Things We Wouldn't Realize Without "The Capitol Gang"

Watched "The Capitol Gang" on CNN last evening without paper & pencil at hand but found the transcript, so we can quote these guys directly:

1. KATE O'BEIRNE: "You know what I'm impressed by? The Democrats' willingness to run the risk of running under a banner of prisoner rights for terrorists. This is why they're now backing off .... I don't think they are willing to stake their political futures on fighting for Khalid Shayk Muhammed's right to commissary -- the mastermind of 9/11 -- commissary privileges, a sports uniform, musical instruments .... Torture? No. Stress techniques? Yes."

The conservatives, post Abu Ghraib, base their parsing of the word "torture" on whether the prisoner under "stress" is subject to the Geneva Conventions. They've been claiming all week (RE: Alberto Gonzales) that most of the prisoners the bleeding-heart liberals are concerned about aren't covered by the Geneva Conventions, which seems to mean to these folks that you can torture some of the people most of the time. But it clears the air considerably to have Kate O'Beirne say that Democrats "run the risk" of being labeled pussies for caring about such things. Stress techniques ... yes!

2. BOB NOVAK: "You should never speak ill of the dead, but I have to tell you, I'm going to tell you a secret .... Bob Matsui was a big source of mine, a secret source of mine, and the Bob Matsui I talked to was not the Bob Matsui on CAPITAL GANG. He told me a lot. He was always accurate. He never exaggerated. He told me some things he probably shouldn't, but guys like Bob Matsui, rest in peace, Bob, because you made my life easier and better."

Made my skin crawl to hear Novak talking about the recently deceased congressman with such smirking familiarity and such condescension: "Yes, Bob Matsui was my bitch, and I made him say 'Daddy!' "

This is another reason why Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show" calls Novak a scumbag.