Russert Showed His Right-Wing Bias Again Tonight

[stewert]

Tonight Tim Russert did his hour long CNBC show, he interviewed Joe Conason and had him
on to talk about his book.

There was one problem, Conason was not alone. Russert also had some right-wing spinner named
Rich Galen on with him. He sat there and put the right-wing spin on everything Joe said. He was
not on to promote a book either, he was only there to put his spin on what Joe said. The guy was
from a website called mullings.com.

Here is the problem, when Russert had O'Reilly on his hour long CNBC show he appeared all by
himself. He was allowed to put out his right-wing spin for the whole hour with no liberal there to
counter everything he said.

And Russert did the exact same thing with Al Franken, when he interviewed Al Franken he had
tucker carlson on with him to put the right-wing spin on everything he said.

So right-wing guests get an hour all alone, yet all the left-wing guests must be on with a right-wing
conservative.

It's bias, it's unfair, and it's a violation of journalist ethics. You either interview everyone alone,
or you interview everyone with another guest to provide the counter point.

Some republicans claim Russert is a liberal, ha, ha, now that's funny.

He has Bill O'Reilly on all alone for a full hour, yet Franken and Conason are paired with
conservatives to spin everything they say.

If you want to e-mail Russert, here is the e-mail address:

[e-mail]

I could not find an e-mail address for him at a CNBC addy, if anyone has it, please
post it.

[Skittles]

1. repugs not playing fair - no surprise

I'm curious to know how Joe did.

[stewert]

3. Joe Did Great.........

The repuke had the usual lame arguments, most of them were laughable.

Russert would name a chapter of Joes book, then read a line or two from the chapter. Then
Joe would give a 1 or 2 minute explanation of the chapter. Then Russert would let the
right-winger have a minute or so to spin what Joe just said.

This went on for the whole hour. I would say Joe pretty much crushed every argument
the right-winger made. Joe had facts and specific examples, the right-winger used
old tired RNC talking points.

I saw Joe on crossfire a while back and he did not do very well. He did great with Russert,
I think he learned how to play the game. In his first one or two tv appearences he did not
do to good. This interview was different, he was well spoken and articulate. He made good
points, and he had good counter points to the right-winger.

I would give him an A- on this interview. I gave him a C+ on his crossfire interview.

[Skittles]

11. I would imagine

it does take a couple of beatings from these rw garbage pundits to learn the game; I'm pleased to know Joe's getting it right.

[elperromagico]

2. He did the same thing witth Al Franken

He had Tucker Carlson on with Franken. It seemed that Carlson's basic function was to scoff at everything Franken said.

Apparently O'Reilly's claim of "independence" made it unnecessary to include someone with an opposing viewpoint during his interview.

[KharmaTrain]

4. Ministry Of DisInformation: Russett Potatohead

Here's the spin...O'Reilly's considered a "personality"...ala an Imus or Rush (yes, still Rush) or any "A-List" personality who has their own high profile TV and/or Radio gig.

Conason and Franken are considered "authors/chatters"...not quite the prime time.

Also O'Reilly surely will mention Russett on his den of iniquity as would Imus or Hannity...and hopefully drawing viewers to CNBC...that has the weekend viewership of .001% (remember when they'd air the Senior PGA tour).

Honestly, I like when Joe and Al and other very articulate and funny Progressive/Liberals appear vs. some wack-job wingnut...they eat them alive every time. Even Russett can't save 'em.

We gotta take these bastards on for the miles of hypocrisies they have spewn over the past decade. Payback's a bitch and it's gotta be right in their faces.

[Brucey]

5. It is downright disarming what passes for journalism today.

Russert is an idiot pig who gets away with crap constantly. He's not there to question and probe and help the viewing public understand anything. He's there to sell commercials. Entertainment/news... there is no difference anymore.

[eleny]

6. Done

I sent him an email and CC'd [e-mail]. I figure it's all the same company.

I let them know that I want to hear my own liberal voice reflected in his interviews, that he didn't need a right wing hall monitor hovering at the table and that Russert's programs are falling off my radar screen.

[Cat Atomic]

7. I think it comes from the constant cries of "liberal media".

They're so afraid of the accusation, they go out of their way to avoid it. Hence, O'Reilly gets to blather without interruption, while Franken must be "balanced with an opposing viewpoint".

[Kathy in Cambridge]

8. It's Repeating Now at 1 AM EST on CNBC

[Bozita]

9. Galen spent his time leafing through tabs placed in Joe's book

Now what did Mr.Galen have to do to earn his paycheck and who wrote that check?

There's no foils like old foils.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

10. Oh My God-this Guy Galen is an Idiot

Conason is great.

[Neecy]

12. He's shown it for years

This is the same Russert who phoned the RNC directly for dirt on Gore (filmed by the BBC, never shown in the United States).

[blm]

13. NBC owned Russert is Jack Welch's bitch and he doesn't hide it.

Will send my thousandth email to point it out.

[johnfunk]

14. Keep in mind that hardly anyone except maybe Jack Welch...

... and a few of his pals watch CNBC's laughable "Russert" -- and most people who do watch it can see through Russert's obvoius pro-corporate, pro-Meet-the-Press-sponsor, pro-RNC-talking-point bias.

The truth is that Russert is a big joke, the single most overrated "political commentator" and "prominent Washington journalist" alive today.

It's also worth mentioning that Chris "Tweety" Matthews's laughable "Hardball" is pretty much ignored.

[Grins]

15. Rich Galen bio..

"...He has been press secretary to Dan Quayle, when the former Vice President was a Congressman and a U.S. Senator; and to Newt Gingrich when Gingrich was House Republican Whip and, in 1996 became the communications director of the political office of Speaker Gingrich.
...Mr. Galen has been married for over 30 years. He and his wife, Susan, live in Virginia. They have one son, Reed, who works for Bush/Cheney '04."

See. Fair and balanced. I don't know what you guys are bitchin' about.