Glenn Greenwald Doesn't Share Washington's Love Of Tim Russert

[Capt. Obvious]

Tim Russert was revered inside the Beltway. When the former "Meet the Press" host died suddenly in 2008, there was no shortage of tributes from his fellow Washingtonians.

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It's safe to say Glenn Greenwald doesn't share This Town's affection for The Mayor.

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You call out a few other names in this book, including David Gregory and Tim Russert. Why are these guys targets in your mind?

I think most TV journalists, like all those Sunday-talk-show hosts like David Gregory and Bob Schieffer and George Stephanopoulos, to a lesser extent—the whole kind of dynamic of those Sunday shows is to ensure that the most powerful people come on their shows, which they accomplish by giving them a platform to basically spew what they want in an unchallenged manner. I mean, there's the appearance of adversarial questioning, but it's all very reverent.

You write that when Cheney wanted to get his message out, he'd go on Meet the Press.

Right, and that was with Tim Russert, who was depicted as hard-nosed. You know, like everyone was petrified of him. When he died, Lewis Lapham described him as the overaccommodating head waiter at some really swanky restaurant who's just really good at ass-kissing every rich person who comes into the door. And that was Tim Russert—which is why they all loved Tim Russert, right? Because the benefit of Tim Russert was that not only did he let them control the message, but he cast the appearance that they were subjected to really rigorous questioning. So it was the extra bonus of propagandizing while convincing the public that they weren't being propagandized. And so I think all those TV hosts do that, and I think that most major newspapers are incredibly deferential to high-level government officials, and especially to military and intelligence officials.

TPM

[Fumesucker]

1. His default mode was "off the record"

Unless of course you were someone powerless...

That came out in the Scooter Libby trial.

[Capt. Obvious]

2. and David Duke

[gratuitous]

12. Exactly

When an official in trouble needed a sympathetic ear, Russert picked up the phone in "off the record" mode. That's not a journalist; that's a father confessor. No wonder the insiders liked him so much. We'll never know what Russert said to the likes of Cheney, DeLay, and the other monsters sprung from our political id; but the evidence is clear that he told them something comforting for even the most heinous crimes against humanity.

[randome]

3. I agree with him about that.

Most of the TV personalities are in it for themselves, not for journalistic exposes. I think my first post on DU way back when was about how Dan Rather was a 'news reader' rather than an investigative journalist. Same applies to Russert, Couric, etc. They're faces and personalities, first and foremost.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Birds are territorial creatures.
The lyrics to the songbird's melodious trill go something like this:
"Stay out of my territory or I'll PECK YOUR GODDAMNED EYES OUT!"[/center][/font][hr]

[underpants]

7. Judith Miller - NY Times - Sunday morning show citing NYT article - no questioning by host

Russert was compliant through complicity in the whole thing.

Rumsfeld even had a representation of an elaborate alQaeda burrowed out mountain operation and Russert just sat there like 5 year old kid saying, "Really?!?!"

[MADem]

8. News readers, "presenters," not journalists. I agree. nt

[arely staircase]

16. yeah, greenwald is actually right about Russert

He pitched nothing but soft balls. when he died, and of course people say nice things about the recently departed, I was shocked at how people went on and on about what a toough questioner he was.

[Va Lefty]

4. Russert was an asshole lapdog for the republicans.

"During the 2000 presidential campaign, Russert established a link between Meet The Press and the G.O.P. opposition research team that was responsible for digging up dirt/manufacturing dirt on Al Gore. On election night, after conferring with Welch, Russert demanded that Gore quit the race before the legally mandated recount took place in Florida. The next morning, on the Today Show, he repeated the demand. During the recount, Russert actively campaigned for Bush, going so far as to insist that Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman endorse the counting of illegally cast military ballots that would benefit George W."

"There have been reports from those who were present that journalist Tim Russert was wearing a Bush For President lapel pin when he attended the traditional Al Smith Dinner in New York shortly before the election. This should be interpreted as less of an endorsement than a brownnosing. Russert was accompanied by Welch, who was a strong supporter of Bush and completely intolerant of dissent on the matter."



http://makethemaccountable.com/podvin/media/020109_Russert.htm

[grasswire]

5. A quote from Lewis Lapham!

My hero.

[Arugula Latte]

6. Tim Russert made me sick.

Now we're just left with his evil little spawn.

[MADem]

9. The dumbshit who called Nancy Pelosi "old." He's a bright bulb on the Russert tree, isn't he? nt

[UTUSN]

10. R#5 & K for, see, I Rec'd a GREENWALD thread. n/t

[bvar22]

11. Once again, I agree with Glenn Greenwald.

Thanks, Glenn,
for standing for the TRUTH,
even when it is inconvenient.

[Enthusiast]

13. I'm with Glenn.

[ZX86]

14. But...but...but...

He used that tired trick where he would ask a question then run a clip of the person saying something different from an earlier time and then flash a shit eating gotcha grin. The only problem is half the time the situation had changed and only an idiot would cling to a previous position when facts had changed.

[Skittles]

15. Tim Russert was Cheney's lapdog

so Glenn is correct