Meet the Press' Tim Russert dies

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Meet the Press' Tim Russert dies

When I think of Tim Russert, I think of the 2000 election & the board he scribbled on:

Said dry-erase board is now in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution. What a wonderful way to be memorialized.

[tutusue]

Re: Meet the Press' Tim Russert dies

Russert gave a 2nd dry erase board to his son who threatened to sell it on eBay!!!

I DVRed Meet the Press this morning and was disappointed that the first 15 minutes or so consisted of a black screen and no audio. When I did get a picture the audio was just slightly out of sync with the video. Did anyone else have this problem? I have the HD package thru Oceanic and occasionally, regardless of channel, I lose reception on the viewing channel; again, black screen, no audio, while other channels are fine. I assume that's an Oceanic problem vs an untechie user problem?!

MTP reairs tonight at 7p so I have a 2nd chance. Tom Brokaw, at one point, starts to break down and Mike Barnicle quickly covers for him. That had to be a really painful show to do for all involved.

[Kalihiboy]

Re: Meet the Press' Tim Russert dies

MTP reairs tonight at 7p so I have a 2nd chance. Tom Brokaw, at one point, starts to break down and Mike Barnicle quickly covers for him. That had to be a really painful show to do for all involved.

Here is some footage from youtube:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=AZkg9v48EwU

Aj

[tutusue]

Re: Meet the Press' Tim Russert dies

Wow...what an opening. Thanks, AJ.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Meet the Press' Tim Russert dies

NBC cannot afford to have an Andrea Mitchell or David Gregory, as you have suggested, fill Russert’s role. Neither of these individuals are particularly well known for doing their homework, their tenacity or infallibility — Russert’s three most important trademarks.

Infallible? I wouldn't quite go that far.

Don't get me wrong. As I said before, I think Russert is one of those media figures who is truly one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable. He really prided himself on being as fully informed and prepared as possible before every program he appeared on. But he wasn't perfect.

Here's a link to a video, where Bill Moyers examines how the mainstream media got sucked in by Bush administration propaganda in making the case for the war in Iraq. Note the role that Russert played in this and how he tried to explain himself. Suffice it to say, it was not one of his better moments.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/btw/watch.html

And the transcript:

BILL MOYERS: ON THE BASIS OF HIS INTELLIGENCE SOURCES LANDAY WROTE THERE WAS LITTLE EVIDENCE TO BACK UP THE VICE PRESIDENT'S CLAIMS.

BILL MOYERS: BUT THE STORY LANDAY WROTE DIDN'T RUN IN NEW YORK OR WASHINGTON - KNIGHT RIDDER, REMEMBER, HAS NO OUTLET IN EITHER CITY. SO IT COULDN'T COMPETE WITH A BLOCKBUSTER THAT APPEARED TWO DAYS LATER ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NATION'S PAPER OF RECORD, WITH A FAMILIAR BY-LINE.... QUOTING ANONYMOUS ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS, THE TIMES REPORTED THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN HAD LAUNCHED A WORLDWIDE HUNT FOR MATERIALS TO MAKE AN ATOMIC BOMB USING SPECIALLY DESIGNED ALUMINIMUM TUBES.

AND THERE ON MEET THE PRESS THAT SAME MORNING WAS VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY.

DICK CHENEY (MEET THE PRESS NBC 9/8/02): … Tubes. There's a story in the NEW YORK TIMES this morning, this is-- and I want to attribute this to the TIMES. I don't want to talk about obviously specific intelligence sources, but--

JONATHAN LANDAY: Now, ordinarily information like the aluminum tubes wouldn't appear. It was top secret intelligence, and the Vice President and the National Security Advisor would not be allowed to talk about this on the Sunday talk shows. But, it appeared that morning in the NEW YORK TIMES and, therefore, they were able to talk about it.

DICK CHENEY (MEET THE PRESS NBC 9/8/02): It's now public that, in fact, he has been seeking to acquire and we have been able to intercept to prevent him from acquiring through this particular channel the kinds of tubes that are necessary to build a centrifuge and the centrifuge is required to take low-grade uranium and enhance it into highly-enriched uranium which is what you have to have in order to build a bomb."

BILL MOYERS: Did you see that performance?

BOB SIMON: I did.

BILL MOYERS: What did you think?

BOB SIMON: I thought it was remarkable.

BILL MOYERS: Why?

BOB SIMON: Remarkable. You leak a story, and then you quote the story. I mean, that's a remarkable thing to do.

BILL MOYERS: AND THAT'S ONLY PART OF IT. USING THE IDENTICAL LANGUAGE OF THE ANONYMOUS SOURCES QUOTED IN THE TIMES, TOP OFFICIALS WERE NOW INVOKING THE ULTIMATE SPECTRE OF NUCLEAR WAR - THE SMOKING GUN AS MUSHROOM CLOUD.

CONDOLEEZA RICE (CNN 9/8/02): There will always be some uncertainty about how quickly he can acquire a nuclear weapon. But we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud.

ERIC BOEHLERT: Those sorts of stories when they appear on the front page of the so called liberal NEW YORK TIMES, it absolutely comes with a stamp of approval. I mean if the NEW YORK TIMES thinks Saddam is on the precipice of mushroom clouds, then, there's really no debate.

BOB SCHEIFFER: (FACE THE NATION, CBS 9/8/02) We read in the NEW YORK TIMES today a story that says that Saddam Hussein is closer to acquiring nuclear weapons... Does he have nuclear weapons, is there a smoking gun here?

DONALD RUMSFELD: Smoking gun is an interesting phrase.

COLIN POWELL: Then as we saw in reporting just this morning...

TIM RUSSERT: What specifically has he obtained that you believe will enhance his nuclear development program.

BILL MOYERS: Was it just a coincidence in your mind that Cheney came on your show and others went on the other Sunday shows, the very morning that that story appeared?

TIM RUSSERT: I don't know. The NEW YORK TIMES is a better judge of that than I am.

BILL MOYERS: No one tipped you that it was going to happen?

TIM RUSSERT: No, no. I mean-

BILL MOYERS: The Cheney office didn't leak to you that there's gonna be a big story?

TIM RUSSERT: No. No. I mean, I don't have the-- This is, you know-- on MEET THE PRESS, people come on and there are no ground rules. We can ask any question we want. I did not know about the aluminum tubes story until I read it in the NEW YORK TIMES.

BILL MOYERS: Critics point to September eight, 2002 and to your show in particular, as the classic case of how the press and the government became inseparable. Someone in the Administration plants a dramatic story in the NEW YORK TIMES And then the Vice President comes on your show and points to the NEW YORK TIMES. It's a circular, self-confirming leak.

TIM RUSSERT: I don't know how Judith Miller and Michael Gordon reported that story, who their sources were. It was a front-page story of the NEW YORK TIMES. When Secretary Rice and Vice President Cheney and others came up that Sunday morning on all the Sunday shows, they did exactly that.

My concern was, is that there were concerns expressed by other government officials. And to this day, I wish my phone had rung, or I had access to them.

BILL MOYERS: BOB SIMON DIDN'T WAIT FOR THE PHONE TO RING.

BTW, I didn't dig out this video with the idea of picking on Tim Russert. It's just to show that he wasn't perfect and 100% totally prepared for everything. And obviously, neither is Andrea Mitchell or David Gregory. That fact shouldn't disqualify them from receiving consideration for hosting MTP.

And Chuck Todd is NBC’s political director, filling a crucial role that would be hampered by him having to also host Meet the Press. Look what happened to Dan Rather when he tried to multi-task between 60 Minutes and the CBS Evening News.

I don't see that wearing more than one hat would be a problem for Chuck Todd, anymore than it was for Tim Russert. In case you didn't know, Russert not only moderated MTP, but he hosted a self-titled interview show, was NBC's Washington Bureau Chief, and also had executive duties as senior vice president.

Incidentally, Chuck Todd was personally hired by Tim Russert himself and, I think, was being groomed by the man for bigger and better things at NBC. If he's not chosen to succeed Russert at this point in time, I think that he's destined to eventually become the moderator of MTP sometime in the future.

I think you should take another look at Chris Wallace. He has become a much more dynamic presence since leaving NBC, while like his father, winning several awards along the way.

Fair point. Wallace should receive due consideration.

[tutusue]

Re: Meet the Press' Tim Russert dies

Luke Russert on The Today Show this morning...

This incredibly poised, mature, bright, articulate and extremely likable young man memorialized his dad. The photo of Luke touching his dad's chair (which has been given to him) on the set of MTP yesterday brought me to tears. As Matt Lauer said, referring to Luke, "He comes from good stock." It was obviously a tough interview for Lauer.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Meet the Press' Tim Russert dies

Good post FM. Tim was often a patsy for the current administration, and he let them get away with a lot, sometimes on the most important issues of the moment, without nailing them as he should have.

I certainly wouldn't be happy with Wallace taking the MTP spot. He should stay with the FOX morning show where he fits better with the 'fair and balanced' bunch. Besides, then the un-balanced Brent Hume would probably get that opened seat.

There really isn't anybody I can think of yet that will be able to fill Tim's shoes. I always looked forward to hearing him do his show or bits on other shows, even tho he'd occassionally have me yelling at him on Sundays. Olberman would not be able to do his thing like he can and should continue to, on MSNBC.

[TuNnL]

Re: Meet the Press' Tim Russert dies

Tim was often a patsy for the current administration, and he let them get away with a lot, sometimes on the most important issues of the moment, without nailing them as he should have.

Do you have any examples? And don’t just repeat Frankie's Market. You are making a much more scathing indictment of Russert, so I challenge you to back it up.

I certainly wouldn't be happy with Wallace taking the MTP spot ... Olberman would not be able to do his thing like he can and should continue to, on MSNBC.

The fact that you would even mention Keith Olbermann, a sportscaster-turned political news commentator, speaks volumes about your judgement. Keith isn’t even in the same hemisphere as Russert. He spent the last three years spouting his opinion. I like Keith, and agree with many of his views. That doesn’t mean he is qualified for a big-league assignment like Meet the Press by any stretch of the imagination.

Has Keith even done a hard news story, or has it been all “read on the air what the real journalist wrote for me over the teleprompter”? Has he ever done a 20-minute one-on-one interview with the President of the United States?

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Meet the Press' Tim Russert dies

Would you want me to somehow pull up fragments from years worth of various show segments where he did it? I watched him every week, and noticed it repeatedly. You may call it a scathing indictment, I merely call it - observance.

I love Olberman. He tells it like it is. Some don't like him for this fact. But, he has been mentioned as being on the 'long' list of Russert replacements, so somebody's 'judgement' is speaking beyond mine.

Tim was deffinitely one of the best in his field, and he deserves the accolades he's getting, but maybe also because so few are able to have a show with MTP's presence (in large part, to TR's hard work), and that most of his few contemporaries are not up to speed, and/or are hand fed what they say.
Keith is beyond that of a former sports guy, I believe, and question your discription of him not being in Russert's league even tho he hasn't racked up the pedigree.
What's so extrordinary about MTP? It just a Sunday news show, that Tim did well.
I'd also love to see Keith take on The Shrub, but boy George would be in need of a constant re-diapering just walking to the set. And Cheney would have to be frisked for a gun before getting anywhere near KO.
I like Bob Schieffer, but he's getting ready to retire and probably wouldn't want to leave his show.
I'd also not like to see Chris Mathews get the gig. He's too gabby and much too into 'the scene'.

[TuNnL]

Re: Meet the Press' Tim Russert dies

Would you want me to somehow pull up fragments from years worth of various show segments where he did it?

That would be a good start. I seem to be able to back up everything I say with links. Is this too difficult for you? Reporters have to worry about libel and slander lawsuits all the time. I wonder if you worry that the Russert family doesn’t decide to sue you for your so-called “observations”?

I love Olberman ... he has been mentioned as being on the long list of Russert replacements

OlbermanN. Link?

so few are able to have a show with MTP's presence...What's so extrordinary about MTP?

I’m confused, do you feel it has “presence” or is it nothing extraordinary? Pick a side.

I ... question your discription of him not being in Russert's league even tho he hasn't racked up the pedigree ... It just a Sunday news show, that Tim did well.

Exactly. It was a news show. Olbermann does commentary (i.e. Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, etc.). Apples and oranges.

I'd also love to see Keith take on The Shrub

That would be a good test for him.

I like Bob Schieffer, but he's getting ready to retire and probably wouldn't want to leave his show.

Good point.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Meet the Press' Tim Russert dies

I like Bob Schieffer, but he's getting ready to retire and probably wouldn't want to leave his show.

Or jump networks, since CBS actually treated him well by giving him the brief transitional stint at the Evening News anchor desk (pre-Couric) - for which he gained much praise.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Meet the Press' Tim Russert dies

TuNnL, thanx for the suggestion of a lifetime task of finding enuf clips to possibly satisfy you, but I'll pass on that one.

If anyone wishes to sue me for my opinions, well, per dubya - bring it on!

Olberman link?, it's been mentioned offen in the media. If you don't wanna believe me, I'm sure you can find enuf proof doing a search.
He's done enuf commentary to rank as a show in and of itself. No sweat.

Having a presence and being extrordinary are more than a bit different.

And, the 'test' would be for Bush to have the legs to simply make it to his seat in front of KO.

[TuNnL]

Re: Meet the Press' Tim Russert dies

TuNnL, thanx for the suggestion of a lifetime task of finding enuf clips to possibly satisfy you, but I'll pass on that one.

I figured you would. I myself have a tough time finding any facts that support your opinion.

Olberman link?, it's been mentioned offen in the media. If you don't wanna believe me, I'm sure you can find enuf proof doing a search.

Okay, I’ll humor you. I did a quick search, and this is what I found. Apparently, Tim Russert was quite irritated by Keith Olbermann, and felt Olbermann undermined the journalistic integrity of the network:

“Every Tuesday night Keith is up there as the face of NBC News. That’s a problem. [Tim] Russert is upset about it. Russert has spent 20 years building credibility. All of a sudden he’s taking questions from Keith Olbermann, the Daily Kos blogger?”

He's done enuf commentary to rank as a show in and of itself. No sweat.

This statement shows your utter lack of understanding of what journalism stands for. Hint: it has to do with the reason no legitimate newspaper will put an “opinion piece” on the front page.

And, the 'test' would be for Bush to have the legs to simply make it to his seat in front of KO.

Wow, don’t ever become a reporter. You couldn’t get an interview with Charles Djou with that attitude.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Meet the Press' Tim Russert dies

If you're so worked up over my "scathing" opinion about Russert, then 'humor' yourself. I didn't make this stuff up, I witnessed it. If you didn't, then where have you been?

In times like we're living now, I'll take a relentless gut puncher like KO anytime over someone who misses as many oppotunities as TR did over the last 10 years. We need more like KO. This country wouldn't be in a fraction of the cesspool we find ourselves submersed in if the media had done their jobs even half way properly. That TR was one of the very best, shows how asleep at the switch the overall media has been during the Bush/Cheney debacle, giving these guy's a total pass until lately, and still there are plenty who continue to do so.

Whatever journalism cred you're railing on about hasn't impressed me so far, so, just what is it you're in a tizzy about?

Oh, maybe it's because your guy, Ron Paul, finally threw in the towel, and that I made mention of it?

[TuNnL]

Re: Meet the Press' Tim Russert dies

I didn't make this stuff up, I witnessed it ... so, just what is it you're in a tizzy about?

If I claimed I was visited by one-eyed aliens wearing purple polka dot bikinis, would you say I “made it up,” or I “witnessed it?” You’d probably ask for some proof. That’s all I’ve been doing in this thread, but so far, you haven’t ante’d up.

We need more like KO. This country wouldn't be in a fraction of the cesspool we find ourselves submersed in if the media had done their jobs...properly.

So you’re saying if we had more commentators and less investigative journalists, we’d be better off? Seriously?

Oh, maybe it's because your guy, Ron Paul, finally threw in the towel, and that I made mention of it?

These type of comments do nothing to further the discussion. Please try to stay on topic.