Laura Ingraham, Brian Lamb and CSPAN, CNN, Headline News, Dennis Miller
Right after I logged off, I got a call from Mike Galanos, the Headline News anchor tonight with Rudi Bakhtiar. He wanted to go over the pre-interview and try me out for size, which was I thought was being smart and thorough on his part. So I repeat my performance from the pre-interview I gave CNN Atlanta earlier. He loves it and says he wishes he could have taped what I just said.
That actually makes me nervous, after he hung up. So I turned on my laptop and banged out an opening 1-minute speech. Then I wrote it out on paper, then I memorized it and practiced it about 20 times, trying it on Kent as we drove to CNN.
Once inside CNN DC, nice young production assistant takes me to make-up and I get the full treatment in the chair. Assistant get me coffee and water, then leads me to room where I sit in chair and she hooks up the ear piece that make-up guy slipped on previously to feed from Atlanta. I can see myself on monitor through glass wall, but I can only check out the side of my head from that angle. Sound level checks with Atlanta, then during the commercial break I check in with Galanos again. He suggests starting with question about the "old Pentagon's map," but I have my spiel memorized and ask him to lob me general question on how I interpret Iraq now based "on the analysis in my book."
He agrees readily and lobs the pitch over the plate, allowing me to bang out my one-minute response. I knew that getting that first response off my chest would set me at ease, so the rest of the interview was a breeze.
We unhook, head out the door and make the short drive to CNBC. Quickly in my chair, I am sitting high on a stool in front of a clear window with a stunning view of the US Capitol all lit up at night.
More touch-up make-up and another glass of water fetched. I am told Miller is finishing a live show and then will segue immediately into tomorrow night's show with the same crowd. I am the first interview.
Miller talks to me briefly through my ear piece during the first commercial break. His questions are good and suitably expansive, so I am at ease from the start. I try hard to simply imagine him in the room with me, ignoring the sounds of the live audience apparently with him in the studio in Burbank.
Miller's last line about me and my family playing Stratego is pretty funny. I wish I would have come up with a better comeback to compliment his point, but I was happy with the interview. The interplay with him seemed to go down easily in terms of content. He made his quips here and there, and I offered my analysis and the balance and tone seemed about right. It will be very weird to watch it tomorrow night from my hotel room.
All in all a good day: Laura Ingraham, Brian Lamb and CSPAN, segments taped for CNN, an appearance on Headline News, and my first time on CNBC with no less than Dennis Miller. I crack out the Macallan from the mini-bar when I get back to the hotel.
Damn it. I earned it today.
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