Reply #45: . Isn't this the real legacy of George Bush and Dick Cheney?

[grantcart]

that when a fairly decent guy dies that we cannot simply think about that but he has to be evaluated on how effective he was in exposing their crimes and their lies?

Let me put this another way. If Al Gore had taken the oath of office in 2001 Russert would have been viewed as a great journalist.

The path of Bush/Cheney destruction is wide and deep. A number of honorable people failed to believe that Bush/Cheney would use the cover of 911 to manufacture fradulent war.

Your well balanced piece captures Russert's failure. He had a lot of successes as well. I see Russert as another victim of the perifidy of Bush/Cheney.

You lay out a hard metric

I can’t help but wonder how many of our own would not have perished if the so-called “newsmen” – who now wail like inconsolable children – had, even once, questioned this administration’s justification for war, this government’s total disregard for the humane treatment of others, this group of war-profiteers who lined their pockets while American troops went into battle without sufficient weapons and body-armour – while citizens went hungry, while Iraqi children were mutilated, while torture became “acceptable”, while the Constitution and the rule of law were cast aside as unworthy of nightly coverage on what is jokingly referred to as “the news”.

How many Democrats in Congress and the Senate would fail this standard?

If there had been a more organized and united voice by the Democrats (along with some vocal Republicans) wouldn't it have informed people like Russert? Wouldn't MTP have reflected the disagreement in the country, amongst our elected officials, if there had in fact been a stronger response by the Democrats?

How striking it was that we had such an outstanding line of Presidential candidates - and how many of them had to apologize for their votes.

Every word in your OP is true. The ultimate blame however is not with the MSM, or the Democrats who failed to speak out, the blame lies with the Bush/Cheney misuse of power when the country was vulnerable in the midst of great grief and had been sold a bill of goods.

Yes Tim Russert bought the lies and should have asked tougher questions. So should have the Senate and the House.

It does in fact magnify how very fortunate we are as a party and a country to have somebody that we can follow who in fact has met the high bar that you have applied to the MSM and should have also applied equally to those elected to ask questions who did not.

The country has been mistreated terribly by Bush/Cheney and the casualties are in cemetaries, hospitals, and in careers of promising men and women who missed their mark by trusting their government.

We are very fortunate to have someone who passed your bar to help restore that trust.