John McCain doubles down on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” David Axelrod, Jim DeMint, and Rand Paul talk tax cuts. And Tina Brown and Sidney Harman discuss The Daily Beast’s merger with Newsweek. That and more in our roundup.
McCain Doubles Down on DADT
When asked about his wife’s recent video message against “ Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” on Meet the Press, Sen. John McCain said, “I respect the First Amendment rights of every member of my family.” He then stated his stance again, that he wants “a complete and thorough study and review of the effects [of repealing the act] on battle readiness and morale.”
Tina Brown and Sidney Harman Talk Merger
Tina Brown and Sidney Harman talked to Howard Kurtz about the Newsweek/Daily Beast merger. Brown said she's very excited to bring more female readers to Newsweek, while Harman said revitalizing the brand will be difficult but manageable.
Will the Tea Party Influence Foreign Affairs?
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright stopped by This Week to talk about the importance of continuing America’s collaboration with foreign countries—regardless of which party controls Congress. “Every single problem that we are looking at—whether it's fighting terrorism or dealing with a broken nuclear nonproliferation system or the climate-change and energy issues or the gap between the rich and the poor—requires American leadership, but it also requires being engaged in partners,” she said.
Sidney Harman: Like Apple and Ford, Newsweek Will Rise Again
Later on Reliable Sources, Sidney Harman told Howard Kurtz that he’d “been around long enough to see the premature burial of… Apple and Ford,” and that he feels Newsweek, in its partnership with The Daily Beast, will have a bright future as well.
Axelrod Hedges on Tax Cuts
One of the dominating topics of the Sunday talk shows was the possible extension of the Bush tax cuts. Obama adviser David Axelrod—who said he’ll be leaving the White House in early 2011—refused to be pinned down on the issue, Fox News Sunday telling host Chris Wallace, “Chris, I'm not going to negotiate with you on this program.”
A Tax-Cut Compromise?
The GOP, on the other hand, seemed more willing to say exactly what it is they want. Sen. Jim DeMint told Fox News Sunday that he was willing to compromise on the cuts. “I hope we can get a permanent extension. But if the president wants to compromise on a two- or three-year extension, what's important here is that businesses know what their tax rates are going to be over the next few years so they can plan growth and plan to add people. … If that is all we can get out of the president, well, then he is president, so we will work with him on that.”
Rand Paul: Make the Cuts Permanent!
Over on Face the Nation, meanwhile, Senator-elect Rand Paul was quite firm in his position on the tax cuts: Extend them. Permanently. That said, he, too, was willing to concede that a temporary extension was “better than nothing.” Consider this a preview of the Congress’ lame-duck session, which begins Monday.