Daily Howler demolishes Russert

[kskiska]

THE LAST BULLDOG DIES (PART 1)! Bulldog Tim rolled over and died. Can we stop calling Russert a bulldog?

Tim Russert’s first question showed a small bit of promise. “On Friday,” he said to his guest, “you announced a committee, a commission to look into intelligence failures regarding the Iraq war and our entire intelligence community. You have been reluctant to do that for some time. Why?” But instead of an answer, he got a long speech—the first of many he’d hear this morning. “Let me step back and talk about intelligence in general,” his slow-talking guest slowly said:
BUSH: Well, at first, let me step back and talk about intelligence in general, if I might. Intelligence is a vital part of fighting and winning the war against the terrorists, because the war against terrorists is a war against individuals who hide in caves in remote parts of the world, individuals who have these kind of shadowy networks, individuals who deal with rogue nations, and so we need a good intelligence system. We need really good intelligence. And so the commission I set up is to, obviously, analyze what went right or what went wrong with the Iraqi intelligence. It was kind of lessons learned. But it’s really set up to make sure the intelligence services provide as good a product as possible for future presidents as well, which is a part of analyzing where we are on the war against terror.

There is a lot of investigations going on about the intelligence service, particularly in the Congress, and that’s good as well. The Congress has got the capacity to look at the intelligence gathering without giving away state secrets, and I look forward to all the investigations and looks—again, I repeat to you, the capacity to have good intelligence means that a president can make good calls about fighting this war on terror.

Can you find any hint of an answer to Russert’s question? Bush was asked why he dragged his feet on setting up a probe. His answer? Terrorists are people who hide in caves. Bush’s languorous “answer,” by the way, lasted a minute and 32 seconds. That was 92 seconds the slow-talking guest had managed to take off the clock.

more…
http://dailyhowler.com/dh020904.shtml

[MASSAFRA]

1. Like football

Control of the clock can win or lose a game.

[boobooday]

2. The Daily Howler is essential reading

Russert wasn't as fawning as most of the press have been with Bush, but he was no "bulldog" either, as Bob Somerby points out.

Could it be because he works for GE, a company that is rolling in defense contracts? Hmmmmm . . . .

A perfect example of why we go to the internet to read someone like Bob Somerby or Greg Palast to get REAL information.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

Jeanette

[buycitgo]

3. amen on Daily Howler

he had a devestating account of how Russert put up a quote by Naomi Wolf; let dumbo comment on that (1999 MTP "interview").

this characterized the entire interview....total lickjob w/Bush.

contrast it to the hatchet job he's done on ALL dem candidates, from Gore to Dean to Edwards to Clark

his approach to dems vs. Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld, for example is completely antithetical

and the IDIOTIC media is completely fooled.

they don't seem to realize that his bulldog behavior towards dems turns into that of a neutered hamster when confronted with his pugpals

even David Corn, in an otherwise fantastic analysis of Russert's abject failure yesterday, buys into the myth of Russert as equal opportunity inquisitor.

don't understand how they're all fooled by that big, fat suckass

[pinkpops]

4. personally, I forgive Russert

Bush's replies left me dizzy too. Like Gracie Allen.