Interestingly (though not unexpectedly), after doing a search of MSNBC and Meet the Press, its hard to find any coverage of McCain's embrace of right-wing evangelist John Hagee - covered in the Huffington post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-hamsher/mccain-proud-of-endorse_b_89227.html
After going after Obama on unsolicited support, McCain who has appeared on stage with Hagee, isn't really being pursued on this except in the blogosphere.
Russert needs to receive lots of emails about this - as do other major news outlets.
Russert is also Catholic, so I'm particularly interested in hearing how he feels about his association with what McCain allies call "the Great Whore."
If russert is a true repube, he will rationalize that little Catholic=the Great Whore thing away like no tomorrow
I'm not quite ready to denounce and reject Tim Russert for failing to put the same kind of pressure on McCain that he put on Obama Tuesday night.
Reasons for my reluctance to do so:
1. Without commenting on Russert's neutrality or lack thereof, I have always regarded him as the best interviewer in existence because of his questioning style. Specifically, a typical wording might start with "Your critics say such and such about you. How do you respond?" and what that wording accomplishes is that he can ask extremely provocative questions without antagonizing his subject (very much). This tends to get responses that, from less skillful interviewers, might get a terse "no comment" or something similarly unenlightening.
In other words, I like Tim Russert. And I'm not ready to turn on him.
2. With regard to the subject he raised with Obama (the whole Farrakhan deal), I'm not sure that Russert didn't do Barack Obama a big favor. Get the subject out in the open before the email smearers get to smearing and whispering in the shadows. And then Hillary did Barack a bigger favor by giving him the opening to denounce AND reject, which had me on my feet cheering for Barack's quick-thinking recovery from what might have been a campaign-killing mistake.
3. As for McCain and Hagee, if Russert stays silent then he does NOT do for McCain what he perhaps unwittingly did for Obama. (See Reason 2)
All those issues are "out there," whether Russert or anyone else tries to pin down the candidates or not.
**************
All of that said, I reserve the right to change my mind, especially if you can convince me that Russert uses his position to unfairly influence campaigns.
It's very difficult to be perfectly even-handed, and I've always considered Russert one of the fairer interviewers in that respect.
But I'll listen if you have something to say about that.
Hi Twoberry,
My problem with Russert - re Obama (and I've been watching TR for many years) is that he not only asked the question about Farrakhan (which was correct) but he then went on to editorialize by starting to read a series of quotes from Farrakhan as if these were statements that were supported by Barack. I am also peeved by the Harry Belafonte questions (in the past) to both Obama and Colin Powell - why only ask two black people?
Barack Obama has nver shared a stage with Minister Farrakhan. I guess I'm sick and tired of the press deciding that just because someone has African ancestry that they are responsible for every single black person who opens their mouths.
Interestingly (though not unexpectedly), after doing a search of MSNBC and Meet the Press, its hard to find any coverage of McCain's embrace of right-wing evangelist John Hagee - covered in the Huffington post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-hamsher/mccain-proud-of-endorse_b_89227.html
After going after Obama on unsolicited support, McCain who has appeared on stage with Hagee, isn't really being pursued on this except in the blogosphere.
Russert needs to receive lots of emails about this - as do other major news outlets.
To send messages to Russert use this link:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6872152/
March 1, 2008 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
I've sent him one! :)
March 1, 2008 11:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Me too.
March 1, 2008 12:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Russert is also Catholic, so I'm particularly interested in hearing how he feels about his association with what McCain allies call "the Great Whore."
March 1, 2008 2:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
If russert is a true repube, he will rationalize that little Catholic=the Great Whore thing away like no tomorrow
March 1, 2008 4:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not quite ready to denounce and reject Tim Russert for failing to put the same kind of pressure on McCain that he put on Obama Tuesday night.
Reasons for my reluctance to do so:
1. Without commenting on Russert's neutrality or lack thereof, I have always regarded him as the best interviewer in existence because of his questioning style. Specifically, a typical wording might start with "Your critics say such and such about you. How do you respond?" and what that wording accomplishes is that he can ask extremely provocative questions without antagonizing his subject (very much). This tends to get responses that, from less skillful interviewers, might get a terse "no comment" or something similarly unenlightening.
In other words, I like Tim Russert. And I'm not ready to turn on him.
2. With regard to the subject he raised with Obama (the whole Farrakhan deal), I'm not sure that Russert didn't do Barack Obama a big favor. Get the subject out in the open before the email smearers get to smearing and whispering in the shadows. And then Hillary did Barack a bigger favor by giving him the opening to denounce AND reject, which had me on my feet cheering for Barack's quick-thinking recovery from what might have been a campaign-killing mistake.
3. As for McCain and Hagee, if Russert stays silent then he does NOT do for McCain what he perhaps unwittingly did for Obama. (See Reason 2)
All those issues are "out there," whether Russert or anyone else tries to pin down the candidates or not.
**************
All of that said, I reserve the right to change my mind, especially if you can convince me that Russert uses his position to unfairly influence campaigns.
It's very difficult to be perfectly even-handed, and I've always considered Russert one of the fairer interviewers in that respect.
But I'll listen if you have something to say about that.
March 2, 2008 8:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hi Twoberry,
My problem with Russert - re Obama (and I've been watching TR for many years) is that he not only asked the question about Farrakhan (which was correct) but he then went on to editorialize by starting to read a series of quotes from Farrakhan as if these were statements that were supported by Barack. I am also peeved by the Harry Belafonte questions (in the past) to both Obama and Colin Powell - why only ask two black people?
Barack Obama has nver shared a stage with Minister Farrakhan. I guess I'm sick and tired of the press deciding that just because someone has African ancestry that they are responsible for every single black person who opens their mouths.
March 9, 2008 1:34 PM | Reply | Permalink