RIP Tim Russert 1950-2008

[Mymn]

Originally Posted by Lenaldo

Holy shit dude.... WTF is wrong with you?

IRB is another glowing example of the tolerant left.

[Duppin]

Originally Posted by I'm Rich Bitch

Oh if only it was Sean Hannity dead. I would celebrate for an entire month at the death of that fucker as he burns in hell. This death should cause Hannity and those like Hannity to reflect on their pathetic careers of lies and distortions. If Hannity were indeed dead would anyone give him a tribute?

Personally, I would find where Hannity was buried and dance on his grave.

I'm pretty far to the left, and even I can't approve of this.

[foddon]

What's the guy's name that used to fill in for Russert when he took a week off? I'm sure he'd be the leading candidate and I think he'd do a decent job (even though he has no personality). Russert will be hard to replace due to his personality, love for politics, and work ethic.

I'm curious why people are saying Russert was a bad journalist though. I've seen this mentioned several times in different places, but there's never anything to back it up. Is this just sheep reciting what they read on some partisan blog site or something (likely after their candidate looked like a fool on MTP)? MTP is the only political show I watch, and I've watched every week for the past few years, and in my experience he grills both parties equally (even though he's a liberal).

[Araxen]

Originally Posted by foddon

I'm curious why people are saying Russert was a bad journalist though. I've seen this mentioned several times in different places, but there's never anything to back it up. Is this just sheep reciting what they read on some partisan blog site or something (likely after their candidate looked like a fool on MTP)? MTP is the only political show I watch, and I've watched every week for the past few years, and in my experience he grills both parties equally (even though he's a liberal).

I think it's because Russert asked tough questions to their political hero and they fucked up answering the question. So it's "Russert sucks, favors the right, favors the left, favors the repugs....blah blah blah".

[Angerz]

Originally Posted by Araxen

I think it's because Russert asked tough questions to their political hero and they fucked up answering the question. So it's "Russert sucks, favors the right, favors the left, favors the repugs....blah blah blah".

Pretty sure pissing off everyone is a sign of a great journalist. A great loss to American news and politics.

[voodoochile78]

Originally Posted by foddon

I'm curious why people are saying Russert was a bad journalist though. I've seen this mentioned several times in different places, but there's never anything to back it up. Is this just sheep reciting what they read on some partisan blog site or something (likely after their candidate looked like a fool on MTP)? MTP is the only political show I watch, and I've watched every week for the past few years, and in my experience he grills both parties equally (even though he's a liberal).

He only spoke truth to power only when those people were relatively toothless milquetoast politicians. When it came time to stand up to people like Dick Cheney, he folded. And the worst part about it is that he had this reputation for being a hardass, so when Dick Cheney went on MTP and dominated him, that helped Dick Cheney sell the war to Americans.

During the court proceedings for the Scooter Libby trial, one of Cheney's aides testified about how easy it was to funnel their propaganda through Tim Russert in particular. They said that his show was their very best show for peddling their shit.

Dana Milbank - In Ex-Aide's Testimony, A Spin Through VP's PR - washingtonpost.com

Flashed on the courtroom computer screens were her notes from 2004 about how Cheney could respond to allegations that the Bush administration had played fast and loose with evidence of Iraq's nuclear ambitions. Option 1: "MTP-VP," she wrote, then listed the pros and cons of a vice presidential appearance on the Sunday show. Under "pro," she wrote: "control message."

"I suggested we put the vice president on 'Meet the Press,' which was a tactic we often used," Martin testified. "It's our best format."

So basically I don't give a shit that Tim Russert got a rep for being a badass for beating up on people like Tom Daschle or some other spineless Democrat or marginal Republican. He needed to stand up to the warmongering Bush administration and he did not. He was a complete pushover for their message, and Cheney's office knew it. I liked when Russert would kick the crap out of people, but he was a massive disappointment for just about all of the Bush Administration's worst offenses.

Also, as someone posted earlier on this thread, Russert admitted to having a set of journalistic rules that are completely backwards as to how it should be. Instead of all statements from government officials being on record unless otherwise agreed to, he does the opposite. This allowed people like Dick Cheney to funnel their propaganda through him and have it passed on to the American public, accountability-free, from a "senior administration official." Tim Russert's accountability-free method of journalism has damaged the state of journalism in this country.

All that said, he was a fine human being and I'm sorry that he is gone.

[foddon]

I'm assuming this is the interview we're talking about? I'm not sure what more he could have done there since he basically got him to admit he authorized the leak.

I'm sure that Russert missed opportunities to call the administration out on things, anyone in his position would have. I don't read political blogs, so I probably have a different perspective than you, but what I saw every week was someone that did as much research as they could and always tried to make people on both sides accountable for relevant issues.

[Astrocreep]

Unless Russert jumped on the table and started screaming "War For Oil!!" while wringing Cheneys or anyone from the Bush administration's neck on camera the far left will think he was some undercover conservative. you do realize people can disagree with someone and still remain civil, right?

[Erumaron]

Originally Posted by I'm Rich Bitch

My list for Russert's replacement in order:

1. Anderson Cooper
2. Wolf Blitzer
3. Chris Wallace

Every other moderator or commentator is a partisan piece of shit. Chris Wallace is an excellent journalist but his career is limited and tainted since he works for FOX News which is the laughing stock of the industry. Because he works for FOX he will never be able to get a legitimate job.

Gotta disagree with you on Wolf Blitzer. He gets pretty befuddled at times. Anderson Cooper on the other hand would call people on their bullshit while having his little smirk going. He's a pretty good call.

[chaos]

I like Wolf, he does a great job, except when they were making him and his lackeys fill 8 hours of television with election bullshit,having to act like each individual promary changed the outcome of the nomination process even though the results had been predicted for weeks, etc. That got old.

[Araxen]

Brian Williams to host next Meet the Press | Entertainment | Reuters

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - "NBC Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams will fill in for late "Meet the Press" moderator Tim Russert on Sunday, but the network signalled it would take its time to replace the multitasking newsman.

Russert, who was also NBC's Washington bureau chief as well as a frequent commentator on the network's various news shows, died suddenly of a heart attack last Friday, aged 58.

NBC News president Steve Capus said Thursday that the news division was still in mourning, and it was likely that NBC News talent would moderate "Meet the Press" on a revolving basis.

"I just don't think there's any way we would ask anyone to go into any of the roles on a permanent basis. It would be too much, too soon," Capus said. "The only way I can contemplate it is, thinking for people who could step up temporarily."

Nor will a decision be made quickly on the bureau-chief job. NBC is leaning heavily on Russert's deputy bureau chiefs, Wendy Wilkinson and Brady Daniels.

"There are a lot of roles, both formal and informal, that need to be considered," Capus said. "That's why it's safe to say that there's no one person that can do all of it. Tim left us as he was at the top of his game. It took someone with Tim's enormous skills and qualities as a human being to juggle all those things and do so brilliantly."

[Astrocreep]

Tom Brokaw to return to TV as the new Meet The Press Host. i hate his voice so much.

[Regime]

I remember Anderson Cooper from middle school, Channel 1 news baby.

[Burf]

Originally Posted by Astrocreep

Tom Brokaw to return to TV as the new Meet The Press Host. i hate his voice so much.

Crooks and Liars » SNL Flashback: Tom Brokaw Announces Ford’s Death

[Araxen]

I like Brokaw's voice. /boggle