An Honest 'Ode to Tim Russert.

[Blue State Bandit]

I have been following the "civil" discourse here at DU and over at DKos regarding the passing of "Meet the Press" host and MSNBC GM Tim Russert. It seems to me, an ardent Obama supporter and life long Philly Democrat that things are getting a little bit out of hand.

Flames are 'a blazing in the threads and in the OP's over such topics as journalistic integrity, proper time to mourn, and even his actual credentials. But one post at DKos has really produced a combustible situation.

The post, titled http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/6/14/01547/9632/237/535740">Russert Failed Us, has leaped from the virtual pages of DKos, and may end up a subject of tomorrow's "Worst Persons in the World".

One of the early on this post was none other than Keith Olbermann. And with in his response is a point that I believe those who wish to critique Tim Russert's career, and can't seem to understand why they are meeting resistance to this idea, might want to heed.

Keith Responded twice:

"This doesn't embarrass you? Seriously?"

To which he later commented poignantly:

"Yes. (There will be a time for this) When it's appropriate. When I am not in mourning for a friend.

May whoever or whatever you believe in, forgive you your incredible bad taste."
(note: context added)

Well, after being roundly smacked in his first OP, he came back for more. In a questioned attempt to reset the stage for his first OP, he posted this thermodynamic thread titled http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/6/15/132440/000?detail=f">An Open Letter to Keith Olbermann. And though I see his point, sorta, I'm still shaking my head as to why this is even necessary.

Let me make 3 points to which you can do with as you will. It seems that perspective, and a bit of compassion is in order here (and when I say here, I'm referring to this moment in time).

<b>1) MSNBC is nothing like FAUX! </b>

All but FAUX News (the musician’s amplifier) were played like fiddles in the lead up to Iraq, but at least MSNBC, under Russert, admitted to their role and have strived to atone.

<b>2) For Tim to do his job, he had to stand in the middle. </b>

It is the legacy of Tim Russert that MSNBC has become the closest thing to an honest broker in the MSM. Though I wish he would have reported the story alluded to by the OP, one must keep in mind that the quickest way to ruin a career in journalism is to become the story. I thank him for providing the environment that has elevated Keith Olbermann, Dan Abrams, Chris Mathews (for the Philly perspective), and Rachel Maddow. Our country has a fighting chance thanks to this legacy.

<b>3) As distasteful as it may be, sometimes you must play the tyrant’s game, if your goal is to temper his sword. </b>

Or you can choose to shout impotently from outside the gates.

I look forward to the time when we can discuss the OP’s critique. I believe that Tim Russert would expect it of us all. Until then, the heartfelt sympathy of my family and this call for a bit of compassion and understanding, on both sides, is all I have to offer to the Russert family, MSNBC, and our precarious 4th estate.

Let them mourn their friend. And if he is the man they say he is, they will be duty bound to take on the issues some may have, be the valid or not, about Tim Russert and his legacy.

[Lex]

1. People, such as KO, who had a friendship with Russert

well, I can understand that they see things a bit differently as regards Russert, and that's perfectly understandable, imho.

[AlCzervik]

33. agreed, they were friends.

[grasswire]

2. Surely they can mourn their friend the same way others mourn..

...their own friends; without an audience.

No one who is reviewing the merit of Tim Russert's work is preventing his friends from mourning. Further, they could mourn him without telling America what to think of his work. Because a fair portion of America doesn't think of his work in the way it's being portrayed.

[grasswire]

3. And....

....I wonder why KO is out cruising the Internets during this time when he is mourning? Isn't that a recipe for finding distasteful criticism of said friend?

[malaise]

4. I think that the bottom line is that the same way KO comments

on others, others can comment on Russert. GEM$NBC would not cover a Kennedy death without presenting their infamous 'both sides' so why should the public be expected to tolerate this uncritical deification and canonization of Russert. Sorry KO the truth is more important than who is or is not your friend and co-worker. We all offered his family and co-workers our sympathy but the non-critical coverage was beyond vulgar. You should have taken it off TV and into the staff conference room if you only wanted eulogies.

[hlthe2b]

5. Wow, just wow....

Having lost both parents and many many friends and family members, I guess I need to take the course... Exactly what is allowed during the mourning period? I hadn't realized that "cruising the Internets" was disallowed, paticuarly if, like me, one finds sleep difficult when grief takes over.

Why must we be so all-encompassingly JUDGEMENTAL?

[grasswire]

8. there is no parallel...

...unless criticisms of your lost loved ones were all over the Internets, as they were of Russert.

The point is (and I guess I need to spell it out) that anyone cruising the Internet this weekend is likely to find criticisms of Russert (especially on political message boards). I think if I loved Tim Russert and was close to him, I would have stayed away from those.

Incidentally, many of us have lost our parents, just like you. Many of us stay up all night many nights! There is no parallel between us and my criticism of KO for going where he surely knew he would find things that felt hurtful.

[Blue State Bandit]

9. Two reasons for Keith to be on DKos..

For one, Keith pre-posts his "Special Comments" on DKos, and did so on Thursday. He also is a regular Kossack.

And second, he still has a show to do tomorrow. Would you rather him not search for content and context to offer his viewers, simply because he risks seeing some "knuckle head talking smack on his dead friend"? Should or just dedicate another full hour to Tim since looking for the next story is just too painful?

It's the weekend. It's back to work tomorrow.

[hlthe2b]

11. Hello? Keith's work involves knowing what is going on...

that includes what is said on the "internets"... I'm am sure he is quite accustomed to the criticisms found on the web, but his point is that Russert's untimely death unleashed an unprecedented shit storm of vitriol. Criticism is one thing. Exploiting a death to unleash pent up bitterness, is another.

Perhaps your beloved parents (or those of others--I don't mean to personalize this to you, grasswire) failed to instill what my mother certainly did in me: that if you want to act in a way that many would find reprehensible, DON'T assume you will not be found out.

[grasswire]

13. My parents taught me to seek truth and speak it.

And to never, ever forget that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

And they didn't teach me to cast generalized aspersions on people a la your insulting post above. Are you implying that it is reprehensible to speak truth? Are you implying that my mother and father would disapprove of my criticism of a lazy journalist?

[hlthe2b]

15. Speaking truth to power does not obviate the need for

respect for other's viewpoints, especially when they may be suffering from grief.

You didn't post the diary on DKOS, nor have I seen the extreme vitiol from your critical posts, though I haven't tried to verify. This is a general statement and not directed to you, but yes, I'm betting your parents would not have approved of hate-filled tirades on the very day of his sudden death. Again, I don't believe you delivered such, but others did and many more piled on, extending their attacks to other fellow DUers, who had nothing to do with Russert's or any other MSM actions.

My parents would have commended my speaking truth to power when the man was living--not piling on the day of his death.

[skepticscott]

17. Speaking the truth is even more important

at times like this when people are trying to whitewash it for the sake of nothing more than feelings. In such a case, I'll expose lies and attempts to cover the truth, and attack those who knowingly propagate them without shame or apology. And BTW, who exactly does this alleged "piling on" on DU affect that it shouldn't?

[hlthe2b]

18. Your fellow DUers, for one....

Respect is a two-way street. Ones own version of "truth" is just that. Others may disagree and those who manifest a failure to acknowledge that and to debate civily are being disrepectful.

[skepticscott]

23. Which is exactly why

a free and open discussion of issues, without the false limitations you would place on it, is so important. So that a more overarching version of the truth emerges from individual versions of it. Sorry to break the news to you, but if we tried to have a discussion on controversial issues without ever offending anyone, nothing of value would ever be decided.

Falsehoods, lies and attempts to obscure the truth about Russert (or anything else) neither earn nor deserve respect. And if a lot of people point out those lies vigorously, how is that "piling on"? I never knew you could have too much of the truth.

[Lex]

25. Excellent post.

:thumbsup:

[hlthe2b]

27. Take your sanctimony elsewhere. I am as critical of MSM as

any and certainly was of Russert. You do not hold the patent on truth nor honor nor courage. But, you'll need to engage others if you want to belabor this tired screed.

[skepticscott]

28. If defense of the truth and repudiation of lies is sanctimony

then I plead guilty with pride. If you think that attitude ever trumps truth, you have a long way to go.

[hlthe2b]

30. Why do you continue? Clearly, we are in basic agreement...

Do you just like to post for posting's sake? When you beat a dead horse (apropros here) it becomes sanctimony for sanctimony's sake (and not at all attractive, my friend)

[skepticscott]

12. Why?

Because the issues we're dealing with, the things that Russert let slide or flat-out enabled while posing as an objective journalist, are too critical NOT to be judgmental about. We're talking about things that potentially influence the history of the entire world and the lives of billions of people. Some people prefer to never pass judgment on an issue or a person if they think there is the slightest chance it might offend someone, or to always give equal consideration to both sides no matter how much evidence there is that one side is nonsense. Well sorry, but this is real life with real consequences, and you can't straddle the fence forever.

[hlthe2b]

16. Read my posts if you are not too blinded by generalizations

and stereotyping fellow DUers into those "with you" verus those "agin you..."

And if you are too lazy to read my posts above,I am not defending Russert nor the MSM nor any other entity. But you know that, I suspect. Straw dogs are easy arguments to defend, but that is not the case.

[skepticscott]

19. And where exactly did I do that?

If that was what you took from my post, you didn't grasp it at all, apparently. This is not about "with me" or "agin me" (as you so quaintly put it), it's about people who think that the potential for hurt feelings should override the truth which, at this level, it never does.

And as far as your not defending Russert and the MSM, when you complained about people being judgmental, what exactly were they being judgmental about, to your displeasure, if not exactly that?

[hlthe2b]

21. This has been repeated in threads since Friday--hundreds of them

Perhaps you are new to the "party." If so, continue and knock yourself out. Like the past year of vehement GD-P posts, it gets tiring after awhile and I prefer to go to other threads. Enjoy.

[skepticscott]

26. Thanks, I've been reading them

and found it hard to contain my disappointment that so many people I thought were progressive and clear-thinking had such a misguided opinion of a man who was not at all deserving of the praise that was being showered on him as a journalist. Fortunately, truth and sanity finally started to emerge.

And sorry if you're tired of things, but these issues will not go away just because you close your eyes and ears. If I feel like the intellectual content of a thread is too low, I'll move on too, but I don't waste my time looking for threads that are free of emotion or even venom, because even if they exist, it's rare that anything useful comes of them.

[Blue State Bandit]

24. Again, as distasteful as it may be,

sometimes you must play the tyrant’s game, if your goal is to temper his sword. Or you can choose to shout impotently from outside the gates.

Fitzgerald now has Russert's tesitmony on the record and under oath. What ever your disagreement with him may be, this record would not have existed if Tim Russert had not been in the position that he was.

[Patsy Stone]

6. That second thread

was because he enjoyed the infamy the first thread brought. He never expected Keith to respond, and I think he was thirsty for more notoriety.

Depending on Keith's responses (or lack of responses) he'll probably go on and start a blog talking about how Keith was a dick to him because of this. Eventually, this blogger will be embraced by the reprobates over at Olbermann Watch; and next week/month it'll end up on Page Six, and Jossip, and FOX will then do a huge report on what a dick he was to a poor, unarmed blogger. This will be brought here, and back to dKos, where the whole sorry cycle will begin anew.

[Berry Cool]

32. You got it, Patsy.

"Attention whore" is a polite term for this guy. He wantts to enjoy the fate lying in store for him if he becomes famous as being "The Ordinary Guy Who Got Unfairly Attacked By Keith Olbermann." There's a great future in it, I hear.

[NashVegas]

7. Our Democracy, and the Ability to Make Well-Informed Decisions, Takes Precedence Over KO's Feelings

And anyone else's for that matter.

I feel sad for Russert's family and co-workers; they've lost a friend, husband, father, son.


There's a movement afoot to hold him up as some shining example of a great journalist. Those who've fought to bring the truth against MSM lies of the past 8 years are on the right side of history. If the cable news channels hadn't reacted the way they have, we wouldn't be, either.

[skepticscott]

14. Exactly

Nobody's feelings outweigh the truth, not on this scale.

[XtraProudDem]

10. This is an excellent post

Good point about what Russert did to bring us Keith, Dan, Chris and Rachel.

[Blue State Bandit]

20. Thank you.

Love him, or hate him, were talking about him.

[apocalypsehow]

22. Excellent post and spot-on. K & R.

:thumbsup:

[UTUSN]

29. G.E.Russert did NOT "stand in the middle" AND he was NOT "an honest broker" AND

ferGIT "compassion"!1

But you will never get it!1

[Blue State Bandit]

31. Dancing on graves and reading post don't mix I see...

It is the legacy of Tim Russert that MSNBC has become the

closest thing to an honest broker

in the MSM.

And judging from your first mis-representation of what I wrote, I suppose the middle you speak of is far left of say, crazy man jumping on grave with PDA, with Pat Moynihan at equal distance to the right.