Unknown From Alaska Makes Waves At Debate

The Skinny: Former Sen. Mike Gravel Pokes And Prods Rivals At Dem Showdown In South Carolina

(CBS)  The Skinny is Joel Roberts' take on the top news of the day and the best of the Internet.

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Last night's Democratic presidential debate in South Carolina was "a surprisingly sedate and meandering affair," according to the New York Times, with the major candidates playing it safe and showing more unity than division.

But Mike Gravel isn’t one of the major candidates.

Mike who? Mike Gravel, a 77-year-old former U.S. senator from Alaska and onetime New York City cabdriver, and the longest of long shots in the Democratic field.

Gravel provided what little excitement there was in the lackluster debate as he prodded and poked his better-known rivals and made some of the evening's most quotable statements.

Like his remark that Osama bin Laden was so pleased with the U.S invasion of Iraq that he must have been "rolling in his blankets." Or his comment that some of his fellow Democratic candidates "frighten me." Or his jab at Barack Obama for saying he'd leave all options open in confronting Iran on its nuclear program. "Tell me Barack," Gravel said, "who do you want to nuke?"

That sort of candor earned Gravel unexpectedly extensive, if not always flattering, coverage in the morning papers. The Times, in a stand-alone profile, called him "comic relief," and said, intentionally or not, he "left many audience members rolling in the aisles."


What's Next In Iraq Showdown?

They passed an historic bill setting a timetable for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, but congressional Democrats are unclear on what to do after President Bush delivers his promised veto.

The Los Angeles Times called Congress' passage of a $124 billion war spending bill that requires the president to begin removing American forces from Iraq by Oct. 1, "an act unparalleled since the Vietnam War."

But with a White House veto on the way, Democrats "acknowledge that the next steps in this evolving showdown between the White House and Congress are still unclear."

The New York Times reports "there is no consensus among the party’s leadership on how to respond legislatively to the veto."

Despite the vitriol on both sides, the Washington Post reports bipartisan talks on a compromise have already begun, "and even Republicans acknowledge that Bush won't get the spending bill that he has demanded, one with no strings attached."

The Post says a provision setting political and diplomatic benchmarks for the Iraqi government has a good chance of surviving the negotiations, while the language setting a timetable for troop withdrawals will almost certainly be dropped.

A CBS News/New York Times poll shows the public is on the Democrats' side in this battle. Sixty-four percent favor setting a timetable for a U.S. troop pullout, and most think Congress, not the president, should have the final say on troop levels. A majority also think Congress should let the war funding go forward without timelines after Mr. Bush's veto.


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[richard mr]

I must be the only one that sees that the King has no clothes? We guaranteed the terrorist would follow us home, when we invaded Iraq and murdered a half million people that was a self fulfilling prophecy. We you give a press conference and tell the terrorist to bring it on? We you fabricate the reasons for going to war and kill three thousand American soldiers? And you cannot come to grips with the reality that you might have made a mistake. During the Democratic presidential debate the statement that the war was lost when we invaded Iraq was the truth, and the rest of the world knew it 4 years ago. But I am not here to tell you what you already know, the media never asked the right questions during the debate why not ask Mrs. Clinton how would she like some government agency coming into her home every other day when she's not there. Looking in her bedroom drawers, looking on her computer looking at all heard documents and mail. She voted for the Patriot act without even reading it, presidential candidate John Edwards ask him how would he like his phone being tapped and his neighbors pretending to be surveillance officers following him 24 hours a day. I think the country would like to know their answers, but these laws are not written for them. Only for innocent Americans like us who have to put up with this insanity every day look at the reality on my website www.itsavideoworld.com

[oxmyx-2009]

Didntinhale must be grey-matter challenged naturally.

[huskerarmy]

Read about the Alaska GOPers "Bridge to Nowhere" in Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravina_Island_Bridge

[huskerarmy]

GRAVEL presented an received more Pork Bills than any Senator from AL then an ever since. Posted by FARTKNOCKER2

Once again fartknocker checks in with his pound of balogna. If you really want to talk about "pork," check out the infamous "bridge to nowhere" that Alaska Republicans have been lobbying for:
http://www.pacificviews.org/weblog/archives/000054.html

[lfitts1]

We get the idea didntinhale--you are trying to tie Barack Obama to terrorists--we get the idea--everyone of your posts is the same thing--enough racism--the world will be OK if we elect a multicultural president, or a woman or a white man--we've survived--not well--but survived 6 1/2 years with the present idiot--if you have something to add to the conversation say it--if you want to spread racist dispersions--leave it home

[texanokie]

Now that everyone has gone on record as to what they are for or against, I'd like to see them sit down and make some real headway towards deciding what to do next. Bush got us in this mess, but it's going to be up to a different President to get us out of it - so what does he care? Not his problem. Whatever they decide, and I have no illusions my opinion matters to any of the decision makers, I'd like them to first admit we are there for our own interests, take politics out of it, deal with the greedy *******s making money off the war and try to decide what's best for Iraq. Cutting them loose isn't it.

[cfin5]

It is time to get us out of there. We made our point, set them free, established some authority to prevent anarchy, helped them to the brink of our economic ability. If they still dont want to pull themselves up by the bootstraps to retain liberty (like we did), then it is on their own heads. They will then be the real losers, not us! I commend President Bush for doing his best, especially at tackling the mess he inhereted from the previous administration.

The Democratic lineup suits me just fine, but I hope Edwards turns out to be the nominee! He has taken unequivocal positions on the issues and his style is very appealing.

[cfin5]

This candidate is the only one out of that debate that interests me. All I want in a president is a Teddy Roosevelt type who wants a big stick military, get our troops out of that religious mess over there, very patriotic like Ronald Reagan, loves and is un-confused about the meaning of the Constitution of the United States, and fearless to show it.

[forthepeopl1]

THEY ALL SHOULD OF SAID THIS IN FRONT OF MILLIONS. MR PRESIDENT GUESS WHAT YOU WILL BE GETTING THE SMAE BILL RIGHT BACK...DONT SIGN IT AGAIN THEN WE ARE OUT BECAUSE WE AT CONGRESS NEVER SIGN A DECURATION OF WAR ANYWAY SO THIS IS ALL ELEGAL ANYWAY..

[processor2]

I am ashamed to be a Democrat, and no way could I embrace the Republican agenda and mind set. An intelligent, honest, statesman who is an Independent is our only chance to straighten this horrific mess out.
Posted by preacherbob1 at 12:13 PM : Apr 27, 2007


PREACHERBOB

I agree with you, that's why I am a Libertarian.

...

[fredgrad2000]

preacherbob1 -

You know, I am not the happiest republican these days either. I would be very inclined to consider a strong independent candidate just for the good of our nation's future, this two-party vitriol, led by the wacko left and the overly religious right isn't good for our nation. I truly hope ONE of the parties at least, if not an independent, selects someone relatively moderate for their party than can win a real mandate, not another 271-266 or something similar electoral victory. Unfortunately, I think the pendulum without a strong independent candidate will swing Democratic just because of Iraq, but that the dems will nominate someone just as polarizing (though to the opposite group of people) as Bush, like Hillary and we'll suffer more brutal politicking throughout her term.

[preacherbob1]

I am ashamed to be a Democrat, and no way could I embrace the Republican agenda and mind set. An intelligent, honest, statesman who is an Independent is our only chance to straighten this horrific mess out.

[middleman8]

"HOW TO RESPONT TO THE VETO LEGISLATIVLEY"

THERE IS ONE WAY, AND THAT IS TO HEAD FOR THE EVIL HOUSE WITH A LYNCHING PARTY.

[homespunlady]

George Custer, er Bush has foolishly led his party into a valley they can't seem to escape from and he foolishly refuses to listen even now.
His "uniting" certainly wasn't in his favor and it looks like even the Dems have united AGAINST him.

[homespunlady]

clemenhagen1 The unfortunate thing is the military is stretched so thin that they've lowered their standards far enough that even someone like the VT shooter could get in along with felons, and people that were screened out because they lacked enough education to understand simple instructions. The result is showing up in horrific tales about incompetence, friendly fire "accidents", rape, murder and graft that the military has to try keeping the lid on but eventually leak out and cause even more damage.

[homespunlady]

PLEASE let Ron Paul participate in the upcoming Republican debate and get a FAIR chance to state HIS platform. The Dems at least allowed all their candidates to speak.

[clemenhagen1]

Gravel dared to say what few will risk: that the soldiers dying in Iraq are dying in vain, just like the soldiers who were sacrificed in Vietnam. We allow the industrial-military complex corporations to profit off of the wasted lives of our soldiers. The only change from then to now would seem to be a more general indifference by the population, especially the young. Why? No draft. At least then people grew concerned about the callous loss of life because their sons had a decent chance of being one of the dead or wounded. They have wisely gotten rid of the draft; Bush now must use the thin ranks of soldiers repeatedly in order to keep up the war. Yet few really care that they die in vain because the middle-class and upper-class boys remain safely removed from the carnage. Thank you, Sen. Gravel, for at least speaking the truth.

[caulonch]

We the people of the United States as well as the senate know that *** Cheney, Bush and anyone who led us into the war with iraq commited a crime, by lying about wmd and his involvement with alqaeda, why are we still there, at least denis Kucinich is the only one willing to take action and has enough since to get us out "NOW" and impeach Cheney and then Bush. Judge the candidate not by what they say they will do but by the passion they have in what they say they will do in all their politics.

[caulonch]

We dont need another president like bush, who is a manchurian candidate, who has to consult with others and are controlled by ignorance and money. We need a strong president who will take action like Dennis Kucinich or Gravel, you can see the passion they have for this country. All the other candidates are boring and like the usual, the ones who say they will do something, but never do.