I know some posters are getting criticized for mentioning Russert's

[senseandsensibility]

lack of tough questioning for bushco, especially in the runup to the invasion. I don't have a strong opinion about whether posters should be saying that now. But I just thought I'd point out that it was addressed on MSNBC during their coverage today. So maybe it's not as taboo or disrespectful as some seem to think it is.

[babylonsister]

1. Yes, apparently he asked the tough questions and got milquetoast

answers. Hmmm. I'm not quite buying that either.

[senseandsensibility]

3. What I heard was he didn't want to get into

an argument, but he asked the tough questions and got their answers on the record. They gave the example of Cheney saying we would be greeted as liberators. I'm not sure I buy this either, but my point was that they brought it up. And that's his own network. Meanwhile, DUers are getting trashed for asking about the same thing.

[babylonsister]

10. We heard the same thing. He didn't want arguments, asked tough

questions, and got lousy answers. Who cares if that's on the record if it was all a lie? Maybe I'll retract that thought if anything is ever used as proof, but he didn't go out of his way to prove what the truth was. All to avoid an argument? Makes me suspicious.

[KAZ]

6. You and me both. I guess I'll hold off until tomorrow.

Truth be told, This frenzy is limited to us newsies.

[frazzled]

8. It's that he didn't ask questions to other people

I think it's fine to say he asked the administration questions and they gave feeble answers. But his job as a journalist was to then ask questions to people on the other side of the issue: to my recollection, he didn't do that.

I think it's tragic that this man who so clearly enjoyed life and his work died so suddenly and so young (I am exactly his age). Truly tragic and awful. I'm sure he was a terrific person. I'm not sure he was a terrific journalist. I liked listening to him do commentary on primary nights--but I stopped watching his show years ago.

And as the afternoon and evening wore on, I was not sure that the news of the day needed to be wholly ignored for six non-stop hours of hagiography. I understand how his coworkers needed to do that. We possibly did not need to hear it.

[babylonsister]

12. He didn't follow up on what was said.

I have disagreed mightily with Russert, but not tonight so much. I'll miss him; watched MTP most every Sunday.

And I agree, it seems like an overindulgence on the part of cable, but that might just measure everyone's shock. When they started to repeat stuff, I was over it.

[dansolo]

28. He never asked followup questions

A real interviewer asks a question, get the canned response, and then pounces with a followup. He seems to always hammer the Democrats repeatedly on issues, but whenever he would interview someone from the Bush administration, he would let them spout their propaganda without questioning anything that they said.

[AllentownJake]

2. My Dad drank too much and had untreated PTSD from Vietnam

However he was a good Dad and we didn't talk about his failings on the day he died.

Just saying he's a human being with a real family and a real son. He dropped the ball but we all drop the ball sometimes in our lives. He trusted the President that he wasn't lying about CIA intelligence.

He was hard on Cheney after there were no weapons and made him go on the record and address that. Thanks to him we have a record of Cheney and Co's changing story over the past 7 years.

[Breeze54]

Russert was complicit. I feel sorry for his kids but many have died for the M$M Lies!

:grr:

[senseandsensibility]

I'm sorry about your Dad's health problems

and I thank him for his service.

[TahitiNut]

4. And I'll bet none of his family or friends rushed to an Internet Discussion Board ...

... on the day he died to seek tributes, either. :shrug: :eyes:

[dflprincess]

5. When most of us drop the ball

it does not contribute to the deaths of thousands of people. A good reporter would never trust that a politician isn't lying - especially this president. For that matter, where was Russert (and yes, all the media) when the last two elections were stolen?

[Bluerthanblue]

13. don't kid yourself.

Show me a someone in the media who took difinitive action to stop the Iraq war.

Someone who did what most of us condemn everyone 'else' for NOT doing-?

peace~

[dflprincess]

24. Kid myself about what?

I believe I mentioned the rest of the media didn't do anything and they are all complicit.

A good many of us on this board did do what we could to stop the war before it started - but most of us here lack the platforms or the influence the media stars we call reporters have.

[AllentownJake]

17. My dad was an officer

and people at one point in his life died because of his decisions. Not thousands of people but some people. There was not a day in his life that didn't go by that he didn't think about people who were under him who died or the people on the other side who were killed. He wasn't high on the chain but a 2nd Lt.

We didn't talk about that at his funeral either but it was part of him as well.

[QC]

16. Very true. One of today's best posts on Russert. n/t

[Bluerthanblue]

7. it's the

"fuck him" "right wing shill" style posts that I personally find disturbing.

EVERYONE has negative sides. EVERYONE has done or said things that have disapointed and angered someone, sometime.

There seems to be a drought of compassion and sensitivity in this world, especially lately, when it is more needed than ever.

peace~

[senseandsensibility]

9. I haven't seen those posts

fortunately. I agree with you. They sound terrible, but the ones I've seen have gone out of their way to be sensitive.

[Demit]

11. As a poster noted elsewhere, we are not in the Russerts' living room.

I don't see how talking truthfully about a public figure can be disrespectful. We are not exactly present at the funeral. This man was a public figure who wielded a LOT of power, and it's fair game to discuss just how he did that—and what effect it had on the affairs of our government.

[senseandsensibility]

14. You make some good points

I honestly think some people find it disrespectful and they're entitled to that opinion. But his own network raised the question and answered it only hours after he died.

[AllentownJake]

18. He wasn't evil and I believe mostly good

He made a mistake that alot of people made.

Alot of Americans made that mistake twice.

[TexasObserver]

19. That's right. And we should have been able to have an intelligent discussion.

This is a political message board, where his work is commented upon weekly, and has been for years.

Today should have been a day to discuss the man's work, not to behave as if he was a god or hero. He was a man, and we should judge him by his work. Unfortunately, many felt there was only way to respond, and that was to offer high praise and insist that all do so.

I hate groupthink. Always have. It's ugly.

[Political Heretic]

22. Intelligent discussion is great. That doesn't include things like

"Tim Russert is a shit ass fucking scumbag and I'm fucking glad that piece of shit is dead."

[TexasObserver]

25. the problem has been the Tim worshippers, not the detractors

Your example never happened, but is typical of the hyperbole slung by those whose lives are about finding reasons to be outraged and indignant.

[kath]

26. and where the heck was that written?

I've been all over these threads, and seen absolutely nothing like that. Zilch, nada, zip.

Nice try though.

[mzmolly]

15. Russert was not alone.

eom

[Rosa Luxemburg]

20. Tim Russert was part of the furniture

it seems strange he isn't there anymore?

[Political Heretic]

21. NO, they are NOT getting criticized for "mentioning" it.

They are getting criticized for shitting all over a mans grave.

It's not what is being said. It's the free-republic style hate spewing way its being said by some.

Tim wasn't a saint. He was a moderately decent but flawed journalist. His career was longer than the bush administration, and during his lifetime he distinguished himself in many ways.

Russert was guilty was were many good journalist (aside from the shills) of believing the hype and fear coming from the aftermath of 9/11 and from the administration. That was his fatal mistake. But that doesn't mean I need to shit all over his memory on the day he died either.

I'm able to see being the typically conservative either/or black/white thinking that we are supposed to be above.

[senseandsensibility]

23. The OP that I saw

was very polite and respectful and even mentioned that he or she had already said a prayer for Russert. The poster was still harshly criticized.

[kath]

27. Goes way back before the Iraq occupation. Ask people who were around during the

ClintonBlowJob Debacle, and the 2000 pres. campaign. The way he spewed all the lies and distortions about Gore was despicable.

he's been a mediawhore for a long time. He was one of many, but had more influence than most.