Gene Lyons on the ‘Royal funeral’

[mooseandsquirrel]

snip

That said, Russert’s journalistic influence was deeply unfortunate. The Washington Post reverently listed the models of limousines arriving at his memorial service, along with the exalted personages riding inside. Tourists brought cameras. Sorry, but when columnists, political consultants and TV talking faces get treated like the prince of Wales, something’s wrong. H. L. Mencken, justifiably famous in his day, would have hooted.

Like Paris Hilton, many D. C. courtierjournalists are famous largely for being famous. I once asked a TV news director for a raise. He tried flattery, saying viewers treasured my poor man’s Andy Rooney act. I scoffed. Then he got real.

“Look,” he said, “we could find a wino under a bridge, buy him a suit, teach him to read a TelePrompTer and make him a star.”

The station was paying all it could. We parted ways amicably.

snip

http://moose-and-squirrel.com/gene/gene.html

[muleboy303]

1. damn fine column

tim russert = nice guy/lousy truthseeker

(but then GE didn't pay him $5million/year to see truth, now did they?)

[tom_paine]

2. They paid him to unequivocally support GE interests while pretending to be a journalist

with the opponents of GE interests.

it was a job he did VERY well.

:puke: