Why Russert Fears FitzGerald

[Me.]

Jane Hamsher
05.09.2006
Why Does Tim Russert Fear Democrats? Just Ask Patrick Fitzgerald

<<<snip>>>
“I'd like to harken back to what is probably my favorite story I've ever written on. It has to do with a footnote in a Patrick Fitzgerald filing when Russert was fighting tooth and nail to keep from having to answer the Special Counsel's questions. Russert was claiming that the general waiver signed by Scooter Libby was "coerced," and that if he testified his "sources" would never trust him again. To which Fitzgerald said:
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.

I just love that tight, brutal paragraph. I have to resurrect it every now and again if only for my own amusement.

Russert screwed over Richard Clarke. Hard. Fitzgerald knew it and he called him on it. Russert was willing to sell out the high journalistic principles he claims to cherish so stalwartly for the party and the access he values even more. He fought relentlessly to keep from helping Fitzgerald (and the public) nail Scooter Libby. How is he going to feel when people like John Conyers (whom he smeared this morning -- and Conyers fires back here) start looking into the all-too-cozy relationship that the press had with the White House in leading the country down the garden path to war?”cont…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-hamsher/why-does-tim-russert-fear_b_20656.html

*shadow government*

[C_U_L8R]

1. Isn't Tweety mixed up in this too?

Oh the mendacity !

[ShortnFiery]

2. Oh, that would warm the cockles of my widdle heart! :P eom

[Me.]

4. She Mentions Tweety

Towards the end. Though, to give him his due, he has been pounding the Plame matter the last couple of weeks, really giving it to John "God He's Awful" Fund, last night. Also, I give him points for being the one who called Wilson and told him that Rove said, "Wilson's wife is fair game".

*shadow government*

[emulatorloo]

6. Tweety HAS THE BEST PLAMEGATE COVERAGE ON TELEVISION

And it is not just his featuring of Schuster's reporting. He has excellent roundtables on the subject, has repeatly smacked down bushbots who claim the story is "unimportant" etc etc, and has repeatedly had entire shows devoted to the matter.

And tweety is the one who called JOE WILSON and tipped him off that Karl Rove was shopping Plame's identity around to reporters.

Tweety pisses me off on many occasions.

But I am sick of DU'ers putting words in his mouth and claiming he is "complicit" in this story, or burying it, or acting if he is some kind of Bill O'Reilly equivalent, or some other nonsense which simply is not true.

[TacticalPeek]

12. Let me say Amen.

Matthews has been great on Plamegate since Day One. And against the Iraq war since before Day One.

We should keep in mind the rarity of those two (public) positions amongst the corporate media. I may hate a hundred of his positions, but on these two 'Big Deal' items, his performance is aces in my book.

I confess I'm irked when progressives go off on Tweety about Plame or the war, because it becomes obvious that they either aren't paying attention or cannot identify friend from foe in these regards. Better to keep one's eyes open and alert in matters of war, peace, life, death etc.

:patriot:

[Me.]

13. And Amen To That!

I can't fault him on the Plame matter and you are right, he has also been against the war. One gets the feeling that he is incensed by the way the country was lied into it.

*shadow government*

[Garbo 2004]

14. And the reason Libby called Russert was to complain about Matthews. n/t

[roguevalley]

17. I would love to see Russert in jail, the fat bufoon.

[NNN0LHI]

3. He isn't the only one who is scared

Haven't heard Lou Dobbs complaining about how long the Fitzgerald investigation is taking lately have you?

Don

[Little Star]

10. I (sort of ) like Dobbs but

his friend Judy and his (use to be) support of her has cast a bright light on his credibility.

[marylanddem]

5. She really nails the pinhead lapdogs. n/t

[Vinnie From Indy]

7. Beautiful!

Reading this is like a breath of fresh, sweet air! I, for one, will take great delight in seeing men like Russert publicly exposed for their participation in the BushCo regime's criminal enterprises.

[Jim__]

8. Timid Timmy sucks!

and Hamsher nails him for the shit that he is.

[oxbow]

9. I think we should send this to him

As in, ALL OF US :)



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6872152/

[me b zola]

11. Russert is a pig that has been caught doing his master's bidding

I long for the day that Timmy gets publicly shamed so badly that he will never again work anywhere near the field of journalism.

[0007]

15. *shadow government*

Like Rumsfeld said this morning at the press hearing. "Iran is a dangerous nation, they are a closed society"

Tim is obviously a fool. Look at this incident.

Meet the Press moderator Tim Russert appeared on MSNBC and, like everyone else, was chattering about Cheney's put-down of Edwards, which the pundit thought was effective. But Russert, perhaps better than anyone, immediately recognized Cheney's I've-never-met-you charge wasn't true because Russert was there when Cheney and Edwards were guests on Meet the Press on April 8, 2001. Appearing the next day on the Today show, Russert, discussing the debate's pivotal moment, said, "I thought that John Edwards would call him on it right at that very moment," suggesting Russert knew, "at that very moment" that Cheney's claim was false. And yet following the debate, as Russert analyzed the event on live television he remained mum about the uncomfortable fact that the two vice presidential candidates had met on his program. Instead of deflating Cheney's attack with some relevant facts, Russert, who enjoyeed a series of exclusive Sunday morning talk show interviews with Cheney since 2001, simply sat on the facts.

[Me.]

16. There Are Many Shadows In This Story

and the biggest one is cast by Cheney using specs like Russert. Why has Russert never asked where he and Rumsfeld go twice a month, without telling their families, or anyone, where they went and can be located? There has been a coup of his making going on and Plame is the lynchpin in taking him and it down (IMHO).

*shadow government*

[corbett]

18. He Confuses The Public With Occasional Journalism

The May 7 edition of Meet The Press was harsh but not overly so in my humble opinion yet his work before the grand larceny known as Campaign 2004 was a joke. In one's quest for hard news, it can be difficult to track which week Russert is ethical and which week KKKarl has ordered him into La-la Land.