Joe Conason (Salon): Five Questions for Russert to ask Bush on MTP

[Dudley_DUright]

NBC's Tim Russert cherishes a reputation as network television's bulldog interrogator of wayward politicians. His image is good cop/bad cop in the same guy. This coming Sunday, the president will reportedly appear on "Meet the Press." That decision may well reflect, as Nick Confessore suggested today, Karl Rove's confidence that Russert isn't really so goddamned tough, especially not on Republicans. If so, Rove would be in rare agreement with many of Russert's critics on the left.

Knowing Russert, I think he would hate to confirm such nasty suspicions when he interviews George W. Bush (although he would also hasten to plead that some partisans on both sides are never satisfied, etc.). Let's help him with a few questions (and follow-ups) that nobody could call softballs:

1. Given the controversy about your attendance record during your National Guard service, Mr. President, perhaps the best way to resolve matters would be to authorize the release of all of your military records, including pay stubs, Social Security records and so-called retirement-points records. Will you do that? If not, why not, and how can the American people believe that you actually fulfilled your service obligations as everyone else in the Guard was required to do?

2. Mr. President, on page 54 of your autobiography, "A Charge to Keep," you wrote: "I continued flying with my unit for the next several years." But the truth is that you quit flying after less than two years, despite fighter training that cost the taxpayers almost a million dollars. Did your superiors approve your decision to quit flying, or did you just quit on your own? Weren't you suspended from flying in August 1972 after you failed to take a required physical exam? Why didn't you take that physical?

more...
(reg. or day pass req.)

http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2004/02/05/russert/index.html

[SnohoDem]

1. I sent the link

to MTP, just in case Tim's too busy to check out Salon.

[OneBlueSky]

2. wanna bet the subject never comes up? . . .

if it does, it will be in some kind of context highly favorable to Bush . . . but I'm betting that the WH laid down some ground rules, and this is one of them . . .

[The Zanti Regent]

3. Tiny Tim will blow Bush (STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE)

Tiny Tim is the #1 reason President Clark should reinstate the Fairness Doctrine and repeal the Communications Act of 1996!

[Punkingal]

4. Did you notice, BTW,

that Joe is going to start doing more in-depth investigative articles on Salon, instead of just the journal. I think that is a very good thing. He is one of the few who has been on Bush's case all along.