Open Letter To Tim Russert

Conyers: It's Checks and Balances, Mr. Russert

2006-05-08T07:04:00.000-07:00

Russert Misled on Iraq Intelligence

2006-04-06T08:38:00.000-07:00

Media Matters: "During an interview with Al Franken, Tim Russert objected to Franken's assertion that "[President] Bush and [Vice President Dick] Cheney did explicitly link Iraq to 9-11 on several occasions, especially when speaking to the naïve Russert." In fact, Cheney twice directly linked Iraq to the 9-11 attacks while appearing on Russert's NBC program Meet the Press. Additionally, while Bush "never brought ... up" the purported Iraqi link to 9-11 during a 2004 Meet the Press interview, neither did Russert, who could have asked Bush to explain a letter he sent to Congress shortly after the start of the Iraq war, in which he explicitly linked Iraq to 9-11."

Russert Failed to Note Pentagon's Apparent Role in Swarmer "Hype"

2006-03-23T12:55:00.000-08:00

Media Matters: "In an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press, Gen. George W. Casey Jr. told Tim Russert that Operation Swarmer -- a heavily publicized U.S.-Iraqi military campaign -- "got a little bit more hype than it really deserved because of the use of the helicopters to get the Iraqi and the coalition forces there," adding, "It might have looked a little more formidable than it actually was." But neither he nor Russert informed viewers about the apparent role of the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army in creating that "hype."

Russert's Bizarre Interview with Peter Pace

2006-03-07T07:28:00.000-08:00

Daou Report: "On Meet the Press, Tim Russert gingerly questions Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace about the situation in Iraq. Lo and behold, we discover that things are going great and that the reason two-thirds of Americans think it's a mess is because the press simply isn't reporting all the wonderful things happening there. I'm not sure which aspect of this interview is more bizarre: Pace's outlandish claims (he thinks William F. Buckley should wander the streets of Baghdad) or Russert's demeanor."

Media Matters: "On the March 5 broadcast of NBC's Meet the Press, host Tim Russert failed to challenge several misleading claims made by Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in support of his assertion that the Iraq war is "going very, very well."

A New Kind of "Balance" on Meet the Press

2006-02-27T07:42:00.000-08:00

Oliver Willis: "Well, I’m glad someone had the stomach to watch this week’s edition of Meet the Press, because it was frankly beyond ludicrous for a major public affairs program like MTP to blatantly exclude any sort of Democrat from their show (by God, even Joe Lieberman would have been an improvement over the Elephantfest). Even the old Soviet Union would have pretended a little better than that. Who knew GE would make Stalin seem like such a champion of media balance."

Russert Smears Democrats Over Port Fiasco

2006-02-23T13:08:00.000-08:00

Media Matters: "NBC's Tim Russert suggested that Democrats have seized on the Dubai Ports World takeover of a British company -- in which Dubai Ports, a company owned by the government of Dubai, a member state of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), would assume control of six major U.S. seaports -- in order to build their national security credentials. Russert was able to make this claim by omitting any reference to numerous calls by Democrats in both houses of Congress for increased port security and various pieces of port-security legislation proposed by Democrats that have been, in most instances, opposed by Republicans."

Russert Watch: The Mary Matalin Horror Show

2006-02-19T17:15:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Arianna Huffington.

Write to Tim Russert

2006-02-11T05:44:00.000-08:00

If you're tired of seeing an administration apologist hide behind the furrowed facade of a "serious" journalist, make your voice heard:

Tim Russert
mtp@msnbc.com

Joe Fontaine: Russert Still Hasn't Clarified Plamegate Role

2006-02-07T06:23:00.000-08:00

Read this letter to Tim Russert from a college senior.

20,000 and Counting Still Waiting for Russert's Explanation

2006-02-02T11:07:00.000-08:00

On January 23, we posted the following:

Tim Russert,

This Sunday, you asked Senator Barack Obama to respond to Harry Belafonte's remarks about George W. Bush being a "terrorist." Why?

Why did you ask this question?

Harry Belafonte isn't an elected official, he doesn't speak for Democrats, he doesn't represent Senator Obama, he doesn't represent the Democratic Party, and he is entitled to his own opinion...

A week later, we posted this follow-up:

Why didn't you ask Bill Frist about Ann Coulter calling for the assassination of Justice John Paul Stevens?

So the question remains open and 20,000 visitors (and counting) to this blog are waiting for Russert's answer.

Don't hold your breath...

Tim, Quick Question

2006-01-30T20:04:00.000-08:00

Why didn't you ask Bill Frist about Ann Coulter calling for the assassination of Justice John Paul Stevens?

"Russert: At the Feet of the Powerful and Throat of the Weak"

2006-01-28T20:00:00.000-08:00

Read Fred Branfman's Huffington Post piece on Russert. Money quote: "Russert's treatment of candidates like Howard Dean contrasts dramatically with the obsequious treatment given those in power. A Cheney or Rumsfeld may be shown a film clip of one of their many lies, and asked to explain. They are then given as much time as they want to expand, amplify and embellish their lies, without interruption, whereupon Russert goes on to another topic. A Dean, however, is pummelled mercilessly."

And of course, we're still waiting for Russert to explain his offensive interview with Barack Obama....

Russert's No Match for Arianna

2006-01-27T08:38:00.000-08:00

Arianna Huffington responds to Russert's whining: "NBC News PR Department Gets Down and Dirty..."

And on the Today Show Russert shows his true colors yet again: "This morning the Today Show made a feeble attempt at removing the egg from their face. Tim Russert came on to analyze yesterday's news events and was asked about Couric's interview with Dean and the topic of Abramoff monies going to both parties ... When Lauer asked Russert if indeed the scandal was biparatisan, Russert said yes without flinching." More at C&L.

Russert Feels the Heat, Lashes Out at Arianna Huffington

2006-01-27T05:51:00.000-08:00

Months before Open Letter to Tim Russert was launched in response to Russert's racially-tinged interview with Barack Obama, Arianna Huffington was on his case, peeling back the rotten layers of Meet the Press's onion, exposing the gutless GOP shill behind the "serious" journalist.

As Jane Hamsher tells us in a rather colorful post, Russert is cracking:

It's hard to imagine, but I don't think Father Tim thought twice about accepting a gig for which he normally charges $50,000 to $60,000 to give a speech on ethics in the media. We can assume his supporting cast has grown accustomed over the years to stifling their guffaws at his disproportional self-image and didn't tip him off to the absurdity factor. So he was no doubt surprised when Arianna pointed out the obvious: that the man who has done more than anyone to normalize wingnut eliminationist rhetoric in mainstream political discourse, who equipped himself with an inviolable set of principles when it meant covering for pedophilia fantasist Scooter Libby but whipped them off quicker than a pair of whore's panties when it came to Richard Clarke, who still has not explained his extremely dubious role in the whole CIA leak case but feels free to limbo around this awkward fact as he covers the story from week to week, might be a bit challenged giving a lecture on the ethics of anything but most especially the media.

It probably never occurred to him that the little wink-wink, nudge-nudge action with fellow bloviator James Carville last week over Carville's new XM radio sports show was inappropriate due to the fact that Timmeh's son is Carville's co-host and Russert was using precious NBC moments more aptly devoted to, say, the NSA leak case to push his kid's show without bothering to clue the audience in.

But it sure as hell jostled his gated community gravitas when someone pointed it out for him.
Big white bwana man went whimpering to Lloyd Grove at the New York Daily News this morning, resurrecting his rather phantasmagorical 1996 claim that Arianna hired a private detective to follow his wife around. An assertion for which he has no proof other than something he read in an Ed Rollins book (more reliable recitations can be found scratched into the walls of bus station bathrooms), but as a regular practitioner of fact-free journalism this is not a problem for Father Tim.

Read This While You Wait for Russert to Explain Himself

2006-01-26T18:30:00.000-08:00

While we all wait for Tim Russert to come up with a more credible explanation of why he asked Barack Obama about Harry Belafonte, read Arianna Huffington's latest: "Irony Alert: Tim Russert to Lecture on Ethics (Get Your Tickets Now!)"

Atrios Shreds Meet the Press's Weak Response to the Russert/Obama Question

2006-01-24T16:56:00.000-08:00

Atrios:

"Here's Meet the Press's response to a viewer who complained about Russert's badgering of Obama about Belafonte:

Thank you for your e-mail.

The Chicago Tribune of December 25, 2005 said the following:
"Harry Belafonte, the entertainer and civil rights activist, corresponds with [Senator] Obama by telephone and e-mail."

The article continues quoting Belafonte as saying:
"I think Sen. Obama is a force...We've seen so many others who have come to high places and have failed so miserably. I think he could be our exception to the rule."

It is sound and fair journalism to ask a political figure about comments made by a prominent supporter. That same standard is consistently applied on Meet the Press. Here are just a few examples: on February 13, 2000, presidential candidate George W. Bush was asked about comments made by Bob Jones; on February 20, 2000, Sen. John McCain was asked about comments made by his political consultant about David Duke; on February 27, 2000, Karl Rove was asked about comments made by Pat Robertson; and on October 3, 2004, Republican Senate candidate Tom Coburn was asked about comments made by Alan Keyes.

Thank you for writing and watching.

Let's run down the list.

Bush was asked about comments made by Bob Jones because he made a speech at BJU.

John McCain was asked about comments made by his political consultant about David Duke because...it was his f__king paid political consultant.

Rove wasn't asked about Pat Robertson's "remarks." Rove was asked about a recorded robocall message which went out to voters in Michigan created by Pat Robertson." More here

Tim Russert, We're Still Waiting

2006-01-24T12:15:00.000-08:00

Over 4,000 visitors to this blog want to know why you asked Senator Barack Obama to respond to Harry Belafonte's remarks about George W. Bush. Why? Does Senator Obama have any special connection to Mr. Belafonte that we're not aware of?

Still waiting............

To Tim Russert: Why Did You Ask Senator Obama About Harry Belafonte?

2006-01-23T07:49:00.000-08:00

Tim Russert,

This Sunday, you asked Senator Barack Obama to respond to Harry Belafonte's remarks about George W. Bush being a "terrorist." Why?

Why did you ask this question?

Harry Belafonte isn't an elected official, he doesn't speak for Democrats, he doesn't represent Senator Obama, he doesn't represent the Democratic Party, and he is entitled to his own opinion.

And why did you direct this question to Senator Barack Obama in particular? And did you raise the issue of Harry Belafonte's recent comments with any previous guests? And is it true that Colin Powell is the only other person you've ever asked about Harry Belafonte?

We'd appreciate an explanation.

--------

NOTE: NBC doesn't allow public feedback on its web site. This blog does. Please keep commentary civil, but do let Tim Russert know that you are puzzled by his choice of questions.