Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
'Gimme a Minute'
Aired May 23, 2003 - 08:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for our Friday feature "Gimme a Minute." Our panel of pundits, 60 seconds to show their brilliance and their wit. They sound off on this week's top stories. On speed dial again today, in D.C., Jonah Goldberg, editor of The National Review Online.
Jonah, good morning. Happy Friday.
Democratic strategist Donna Brazile.
Donna.
In New York now, first-time panelists, actor and comedian Michael Ian Black, who has the biggest place to fill, in the place of Andy Borowitz.
Nice to see you all.
Let's talk about the Annika storm that's blowing right now down in Texas. Robert Allerby (ph) says, I'm quoting now, "Men can't play on women's tours, so why let the women play on the men's tour?"
Does he have a point, or should he get over it?
Jonah, kick it off.
JONAH GOLDBERG, NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE: Well, first of all, I'm the world's worst two-arm, two-legged, nonblind golfer, so I kind of can't talk too much about this. Look, I think it's great that it's based on merit. I think if she can cut it, she should be able to play. It's a huge victory for her. I'm not sure it's a huge feminist victory, but you know, I think people should just calm down and enjoy watching her and have a good time.
HEMMER: Sound pretty reasonable, Donna?
DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, you know, she is the most inspiring player since Tiger Woods, and Duke Ellington was right, it don't mean a thing if you don't have that swing, and she's got that swing.
HEMMER: You got that right. Hey, Michael, you play golf?
MICHAEL IAN BLACK, ACTOR & COMEDIAN: I don't, but I tell, I have a lot of sympathy for the men's position in all of this. The men have to survive in an incredibly competitive atmosphere and under intense amount of scrutiny, and on top of everything else, now, they have to worry about getting the cooties, so I think it's...
HEMMER: Let's get to Washington right now, talk about taxes right now. How do you like this deal, Donna?
BRAZILE: Oh, I think it's going to stimulate the deficit and drain the treasury for much-needed money on the war on terrorism. And look, we're robbing Peter to pay Paul and next week, we'll be paying state taxes.
HEMMER: You think so?
BRAZILE: Yes.
HEMMER: Jonah, how do you spell relief?
GOLDBERG: I'm with Milton Friedman, any tax cut is good. The only debate is which tax cuts are better than another ones. This one is much better than two weeks ago, and we should have more of them. First president to cut taxes in 15 years, and he's done it twice.
HEMMER: Seems like we'll get those checks maybe midsummer, July and August. Michael, how are you going to spend your extra money.
BLACK: Well, I have to say, I think the president's plan is a good one. Thank goodness we have a president who is strong enough to give much-needed tax relief to the people who need it most, average, hard working American millionaires and billionaires.
HEMMER: Critics in every corner. Nicole Kidman apparently lit up a cigarette in Cannes at the film festival, and apparently she was jumped on by a lot antismoking activist. Jonah, do we care about this or not?
GOLDBERG: I just think it's hilarious. I mean, most of these film Hollywood and Cannes Film Festival types are people who make movies about people murdering everybody and sleeping with everybody, and doing everything God knows what under the sun, but she lights up a cigarette, and you know, they have to run to their fainting couches. I think it's just unbelievably hilarious.
HEMMER: Are we blowing smoke? Donna?
BRAZILE: Absolutely not. She looked like Bette Davis when she lit up. I'm not a big advocate of smoking, but I'll tell you one thing, after years of bad movies and that bad divorce, I think it's time for that girl to exhale.
HEMMER: Listen, she's had good movies lately, though. The question is, what would Tom think? Michael?
BLACK: Well, that's a good question. But I think it speaks to a larger societal issue, which is why are young people even looking to actors and actresses to be their role models in their first place. I thought that's we had rappers.
HEMMER: That's a good shot. Under the radar right now. Let's wrap it up. Donna, you go first.
BRAZILE: Well, let's go back to Texas and the redistricting story. It seems that the politics down there took on Nixonian flavor, when they got rid of evidence in 24 hours. Even the former president wasn't able to get rid of his evidence in that short period of time.
HEMMER: There's another shot. Jonah, how about you -- under the radar?
GOLDBERG: "Weekly World News," that noted and respected news source, is reporting that they found Saddam Hussein's mustache in the rubble in Baghdad, and pending further tests on pumis (ph) residue and DNA, they're hoping to prove that the dictator's dead.
HEMMER: Yes, well, we'll see on that DNA when it comes back.
Michael, finish it up for us.
BLACK: Well, what you probably heard about it that because of his appeal to young people, high basketball phenom Lebron James has signed a $90 million endorsement deal with Nike. But what you may not have heard about, is because of her appeal to young people, Nicole Kidman has also signed a multimillion dollar endorsement deal with Philip Morris, not that tobacco companies market their products to young people. We know they wouldn't do that.
HEMMER: She's still stomping on the butt today.
Thanks, guys. You all finished under time. Well done. Donna, Jonah, Michael, well done. See you next week. Have a good weekend, a good, long holiday weekend.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 23, 2003 - 08:34 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for our Friday feature "Gimme a Minute." Our panel of pundits, 60 seconds to show their brilliance and their wit. They sound off on this week's top stories. On speed dial again today, in D.C., Jonah Goldberg, editor of The National Review Online.
Jonah, good morning. Happy Friday.
Democratic strategist Donna Brazile.
Donna.
In New York now, first-time panelists, actor and comedian Michael Ian Black, who has the biggest place to fill, in the place of Andy Borowitz.
Nice to see you all.
Let's talk about the Annika storm that's blowing right now down in Texas. Robert Allerby (ph) says, I'm quoting now, "Men can't play on women's tours, so why let the women play on the men's tour?"
Does he have a point, or should he get over it?
Jonah, kick it off.
JONAH GOLDBERG, NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE: Well, first of all, I'm the world's worst two-arm, two-legged, nonblind golfer, so I kind of can't talk too much about this. Look, I think it's great that it's based on merit. I think if she can cut it, she should be able to play. It's a huge victory for her. I'm not sure it's a huge feminist victory, but you know, I think people should just calm down and enjoy watching her and have a good time.
HEMMER: Sound pretty reasonable, Donna?
DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, you know, she is the most inspiring player since Tiger Woods, and Duke Ellington was right, it don't mean a thing if you don't have that swing, and she's got that swing.
HEMMER: You got that right. Hey, Michael, you play golf?
MICHAEL IAN BLACK, ACTOR & COMEDIAN: I don't, but I tell, I have a lot of sympathy for the men's position in all of this. The men have to survive in an incredibly competitive atmosphere and under intense amount of scrutiny, and on top of everything else, now, they have to worry about getting the cooties, so I think it's...
HEMMER: Let's get to Washington right now, talk about taxes right now. How do you like this deal, Donna?
BRAZILE: Oh, I think it's going to stimulate the deficit and drain the treasury for much-needed money on the war on terrorism. And look, we're robbing Peter to pay Paul and next week, we'll be paying state taxes.
HEMMER: You think so?
BRAZILE: Yes.
HEMMER: Jonah, how do you spell relief?
GOLDBERG: I'm with Milton Friedman, any tax cut is good. The only debate is which tax cuts are better than another ones. This one is much better than two weeks ago, and we should have more of them. First president to cut taxes in 15 years, and he's done it twice.
HEMMER: Seems like we'll get those checks maybe midsummer, July and August. Michael, how are you going to spend your extra money.
BLACK: Well, I have to say, I think the president's plan is a good one. Thank goodness we have a president who is strong enough to give much-needed tax relief to the people who need it most, average, hard working American millionaires and billionaires.
HEMMER: Critics in every corner. Nicole Kidman apparently lit up a cigarette in Cannes at the film festival, and apparently she was jumped on by a lot antismoking activist. Jonah, do we care about this or not?
GOLDBERG: I just think it's hilarious. I mean, most of these film Hollywood and Cannes Film Festival types are people who make movies about people murdering everybody and sleeping with everybody, and doing everything God knows what under the sun, but she lights up a cigarette, and you know, they have to run to their fainting couches. I think it's just unbelievably hilarious.
HEMMER: Are we blowing smoke? Donna?
BRAZILE: Absolutely not. She looked like Bette Davis when she lit up. I'm not a big advocate of smoking, but I'll tell you one thing, after years of bad movies and that bad divorce, I think it's time for that girl to exhale.
HEMMER: Listen, she's had good movies lately, though. The question is, what would Tom think? Michael?
BLACK: Well, that's a good question. But I think it speaks to a larger societal issue, which is why are young people even looking to actors and actresses to be their role models in their first place. I thought that's we had rappers.
HEMMER: That's a good shot. Under the radar right now. Let's wrap it up. Donna, you go first.
BRAZILE: Well, let's go back to Texas and the redistricting story. It seems that the politics down there took on Nixonian flavor, when they got rid of evidence in 24 hours. Even the former president wasn't able to get rid of his evidence in that short period of time.
HEMMER: There's another shot. Jonah, how about you -- under the radar?
GOLDBERG: "Weekly World News," that noted and respected news source, is reporting that they found Saddam Hussein's mustache in the rubble in Baghdad, and pending further tests on pumis (ph) residue and DNA, they're hoping to prove that the dictator's dead.
HEMMER: Yes, well, we'll see on that DNA when it comes back.
Michael, finish it up for us.
BLACK: Well, what you probably heard about it that because of his appeal to young people, high basketball phenom Lebron James has signed a $90 million endorsement deal with Nike. But what you may not have heard about, is because of her appeal to young people, Nicole Kidman has also signed a multimillion dollar endorsement deal with Philip Morris, not that tobacco companies market their products to young people. We know they wouldn't do that.
HEMMER: She's still stomping on the butt today.
Thanks, guys. You all finished under time. Well done. Donna, Jonah, Michael, well done. See you next week. Have a good weekend, a good, long holiday weekend.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
