Paul Begala Says The Republicans Are "Playing Politics." Oh, Really?

Paul Begala, a former aide to President Bill Clinton, wished his pal George Stephanopoulos a happy 49th birthday today, and recalled how they had spent this day together back in 1992, during the New Hampshire primaries. Mark Halperin, then with ABC News, had handed them a copy of a letter Clinton wrote to an Arkansas National Guardsman where he said, basically, "Thanks for saving me from the draft."

"Our knees buckled," said Begala, laughing.

Like with most of his calamities, Clinton survived that one. But it remains to be seen whether New York Governor David Paterson can emerge from his own scandal: rumors spread, but not yet printed, by the New York Times that he has had extramarital affairs.

"Back in Clinton's day, journalists would come to you with a story...and you'd have a chance to answer it," said Begala. "Paterson's story is playing out before the supposed story has even run."

Some of Begala's friends from Chicago (Hi, Rahm Emanuel!) are trying to push Paterson out of office. Begala, while not denying his friends are thugs, said, "I'd rather have the Democrats be ruthless than toothless."

The Republicans are demonstrating their brand of ruthlessness by saying "no" to health care reform, even though 213 of their amendments have been included in the bill.

"The problem here is not that Republicans haven't been allowed to put their ideas into the bill," said Begala. "The problem is that Republicans like the status quo."

And members of the GOP are prospering in their role as detractors, giving them even less motivation to cooperate with Obama, Begala pointed out.

Imus sighed, and wondered how his guest, who has achieved much success, could be so wrong about everything. "You must feel like the hand of God is on you," said Imus.

Trying to prove his mettle, Begala took on Obama's top counter-terrorism advisor John Brennan for claiming that critics of Obama's anti-terror policies were helping Al-Qaeda.

"I do not like that argumentation," said Begala, who had criticized the Bush administration for making similar statements. "The question is: are you being productive, or are you being political?"

Obama has followed the same path as Bush did in more than 300 cases of prosecuting terrorists, and yet has been attacked by Republicans where Bush was not. "The Republicans are playing politics," Begala added.

Today is also Glenn Beck's birthday, and Begala surmised that the melodramatic Beck would find a unique way to celebrate his on his Fox News program this evening.

"He'll cry the candles out," said Begala. "He'll just drown them in his tears tonight."

-Julie Kanfer