October 18: 7 Best Moments From Sunday Talk

Two top White House officials take shots at Fox News, Arlen Specter slams his old GOP pals, and John Kerry warns Obama about Afghanistan. That and more in our Sunday roundup.

David Axelrod: Fox News Not Exactly News

The comments by White House Communications Director Anita Dunn last week criticizing Fox News were—to no surprise—not well received by the network. White House adviser David Axelrod added some fuel to the fire Sunday, telling George Stephanopoulos on This Week that Fox News is "pushing a point of view" and is "really not news."

Kerry: Sending in More Troops ‘Irresponsible’

On State of the Union, Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a warning to President Obama calling it "irresponsible" to send more troops to Afghanistan. Gen. Stanley McChrystal has recommended sending an additional 40,000 troops, but Kerry says no commander in chief should be “cornered into making a decision that isn’t based on a responsible assessment of what is possible.”

Rahm Emanuel Slams Fox News, Too

On State of the Union, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel joined Anita Dunn and David Axelrod in the growing number of White House officials taking swipes at Fox News, which he shrugs off as “not a news organization so much as it has a perspective.” He adds that he’s also concerned about other media outlets being “led and following Fox.”

Chris Wallace Gets Snubbed

Both ABC and CNN heard from White House officials on the administration’s new attack on Fox News, but Fox News Sunday’s Chris Wallace was left hanging, which he points out at the start of his show. Instead, Wallace brought in Terry McAuliffe and Karl Rove, who got into a little war of words themselves, with Rove arguing that this strategy is “demeaning to the president.”

And the Best Question About Balloon Boy…

After posing the obligatory “is this really a story” question on Reliable Sources, Howard Kurtz—whose panel included The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank—asks whether shows like Good Morning America should be so aggressively booking clearly troubled people such Octomom and, now, the Richard Heene and his kids. Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Tribune gives his two cents, in case the sight of the poor Falcon vomiting hasn’t sealed your opinion on the matter.

Specter Slams Old GOP Pals

Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter was originally a Republican who switched parties earlier this year, but you wouldn’t know it after his tirade against the party on Fox News Sunday. Specter denounces the GOP as the party of “obstructionism” which refuses to cooperate with folks across the aisle. Looks like there’s no turning back now.

Dodd Outraged Over Wall Street Bonuses

Banks who were once seeking bailouts to stay afloat are now dishing out big bonuses to employees, and Sen. Chris Dodd is not very happy about it. On Meet the Press, the chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee asks “what are these people thinking” and lashes out at Wall Street calling the bonuses an “outrage” in the country.

The Daily Beast Video curates the most essential and entertaining video, and brings you original and exclusive productions from our talented contributors.

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

The Daily Beast Video

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.