October 25: 7 Best Moments from Sunday Talk

The White House war with Fox News heats up, Republicans blast the latest heath-care bill, and George Will wants to legalize marijuana. That and more in our Sunday roundup.

Schumer: Dems Close to Passing Health Care in Senate

New York Senator Charles Schumer generated instant buzz on Meet the Press when he told host David Gregory, "I think we're very close to getting the 60 votes we need” to overhaul the country’s health-care system. Apparently, the swelling support is largely thanks to a new provision allowing states to opt out of a public option—a compromise that both liberal and moderate Democrats seem to be able to live with.

Dana Perino Knocks Obama for Fox Snub

Is the White House’s war with Fox News threatening freedom of the press around the world? Dana Perino thinks so. On Fox News Sunday, the former White House press secretary chastised Obama’s "coordinated, calculated" attack against the network—and argued that, by shunning it, America is setting a bad example for emerging democracies. Her solution? It’s time for the White House to extend an “olive branch” to the network.

John McCain Delivers the Zinger of the Week

Just when you thought you’d heard every thing there is to say about health care, John McCain came up with a killer sound bite on Face the Nation. Host Bob Schieffer asked McCain if a public option looked like it was going to pass the Senate, despite the opposition of some conservative Democrats or “blue dogs.” Said McCain: “I think the Democrats have the votes,” then added, “I think that Blue Dogs bark but never bite. So I don’t think they have a problem over in the House side” Ouch!

George Will: Legalize It!

In a lively conversation about medical marijuana, This Week commentator George Will proposed a novel solution to Mexico’s drug cartels (for a Republican, anyway): Just go ahead and legalize pot! Once we do, its value will go down—problem solved.

Abdullah: I Don’t Want No Stinkin’ Post in Karzai’s Government

On State of the Union, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah—who will be facing Afghan President Hamid Karzai in a runoff election next month—was blunt about his feelings for his rival. “This is, like, the fraud of the history,” the former foreign minister of said of last August’s elections. When asked if he’d accept a post under Karzai, Abdullah didn’t mince words: “I left Mr. Karzai’s government some three and a half years ago, and since then I’ve not been tempted to be part of that government,” he said. “[I have] absolutely no interest in such a scenario.”

If It Were Up to Mitch McConnell, Congress Would Be Grounded

At least one Republican is still raging against a new health-care bill: On This Week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell highlighted the many expenses it entails—costs that will hurt both today’s taxpayers and future generations. “Congress is acting like a teenager with their parents’ credit card,” he said, “not worried about who’s going to have to pay the bills.” He also noted that Democrats seem “nervous” about the bill’s prospects.

White House a Bunch of ‘Whiners’ about Fox News?

A few liberal columnists may have taken Fox News’ side in its ongoing feud with the White House, and we know what Dana Perino thinks. On CNN’s Reliable Sources, opinions were mixed: Jane Hall, who has appeared on Fox News, acknowledges that the Fox’s commentary programs have come out strongly against Obama, but that White House is coming across as “whiners” in its complaining. Nico Pitney of The Huffington Post argues that it’s not just the opinion show hosts who oppose Obama—it’s the news anchors.

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