Tim Russert: Patriotism, the last refuge of a scoundrel

[bushwakker]

I recall watching MTP late in the 1992 campaign. The Bushies were getting desperate and really going after Clinton's "patriotism". They were rummaging through his FBI files, questioning his opposition to Vietnam on "foreign soil" while he was in England, spreading the lie that he had burned a flag, etc...I really was pretty bad. One morning on MTP Russert commented to some GOP flack, Samuel Johnson's quote about patriotism being the last refuge of a scoundrel. You could tell that Russert was really pissed about the tactics that the Bushies were using and he put the GOP flack on the defensive - "oh no Tim we're not questioning his patriotism yadda yadda yadda..."

Where is that Tim Russert today?

[blm]

1. Tim Russert was coopted by Jack Welch and charmed by Rush Limbaugh.

The REAL Tim Russert is no longer with us.

[Spinzonner]

2. We're now using the Pod Version

[tom_paine]

5. Yep. Womder if it happened just like the movie "Network"?

Ned Beatty & "Howard Beale"

Probably not. But something LIKE that almost certainly happened.

[bushwakker]

8. Back in those days he really was a journalist

now he is his own brand name. Tim Russert, tribune of the working man with "Big Russ" looking over his shoulder. All the while whoring for the very corporate interests that keep "Big Russ" hauling garbage the rest of his life.

[wurzel]

3. Tim got rich.

[KoKo]

16. Yep he has a house on Nantucket, too. Just like Jack Welch and many

others. He's the center of power, but most of all he owes his fame to Welch.

[TomClash]

4. He's been eaten by a cash cow. the guy makes a boatload of money

[girl gone mad]

6. He got his. n/t

[natrat]

7. he's just like jay lenno now

pos

[greekspeak]

9. Caught in the vortex of the "librul" media

"Libruls" like Tim Russert now fawn over Georgie W. Porgie and St. Ronnie and their ilk, since having been sucked up into the F5 tornado of media consolodation. "Want a job here? Toe the line, Russert. NBC Studios is now a red light district, so start whoring."

[Benhurst]

10. Tim Russert:

just another pretty face.

[Bullshot]

19. That melon head is a pretty face?

I use pictures of him to scare off crows and pests in my fields.

[farmbo]

11. Still traumatized by Brett Hull's goal in Game Seven.... lost 'left brain'

...functions.

[Leilani]

12. I thought Russert did a great job

when he had Shrub on MTP, some months back.

Shrub looked like an idiot...that did not happen by accident. Remember how much the interview was talked about, & how much criticism Shrub got?

Russert was respectful, but the interview was no softball, like Junior is used to doing.

[bushwakker]

13. AWOL lied to his face about releasing all of his service records

not a Friday goes by without the WH releasing yet more of his service records.

[Leilani]

14. Shrub lies about everything...

but he still looked like an idiot.

[blm]

15. Heh...Bush lies again...no news in that.

;))))

[natrat]

17. this general abaloneyizid

on meet the press right now on the west coast--he just oozes deceit

[Democrat 4 Ever]

18. MTP - another Sunday, another serving of pap

Russert had Gen. John Abizaid from Iraq on this morning expecting him to report the "truth" from the battlefield. Hell, even I know that an active duty soldier is not going to go on TV and criticize the CIC, Sec of Defense, or even the cleaning crew in the Pentagon bathrooms - not unless he wants to shoot his career down in flames. So nothing he says can be believed. He is just baking sugar cookies this morning.

David Broder, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Robert Novak and William Safire are on the panel. How can Russert even think having Safire, Broder and Novak on the panel will serve any purpose. Broder, the "dean" of the Washington press corp" is so one-sided in his remarks he consistently turns right at stoplights from habit. And when did Safire and Novak get an integrity transplant? Novak is such a whore he should be checked for STDs every time he appears in public. Safire is just a doddering old fool that he wouldn't take a strong stand for how he likes his coffee. Goodwin, while smart, won't stand up well to the good ol' boys.

What on earth does Russert think we are going to get from any of these people? Certainly not journalistic honesty, discuss of the issues. Ack! Are we quickly becoming a nation of people who are going to have to get their news from a movement of people passing news reports in secret meetings in people's homes? Very reminiscent of Russian citizens during the Cold War trying to learn what is going on and not trusting TASS.