Remembering Russert: Huffington/Kos Reaction

[DeepModem Mom]

TV Newser: Remembering Russert: Huffington/Kos Reaction

The New York Daily News posed the question yesterday why it took Arianna Huffington so long to respond regarding the death of Tim Russert on her site, The Huffington Post. When she did write something on Sunday, the NYDN called it, "detached wistfulness," that, "didn't even amount to faint praise."

Gawker has more on the backstory, but The Huffington Post has consistently been critical of Russert, starting a "Russert Watch" section on the site in 2005, to monitor Russert's work on Meet the Press. Originally written by Huffington herself, it morphed into a critique of Russert's perceived softball questioning of certain guests.

Huffington Post media editor Rachel Sklar, and former Russert Watch writer, wrote in her tribute to Russert, "It was my job to hold Russert's feet to the fire if he didn't do the same to his guests, but man oh man did I have to work hard to get there." (She later recalls Russert had, "really grown on me.")

In Huffington's recent book, she writes, Russert was, "one of the temple guards of conventional wisdom," and, "journalism's answer to the EZ Pass."

Another site, The Daily Kos, dealt with some members writing anti-Russert posts and comments as early as Friday that had to be deleted by the site (within the last 48 hours). They got so bad, MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann took to the comments section to write, "This doesn't embarrass you?" and "May whoever or whatever you believe in, forgive you your incredible bad taste."

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/nbc/remembering_russert_huffingtonkos_reaction_87368.asp

[LaurenG]

1. I think people get carried away in their frustration

It's a shame that civility is outweighed by our need to "say what we want."

Interesting that the posts were deleted on Kos.

[DeepModem Mom]

3. Yes. And I'm not saying we in the liberal blogosphere are right or wrong...

but the reaction to this does, IMO, show us how distant we are from the vast majority of Americans. I can't go anywhere without hearing people talk about Russert. Again, we may be right, but we must work within the country in which we live, as it is. And, I think, we could occasionally give that vast majority some recognition, and maybe even some respect.

[tularetom]

2. "perceived softball questioning of certain guests"

Perceived my ass.

It's still a free country despite what Russert's puppet masters are trying to accomplish. Huffington can write whatever she wants.

Jesus effing christ I'll be happy when this crap is over.

[katandmoon]

4. One more reason why I'm sooooooooo over Olbermann

[ladjf]

5. It does seem like K.O. is beginning to fade out on us.