Tim Russert Funeral Huh?

[nomaco-10]

Just went in another room where a tv is on, and there is a full color guard with all the armed forces represented and some deep voiced man singing an unaccompanied rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.

The guy never served a day in the military as far as I can find.

I just found it a little off putting. Sorry he died, but I thought this kind of military pomp was reserved for people that actually served in the military.

[grasswire]

1. yes, who sent the color guard?

I'm beginning to get tin-foiley about this excessive display.

[JuniperLea]

35. Doh! I just said that in another thread...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3479172&mesg_id=3479245

[BrklynLib at work]

2. ANYTHING, so as not to have to report the real news....

[gkhouston]

26. Exactly right. Don't tell us about the flooding in Iowa, or torture,

or retroactive immunity, or the failing economy, just fill the screen with hour after hour of the Russert-fest.

[knixphan]

48. yep.

[PoliticalAmazon]

3. AAAGH! Will this Weekend-at-Bernie's nightmare NEVER END?!?!? n/t

[MagickMuffin]

4. Well Timmeh DID "SERVE" at the Pleasure of the pResident

nt

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

5. I just hope this is the end of it

A little eulogizing was ok for the first few days. Now I think "just plant the fucker, and let's move on".

If Elton John sings a new version of Candle in the Wind, my head will explode.

:hi:

[Cha]

10. Ah, the things I

miss not having cable snooze.

[bulloney]

It was OK for a day, but NBC and its affiliates especially made this a marathon.

Nothing against Russert's accomplishments, but good lord, he was a TV PERSONALITY!!

He was not a world leader. After his passing, the world still functioned as always.

This overkill over his death just shows how the media are really full of themselves. When one of their own dies, they just act like civilization as we know it comes to a halt.

ENOUGH!!

[gauguin57]

58. "weekend at bernie's nightmare"! "new version of candle in the wind"! Bwaaaahaaaaa!

Funniest posts I've read today.

:rofl:

That said ... the funeral IS very sad, and the tributes touching ... but MSNBC is really overdoing it. They should have covered it on Friday (with all the memories from the NBC folks), done the Meet the Press tribute, and then covered the memorial. That would have been plenty. Those three things.

MSNBC only covers the news a few hours a day (the rest is "Lock-up" and shows like that) ... so covering the Russert death non-stop for days has left us alone with Silly CNN (isn't EVERYONE on CNN just plain SILLY anymore? they report on the floods in the Midwest with big ole SMILES on their faces!).

Hopefully, today will be it.

[kath]

6. No flag on the casket, eh?? I know he was a chickenhawk, but I haven't been able to find out just

how he got out of serving. Anyone? (the chickenhawk database is no longer online, from what I can tell)

How the hell does he get a military type funeral if he never served? What the fokkity-fok?

[nomaco-10]

7. I will have to say that Mike Barnacle's reminiscences were ...

very touching as well as those of Maria Shriver's. I guess it's the Irish coming out in me today.

[nomaco-10]

8. Also, very telling when Maria said...

that Tim told her (paraphrasing) 'come sit with us before you have to go down there and sit with Arnold and the rest of the republicans'.

[kath]

59. Say WHAT?

"very telling"?

[PoliticalAmazon]

12. Barnacles stories were ver y touching...the first 10 times I heard them...

My prediction: We will soon see media analyses of what the fuck went on with MSNBC and their obsession with Russert's death.

[ErinBerin84]

9. ugh, turned it on just in time for a nice long screen shot of lieberman &lindsey sitting together

[arewenotdemo]

19. I love it when those two flank McCain.

[MoonRiver]

11. CNN and Fox are reaping the benefits of this never ending

:boring: MSNBC Russert eulogy fest.

[PoliticalAmazon]

13. Don't even dare watch KO tonight. How could MSNBC be so out of touch? n/t

[MoonRiver]

14. I won't be watching KO

ever again.

[sniffa]

21. Thanks for the update

:hi:

[MoonRiver]

50. Sure thing!

I'm not butter either! :D

[Beaverhausen]

15. Amazing how none of you know how to change the channel on your TV

don't like it - don't watch. :hi:

[PoliticalAmazon]

25. No problem. Just commenting on unprofessional "journalism" choices. n/t

[senseandsensibility]

16. I read about Obama and McCain sitting together HOURS ago

It's still going on? How long is it?

[K Gardner]

20. McCain and Obama have already held two town meetings from their seats.

[democrat2thecore]

17. I'm sappy enough to watch. Luke Russert was Amazing! - Hell, give HIM Meet The Press -nt

[sniffa]

18. I hope you're still watching

If not, you're missing an awesome rendition of, "Blue Cactus."

[nomaco-10]

42. I googled "Blue Cactus", but didn't find anything but a ....

southwestern mexican food restaurant chain and I love mexican food. Did you have something more profound in mind? Because, if not, I am at a total loss as to what you are talking about.

[Joe the Revelator]

22. DU has turned into a branch of the Westboro Church

God Hates the Media apparently.









Seriously,some of you need to grow up.

[democrat2thecore]

THE BOSS!!!! Playing From Europe!

Springsteen rocks!!

[sakura]

23. More navel gazing.

This isn't about Russert. This is about one of their own-- of their own generation-- dying. They've just been hit over the head with their own mortality and it hurts. This is what they hope their funerals will be like. Pretty narcissistic, IMHO.

[nomaco-10]

24. You have summed it up nicely. The corporate MSM and....

a whole bunch of political sycophants have gathered to revel in one of their own's passing that no doubt reminds them of their own mortality. But, I was still touched a time or two by a couple of the eulogizers. Call me sappy.

[PoliticalAmazon]

28. But we've heard it ad nauseum for DAYS now. This is sick. n/t

[VolcanoJen]

27. I can't think of a worse time to kick a man and his family than the day of his funeral.

He was a human being. You aren't required to show any respect, but it's beneath any level of dignity to choose today to scorn him further.

How very sad to read this thread on today, of all days.

[ncteechur]

29. I agree. 100%. I like Tim and I'm sorry he died. Let them bury him and cover it all they want.

For those of you who don't like the coverage--don't watch it. Go outside. Read a book. Post about something presidential since this is the GD:Pres. board. Just quit whining about T. Russert.
Let them bury him. McCain will be as dumbassy tomorrow as he is today.

[VolcanoJen]

39. "McCain will be as dumbassy tomorrow as he is today."

Excellent. And that's about it in a nutshell, isn't it?

[Phx_Dem]

30. I couldn't have said it better myself.

If anyone doesn't like what MSNBC is airing, there are about 200 other channels to choose from. Or, you could always turn the TV off. I don't think there is any timeline for how long you can mourn or pay tribute to a fallen comrad and friend. It's NBC's cable station and he was one of them. They can air whatever they damn well please.

I, for one, thought it was a beautiful and poignant tribute to a good man. I laughed and cried -- sometimes at the same time. Everyone was really good, but Brokaw and Hunt were pretty damn funny.

RIP Tim.


(Mrs Phx_Dem)

[a la izquierda]

36. Agreed.

The people blowing up about what a sell-out he was need to wrap their head around what they would do if put in the same position.
The media, all of them, should be called to task about the run up to the war...but you know who shoulders the blame? Our darned politicians.

[nomaco-10]

32. It was never my intention to denigrate Mr. Russert's funeral service....

I was just curious as to why he had a color guard with no apparent service in the military. If you read any of my follow up posts, I have been nothing less than flattering to his memory, if not down right sappy and respectful.

[grantcart]

33. It seems to be very disappointing to some that he was in fact deeply loved and his untimely

death such a shock to people he worked with who obviously held him in great esteem.

[PoliticalAmazon]

38. Who is scorning Russert? He's innocent in this gig....

It's MSNBC who is unprofessional and obsessing on the dead.

MSNBC has turned itself into an unending version of Weekend at Bernie's.


http://journals.democraticunderground.com/PoliticalAmazon/15

[VolcanoJen]

41. By referring to a man's funeral as "Weekend at Bernie's"....

... an uncommonly bad film, I might add, you're part of the bad taste being practiced by (thankfully only) a handful of DUers today.

I strongly disagree with your sentiments. Not today. It's the man's funeral, for the love of pete. Pick another day to crap on MSNBC for honoring a beloved coworker. He may have been just another media blowhard to some, but to his coworkers, he was a mentor, someone they saw each workday, and he was family. His loss is a shock to them, and they have every right to celebrate his life in the manner they see fit, even if they choose to televise it. You don't have to watch it, there are other channels and other events and all sorts of news to cover. Go read the New York Times. Flip through "Dreams From My Father." You have choices, here.

Or, choose to watch Luke Russert for a moment, see his strength, something I could never pull off at such a young age. Learn something from it. Tim Russert was a human being, a father (damned good one, it seems), a husband, a son, a coworker. Give it a rest, if only for today. The man is being buried, for gawd's sake.

[PoliticalAmazon]

52. If MSNBC had not been obsessing on this since Friday, today would...

have been a touching, special day. But when they had already repeated it over and over, ad nauseum, for days, it lessens the impact the funeral should have had.

The Weekend-at-Bernie's reference(and I agree, it was a film of terrible taste) is used to reflect the terrible taste demonstrated by MSNBC in their exploitative coverage of Russert's death, certainly not specifically the funeral. They have massaged Russert's death for every single bit of attention and air-time they could get.

This is what I believe would have been a fitting tribute. Instead of this indulgance in constant look-at-me public grief, I wish they would have shown Russert's more remarable MTP shows. THAT would have been about Russert and his best moments hosting the show that really defined him (and he, in return, defined the show by his influence).

But, no. It had to be about the grief of the media journalists and others who wanted their face-time in front of the camera.

It wasn't about Russert. It was about the people who wanted to exploit his death.

I cannot see any other reason to have the day-after-day-after-day-after-day public look-at-me grief than to exploit Russert's death.

It was not dignified or professional, and it did not honor Russert. It honored the avarists who used Russert's death to gain attention.

This is the irony: I think Russert was a professional and, had he still been alive, he would have brought that dog-and-pony show to a screeching halt after the first day or so. Russert--who appeared to be a genuinely nice guy--would not have exploited the death of a colleague.

[Kukesa]

53. Very nice, Jen. Very nice indeed. n/t

[PoliticalAmazon]

57. Russert and his family are innocent in this. It's MSNBC....

and its exploitation of a colleague's death with their constant look-at-me public grief who are the culprits.

MSNBC has made a mockery of Russert's death by using it to get everybody who ever sat next to Russert an opportunity for their 5 minutes of face time in front of a camera.

[Barack_America]

31. I owe a debt of gratitude to Tim Russert.

The non-stop coverage of his death (which I didn't want to watch, for various reasons) has at last weaned me from cable news.

I just stopped watching. And life has already improved. Have you ever heard of these things called "books"? I seem to remember them from wayyyy back in the day. They're really quite fascinating.

;)

[nomaco-10]

37. Why are so many people here today being so damn rude? ....

Concern trolls, spell checkers and shoot the messenger types. god help anybody that watches joe scab, The View, Faux news or listened to limpballs lest they get questioned for their taste in tv and radio entertainment and a tongue lashing about their motives.

I thought we were the big tent and were all one big family that didn't feel the need to dress down and marginalize people for their viewing interests.

[Barack_America]

40. I wasn't speaking for anybody but myself.

I watched too much cable news. It was becoming an obsession. I liked Tim Russert a great deal and the 24 hr. coverage of his death was just too damn sad and a little terrifying, realization-of my own-mortality-wise. So I switched off and have found it preferable.

That's all.

[VolcanoJen]

43. So you only want people who agree with you posting on your thread?

Otherwise, we're concern-trolls?

It's a public forum. I disagree with you. That's as much a part of the big tent as the times (most of them, thankfully!) that I do agree with you.

Just seems to me to be poor taste to pick on a man's funeral on the day of his burial. The color guard thing, I can see as over-the-top, I can. But I've been to funerals with jugglers and rock bands and such, as well. Might not be my taste, but it's a day for the man's family, and we don't have to watch.

I hate when "concern-troll" is thrown around too loosely. It's powerful, and I think you weaken it by invoking it on the day of a man's funeral.

[Bluenorthwest]

44. Those who don't respect the living

Often like to make a great show over corpses. Just saying. Glass houses and all of that. Have a nice high horse. I'm off to a set of gay weddings, we'll be sure to toast old Tim for you!

[VolcanoJen]

45. Wow.

All right, then. Go ahead and believe that Tim Russert didn't respect the living after watching that memorial. If it fits your pre-conceived notions, you're worse than you think he is, frankly.

As far as this forum is concerned, the only people out there who don't respect the living are the politicians who send young and old to their deaths by signing a piece of paper, by casting "Aye" in times of unnecessary, illegal and elective war.

It's positively heartless to belittle a man on the day he is put into the ground. That's just one of those tenets of humanity. There are other days to criticize a man's weaknesses than on the day he is interred.

Congratulations to your friends, and I wish them a lifetime of happiness and good wishes, in times of good and times of bad. But if you want to lift your glasses to a dead man on the beautiful occassion of a wedding, I'll bet your kind hosts would find you utterly tasteless.

[Bluenorthwest]

51. Oddly

I was not talking about Tim when I spoke of not respecting the living. The glass lifted would be a toast to a person some of us knew. Lord forbid actual respects be paid, let us instead make dumb shows and have hissy fits.
Co-opting that which is not your own as an emotional issue is not a sign of health.

[VolcanoJen]

55. Ummm....

"We'll be sure to toast old Tim for you!"

What an odd rhetorical device. Shall I view your future posts as puzzles, challenges, mazes to feel my way through?

Diagnosing a stranger's emotional health via an internet message board is something Bill Frist would have done, Dr. Bluenorthwest. Go celebrate the wedding of your friends. I certainly lift my glass to them tonight.

[nomaco-10]

46. I'm really surprised at you....

I used to really like and respect your posts as far back as 2002. I even saw your name over at Sucks posting and thought how cool it was. You cherry picked "concern trolls" when I clearly mentioned it along with 'shoot the messenger' and 'people trying to embarrass and deride others here for listening to right wing radio or cable network news', and you picked 'concern trolls' out and ran with it. That's rovian kind of bullshit.

You jumped my ass a few weeks back for nothing. I can't even remember why now, and let it go. Another poster jumped down my throat a few months back and demanded to know how long I had been supporting Obama, and when I posted back since March of 2007, she had the good grace and dignity to say she was sorry.

There is a lot of fucking paranoia and purity tests going on in this place and it needs to end and the comradery that was once the order of the day should be resurrected.

Peace to you Jen,

Nomaco

[VolcanoJen]

47. Okay.

Let it go. I'm raw. A man is being interred today and I think it's a shitty day to dance on his grave when it hasn't yet been dug.

Calm down. Stop taking it so personal. If you hang out over at Sucks you should know better. ;-)

Sorry, Nomaco. I really am. It was never intended as anything personal and nothing I said was directed at you, but rather at the sentiment.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

34. Will he be laid out in the Rotunda?

[quantass]

49. But i thought Military and Corporate America were one and the same?

so i see no problems with it.

[Imagevision]

54. Hey! you don't like it? change the fucking channel!

[Kukesa]

56. For sure. The Weather Channel has some excellent

coverage on the flooding in Iowa.

I changed the channel and learned a lot about floods. It was really interesting.

It was heartbreaking to watch those poor people who have lost everything due to this disaster.

[nomaco-10]

61. Thank you for your albeit crude, but none the less....

sage advise. I can always count on a few well meaning duer's to set the rest of us straight. What would we do without you keeping us stray rebels in your sights.

[HardlyBountifulSmurf]

60. But if Mike Malloy died, nobody would notice

Even though he's more of a truthteller than Russert ever was.