Hillary Clinton testifies at congressional Benghazi hearing, winning the day as Republican commit- tee members unwittingly make her appear to be a sympathetic victim by badgering her unmercifully.

HOUSE COMMITTEE’S RIGHT-WING ZEALOTS
TRANSFORM IMAGE OF UNTRUSTWORTHY
CANDIDATE INTO SYMPATHETIC VICTIM

A field day for whistle-blower Nader?

By David Maril

While wondering if it would be worth it for Elijah Cummings to give up his voice, seniority and influence in the House if he does decide to run for Barbara Mikulski’s seat in the U.S. Senate, it’s interesting to note the following:

 You have to give the Republicans on the Benghazi investigative committee credit for doing what many of us thought was impossible: They transformed Hillary Clinton into a sympathetic figure and made her seem human.

The nine-plus hours they badgered away, focused more on assassinating her character rather than uncovering hidden details behind the causes of the tragedy which resulted in the death of U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, Foreign Service Information Officer Sean Smith and two CIA contractors.

While Clinton maintained her composure, the Republicans on the panel shifted into an unmerciful, disrespectful mode, stripping them of any remaining credibility that they were conducting an objective, fact-finding mission.

You can be sure, thanks to the hearing, that a segment of Democrats and independents who were not inspired by Clinton’s tiresome combination of flip-flopping, mixed in with her “same old song and dance” style, did some flip-flopping of their own.

Although they had initially wanted a fresher, more idealistic and trustworthy candidate, the Republican lynch mob provided a reason for them to rally around the veteran politician.

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TV game-show host Monty Hall, center, now 94, shown here in the late 1960s on the set of the still-popular “Let’s Make a Deal,” seems suited to have been a role model for CNN’s Anderson Cooper for last week’s first Democratic pres- idential debate of the 2016 election cycle.  Cooper acted more like a game- show host than a debate moderator, favoring frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders while giving short shrift to the other 3 little-known candidates.

TOO MUCH AIR TIME GIVEN
TO THE FRONTRUNNERS,
WHILE SHAFTING WEBB,
O’MALLEY & CHAFEE

Give Trump a barstool or highchair
if he can’t stand 2 hours to debate

IS IT REALISTIC FOR UNIV. OF MD.
TO TRY TO BECOME A BIG-TIME
COLLEGE FOOTBALL POWER?
 
By David Maril
 
While wondering if former Gov. Martin O’Malley is nursing a sore arm from patting himself on the back during the first Democratic presidential debate — delivering his long announcement of accomplish- ments “serving” the people of Baltimore and Maryland — it’s interesting to note the following:

 CNN deserves low marks for its much ballyhooed presentation of the first Democratic presidential debate.

First of all, who determined that Anderson Cooper is an objective, experienced journalist? While CNN kept seasoned and credible newsmen like Jake Tapper and John King pretty much on the sidelines, Cooper moderated the debate with all the tact and professionalism of a game-show host.

Cooper has delivered some very thoughtful and perceptive reports and interviews on CNN and “60 Minutes.” However, he is more a TV essayist and documentarian than a hard-news political reporter.

Much of the broadcast seemed to keep the same glitzy and superficial pace as an episode of “The Price is Right,” making the participants seem more like celebrity panelists competing for a car, yacht or washer/dryer than candidates running for president.

Overall, Cooper allowed too much rhetoric and rambling; but too often suddenly rediscovering his stopwatch at the wrong time, cutting off a candidate when something interesting was being said.

It seemed as if he had been mentored by Monty Hall.

Instead of focusing on helping the national television audience learn more in-depth information about the entire roster of presidential hopefuls, CNN took the easy way out, pandering to the poll numbers and shortchanging the lesser-known candidates.

While Cooper ineffectively tried to instigate confrontations between the two frontrunners, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, the others were treated as if they were unwanted visitors crashing a neighbor’s birthday party.

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Former vice presidential rivals, Rep. Paul Ryan, left, and VP Joe Biden. One could be the next President? — the other, the next GOP Speaker of the House?

THE VICE PRESIDENT’S BEST STRATEGY:
BIDE HIS TIME, STAY OUT OF THE RACE,
AND HOPE FOR A DRAFT-JOE MOVEMENT
BETWEEN NOW AND THE CONVENTION

ORIOLE FANS ARE BEING SHORTCHANGED
 
By David Maril
 
While wondering if low-rated Democratic presidential candidates like Martin O’Malley, Jim Webb and Lincoln Chafee, who are barely registering in the polls, will gain some traction after their first debate appearances this week, it’s interesting to note the following:

 While the media keeps establishing and promoting upcoming deadlines for Vice President Joe Biden to make a decision whether or not he is going to get into the presidential primary race, it makes sense for him to sit back and wait.

The smartest and most practical strategy Biden can follow is to remain noncommittal up to the Democratic National Convention, set to take place in Philadelphia next July.

Instead of entering now and subjecting himself to a bruising and difficult campaign, he can sit back, leaving options open, and watch what develops between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

If Sanders maintains his support from the far left and Clinton proves unable to put the email controversy behind her and break into a decisive lead, the two candidates will be stalemated going into the convention.

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Baltimore Sun sports columnist Mike Pres- ton’s honesty and candor in covering the Ravens is a welcome breath of fresh air from the cheerleader-style reporting that passes for objective sports coverage of
too many hometown teams these days.

MIKE PRESTON’S GUTSY COMMENTARY
IS HONEST AND STRAIGHTFORWARD
WITHOUT PLAYING FAVORITES

No loud talking in the ‘quiet car’!

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
TRYING TO LOOK CASUAL,
USUALLY LOOK PHONY
 
By David Maril
 
While wondering if NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell fumbles and drops the trophy when he has to make the presentation to the undefeated Tom Brady and his Patriots after they win the Super Bowl, it’s interesting to note the following:

 After an 0-3 start and a first victory thanks mainly to horrendous play-calling by the Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s obvious why Ravens’ coach John Harbaugh was so uptight, flying off the handle, during the preseason.

Evidently he had good reason to feel plenty of pressure while he was assessing the shortcomings of his team during training camp.

 Speaking of Harbaugh and the Ravens, tip of the hat to Baltimore Sun sports columnist Mike Preston for one of the gutsiest, and most refreshing, pieces ever written in a Baltimore newspaper about one of our local pro teams.

Preston referenced the puzzling and questionable decision-making by Harbaugh and the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin to illustrate how Patriots coach Bill Belichick stands above the AFC coaching crowd.

Even though his commentary was accurate and justified, this type of honesty is rare in daily newspapers covering local teams.

It’s easier, because of personalties and cooperation issues, to usually — as the great songwriter Johnny Mercer recommended — “accentuate the positive [and] eliminate the negative.”

It’s common practice in many cities for sportswriters to get tough in their critiques related to the opposition but tread lightly with their home team coaches, management and players.

Sports journalists are not supposed to be cheerleaders and shills, doing public relations for the teams they cover. Beat writers need to objectively report and columnists should offer their honest opinions.

While Preston did not make his own job covering the Ravens any easier with his commentary, he deserves the respect of knowledgeable fans and anyone who cares about maintaining a high standard of journalism.

 Is there a better athlete/pitchman than Peyton Manning?

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Speaker of the House John Boehner meets with Pope Francis during the Pontiff’s historic visit last week to the U.S. Congress.  Uncon- firmed Capitol Hill rumor has it that Boehner’s stunning resignation is somehow connected to his part in inviting Francis to address Con- gress, where the Pope expressed criticism of politicians’ inability to get along and work together to help people for the good of all.

BOEHNER JOINS RAWLINGS-BLAKE IN WALKING
AWAY FROM THE NEGATIVE STACK-MODE FRAY
AS GOP FIELD GROWS MORE UNPRESIDENTIAL

DOES ANYONE LOOK ‘PRESIDENTIAL’?
 
By David Maril
 
While wondering what the decibel level will be from the howling of GOP Tea Party zealots when outgoing Speaker of the House John Boehner strikes a funding deal, with support from Democrats, to temporarily avoid a government shutdown and continue to fund Planned Parenthood, it’s interesting to note the following:

 Boehner’s resignation, less than a month after Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced she would not seek reelection, makes you wonder if the mean-spirited and ruthless nature of politics is driving decent people out of elected public service. Is there still room for elected officials with etiquette and class?

Whether you agree or disagree with the political positions of people like Boehner, a conservative — or Rawlings-Blake, a liberal — you have to respect them as elected officials who demonstrate respect for the offices they hold.

In my opinion, the fear of losing is not driving either of the two out of their offices.

Even though she hadn’t begun focusing on fundraising for reelection, Rawlings-Blake had an organized support group. Most importantly, the growing number of opposition candidates trying to defeat her would have divided up the anti-incumbent vote, making it nearly impossible to defeat her.

Boehner did face plenty of opposition from the irrational right-wing Tea Party
zealots who don’t understand, or care, that getting things done requires diplomacy and negotiating with people who have different points of view.

Still, he had enough backing from traditional, mainstream Republicans to survive. And if needed, he could have gotten support from Democrats crossing over to pass rational legislation.

But both Boehner and Rawlings-Blake obviously grew disheartened with the bitterness, character assassination and personal nature of the attacks from their critics and opponents.

After a while, any well-intentioned and conscientious person has to grow
weary of all this, no matter how thick-skinned they may try to be.

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