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The Deification of Tim Russert, Part DeuxPosted on Oct 7, 2009
Not to speak ill of the dead, but really, Newseum? Is it necessary to further enshrine the late and already vigorously celebrated “Meet the Press” anchor Tim Russert by re-creating his NBC office as an exhibit? —KA
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By MarthaA, October 9, 2009 at 6:34 pm #
stcfarms,
No one is perfect, but I enjoyed watching Meet The Press when Tim Russert was there, now with Smiling Jack vacuum head, it’s difficult.
Report thisBy David W., October 9, 2009 at 9:56 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
To ‘Hulk2008,’ and anyone one interested in the larger question. I don’t want to
belabor the point but Hulk2008’s comment raises a key issue.
Hulk, permit the shorthand please. Your comment at face value appears more
than credible. And I don’t doubt you believe it. Anyone watching that ‘cherubic’
face break into ‘the’ grin and utter the immortal words, relatively speaking, “go
Bills,” could not help but be impressed.
Here’s the problem Hulk, apparently you have no basis upon which to compare
aspects of Russert’s life, various statements, his work etc.. Honestly, look at
‘godistwaddle’s’ comments. Look at mine earlier. Do you think we’re making
this up?
Did you ever take the time to look at his work in context and then evaluate it?
Did you ever give thought to his comments, here paraphrased, like ‘being
educated by the Jesuits was interesting, they taught you how to argue from any
point of view you choose?’ Canisius H.S. circa 1960’s.
Consider that, among other things, in light of his and so many other Catholic
defenders over the pedopohile issues.
Look at Russert’s career. Every move up the career/status/social climbing
ladder followed his last move to an ever more conservative milieu.
The point of this is not to heap stuff on your head nor anyone else’s. The point
Report thisis to ask what basis do people have these days for their strongly held views and
are they/we/whomever willing to continually reflect and assess/reassess?
By stcfarms, October 8, 2009 at 6:25 pm #
Sodom and Gomorrah? Is your god on his way to smite us? Calling Russert ‘not
perfect’ is akin to calling Hitler misunderstood.
By Hulk2008, October 8 at 5:53 pm #
The reason Russert is revered is pretty simple - he stood out: in TV’s media-
Report thisSodom-and-Gomorrah, he was one of the few good-natured honest men (and
women) - NOTE I did NOT say PERFECT.
Too many talking heads (and bloggers) “distinguish” themselves merely by
outrageous statements.
By Hulk2008, October 8, 2009 at 5:53 pm #
The reason Russert is revered is pretty simple - he stood out: in TV’s media-Sodom-and-Gomorrah, he was one of the few good-natured honest men (and women) - NOTE I did NOT say PERFECT.
Report thisToo many talking heads (and bloggers) “distinguish” themselves merely by outrageous statements.
By ThomasG, October 8, 2009 at 2:28 pm #
It makes far more sense to enshrine Tim Russert than it did to enshrine Ronald Wilson Reagan; Ronald Wilson Reagan was nothing more than a 3rd Rate Actor that made Bonzo Movies that the Right-Wing Conservative EXTREMISTS got to play the part of President of the United States, and as a result created structural and institutional problems that it will take a hundred years to cleanse from the political system of the United States, because running the United States is more complex than making Bonzo Movies with a monkey as a co-star.
Report thisBy scottpot, October 8, 2009 at 1:23 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Welcome to the General Electric Museum of Fascist
Report thisPropaganda .Here is a complimentary brochure
that explains how the magic of television keeps you in a state of ignorant bliss and eternal patriotism.
By Virginia777, October 8, 2009 at 1:02 pm #
Its just so scary that NBC News President Steve Capus is participating in this.
Report thisBy choirgirl, October 8, 2009 at 12:37 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
i agree…. enuf with this guy.
Report thisBy thecrow, October 8, 2009 at 9:11 am #
Will the exhibit include Russert’s on-air hit job on Dennis Kucinich (the only member of Congress with the moral courage to draft articles of impeachment against Bush and Cheney) during the debates?
Russert was not a “journalist”.
Gary Webb was a “journalist”:
http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2008/10/21/coke-or-pepsi/
Report thisBy godistwaddle, October 8, 2009 at 5:57 am #
South Buffalo, where I spend a lot of time—-insular, provincial and proud of it, racist, racist, racist. You can’t go into a bar in South Buffalo and not hear the “N” word within ten minutes.
Russert was a right-wing tool, and his “tough” questions were softballs of slightly higher velocity.
Report thisBy P. T., October 8, 2009 at 2:18 am #
The cult of Tim Russert is beyond silly. What is the rationale for it? When it came to war and peace, his questions tended to have a jingoistic quality. I guess this must be where his reputation for supposedly being tough came from.
Report thisBy stcfarms, October 8, 2009 at 12:28 am #
I lost all respect for him when he defended the pedophile priests.
Report thisBy thetruth, October 8, 2009 at 12:16 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Tim Russert wore a George W. Bush pin under his lapel during the debate he moderated between Bush and Gore, which he flashed to Bush when initially greeting the candidates (before cameras were rolling).
I’ll gladly speak ill of the dead, when they did as much damage to the nation I love as has Tim Russert. Russert was not a journalist, and lacked the basic ethics of the profession he pretended to be a part of.
Report thisBy MarthaA, October 7, 2009 at 11:12 pm #
Irregardless of what Tim Russert knew or didn’t know, I miss him every Sunday. “Smiley” Gregory is hard to endure, therefore Stephanopolis gets watched more.
Report thisBy apolloguide, October 7, 2009 at 10:27 pm #
What a craven cad he was….how he licked Jack Welch’s
boots each and every day, carrying water for GWB every
Sunday… leading to the election and service of the
worst president of this or any age…
...now Hunter Thompson, !! There was a Journalist with
Report thiseyes and ears and a multitude of guts…
By David W., October 7, 2009 at 9:51 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
For a long time I wished someone would have exposed him for the
mythologist, fabricator, periodic liar he was.
It was appalling for me to read his first book about his father, “Big Russ ....”
Unlike Russert I actually grew up in South Buffalo, the first 20 years of my life.
10 years older than he I did not know him nor his family. However, I knew 2
people in the book well, knew the area, many of the family names, lived a little
over a mile from him, etc..
Only wish people knew that when his father moved the family to West Seneca,
that couple mile move was the difference between night and day. Been
interesting to see what would have become of Timmie had he gone to Holy
Family, rather than the West Seneca school.
But then, thinking about Chris Hedges new book the “Empire of Illusion”
Russert’s life and work fit almost perfectly.
One last thought, once on a TV program he was bemoaning the Democratic
party for some purported ‘liberal’ economic effort with which he disagreed and
asserted that’s how they ‘lost’ his father. I never knew his father but I knew
dozens of men just like him, in spades, pretty much every way possible
including working 2 jobs.
Forget the ‘humble’ anecdote about his father respecting the black man who
worked on the truck with him. When push came to shove, these men were
purely and simply racists and sexists of the first order. Including I’m sad to say
members of my own family a fact I would not recognize for what it was until I
grew up and left home.
So let’s not be surprised after that absurd orgy of self-indulgence and ‘proto-
Report thissanctification’ on the TV the weekend after he died. Sadly today this country
cannot function any longer in the real world. Like oxygen, it can’t survive
without the illusions constantly foisted upon us.
By samosamo, October 7, 2009 at 7:34 pm #
Just like america to worship a person who had no slight part in the fraudulent 2000 election of w & dick when his comment after the 5 judges stopped the recount thus appointing w & dick pres and vice pres timmie said on his following show:
‘florida, florida, florida, it’s over.’
and that was sort of the official end to any attempt to just find out what the justices really did or what little w’s brother and his group of traitors to this country were responsible.
No acknowledgement from me other than timmie was part of the scam to give w & dick the OK to go ahead with what this country is dealing with now and now with o’s continuance of what was part of w & dick’s fiasco.
Timmie should have been tried as traitor!
Report this