Tim Russert died.

Comments

[Roger Greene]

I considered him the giant in that industry. Sad day.

[Jeffrey Sykes]

I agree. He was one of the best. I will never forget him on election night 2000 shaking his head in amazement as he pulled out the white board and tallied up various electoral college scenarios.

I have taken recently to listening to MTP on Monday podcasts and am glad that I did.

[Ged Maheux]

So sad. The man was totally full of life and loved his job to the core. He really was looking forward to this year's election season, what a pity he's gone.

Meanwhile over at the NYT they had to turn comments off on the Russert post thanks to some misguided right-wingers who couldn't resist making claims of liberal bias and generally bad mouthing the reporter to the world. Quite disgusting. Some folks just never learn when to shut their yaps I guess.

[Ged Maheux]

Wow, correction. They (NYT) turned comments back on, but excised the offending remarks. You can see comment # 7 referring to Lesley's post which used to be comment #2. Well done NYT!

[Brad Krantz]

I was in Washington back in March 2004 for a talkradio confab. Was by myself. Walked into Legal Seafoods, sat down at the counter, and next to me was Tim Russert. I introduced myself to him, told him how much I appreciated his work, and he was exactly the same jovial, decent guy you've seen all these years. Most pleasant, not full of himself. How utterly unfair for this to happen. This guy had absolute, 100% respect from those within the industry, because they knew just how good he was. Meet the Press was a dying dinosaur of show with a stale format hosted by ????? for many years until Tim Russert took it over and completely revitalized and revolutionized it. His model is copied by all the others... the concept of playing clips of someone right to their face when they say the opposite of what they said in the past, or putting their quotes up on the screen. That's one tough act to follow.

[jw]

I was so looking forward to seeing him here in the fall.

[Spag]

The best and most fair television journalist of his time. He will be greatly missed. Sunday morning will never be the same.

[Lenslinger]

I came within hailing distance of Russert at the Wake Forest Presidential debate. Wanted to approach him but there were too many techs between me and him. I always admired his affable way of skewering blowhards from either party. He was also refreshingly rumpled in an era where on-air talent is measured by the cheekbone. In short, he made proud to be a broadcaster. Not many people I can say that about.

[Jim Buie]

I ran into Tim Russert and James Carville at a Washington Nationals baseball game in 2005 -- he was an exuberant, regular guy.

[Alan Cone Bulluck]

American politics will never be the same. I'm really sad right now. What a great American. It's safe to say that Tim Russert got me interested in politics. Politics was a "debate" between the haves and the have nots before I watched him on election night in November of 2000. He made it into a sporting event, which, let's all be honest, it is, in the long run. What a healthy way of looking at such a divisive topic. Those are shoes that will never be filled.

[Brad Krantz]

The first 30 minutes of C-Span Saturday morning at 7am were devoted to calls about Tim Russert. Most were decent and respectful. Others could not help themselves, and felt compelled to bring up issues like: "too much about his father... we've all had fathers you know, I was sick of hearing about his" "don't we have anything better to talk about, like high gas prices?" "maybe Meet the Press can go back to its original format, with 3 or 4 journalists respectfully questioning a newsmaker, instead of it being The Tim Russert Show."

This must be a difficult weekend for Bill OReilly (he was off Friday night). His jihad continues against NBC News for hating America, singularly promoting Obama, parent GE for allegedly doing business with Iran, and employing the surging, hateful Keith Olberman, whose 25-54 ratings (the ones that matter) frequently equal or exceed his. I expect him exempt Tim Russert from his colleagues and praise him, while not meaning it, since Russert attained the near-universal respect of his peers that OReilly will never gain.

[Bill]

Such a huge loss. I always felt he was talking to me. He seemed like such regular person, like a co-worker was talking to me. The kind of broadcaster who wouldn't use someone's death to attack Fox News or Bill OReilly. I've never read Tim Russert's books. I'm looking forward to them.

[Brian Clarey]

I'm surprised at how sad this makes me. I always liked Russert. But I always liked Buckley, too, and when he passed I just didn't feel the same anmount of grief I do today.
Matt Lauer choked up a couple times this morning on "Today." I did too.

[Spag]

I woke up still very sad about Russert's passing. Like others, I am surprised at how upsetting this is. I think it is because Russert was such a likeable guy and a familiar face every Sunday morning.

Brad, before you go off on a FOX rant here are a few things:

1) Roger Ailes sent a letter to NBC when he heard about Russert's death praising the man. That little asshole Olbermann didn't even read it on the air like he did everyone else's so who is being petty?

2) FOX News spent the whole evening covering Russert's death with person after person talking about what a great guy he was. They even had Jack Welch on Hannity & Colmes. FOX treated Russert with just as much respect and sadness as MSNBC. But somehow you try to make this about O'Reilly?

3) Olbermann is probably salivating over the prospect of moving up the food chain now. It's no secret that he has been pushing David Gregory and Chris Matthews around. Russert was not a fan of Olbermann or Matthews.

4) The wonderful folks over at Kos are already promoting Olbermann to replace Russert. Shameful not to mention idiotic.

5) Olbermann's ratings in the prized demo are an illusion. The only time Olbermann beats O'Reilly is when O'Reilly isn't on the air or shows a rerun, and even then O'Reilly usually beats Olbermann. Olbermann beat O'Reilly in the 25-54 demo maybe three total weeks over the past two years. Other than that, it has been all O'Reilly. In fact, O'Reilly beat Olbermann 4 out of 5 nights last week in the 25-54 demo.

6) The last time Olbermann beat O'Reilly for ONE night in that demo, the news was greeted with great fanfare on your radio show and elsewhere. Of course, when O'Reilly went right back to kicking Bathtub Boys ass in that demo, you didn't comment on it nor did anyone else. Why is that?

7) Question: Why don't you despise Olbermann for the same reasons you despise O'Reilly? The only difference besides the level of smugness is that one is a coward who doesn't allow opposing views on his show and the other isn't. I'm no fan of either, but I do respect O'Reilly more for having people on who don't agree with him.

[Brad Krantz]

I'm sure Olbermann is probably just about as creepy a guy as is Bill O, but it's simply true that 5 years ago when Coundown started, OReilly had at least a 10 to 1 lead over MSNBC in the 25-54 demo, where the advertising money is. Ten to One. The overall audience number is irrelevant because the huge majority for Fox all day and night long is composed of 55+. Fox has the oldest average audience of the 3 cable news "channels.

The gap has been essentially closed from 10 to 1 to near parity. There are still nights where Bill wins by a 20 or 30% margin, but many where he doesn't or actually gets beat. I'm not sure where you get your figures, Sam, but the week of June 2-June 6 (excluding June 3, election night), Countdown averaged 477,000 viewers in the demo vs OReilly's 472,000. That's a four show average, goosed by the night Olbermann had Scott McClellan (June 4) where he beat OReilly by 62,000. That would be the first time MSNBC beat Fox at 8pm for the week since June 2001. I get my figures as published by mediabistro.com/tvnewser.

The point is that one can explain OReilly's near-pathological obsession with Olbermann and NBC because he's under tremendous pressure while trying to act the big man who can't be bothered with such trivialities. No one is allowed to say Keith Olberman's name on Bill's show, Bill will not utter his name, either..

Roger Ailes sending a kind letter over is a classy thing to do. I assume one would have to have been watching MSNBC all night to be sure Olbermann never acknowledged it. If true, he should have. Why didn't OReilly call into his own show last night for a tribute? He's done so for much more trivial things in the past than the death of Tim Russert. It seems that everyone you can think of, from President Bush on down, was able to make a statement.

Even that rather strident partisan, the anti-liberal, anti-MSM Media Research Center guy Brent Bozell, who also runs Newsbusters.org, said this... and notice the language he used:

"Whenever I've been asked to give examples of a fair, balanced and honest journalist, Tim Russert's name was the first name that came to mind. This was a view shared by everyone and the ultimate testimony to his professionalism. As a moderator he was in a league of his own, always knowing when to speak and when to let his guests do the talking. As an individual he was an absolute class act, and always a gentleman. The world of journalism is vastly diminished today."

The egomaniac OReilly is the opposite of everything in that paragraph, although he may fancy himself otherwise. Just a few weeks ago, OReilly was whining because Scott McLellan went on other shows besides his.
OReilly has this delusion that his show is the must-appear-on program for politicians (look what it did for Hillary), and surely can't stand the fact that it was always Meet the Press with Russert that was the gold standard.

To see Bill at his classiest recently regarding Tim Russert, go to YOUTUBE and seach this phrase: "Bill O'Reilly Should Apologize to Tim Russert Family"

[Fec]

O'Reilly's heart is fine.

[Spag]

Brad, check out the latest ratings at http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/ratings/.

You accuse O'Reilly of being obsessed with Olbermann? Every night Olbermann rails against FOX. EVERY night. "Fixed News" "Fox Noise" "Worst Person in the World". I would hazard to say that at least 1/4 of Olbermann's bit is attacking FOX News. You have the obsession completely reversed.

Olbermann is the most smug and arrogant SOB on television and a coward to boot. Nobody at NBC likes him. Gregory doesn't. Matthews doesn't. Russert didn't. I watched Brokaw being interviewed about Russert last night by Olbermann and he said something that I believe was directed right at Olbermann when he said it is our job to keep Tim's high standards in place.

Nobody who has ever worked with Olbermann likes him. They hate him at ESPN and at FOX and now at NBC. If it weren't for his relatively high ratings (for MSNBC at least), he would have been fired already.

Russert was the gold standard and I suspect he was more than a little ashamed that Olbermann and Matthews to a lesser extent were on his network. Having Olbermann, a bitterly partisan hatchet man (who also writes for Kos) host the coverage of Tim Russert's death was a travesty. Russert exemplified fairness, honesty, and toughness whereas Olbermann is a partisan, bitter, smug, condescending coward. Tim was a real journalist of the highest caliber. Olbermann is a ranting television shock jock.

[Fec]

Wrong, Spagarhea.

[Ged Maheux]

Olberman a coward? Yes, having the balls to rant about the Bush administration in the middle of incredible pressure from the media establishment or the White House itself is nothing but yellow in my eyes Sam. At least he has the guts to say what others either can't or won't no matter what.

I personally don't CARE if anyone else he works with likes him or dislikes him (I'd also challenge you to provide evidence that they all hate him), he serves an important function in opinion TV, that of providing an *opposing voice* to the Hannity, Ingraham, Limbaugh, Boortz, Savage infested nature of talk radio and TV. This is also why his ratings have skyrocketed lately and why you and others on the right can't stomach the man. I find it delightful that you now get a taste of what the rest of us have been force fed for the past decade with O'Reilly and his ilk.

I think I hear the world's smallest violin playing for you. Better learn to deal with it.

[David Wharton]

Ged: "force fed"? C'mon. I don't watch either Olbermann or O'Reilly. You don't have to, either.

I've been trying for the past couple of years to keep myself away from those who would fuel my outrage for their own ratings. I'm not always successful, but in general it's making me happier. I recommend it.

[Spag]

O'Reilly has people on his show that disagree with him. Olbermann doesn't. No wonder you like him so much. Olbermann is a coward. I can deal with Olbermann the same way you deal with O'Reilly- by not watching him.

Olbermann is strictly for wingnuts who only want to have their opinions reinforced. Usually the same kind of people who accuse conservatives of being narrow minded.

As recently as a week ago, there was a report that Russert was concerned about Olbermann's negative effect on the reputation of NBC News.

[Beelzebubba]

The Clintons have denied any involvement in the death of Tim Russert. Hillary claimed it was a vast right wing conspiracy.

[Ged Maheux]

"O'Reilly has people on his show that disagree with him."

No he doesn't. He has people on with viewpoints that might oppose him, but whom he can either bully or cut their mic to. Why hasn't he had the President of Media Matters on his show? Or Bill Moyers? Or a host of others that don't agree with him? Because he can't bully them. The closest thing that has come to this was when he had Phil Donahue on and I give him points for that. But it happens only very rarely.

And for the record I do watch O'Reilly from time to time Sam. Do you watch Keith at all? Ever? Also Olberman's show isn't s shout-fest, never has been so I'm confused as to why you think he'd have on guests that lean right or disagree with him? Countdown isn't devoted to boosting ratings by pumping yelling, pointing and O'Reilly like tactics.

I have no doubt if both Olberman and O'Reilly came to a 3rd party show to discuss the issues, Keith would wipe the floor with him.

[Fred Gregory]

Watch
this,

if you have a strong stomach, as Chris Mathews uses death of Russert to display elitism

[Ged Maheux]

Watched that entire clip Fred and you're right, an absolutely disgusting stomach turning display. After all, who wants to hear one of Tim Russet's peers praise him for exposing the lies of the Bush administration which plunged this country into needless war or exposing the racism of David Duke or how Tim Russert would put everyone's feet to the fire, be they Democrat or Republican? That kind of shit just doesn't fly. I personally could barely stand to hear Matthews tell how much of a professional Russert was and how the truth was the thing that mattered the most to him. Truth that flies in the face of those who choose not to listen. People like yourself.

[Fred Gregory]

Well, as usual Ged, you entirely missed the point !

Matthews was in an elist way demeaning Russert as a stupid, gulible, red blooded, All-America , Joe 6 pack, jerk. Are you deaf or just obtuse ?

Instead of spewing out Daily Kos talking points how about reading some thoughtful commentary on the war like:

This

[Jim Rosenberg]

I will miss the genuine enthusiasm and respect Russert exhibited for ideas and the people who hold them. It seemed a lone counterpoint to the cynicism and disgust of so many of his colleagues, and the culture as a whole.