Did Tim Russert lie to our faces this morning?

[dsc]

While interviewing Howard Dean Russert claimed the following:

MR. RUSSERT: When I was in Iowa, I read a letter to the editor in The Des Moines Register, which caught my attention. And this is what it says. "Now, I know how Howard Dean gets his exercise while he's on the campaign trail. He drops to his knees to beg `Washington insiders' to endorse him, and then he jumps up to insult them. I'm guessing he does about 20 repetitions of that a day."

In retrospect, you embrace Al Gore, you embrace Tom Harkin, a U.S. senator for 20 years, you fly down to meet with Jimmy Carter. Did an outside insurgent campaign get too close to the Washington establishment?

end of quote

The letter in question just happened to have been written by the chair of the Minnesota Kerry campaign. Let me be blunt here. I find this very, very, difficult to believe. Did Russert lie to protect another campaign? Did he lie by not labeling the author of the letter correctly? Barring truth serum we will never know for sure but I have to say I am very suspicious.

[RetroLounge]

1. of course he lied.

was his mouth moving?

[question everything]

2. Did Russet know that this letter was not from an Iowan?

How was the letter signed?

[dsc]

6. I have no idea

as Russert didn't show us that. He had the name, and only the name, in very small print at the bottom of the screen.

[question everything]

9. If Russert was not aware of the identity then he did not lie n/t

[dsc]

10. I find it very hard to believe he read and remembered that letter

and he did have the name as he gave it to us. The man is a reporter. Or so he claims. It took the Dean website less than 3 hours to ferret out the ID of this man. Russert, if he is telling the truth had not one week, not two weeks, but three weeks to ferret this out. That is 168 times as long and remember he ferrets out information for a living.

[Cassandra]

3. Were his lips moving?

Of course he knew.

[Raya]

4. Dupe. Beautiful slime, again,and again and again. But meaningless

[dsc]

8. Point out my lie

or apologize.

[baby_bear]

5. Do you have a link to the letter?

What is the name of the letter writer?

s_m

[dsc]

7. I gave you the info he gave me

I know the rest from the Dean website. But shouldn't Russert have given the info.

[DFLforever]

11. Letter writer Jim Bootz, Chaska MN is state director of MN Kerry

http://desmoinesregister.com/opinion/stories/c2129999/23269075.html

Now I know how Howard Dean gets his exercise while he's on the campaign trail. He drops to his knees to beg "Washington insiders" to endorse him, and then he jumps up to insult them. I'm guessing he does about 20 repetitions of that a day.

Jim Bootz
Chaska, Minn.

from the John Kerry blog


http://blog.johnkerry.com/blog/archives/000742.html

Minnesota State Director Jim Bootz reports back from this weekend’s intense Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner. He and a cohort of staff and volunteers traveled to Iowa and were part of the team that made this event such a success.


The letter came from the Kerry campaign! How surprising is that? Kerry pulling in chit from media whore.

:puke:

[dsc]

12. Now I really don't believe Russert

There had to be close to 40 letters published on that day. Yet he just so happened to remember that letter. The words oh really come to mind.

[baby_bear]

13. I agree that this is disturbing

The letter writer should have been identified as a Kerry campaign employee. But even if the newspaper was ignorant of that fact, I have a hard time believing Russert didn't know when he asked the question. It was obviously easy to track down.

What now, a letter to Russert's management? To the editor of the newspaper that printed the letter?

This definitely deserves some response.

s_m

[NewYorkerfromMass]

14. No matter who wrote it: inside/outside irony has been pointed out by many

Howard's 'outsider' image was greatly contradicted once Gore et al. line up at his side.

[dsc]

15. So when Russert lies about Kerry that will be OK too?

It matters to me if the press is honest. Tell me since you don't care now, why should I care when they lie about Kerry?

[Skip Intro]

16. Nah, Kerry can just change the subject to Dean

Seems to be the strategy so far, whenever questions about Kerry come up.

Ought to work really well in the general.

[baby_bear]

17. dsc, at least let the Dean campaign know

Write or call them and tell them what you figured out...they will appreciate it.

I still find it disturbing. The operative should have identified himself in the letter.

s_m

[dsc]

18. they do know

it is from then that I found out his position. They had it posted 3 hours later.

[Raya]

19. Why are Numerous Dupes of Attacks on Kerry Allowed?

Can't Kerry attackers come up with solid arguements on the
issues instead of speculative slimy innuendo.


Inflamatory Dupe!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=246354

[dsc]

20. You have an alert button

Use it. If you don't know where it is, look at the bottom left of the post. And you will note this isn't an attack on Kerry but on Russert. Hint, if I wanted to attack Kerry I would have typed Kerry in the headline. I typed Russert, not Kerry. Kerry starts with K, Russert starts with R. My typing is bad, my spelling is worse, but I do know the difference between Kerry and Russert.