Jack and Jill Politics - Latest Comments in Tim Russert Dead At 58

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

marc — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:49:00 -0000

methinks this is the right issue: how much were many in the media duped, how much were they tools of the regime, and in how far does one have to take into consideration the overall situation.

american media, even flagships like nyt and the post, lost a lot of credibility in the world in 2002/03. maybe that was not correct, maybe the context was not taken into consideration... or maybe all too many american journalists were all too little objective and, as someone put it, didn't do their fucking job.

this issue trascends the figure of russert, who may rest in peace. it is an issue very much worth talking about at length.

i suggest a special entry for this subject: the so-called war on terror is still very much on.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

Anonymous — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:43:00 -0000

What were the right questions in your opinion? And give us an example where he was a tool of the right-wing? The Iraq War argument is weak in my opinion. They replayed his interviews with Cheney and Bush and they hardly seemed like right-wing twinkie fests.

If you want to call him naive or kill him for not being more skeptical, fine. It's easy to say that now forgetting the fact that we were attacked and that might have been a factor in him giving the administration the benefit of the doubt.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

blksista — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:24:00 -0000

He was duped...

First off, Russert was hardly a tool of the right wing. He was a Kennedy Democrat who worked for two

of the most liberal politicians of the past half century (Pat Moynihan and Mario Cuomo) before he joined NBC news in the early 80's.

Pat Moynihan of the vaunted Moynihan Report, which stated that blacks should be given 'benign neglect' and who was one of Nixon's Democratic friends?

One of his best friends is James Carville, hardly a right-winger.

Er...um, have you listened to Carville lately? He's a DLC Dem, which doesn't ingratiate me to him. And a clown.

I think sore having trouble making the dme of the folks on this thread aistinction between a commentator/pundit and a journalist.

His wife was a journalist. Russert was trained as a lawyer and later working with Moynihan and Cuomo, in PR advocacy. The questioning you admire comes from his training in law, not from journalism.

I love Olbermann and Matthews (yes, I said that I like Hardball) but they're pundits. Nothing wrong with it. Russert was a journalist...

Russert was a pundit, too.

...But the fact that he was duped by them was more of a reflection on the administration deception than on Russert.

He didn't do his fucking job, neither...some investigative reporting skills. The job of a reporter is not to become a celebrity, but to report even the bad news objectively. Russert never asked the right questions.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

Diana — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:23:00 -0000

I'm sorry about Russert, but when Brokaw broke in to the regular programing with "some very sad news" I assumed it was Barack. That horrible feeling of one's blood running cold. I was sobbing before I realized it wasn't him.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

Leah El-Amin — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:06:00 -0000

Wow..I think some of you have Mr. Russert confused with Pat Buchanan. Mr. Russert was the ONLY objective voice on TV. I think you all must have only watched sound bites or something. He is to be admired and he will be missed. It is a loss for the nation. He was special and I enjoyed watching him every Sunday morning. I have read his books and there is NO WAY anyone can say he was a "tool or the right". Please have your facts straight before you slander the dead.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

Bigsmitty72 — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 20:48:00 -0000

First off, Russert was hardly a tool of the right wing. He was a Kennedy Democrat who worked for two
of the most liberal politicians of the past half century (Pat Moynihan and Mario Cuomo) before he joined NBC news in the early 80's. One of his best friends is James Carville, hardly a right-winger. He comes from a generation that felt that politics didn't have to be personal which enabled him to be friendly with folks on the other side of aisle.

I've been an avid watcher of MTP for over a decade and can say that he was every bit as tough on democrats as he was on Republicans. I think some of the folks on this thread are having trouble making the distinction between a commentator/pundit and a journalist. I love Olbermann and Matthews (yes, I said that I like Hardball) but they're pundits. Nothing wrong with it. Russert was a journalist. It wasn't his job to project his opinion onto a story. It was his job to ask the tough questions and give his subject the opportunity to answer. Let the public be judge of whether they're telling the truth.

If you want to call him to task for not being harder on Bush-Cheney on the leadup to the Iraq War that's your right. But the fact that he was duped by them was more of a reflection on the administration deception than on Russert.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

augustus grey — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 19:16:00 -0000

i always enjoiied watching Mr. Russert on Sunday mornings while i dressed for service. he (much like Bob Schieffer) was very classy in his style of interviewing. you could expect tough, but fair questions from Mr. Russert regardless of your party affiliations. his integrity and sense of fairness will be missed.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

marc — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:31:00 -0000

i have to come to belle's defense: i've read her many times here and i always had the impression that she has, above all, a big heart.

i am sad tim's gone, and much too early. i liked his program when i watched it, but i watched it only few times and i don't know if belle's observations are true.

what i think is that they are sincere, and when everybody claims him to have been a professional above all, and belle has the very opposite impression, then she has the right to reply.

we should not tell her to shut up, but argue gainst her view those who can.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

roger — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:28:00 -0000

bigcrassbelle, could you please get off your high horse for five seconds? Thanks.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

N. Mahana — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 01:00:00 -0000

OMG! I'm speechless

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

Kitty — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:24:00 -0000

Aside from KO and BBC World, I don't watch TV news so I have no opinion on Russert's influence one way or the other. Having said that, I feel great sympathy for his colleagues and especially his family.

From what I've been hearing Russert's wife and son were still in Italy when he passed, so I can only imagine their added anguish of not being with him in those final moments. And for his father, nothing is more tragic than to have to bury your child. May God bless and keep them during this time.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

heartsandflowers — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:11:00 -0000

Yes Russert was one of the few journalists left and yes the integrity of journalism - such that it was - has been tainted by the negative influence of big business and corporate interests. It is still shocking that he passed so suddenly. At least he took time out to spend with his family so they can have that to comfort them in their time of grief.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

Admiral Komack — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:31:00 -0000

I was surprised to hear of Tim Russert's death.

My condolences to his family.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

BigAssBelle — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:40:00 -0000

rhondacoca ~

as i said, it's a sad thing for those who loved him, his family and friends.

as an american citizen, i have respect for the constitution of the united states. tim russert did not have that same respect.

telling me to hush up is about the same as bush & co. demonizing those who questioned their actions post-9/11.

it's sad for people who actually had a relationship with him and i will always be moved by the loss of a human life. tim russert's. 4,000+ young american soldiers. possibly 1 million iraqis.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

blksista — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:18:00 -0000

Respectfully, rhondacoca, Russert wasn't one of my favorite journalists. I'm sorry about his death, coming so soon after celebrating with his son, and near Father's Day, too. But that's all.

Wonder who they might get to take his place? Brokaw?

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

RhondaCoca — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:13:00 -0000

Blksista-

Now you, once again, he is a human first and a jornalist second. I wish that you would have respect for the man's passing.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

RhondaCoca — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:11:00 -0000

BigAssBelle-

This is not the time for that. Tim Russert was a human first, a journalist second.

I will kindly ask you to have respect for him and his family at this time.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

blksista — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:06:00 -0000

I'm rather shocked that 'Timmeh' bit the big one. But I'm rather underwhelmed at all the oceans of tears over him. I'd rather people get upset over Unca Walter (Cronkite), who is still with us (knock on wood).

I'm under no illusions about guys like Russert and Chris Matthews, though. These days, journalists are more likely to be celebrities and are in lock step with their bosses; in his case, the ever-morphing GE-Universal. He and Brokaw tried to whack Olbermann recently over what they thought was overstepping about the Borg Queen's departure from the presidential race.

Some reports, however, say that Russert may have died from a cardiac embolism, that is, an errant blood clot. Russert had just returned from Italy with his college grad son and wife. It was a long plane flight, and it is said that if he had just chewed some aspirin (even children's aspirin), he would have thinned his blood enough to avoid a clot forming in his legs from inactivity.

Yall think about that when you travel.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

BigAssBelle — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:10:00 -0000

do you all not remember him as recently as the democratic debates? all of those stupid, vicious, "gotcha" questions while the american people are starving for real information about the candidates?

go ahead and feel sad about the loss of a human life, but seriously, this man was a tool of the right wing, no loss to those of us who believe the system needs to change.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

BigAssBelle — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:09:00 -0000

y'all pick up the pieces of your broken hearts. this is a tragedy for tim russert's family and for those who worked with him, were his friends and loved him.

this man helped bush & cheney take us to war in iraq, dispense with the constitution, suspend habeas corpus and torture detainees.

dick cheney called him one of his best means of disseminating the false information the white house wanted us to hear to make us believe their lies.

he's no loss to liberals or progressives. i'm just keeping my fingers crossed that the tool chris matthews doesn't replace him. god forbid.

more on russert and his right wing bias:

http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/tags/meet_the_press?f=h_hot

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

Invisible Man — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:37:00 -0000

And right before Father's Day. I can't imagine what his family's going through.

I hope that the rest of the media takes Russert's lead in asking the tough questions. That's what he was put here to do. I'd love to hear him ask some more.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

meechee — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:26:00 -0000

Very sad news. Tim Russert really was one of my favorite journalists...one of the few that i still watched. Its sad that he left this earth so soon.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

rikyrah — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:05:00 -0000

My heart is broken. The first person I thought of when I heard this was ' Big Russ'. The second was Luke. Lord, how he loved both of them, and they loved him too.

I was just stunned when I saw this on tv. Brokaw was so visibly shaken about this.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

B-Serious — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:59:00 -0000

And a fellow Buffalo Bills fan to boot. . .

God bless Mr. Russert and his family.

Re: Tim Russert Dead At 58

B-Serious — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:47:00 -0000

I was shocked to hear the news as well.

Every Sunday . . . no question, it was MTP. Seemed like a pretty classy guy.

It's weird, but you kinda do feel like you knew him a little bit.

Such a shame. God bless.

I'm sure he would have loved to have seen how this election turned out. It's a sad day.

But he did leave me with a high note. . .

The night of May 6th, 2008, speaking after Sen. Obama's victory in NC:

"We now know who the Democratic nominee is going to be."