Arianna: Russert on journalistic ethics like Abramoff on lobbying reform

[DeepModem Mom]

NY Daily News gossip, Lloyd Grove, "Lowdown":


Big Fuss About Claims Over Little Russ

....Tempers at NBC flared this week when Huffington skewered Russert's ethics for using his prestigious Sunday morning policy-and-politics program to hype his 19-year-old son Luke's sports-talk radio show - on which the Boston College sophomore will be paired with frequent "Meet the Press" panelist James Carville.

"With anyone I know?" Russert coyly asked Carville on last Sunday's "Meet the Press." "Maybe you would be familiar with someone I'll be teaming up in this," Carville responded, even more coyly.

Huffington - along with her close friend, Slate magazine blogger Mickey Kaus - also derided Russert's scheduled keynote speaking gig next week at a journalistic ethics conference at Ripon (Wis.) College. She wondered if Russert will receive his standard $50,000-$60,000 fee along with first-class airfare for two - although, she wrote yesterday, "according to (Russert's lecture agent)... private planes are strongly preferred."

("NBC News flack Barbara Levin") wouldn't answer my money question, but assured me that "all of Tim's limited speaking engagements are approved by NBC management."

Huffington scoffed: "Inviting Tim Russert to keynote a conference on journalistic ethics is like having Jack Abramoff keynote a conference on lobbying reform."...


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/gossip/story/386287p-327783c.html

[kurth]

1. Who says his show is "prestigious"?

Just another Bush ho spouting the party line. Yep, all of Tim's incall/outcall services are approved by NBC management.

Not sure about people who prefer to watch TV talk shows on Sunday mornings...