It's Begala vs. McCain (Meghan) on Real Time with Bill Maher

Steve Sundberg: I didn't "misremember" anything. I started college in 1979 and had to borrow student loans when interest rates (prime rate, not the mortgage rate) were at their highest since the depression (see http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/data/PRIME.txt). Reagan beat Carter 489 electoral votes to 49, so apparently not too many thought Carter was doing anything right. If you really want an eye-opener, look at the Misery Index chart at http://www.miseryindex.us/customindexbyyear.asp or read the series on Carter at http://www.ibdeditorials.com/Special3.aspx for a few facts, including the following:

-Carter: Interest rate, 21%; Inflation, 13.5%; Unemployment, 7%; Misery Index (combo of inflation & unemployment), 20.5%
- Reagan's last year: Interest rate, 9%; Inflation, 4.1%; Unemployment, 5.5%; Misery Index, 9.6%

What would bother me more (if I wasted my time watching Maher) than M. McCain claiming that she wouldn't know anything about Reagan is that nobody challenged Begala's assertion that Reagan blamed Carter. I was alive during the Carter years (and apologize for voting for him) and vividly remember those dire times - 20% interest, shortages of every kind, massive unemployment, lines at the gas pump, the embarassment of the Iran hostages. etc. Carter was a complete failure and he humiliated America at every turn, from his no Christmas lights policy, Billy Beer, killer rabbits and his Mr. Rogers sweaters to his absolute incompetence negotiating with other nations. Reagan successfully campaigned against Carter's policies (kinda like Obama did against Bush but not as personal), but once he took office, Reagan was a total gentleman to Carter and even allowed him to save face with the Iran hostage situation. I also remember the long lines of voters who couldn't wait to vote against Carter. Once elected, Reagan then rightfully blamed Congress for the spending mess since not a penny is spent by the government without first having been approved by Congress. I'm not a fan of Bush's budgets, but if you want to put the primary blame at the right place, lay it directly at the feet of Congress which was run by the Democrats the last 2 years of the Bush term. One of my pet peeves is a host who allows liberals to spout off anything they want unchallenged.

what happened at the end of the show? they were all smiling then next shot no-one would look at each other and the smiles were no longer there. usually at the end of the show you see all the panelists leaning over and patting each other on the back or having a joke with each other. did the rolling credits of this epidode seem tense to anybody else?

I too am not the biggest Begala fan, even though I have agreed with him on major points in the past. Still, I too that M. McCain was just being an idiot. I also hate it when people say they were not born during a certain period in history, and therefore they wouldn't have a clue about something. She also wasn't born during the Vietnam War, but she most certainly SHOULD know something about that!

I watched the show and she was without a doubt out of her element here. I know supporter of the Republican Party and I don't really like her blog posts but she seemed nervous with people who really knew what they were talking about and have doing it longer.

I think that she would have been better served to do an interview with just Maher by herself at the beginning of the show, like Joe The Plumber did a few weeks ago.

I do think she tried to get sympathy playing the ditz card a little when she realized the trouble she was in with the panelists. Not a good start to her career.

At least she's cute, gotta give her that!

Yeah she sounds as asinine as Obama did when he responded to Bill Ayres' criminal past with "I was seven."

Come on, that was totally a dig a Paul Begala. She just wasn't expecting him to come right back at her. Go Paul Go!

The only thing that Liz Cheney is good at is regurgitating a lot of Right Wing Talking Points; however, comedy to the aside, Bill and Begala brings much substance and they are both Political Astute Operators. They would drown her in her own tears.

Dan & Creep your both dead wrong you both lied about Meghan McCain. Dan Meghan isn't brainless ditz as you have claim which as I said is a flat out lie. I could careless that you know a whole lot of History Dan your loser with no life what so ever and doesn't know what your talking about.

Creep Meghan isn't a pouty spoiled kid as you have claim which is a flat out lie. Creep you need to grow up your pouty spoiled kid not Meghan.

Meghan McCain is smart and knows her stuff she is always right.