The Ohio Dem Debate: Russert's Night of Shame; Russert "the lunatic of the evening"

[DeepModem Mom]

PhillyBurbs.com: 2.27.2008
Russert’s night of shame

The hype all day long throughout the media was that there would be fireworks at the MSNBC Democratic debate....Who would attack first? Who would lose their cool? Some people predicted Obama, most predicted Clinton, but who would have guessed that Tim Russert would be the lunatic of the evening.

Let me say first that I watch Meet the Press every Sunday and think Russert is usually very good. That said, I knew something was wrong when they introduced Russert last night. Like a dog foaming at the mouth, he walked on the stage with bags under his eyes the size of grapefruits. He looked like someone who found out their car was just towed. I haven’t seen someone walk onto a debate stage looking that pissed off since Ross Perot.

Russert didn’t ask questions last night, he attacked. It was as if someone let out that inner Republican demon inside of him. Russert’s first question went to Hillary and I thought to myself, “Wow this thing is getting contentious.” I give both Hillary and Barack credit because quite honestly if someone came at me with that kind of vigor I would have put my defenses up immediately and began my own attack.

I really would love to know what Russert was thinking last night. The way he attacked both candidates was neither normal nor professional. I also thought it was a little bit mocking following Obama and Clinton’s answer to the change in leadership in Russia how he spewed all of these facts about Medvedev. Great job Tim, now try working 19 hours a day on the campaign stump and answering that question.

How about his line of questions? I thought he was going to begin a question with, “What if dogs could fly, Senator?” The amount of hypothetical questions was really nothing more than trash journalism. There are hundreds of more relevant questions that he could have asked, yet he went the lazy route. Instead of asking the Senators about the mortgage crisis he chose to make up crazy scenarios about a post-U.S. Iraq. But hey, we got a recollection of Farrakhan’s greatest hits or was that a question?

Russert’s intensity was comparable to a fictional attorney in Law and Order playing the gotcha game with the defendant. Hillary has been critical of Russert since a 2000 debate he moderated with her and Rick Lazio. I hate to say it, but he really did come at her with ferociousness last night that I have never seen in a debate. Obama got it pretty good too, but there was definitely more anger and rage in the way he went after Hillary....

“Shame on you Tim Russert, shame on you!”

http://blogs.phillyburbs.com/blog.php?p=23245&cat=204

[justgamma]

1. How can anyone who

watches Press the Meat not know that Timmy only plays gotcha'? It's what he does to Dems. I have not been able to watch him since Hurricane Katrina when he played gotcha' with Aaron Broussard. I still can't get that image out of my mind. Timmy is a smug little dweeb.

[Sebass1271]

2. My Obama supporter husband

noticed his "gotcha" treament towards Hillary.. and called him a dick.. Even he noticed it!!..
It was quite obvious..
I have no respect for him or tweety at all!!

[madamesilverspurs]

3. His hypothetical questions aren't trash journalism.

They're pure trash. They have nothing to do with journalism. They have everything to do with the garbage that passes for journalism these days. One of my favorite fantasies involves Edward R. Murrow pummelling the daylights out of Russert and Matthews and their ilk; he wouldn't have to lift a finger to do it, and THAT would be the gotcha worth watching!