As MSNBC's Richard Wolffe appeared as a guest on Wednesday's Late Late Show on CBS, after Wolffe conveyed his left-leaning take on the deal to extend the Bush tax cuts, host Craig Ferguson asked, "You're a Democrat, aren't you?" as he stared at the MSNBC contributor, and former Newsweek reporter, for comedic effect, inspiring audience laughter.
After Wolffe responded, "I am a journalist," Ferguson smiled and quipped, "Much the same thing, isn't it?"
Ferguson had turned the discussion to President Obama's role in the recent tax agreement, and Wolffe asserted that it was "embarrassing" for Obama that he had to break a campaign promise, although the MSNBC political analyst also suggested that doing so was necessary in the current economic climate. He then claimed that the deal limits the ability of the GOP to effectively criticize the President in the future because Republicans "are in bed with him." Wolffe:
For two years, the Republicans have said this guy is a socialist, he's unacceptable, he's a freak. And now it's very hard for them to go back and do that because they are in bed with him - not literally - but they're in bed with him and they've made the deal, and he's now acceptabl e. He's acceptable to polite company and Republicans.
After Ferguson argued that Obama can be attacked for breaking a "big" campaign promise, Wolffe continued:
But it's temporary. And in the meantime, unemployed people get their benefits, another extra $400 billion goes into the economy - which everyone thinks is a good idea - tax credits come in, and the middle class don't get screwed because Washington cannot figure out which way is up.
Ferguson then took the opportunity to tease his guest about slanting left in his political analysis:
CRAIG FERGUSON: You're a Democrat, aren't you?
(AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)
RICHARD WOLFFE: I am a journalist.
FERGUSON: A journalist?
(AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)
FERGUSON: Much the same thing, isn't it?
(AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Wednesday, December 8, Late Late Show on CBS:
CRAIG FERGUSON: Okay, so tell me about the tax cuts deal, then, Obama has made. What's going on with that? What's he doing?
RICHARD WOLFFE: Well, he had a choice here, which wasn't much of a choice at all. Everyone says you've got to fix the economy, you've got to deal with the unemployed. The Republicans said we don't care about that stuff, he needs to put money into the economy. And the tax cuts - it's embarrassing, I mean, you go out there campaigning saying no tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires and gazillionaires, and-
FERGUSON: And then you do tax cuts-
WOLFFE: And then you do-
FERGUSON: -for millionaires, bazillionaires and brazillionaires.
(AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)
WOLFFE: Here's the thing. Here's the thing. For two years, the Republicans have said this guy is a socialist, he's unacceptable, he's a freak. And now it's very hard for them to go back and do that because they are in bed with him - not literally - but they're in bed with him and they've made the deal, and he's now acceptable. He's acceptable to polite company and Republicans.
FERGUSON: I think they'll find a way. I think the, I mean, I think the political opposition will find a way to make hay with the fact that he reneged on a campaign promise within living memory - and a big one, too.
WOLFFE: But it's temporary. And in the meantime, unemployed people get their benefits, another extra $400 billion goes into the economy - which everyone thinks is a good idea - tax credits come in, and the middle class don't get screwed because Washington cannot figure out which way is up.
FERGUSON: You're a Democrat, aren't you?
(AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)
WOLFFE: I am a journalist.
FERGUSON: A journalist?
(AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)
FERGUSON: Much the same thing, isn't it?
(AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)
- Brad Wilmouth is a news analyst at the Media Research Center