TIM RUSSERT

[jackhammer91406]

Judgement

 

Boy,

You and Rick are tough judges.

I don't recall saying anything about sainthood.

I simply started a thread noting the passing of someone I thought worthy of note.

You guys decided it merited noting the shortcomings of this guy.

Kind of like dancing on someone's grave if you ask me (which you didn't I realize). But to each his own.

I hope people are easier on judging you both when your time comes. I am sure they will be. I'll be happy to vote for canonization when your names come up.

[Rick Munroe]

RE: Judgement

 

>Boy,

>You and Rick are tough judges.

>I don't recall saying anything about sainthood.

>I simply started a thread noting the passing of someone I

>thought worthy of note.

 

Jackhammer, none of the above posts by Tristan, Dannyboy, zipperzone or me were about you or your original post and nobody was judging you. We were referring to the television media coverage. Try not to take things so personally.

 

Also, in my first post I said, "It is very sad and he was a true journalist and a good man." In a follow-up post, I said, "I absolutely think Tim Russert deserves the tributes." So, I don't see where I'm being judgmental or dancing on his grave. I think you're trying to stir up a little drama here, but that's the way of the message boards!

[Rick Munroe]

RE: Judgement

 

>Boy,

>You and Rick are tough judges.

>I don't recall saying anything about sainthood.

>I simply started a thread noting the passing of someone I

>thought worthy of note.

 

Jackhammer, none of the above posts by Tristan, Dannyboy, zipperzone or me were about you or your original post and nobody was judging you. We were referring to the television media coverage. Try not to take things so personally.

 

Also, in my first post I said, "It is very sad and he was a true journalist and a good man." In a follow-up post, I said, "I absolutely think Tim Russert deserves the tributes." So, I don't see where I'm being judgmental or dancing on his grave. I think you're trying to stir up a little drama here, but that's the way of the message boards!

[Luv2play]

RE: PERSPECTIVE

 

It always surprises me when PBS (Public television and radio) are given such short shrift in the US by the public they try to serve. You mentioned all of Russerts competitors without a nod to Jim Lehrer and his crew at PBS. In my book, they are every bit as good at interviewing politicians and giving a rigorous examination of the issues of the day. IMO, PBS stands up there with the BBC and CBC as public broadcasters that cover the news from around the world and are not beholden to any corporate entity.

[Luv2play]

RE: PERSPECTIVE

 

It always surprises me when PBS (Public television and radio) are given such short shrift in the US by the public they try to serve. You mentioned all of Russerts competitors without a nod to Jim Lehrer and his crew at PBS. In my book, they are every bit as good at interviewing politicians and giving a rigorous examination of the issues of the day. IMO, PBS stands up there with the BBC and CBC as public broadcasters that cover the news from around the world and are not beholden to any corporate entity.

[Luv2play]

RE: PERSPECTIVE

 

I totally agree with your comment on the military analyst/news propaganda story having been buried by thye media. Where are all those serious guys with military backgrounds and their maps these days?? Their disappearance from the media reminds me of the old days in the Soviet Union when people were "disappeared" and never mentioned again.

[Luv2play]

RE: PERSPECTIVE

 

I totally agree with your comment on the military analyst/news propaganda story having been buried by thye media. Where are all those serious guys with military backgrounds and their maps these days?? Their disappearance from the media reminds me of the old days in the Soviet Union when people were "disappeared" and never mentioned again.

[Rick Munroe]

RE: PERSPECTIVE

 

And don't forget Bill Moyers..."We have an ideological press that's interested in the election of Republicans, and a mainstream press that's interested in the bottom line. Therefore, we don't have a vigilant, independent press whose interest is the American people."

[Rick Munroe]

RE: PERSPECTIVE

 

And don't forget Bill Moyers..."We have an ideological press that's interested in the election of Republicans, and a mainstream press that's interested in the bottom line. Therefore, we don't have a vigilant, independent press whose interest is the American people."

[Guest alanm]

RE: Judgement

 

"We were referring to the television media coverage."

 

By Friday night, I had enough of the media coverage. I understand that MSNBC continued thoughout yesterday, and NBC this mornings on Chris Matthews and "Meet the Press." I understand that Russert was a big deal in Washngton, but enough is enough.

 

I did hear Russert's doctor talk to Andrea Mitchell on Friday about his patient's coronary artery disease, his weight, etc. But, the conversation was brief and not particularly informative (appropriate when someone has just died).

 

Did MSMBC or NBC talk further about coronary artery disease at any other time over the weekend? If not, they missed a chance to inform the public about what happened to Russert, and what could happen to others.

 

This weekend was not NBC News' finest hour. How did Russert suddenly turn into Princess Diana or JFK, Jr.?

[Guest alanm]

RE: Judgement

 

"We were referring to the television media coverage."

 

By Friday night, I had enough of the media coverage. I understand that MSNBC continued thoughout yesterday, and NBC this mornings on Chris Matthews and "Meet the Press." I understand that Russert was a big deal in Washngton, but enough is enough.

 

I did hear Russert's doctor talk to Andrea Mitchell on Friday about his patient's coronary artery disease, his weight, etc. But, the conversation was brief and not particularly informative (appropriate when someone has just died).

 

Did MSMBC or NBC talk further about coronary artery disease at any other time over the weekend? If not, they missed a chance to inform the public about what happened to Russert, and what could happen to others.

 

This weekend was not NBC News' finest hour. How did Russert suddenly turn into Princess Diana or JFK, Jr.?

[rentingdad]

RE: Judgement

 

From TV Writer at Orlando Sentinal

 

 

The Tim Russert coverage: just too much

 

When journalists cover journalists, watch out. They usually lose all sense of proportion.

 

That's precisely what they've done with the tragic news of Tim Russert's death at 58.

 

Don't get me wrong: His death was shocking news. Russert deserved accolades for his terrific work on "Meet the Press."

 

But after watching three hours of coverage Friday about Russert, I'd heard enough. All three cable news channels -- MSNBC, CNN and Fox News Channel -- lavished time on Russert. It's strange how one story can dominate the news.

 

The channels continued the heavy attention into Friday night. Larry King devoted his CNN show to Russert. NBC offered a special hosted by Tom Brokaw.

 

By Saturday, CNN and Fox News moved on to other topics, but the folks at MSNBC were still saluting their colleague. And MSNBC repeated that NBC special at noon Saturday.

 

All that time prompted a lot of hyperbolic tributes to Russert.

 

Barbara Walters told MSNBC: "I think you're going to have a nation that is as sad about Tim as they would be if it were, oh, what, almost any political figure."

 

Really?

 

But he wasn't a political leader.

 

NBC's Andrea Mitchell said she couldn't imagine life or this year's political campaign without Russert. Mitchell also tearfully talked about how Russert called her "Mitch."

 

Maybe it was therapeutic for the people at NBC News to talk it out on the air. But it wasn't good news judgment.

 

The China earthquake and the Myanmar cyclone didn't receive the hours given to Russert. And by focusing on Russert, the channels ignored other news. Couldn't we have heard more about the Iowa flooding? Or the Japanese earthquake? Or the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

 

Journalists are the worst navel-gazers in the world. They demonstrated that tendency again with the Russert story.

 

It's too bad Tim Russert couldn't have covered his own death. He understood proportion. He would have told his colleagues to snap out of it.

[rentingdad]

RE: Judgement

 

From TV Writer at Orlando Sentinal

 

 

The Tim Russert coverage: just too much

 

When journalists cover journalists, watch out. They usually lose all sense of proportion.

 

That's precisely what they've done with the tragic news of Tim Russert's death at 58.

 

Don't get me wrong: His death was shocking news. Russert deserved accolades for his terrific work on "Meet the Press."

 

But after watching three hours of coverage Friday about Russert, I'd heard enough. All three cable news channels -- MSNBC, CNN and Fox News Channel -- lavished time on Russert. It's strange how one story can dominate the news.

 

The channels continued the heavy attention into Friday night. Larry King devoted his CNN show to Russert. NBC offered a special hosted by Tom Brokaw.

 

By Saturday, CNN and Fox News moved on to other topics, but the folks at MSNBC were still saluting their colleague. And MSNBC repeated that NBC special at noon Saturday.

 

All that time prompted a lot of hyperbolic tributes to Russert.

 

Barbara Walters told MSNBC: "I think you're going to have a nation that is as sad about Tim as they would be if it were, oh, what, almost any political figure."

 

Really?

 

But he wasn't a political leader.

 

NBC's Andrea Mitchell said she couldn't imagine life or this year's political campaign without Russert. Mitchell also tearfully talked about how Russert called her "Mitch."

 

Maybe it was therapeutic for the people at NBC News to talk it out on the air. But it wasn't good news judgment.

 

The China earthquake and the Myanmar cyclone didn't receive the hours given to Russert. And by focusing on Russert, the channels ignored other news. Couldn't we have heard more about the Iowa flooding? Or the Japanese earthquake? Or the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

 

Journalists are the worst navel-gazers in the world. They demonstrated that tendency again with the Russert story.

 

It's too bad Tim Russert couldn't have covered his own death. He understood proportion. He would have told his colleagues to snap out of it.

[ariadne1880]

RE: PERSPECTIVE

 

It's hard to take seriously anyone who reads the "dailykos" which is a just another left-wing hate rag that is no different from the right-wing hate rags.

 

Anyone who wants to criticize the coverage of Mr. Russert's death -- surely one of the most decent men in America -- while his body isn't even in the ground yet certainly doesn't win my respect. I thought I was the mean cynic but some of you have taken my prize with your commentary on this one.

 

Sad.

[ariadne1880]

It's a shame that some cannot get over their own hate and their own biases and just mourn the death of a decent man.

 

Some of you are truly beyond the pail. No wonder so much of America won't accept gays ... they see so many of them as shrill, nasty, far left wing pieces of shit.

 

Too bad so many of you had to prove that today.

[Rick Munroe]

RE: PERSPECTIVE

 

>It's hard to take seriously anyone who reads the

>"dailykos" which is a just another left-wing hate

>rag that is no different from the right-wing hate rags.

 

LOL If you're going to do an imitation of Bill O'Reilly, you need to say that Daily Kos is full of Nazis and Hitler appeasers and that it's secretly funded by the Evil George Soros.

[Guest alanm]

RE: PERSPECTIVE

 

".......Mr. Russert..... -- surely one of the most decent men in America"

 

That was the image Russert took great effforts to project, especially in his book "Big Russ and Me" and the follow up book.

 

Did Russert ever take a stand against the Iraq war, or any other major Bush Administration policy? The answer is no. He cared more about his jobs as moderator of "Meet the Press" and head of the Washington Bureau of NBC.

 

Big surprise: His funeral from --- get this, The Kennedy Center --- will be broadcast live tomorrow on MSNBC.

[Guest PWIT]

RE: PERSPECTIVE

 

>Did Russert ever take a stand against the Iraq war, or any

>other major Bush Administration policy? The answer is no. He

>cared more about his jobs as moderator of "Meet the

>Press" and head of the Washington Bureau of NBC.

 

He is on the record as stating his role was not to state his position or define what is truth, rather his role was to make politicians state and defend their positions and be accountable for those positions. I personally could care less about what television commentators positions are - but we need more people on TV that are asking the hard questions and making politicians be accountable for their positions and actions.

[Guest PWIT]

RE: PERSPECTIVE

 

>you

>need to say that Daily Kos is full of Nazis and Hitler

>appeasers and that it's secretly funded by the Evil George

>Soros.

 

Why does he need to say that? sounds like you already know it :+

[Guest alanm]

RE: PERSPECTIVE

 

1. Walter Cronkite broke with President's Johnson's Vietnam policy on national television after the Tet offensive in 1968. Many people believe that moment led to Eugene McCarthy's near victory in the NH Democratic Party primary two months later. That near vistory was surely a big reason for Johnson's withdrawal from the presidential race on Mach 31, 1968. For the record, I was drafted and served in Vietnam, although I hated the war. I respected Johnson for his amazing domestic legislative

successes, so I had mixed feeling about Cronkite. I did realize Cronkite was a brave man.

 

2. We know that Tim Russert supported the war in Iraq, at least during the early stages, because Chris Matthews told us early Saturday morning on MSNBC about his private conversation with Russert after the war began. If I learned one thing during the over-the-top coverage of Russert's death, it was that Russert, very comfortable in his beloved Irish Catholic world, was not one to take chance --- ever. Before, I get attacked for the last sentence, I need to say that like Luke Russert I also graduated from Boston College.

[Rick Munroe]

>Some of you are truly beyond the pail.

 

This one?

http://kara.allthingsd.com/files/2008/02/6546_2-75in_galv_pail.jpg

[Guest PWIT]

RE: PERSPECTIVE

 

Cronkite's role was much different than Russert's role. Cronkite did not have a job where he had to interview politicians every week.

[jackhammer91406]

RE: PERSPECTIVE

 

I did not graduate from Boston College so perhaps I do not have the same perspective as you.

 

I will say that Russert was nearly the last of what i would term journalists; that would be a person who reported without giving his opinion. Or if he did give his opinion, it would be stated as such.

 

One of the secrets to why Russert was so successful at getting public figures to come on MEET THE PRESS is because he did not run a "got ya" shop. The guest was allowed to state his or her case, but then they had better be prepared to defend it against some tough questions if the topic called for it. This is why Dick Cheney always said MEET THE PRESS was a good vehicle. Cheney was allowed to make his talking points and the people predisposed to his view would hear what they wanted to hear and believe. I recall some of those occasions and Russert did put the V.P's feet to the fire. I am sure that those who believed in the V.P. and his talking points, thought that Russert was taking cheap shots by asking those tough questions, thereby continuing their belief in a liberal media. It's ALL a matter of PERSPECTIVE.

 

I am reminded of David Duke's appearance which in effect ended his brief fling at trying to become the governor of Louisiana. I remember watching him at the time self destruct and thinking to myself how powerful this medium of television was. They have shown clips of this appearance over the past few days.

 

Have we slipped so far that we now prefer our news to have bias built into it? I remember when it didn't. We should not judge all news by the FOX example. While MSNBC does lean left, they do have Joe Scarborough. And the fact that you didn't know where Tim Russert stood on some issues was a good thing, not a bad thing. It allowed him to ask objective questions in my view.

 

I will miss his input in this years Presidential contest.

 

In the end, I think the reason his premature death has affected me so, is that in him I recognized a person I perceived to have integrity, humanity and honesty. Those are qualities lacking almost everywhere we look, but for sure lacking in television and politics. Above all, his enthusiasm was absolutely infectious.

 

BTW, the live telecast of the memorial service at the Kennedy Center was at his family's request. I appreciate their generosity in sharing that service with all of us.

[twinkboylover28]

>It's a shame that some cannot get over their own hate and

>their own biases and just mourn the death of a decent man.

>

>Some of you are truly beyond the pail. No wonder so much of

>America won't accept gays ... they see so many of them as

>shrill, nasty, far left wing pieces of shit.

>

>Too bad so many of you had to prove that today.

 

 

 

I couldn't agree with you more. Very eloquently said. Tim Russert was also proud of his Catholicism and people respected Tim for it..unlike NCM2169 who wrote this about Jesus on June 2nd, 2008:

 

 

 

 

"""Let's pretend that Jesus is a young twink. Would you suck his cock, TBL?

 

If not, why not?

 

Would you fuck him? What if Mary held his ass and legs open for you? Could you restrain yourself?

 

Would you fuck him bare, on the presumption that he was "pure?"

 

Gawd this could go on ..."""

 

 

 

 

 

and no one here said a thing about it.

[twinkboylover28]

RE: PERSPECTIVE

 

>We should not

>judge all news by the FOX example. While MSNBC does lean

>left, they do have Joe Scarborough.

 

 

 

 

As Fox News has Alan Colmes. We also shouldnt judge all news by the far-left MSNBC.

 

 

 

 

And the fact that you

>didn't know where Tim Russert stood on some issues was a good

>thing, not a bad thing. It allowed him to ask objective

>questions in my view.

 

 

 

With all due respect, it was evident where he stood on several issues.