Fitz Outed Russert as WH Tool (fdl)

[Rose Siding]

In the newly released documents that detail Tim Russert's battle to refuse to testify about his conversations with Scooter Libby in the CIA leak case, Russert claimed that the waiver signed by Libby allowing him to do so was coerced and that if he testified his "sources" would no longer trust him as a journalist......

It is also relevant to note that Russert has treated an asserted waiver of the reporter's privilege quite differently when convenient. When Richard Clarke published his book Against All Enemies and testified before the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also known as the September 11 Commission), Clarke became subject to intense media scrutiny. On March 24, 2004, the White House disclosed Clarke's identity as the "senior administration official" who gave a "background" briefing in August 2002. When Clarke appeared as a guest on Meet the Press on March 28, 2004, Russert noted the White House had been aggressive in attacking Clarke's credibility and had identified Clarke as the source for the background briefing -- without indicating any concern about the "voluntariness" of the waiver, in which Clarke apparently played no role. (Copy of the March 28, 2004, Meet the Press transcript, Exhibit 1). Russert did not hesitate to broadcast out of any concern that such disclosure might chill future background sources.

....Patrick Fitzgerald (Page 33, footnote #13, Government's Response to Motion to Quash Grand Jury Subpoena).

So Tim -- I think you're full of shit, Tom Maguire thinks you're full of shit, and the Special Counsel thinks you're full of shit. That's left, right and center. Your appearances on Don Imus notwithstanding, who exactly is it that's supposed to be trusting your journalistic integrity these days?

(thanks to Jeff for the tip)
posted by Jane Hamsher @ 5:25 PM

http://firedoglake.blogspot.com/2006_01_08_firedoglake_archive.html#113694286046454331

[Loonman]

1. Shocked! Shocked am I!

Russert is the worst kind of toady. His show is supposed to be about political transparency, instead it is about reinforcing the Bush-Reich and it's followers.

[BamaBecky]

25. LOL

[Media_Lies_Daily]

2. The same people that trust Russert also trust Woodward.

[blm]

22. BINGO - and those two Bush-shills set the groupthink for most DC media

who push through every storyline they're given by their corporate masters.

[stop the bleeding]

3. nice post

[liberal N proud]

4. Russert is worried about sources trusting him as a journalist?

He should be worried about being a journalist first! Not a whore for the White House.

[Supersedeas]

23. exactly -- what about 'public' trust?

[FreedomAngel82]

28. And it was my understanding

that the press worked for the people. Like Gary Webb (rip) said the job of the press is to tell the public what the government is doing that they don't want you to know (I'm parphasing here).

[izzybeans]

5. I didn't realize Russert was a journalist.

He seems nothing more than a talking head to me. Hosting MTP or whatever talking head show he hosts does not a journalist make.

[Child_Of_Isis]

36. We don't have such thing as journalists' anymore.

It freaking sickening. They just go to the studio and read the news as given to them by the White House.

[txindy]

6. Little Russ is a tool.

It's good to know that Fitzgerald is aware of that fact.

[Loonman]

7. Russert makes his whole show a fraud

It's just a free platform for his Repub buddies and whipping post for Dems.

[maddezmom]

8. great post

K&R

Timmy the Tool. :D

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. Let's wear party hats the day they can Russert and Matthews.

:party:

[democrank]

10. Russert a journalist?

I thought he was an official, highly paid Bush Administration News Regulator.

[truebrit71]

11. Timmy's a Tool....

..always has been...

..And when did he have any integrity to begin with? Journalist? Tim Russert? Don't make me laugh....:eyes:

[EVDebs]

20. Operation Mockingbird

(scroll down past the ads at)
www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKmockingbird.htm

and see just how long this has been going on. Payola involved, I presume, with offrecord sources ?
CIA's dope ops entirely capable of that.

BTW, CNN and PsyOps in counterpunch
www.counterpunch.org/cnnpsyops.html

make you wonder how deep this stuff goes. Armstrong Williams, Gannon/Guckert et al, all got paid but did Congress approve the funding ? How dat happen ?

[FreedomAngel82]

29. I wonder too

I'm reading about Operation Mockingbird and my little town's paper is mentioned! Wow. And I also remember one time on Mike Malloy's show he was talking about the CIA writing in the press and he said he remembered one time being at CNNI and he was talking with a friend who still worked there and his friend could point out to him who was CIA and who wasn't and they would come in and write.

[EVDebs]

40. Domestic CIA operations are supposed to be illegal...

as in Operation Chaos etc
www.serendipity.li/cia/lyon.html

but who will tell the people ? I wonder, if they tell the people they are 'all powerful' and can subvert common law and US law at will, and if no one challenges these statements...de facto they have a police state, the de jure can come later, but it's a fait accompli.

12. Some people's integrity is just a way to

get entrance to a career and they can wear their integrity like clothing, but it doesn't go to their core.

[Cults4Bush]

13. Personally I trust no one in the press as individuals anymore

(well except for a precious few like KO and Helen Thomas) and I certainly dont trust any press org as a whole. I think very few people are actually credible anymore when it comes to government.

Also why I dont get why NYT is still considered credible or WaPo or any of the major hitters they are every bit as bad as some of the sites banned from DU, and in some instances worse.

[savemefromdumbya]

15. I never did trust any of them

The NYT or the WashyPOst are not our friends

[FreedomAngel82]

31. Nor the Moonie Times

[FreedomAngel82]

30. And also don't forget

Greg Palast and Bob Firtakis.

[sweetm2475]

14. Not just a tool, a greasy one...

Ever notice how his face always looks all shiny, like he's been sweating bullets, or something?

[SeattleRob]

16. no surprise

Russert never seems to have a problem reciting RNC spin points in his "gotcha" questioning of Democrats.

[leftchick]

17. timmy is not a journalist, he is a corporate whore

and making a mighty profit off of the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq.

[robbedvoter]

18. A tool? Timmy? Nawwwww! I'll never believe it!

[Ganja Ninja]

19. I think I'd get more satisfaction out of seeing ...

media enablers like Tim in jail than I would from seeing Scooter in an orange jumpsuit. Scooter will take his money and go away eventually but Tim keeps coming back Sunday after Sunday.

[Catherine Vincent]

21. Righto!

Russert is full of SHIT!

[greiner3]

24. MTP sucks since timmy;

He must have a bunch of crap on top nbc guys and gals to keep the job he has; doing bushco work!

[autorank]

26. So Tim -- I think you're full of shit too!

Great post. He is perhaps the biggest hypocrite in Washington, DC. Not the worst person, not by a long shot, just the biggest hypocrite.

[AuntiBush]

27. Wish Fitz & GJ Would Hurry it Up Some.

Got the March Iran jitters.

Respectfully, "Please hurry, Fitz." The world can't wait much longer.

[ClayZ]

32. I have been thinking that too!

Watching these hearings on C-SPAN have made me very nervous.

It seems to get worse and worser... Like they give us an inch and then yank the rope out of reach.

Peace!

[MadJohnShaft]

33. anywhere we can email to complain about him?

I'm pissed, I was a fan of Meet the Press for many years, we should email his corporate master and cc him.

[lonestarnot]

34. I add my name to those who think Russert is full of shit!

[Blutodog]

35. Russert & Tweety

Russert and Tweety ( Matthews) are openly Bu$hCo shills and have been from day 1. Neither of them from what I've seen for years now even bothers to try hiding their bias. Their part of the New Imperial Establishment and have no intention of doing anything that would endanger their precious membership. They are men without honor.

[lovuian]

37. I never believe Tim Russert & Tweety they are liars and

propogandists... Fitzgerald found them out and the whole Mockingbird system...

[Rageneau]

38. Russert (et al.) make me suspect that Catholics control TV "journalism"

I was raised Catholic and have nothing (much) against the religion, but I am curious as to why almost ALL of TV's talking heads (and five of nine USSC justices) are Catholics.

Russert, Matthews, Buchanan, Novack, Hume, O'Reilly, Kato Byrne, Steponallofus, Cokie Roberts, etc., etc.

Catholic "ubiquity" even includes many of the "good guys" (Carville, Begala).

Is Opus Dei involved in selecting which "journalists" get on TV and which don't?

It sure looks that way.

[bobbieinok]

39. very interesting question...didn't Thomas convert to Catholicism??

[Disturbed]

41. Who owns the Corp. Media?

Figure that out and you will know why the "Liberal Media" bends over for the RW.

[orleans]

42. What is that website fitzgerald has up? n/t

[Jose Diablo]

43. This is what I have for fitz's site

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/osc/index.html

[orleans]

45. thank you. i checked it and see nothing is new

but if there were some news i'm sure it would be all over DU and i'd have run across it.

[gumby]

44. Oh, goodie

Would like to take this opportunity to say:

Timmay, You're Full Of Shit.