibusteredsenatevotematrix.pdf
[9] http://home.ourfuture.org/assets/20070629_filibusteredreport.pdf
[10] http://ga3.org/campaign/HRpet
[11] http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/ftn/main3460.shtml
[12] http://commonsense.ourfuture.org/forever
[13] http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/
[14] http://thenexthurrah.typepad.com/the_next_hurrah/2007/06/fred-fielding-l.html
[15] http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003571.php
[16] http://abcnews.go.com/thisweek/story?id=64596
[17] mailto:ftn@cbsnews.com
[18] http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6872152/