Under the category, "I Can't Believe I'm Posting A Tim Russert Thread," I just have to say...

[hisownpetard]

after all the references to how much he revered blue-collar people and Buffalo and never forgot his roots,
it stunned me to hear Russert's son, Luke, talk about how his father loved going to his college tail-gate parties in Boston, drinking beer
with Luke's friends, and eating Buffalo wings that HE HAD FLOWN IN FROM BUFFALO!!!!!!

I have never before heard of a tail-gate party that was catered, let alone having food imported for the occasion by air.

Umm - so, what's wrong with this picture?

[babylonsister]

1. I don't begrudge him that. It's his money, he had lots of it, he could

do what he wanted with it. If it made Luke happy, he was happy.

[CBGLuthier]

2. So the guy used his money to have party food flown in for a bunch of kids

and you think there is something wrong with it?

Amazing. Truly fucking amazing how some minds work.

[cboy4]

3. Yea, I can't believe you're posting this either.

:thumbsdown:

[hisownpetard]

13. And I'm rooting for the Celtics, as well.

[cboy4]

15. Nothing wrong with rooting for the Celtics ... posting bullshit?

Not so much.

[jobycom]

4. Reminds me of the Beverly Hillbillies.

You can give someone a ton of money, and they'll spend it on the same stuff they did before, only moreso.

I think that's a cute story.

[TwilightGardener]

16. LOL! You're right--sometimes money doesn't change people, just

makes it easier to be themselves.

[islandmkl]

5. if i had the $$$, i would have Arthur Bryant's BBQ flown into my town once or twice a week...

damn, i'm getting hungry....

ain't nothing worse than living away from real good barbeque...

[FSogol]

6. Lots of people cater tail-gate parties. Have you ever been to a NFL

game? In fact there are some catering companies that only do tail-gate parties.

[Rhiannon12866]

9. They also cater tail-gates for polo games,

but I was in Saratoga Springs, NY. I always cooked for ours...:-)

[LaurenG]

7. Nothing is wrong with the picture and I have nothing else to say about it.

:shrug:

[Rhiannon12866]

12. I agree, my friend.

I've been feeling pretty sad about this, and have also lost co-workers, so I totally understand where his colleagues are coming from, not to mention his family. I was totally blown away that his young son did an interview...:shrug:

[JeanGrey]

18. I was almost fifty bucks over in weight the last time I flew to

Oklahoma due to a suitcase full of skyline chili in the big cans......................

[leftofthedial]

8. he was about as friendly to blue-collar Americans

as any other repuke has been.

(I know Timmy boy worked for Democrats, but he's been a repuke in deed if not fact for decades.)

[Clear Blue Sky]

10. Nothing wrong with this picture.

Tim lived in DC. He flies in to Boston to be with his son. Is he supposed to rent a kitchen in Boston and cook the wings himself? So he flies them in. He can afford it. Good for him for spending the time with his son.

I sent a Katz's salami to my daughter in college a few months ago. Sometimes the real thing has no substitute, whether a salami or wings.

[hisownpetard]

11. Wow - I guess I'm the one who's out of sync!

It seems pretentious to me and I know that, if I ever did something like that, my kids would be mortified
at the excess.

[jobycom]

20. I dunno. Kids have a way of forgiving parents

for spending large sums of money on them. Yours would probably get over it, too. :rofl:

[LibDemAlways]

14. I love all the "he was a regular guy who never forgot his roots"

bs. Everyone I've ever known who grew up in humble circumstances but became wealthy as an adult was fundamentally changed by it. Having buffalo wings flown in from buffalo for a tailgate party is the very essence of the rich guy's sense of entitlement.

[JeanGrey]

17. So what? People with money are able to do things like this.

Once we had White Castle's Fed Ex'd to us and we're not exactly upper middle class.

[dflprincess]

21. I have a Carnegie Deli cheesecake Fed Exed in every Christmas

and I'm not rolling in dough. And, while I could get a good cheesecake locally, it just wouldn't be the same (or as good, swear to God).

[JeanGrey]

25. I understand completely, trust me.

:woohoo:

[NashVegas]

19. Good Buffalo Wings

Are important.

[Demit]

22. It's known as an ostentatious display of conspicuous consumption.

Along with the $5 million house in Nantucket. But—if you have a lot of power—you can constantly repeat how you're still just a regular guy & people will happily disregard all evidence to the contrary.

Power is the key. John Edwards was reviled for his expensive haircut, ceaselessly. But he had no power, thus nobody to rise to his defense. You're right, flying in buffalo wings for a tailgate party is a self-important demonstration of wealth. It's wasteful & unnecessary, but it was done EXACTLY for effect. Whoever does something like that is saying look at ME and what I can do.

[hisownpetard]

23. Thank you, DIAA!!!

That's exactly my point and one that few seem to share.

I'm amazed by the prevalent attitude which seems to be, actually, "if you've got it, flaunt it."

I mean, there's nothing wrong with having a house on Nantucket or driving an expensive car. He earned the money himself,
he pays his bills, he can spend it however he likes.

But having Buffalo wings flown in to a college kid's tailgate party seems ostentatious and over-the-top to me.

But that's just me...

[librechik]

24. Great Dad--got his kid his own satellite radio talk show before he graduated college

Lucky Luke!