Monday, January 08, 2007

Better than OSU v. Florida: Zorn v. Proft [on Cable/ and streaming]

Dan Proft, political campaign consultant: It’s a rough show—I mean predicting the death of [Senator Tim Johnson]---
**************************************************
Eric Zorn: I don’t think there’s going to be either stability or failure in Iraq. I think Iraq is just going to continue to slide down. I hadn’t thought of Cheney resigning, but I think that may well happen-- to put somebody—to give somebody a leg up [in the 2008 Presidential race].

Jeff Berkowitz: Yes, who do you think it would be?
**********************************************
Dan Proft: But the one interesting thing about that is that you do have a lot of Bush people—Bush political people—now with the McCain campaign team for 2008. So, stranger things have happened, but--
*******************************************************
Eric Zorn: During a previous appearance on this show, I predicted Dan Hynes would beat Obama during the Senate primary, so I am going to predict again that Barack Obama is going to be way out in front, in the polls and so on, at this time next year...
*****************************************************
Dan Proft: Speaker Hastert proved, in 2006, why he was the accidental Speaker.
********************************************************************
Tonight's City of Chicago edition of "Public Affairs," airing through-out the City at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV] features Eric Zorn, Chicago Tribune columnist/blogger and Dan Proft, Republican Campaign Consultant [Jack Ryan, Peraica, et al] debating and discussing the Year in Review and Predictions with each other and with show host and legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz. You may also [Watch the show with Zorn and Proft here].
*************************************************
The "Public Affairs," cinema page gives you a choice of more than twenty-five episodes of “Public Affairs," including this week's suburban show with State Rep. Paul Froehlich [R-Schaumburg], tonight's city show with Zorn/Proft as well as interviews, discussions or remarks with or by U. S. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giulianiand many, many more pols on our video podcast page[Watch here].
*************************************************
See here for more about tonight's show and additional partial transcripts of the show.
***********************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Predictions. Let’s go into 2007. The most significant event, looking forward: The US-Iraq government stabilizes; The US-Iraq government fails; Hillary drops out; The US attacks Iran; V.P. Cheney resigns; or Senator Tim Johnson dies, and the Senate then goes to the Republicans.

Dan Proft, political campaign consultant: It’s a rough show—I mean predicting the death of [Senator Tim Johnson]---

Jeff Berkowitz: It’s a possibility. I’m not predicting any of these. These are options. You’ve got to be realistic. He could die. Maybe one of us could die.

Dan Profit: That’s right.

Jeff Berkowitz: It just wouldn’t be very momentous if we did.

Dan Proft: [Laughter]. We wouldn’t be replaced by anybody.

Jeff Berkowitz: That’s right. It [our deaths] wouldn’t shift control of the Senate.

Eric Zorn, Chicago Tribune columnist: If I can jump in here—

Jeff Berkowitz: You want to put something else in here?

Eric Zorn: I don’t think there’s going to be either stability or failure in Iraq. I think Iraq is just going to continue to slide down. I hadn’t thought of Cheney resigning, but I think that may well happen-- to put somebody—to give somebody a leg up [in the 2008 Presidential race].

Jeff Berkowitz: Yes, who do you think it would be?

Eric Zorn: Would they put McCain there?

Jeff Berkowitz: That would that be a good idea.

Zorn: Would they put Giuliani there?

Dan Proft: I can’t see that happening. I can’t see Bush and McCain co-existing.

Jeff Berkowitz: [Smiling] They’re so close. You hear McCain saying now, “Oh, yeah, I am for all the Bush tax cuts,” because now if [we were to repeal the Bush tax cuts], McCain says that would be the equivalent of a tax increase.

Dan Proft: But the one interesting thing about that is that you do have a lot of Bush people—Bush political people—now with the McCain campaign team for 2008. So, stranger things have happened, but--

Jeff Berkowitz: So what is your most significant event in 2007, Dan Proft, take a shot.

Dan Proft: The most significant event, if it happened-

Jeff Berkowitz: Your prediction.

Dan Proft: If it happened, would be Barack Obama by the end of 2007 being the putative nominee for the Democratic party.

Jeff Berkowitz: Why would that be so significant?

Dan Proft: Well, it’d be significant on a lot of levels. Not only in that he would be the first African-American nominee for the Presidency by a major party, but also because of this meteoric rise, from relatively obscure state senator two years ago to-

Jeff Berkowitz: Unprecedented in American history for somebody to come from such a relatively low position.

Dan Proft: I would say--

Jeff Berkowitz: From such a low position. The comparison, perhaps, would be to Gerald Ford, who went from a nobody to being President.

Dan Proft: Yeah, but he had 25 years in Congress!

Eric Zorn: Bad comparison, last time I was on this program-

Jeff Berkowitz: The comparison is in the sense that there was a sudden change. I don’t mean in any way to analogize the skills and talents of Barack Obama to Gerald Ford.

Eric Zorn: During a previous appearance on this show, I predicted Dan Hynes would beat Obama during the Senate primary, so I am going to predict again that Barack Obama is going to be way out in front, in the polls and so on, at this time next year. Let’s meet right here again next year--

Jeff Berkowitz: He is going to be way out ahead of Hillary, and way out ahead of Edwards? He is going to be the candidate--

Eric Zorn: I think he’s going to have significant momentum. No one will have cast a vote a year from now-

Dan Proft: Right.

Eric Zorn: But I think there will be a great deal of momentum for Obama, and he will be the biggest winner of 2007, politically.

Jeff Berkowitz: I think there will be two out of those three—in other words, Hillary or Barack or Edwards, two of those three—will be close, as people map out the primaries for 2008. I don’t know which two.

Dan Proft: I think you’re smart, though [to include Edwards]. Everything [in the media] is Hillary and Barack. Don’t count John Edwards out. I think John Edwards is probably the best natural politician of the three.

Jeff Berkowitz: John Edwards has worked Iowa very hard [and he surged at the end of the 2004 Iowa primary to almost win that state]. He’s doing very well in the polls there, perhaps better than either of those two. And, most importantly, he has, or at least did have, Pete Giangreco behind him [in 2004]. I don’t know if Pete’s decided if he’s working for Edwards or Obama.

Dan Proft: [Laughter] Yes. That’s the most critical thing.

Jeff Berkowitz: It’s clear that where Pete goes, so goes the Presidency. Our good friend, Pete Giangreco, Democratic campaign strategist [The Strategy Group]. Biggest winner of 2007 [to Zorn], you’re still going with Obama?

Eric Zorn: Obama.

Dan Proft: If Obama is where Mr. Zorn predicts he will be, then, yeah, he would be the biggest winner.
****************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Most stagnant thinker? Denny Hastert, Rahm Emanuel. Karl Rove, Nancy Pelosi. Condi Rice, Vladimir Putin.

Eric Zorn: Most stagnant thinker. Oh, my goodness.

Dan Proft: Isn’t that redundant [does Proft mean oxymoronic], “stagnant thinker?” Not thinking.

Jeff Berkowitz: You want to give me a name? You’ve got somebody who’s not on the list?

Eric Zorn: No, I’ll go with Speaker Hastert on your list, here, and only because I feel like he did not lead his way out of that crisis.

Jeff Berkowitz: The accidental Speaker of the House from 1998—well, you mean the Foley thing.

Eric Zorn: The Foley thing.

Jeff Berkowitz: But it was done before then. The Foley thing was just the icing on the top of the cake, right? I mean, Speaker Hastert didn’t have a lot of ideas before. Even Tom Roeser—Mr. Conservative—was very critical of Speaker Hastert for lacking ideas. Right, Dan?

Dan Proft: Yes, Roeser was, and rightly so. Not only is Hastert the most stagnant thinker on this list, but he was probably one of the most stagnant thinkers in the last several years.

Jeff Berkowitz: So you guys are in agreement. Most stagnant thinker is Speaker Denny Hastert.

Eric Zorn: And, also, I would put Secretary Rumsfield on that list as someone who was entrenched and stagnating in his ideas. And, he had to go and he went.

Jeff Berkowitz: Well, he certainly had ideas over the last six years, but maybe he didn’t adapt. Who knows, maybe it’s a tough situation there. [Next, who was the] Greatest demagogue.

Eric Zorn: But we’re talking just about 2006.

Jeff Berkowitz: Yeah. Right.

Dan Proft: But, Speaker Hastert proved, in 2006, why he was the accidental Speaker.
*****************************************
Guests Eric Zorn and Dan Proft, as they are airing tonight [8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21, CANTV] on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs. The show was recorded on Dec. 27, 2006. You may also[watch the Proft/Zorn program here].
***************************************************
Draft of above transcript prepared by Amy Allen, who also does research for “Public Affairs,” and has her own political blog [See here].
*************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
******************