I had almost the same reaction. I never knew Mr. Jones, but he always got major credit from me for being a part of the rollicking American Football League and he was always a professional in his broadcasts, without being a bore.

Russert is kind of a Thurman Munson situation for me. It’s a little hard to know what to do when someone you didn’t especially care for dies unexpectedly.

While I detest Russert’s MSM leadership of recent years, it is very easy to feel for his family.

He didn’t seem to be evil, like Limbaugh, or Cheney, or Rohrbacher, or Rumsfeld, or Bush, or probably even dupester queen Rice…is Lou Dobbs evil? could be; Glenn Beck? probably; Michael ‘Little Weiner’ Savage? yes…etc., etc…

A zillion non-evil persons die every day, so I think the John Cole thing is right on.

I’m sure that TR was a very nice man who seems to have been a really, really nice boss, a decent person and someone who really cared about his friends and their families. That is a good thing and I admire him for that.

However, in the various eulogies for TR on MSNBC today, I found myself yelling at the TV about his “preserving the history without getting confrontational” crappola exactly that. That he was willing to not confront, but loving the idea that he was preserving what the liars said on “Meet the Press” as a noble thing strikes me as one of the worst things he did. I’m sorry but, what the hell? He loved people’s families…was soooo attentive to their wives, husbands, children, fathers, mothers but didn’t stand up and scream from the rafters when the Dick Cheneys of this world went on his show and used him to further their aims? That people’s children, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters DIED because he didn’t want to be confrontational but ‘preserve the record’?

Somebody tell me that I’m not the only one who finds this whole idea horrendous and disgusting.

RIP Tim Russert.
That having been said, however, it’s pretty damn pathetic when you have to go to the Weather Channel to get coverage of the horrific Iowa flooding lasting longer than 10 secs. before turning yet again to the 24 hr. canonization of Russert.

These death events are the times when media personalities attempt to out-dramatize each other by their punching of almost every multi-syllable word, apparently thinking that is the skill set to hone, and show off to be noticed / promoted.

This ubiquitous style is truly a pathetic disservice to their various audiences.

It seems that Mr. Russert’s prominent role in the Scooter Libby case, and his testimony that all his journalistic conversations inside the Beltway were off the record by default, has disappeared down the memory hole (with the exception of Greg Mitchell). What’s up with that?

Charlie Jones did a lot of Charger games back in the Fouts/Winslow heyday. Great voice, great announcer.

Russert. . . well, he had his moments. Few and far between, but he was far from the worst of them.

I agree with pretty much all of the criticism of Russert here and I found myself unable yesterday to craft “something nice to say” so, as my mother would have me do, I said nothing at all.

I’m sure it’s not easy having that kind of job. Who the hell wants to go to work and constantly be in everyone’s face? Wouldn’t we all rather have a good time at work and get along fabulously with everyone? Well, sure, but I know a bunch of local journalists who do the hard thing and go in and yell at people on the phone and call them all kinds of horrible names in order to get information - to do their jobs and serve the public. They get ulcers, they drink incessantly and they often die way too early, but they do the hard thing.

For some reason these reporters never move up anymore. They make waves and they spend their lives toiling away on local politics. Meanwhile, the reporters who get along fabulously with everyone get moved up.

I’m terribly sorry for Russert’s family and I think Russert had a hard job to do and was probably better at it than many of his peers and - knowing the way things work - whoever his replacement will be. That’s as nice a thing as I can say.

I miss John Chancellor.
Huntley. And Brinkley.
Peter Jennings.
Howard K. Smith. Edward R. Murrow.

Russert? Too bad.

“That people’s children, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters DIED because he didn’t want to be confrontational but ‘preserve the record’?”

But they were OTHER people’s children, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. They came from outside the Beltway, from places far away in the magical “Heartland” where people ENJOY sacrificing. They weren’t the children, mothers, fathers, sons or daughters of anyone he actually knew.

I TiVo Olbermann every night so I can whip through the dross and just watch the good stuff (i.e. no Hillary bashing, Idol, Lohan, Brittney, etc.) Usually that takes 20 minutes or so. Last night it took only two. (It takes time to press the skip button…..)

So let’s not forget that St. Little Russ was an Iraq War enabler, job he did with real gusto and did quite well. As a daughter of the Heartland, I thank him…..not. Nor will I miss him and his so-called journalism. One can only hope that the Buddhists are right and he is reincarnated as a poor citizen of non-Green Zone Iraq, where he can enjoy the fruits of his labors.

The NYT reference to Russert as a “towering figure” of journalism merely points out that today’s journalists are a bunch of pygmies compared to legends like Murrow.

Of course everyone has sympathy for his family and friends. But lets not put him on the Ed Murrow mountain.
He was maddening. He did ask tough questions, but he never got answers. When the pol weaseled, he moved on. I agree with the up thread, somewhere during the 06 election I flipped and have not watched him since.
Everybody mentions his part in Plame. That is just part of the greater shame, being Cheney’s outlet for lies and propaganda.
I give him props for his campaign night coverage, but Meet the Press was a disaster if truth is the criteria.

I had the same reaction. I can feel sympathy for his family and even for those who worked with him and for him who were grieving at their loss. But to hear them talk about how Russert shaped the way they all report politics made me sorry and sad that they don’t see it as something to be ashamed of.

I’m guessing if the boss died at work one day in any given business the employees would have a need to sit around and talk about him as the folks at MSNBC did yesterday, it’s just that most places don’t have TV cameras on while they work through their grief. So I’ll give them a break for flooding the airwaves with Nothing But Timmie while there were real stories that should have been reported (the prison escape in Afghanistan is something I wanted to hear about). But it seemed to me they all have a fundamental lack of understanding about how miserably he failed at his job and they all aspire to “continue his legacy”.

It’s a shame that so many people are willing to allow the country to suffer so they can practice congeniality and feel they are doing something good.

It was part of Russert’s problem that he couldn’t help being such a nice guy. Great for his family, friends and colleagues, but not so good for the rest of us.

I’m sorry he’s gone. I would have much preferred to see him live a long, long life and eventually repudiate his journalism. And it’s obvious the people who will inherit his position won’t be any better.

He never closed the deal and forced his lying guests to address and acknowledge their lies and obfuscations or their underlying policy objectives. Any journalist who doesn’t acknowledge publicly that the only reason famous people come on your show is for propaganda purposes (since they really have better things to do with their free time than sit in a studio with you) is lying to himself as well as his viewers. And if they are coming for propaganda purposes then their interests and goals are utterly different from yours and your viewers. And if they keep coming back? that is proof positive that your methods and their goals have meshed and you viewers can never expect an honest accounting from you or your guests. Not that we needed to guess about that since the spilling of the “get cheney on russert’s show” memo at the Plame trial.

aimai

The failure of the media to report on stolen elections gave us George Bush. The failure to report on the Bush lies gave us the Iraq mess. The media is all fluff and no substance. Where was Tim Russert when Valerie Plame was outed? We have had the worst years in the history of the United States, and the media has been on vacation. It is very difficult to share grief over such a pathetic crowd.

Well, I was saddened by Russert’s sudden passing since I have been addicted to MSNBC’s coverage of the primaries. Plus, due to the books he wrote and the tours he did in support of them, I felt I knew another side of him compared to some other journalists. That said, living in San Diego means that you knew Charlie Jones. Working my summer job at the Wild Animal Park after high school graduation, I still remember that I *heard* him come through my line before I saw him because that voice was so distinctive. You are right tbogg, he was one of the nicest people.

i think common decency dictates respect in the immediate aftermath of a death. there-but-for-the-grace and all that… so far, jane has nailed it best:

“Russert stood as a symbol of an institutional journalistic hierarchy for many of us, and bloggers right and left railed against him mightily. He took arrows on behalf of many who practiced the journalism of his era, and stood his ground.”

He was the Bush Admin’s “go to guy” when they wanted a favorable interview if you can believe what people say under oath. As such he was either a willing conduit for their lies to the American public or an idiot that didn’t know he was being played. That’s the truth and just because he is dead doesn’t mean it should be forgotten.

“Little St. Russ,” oh dear, drluba. I have Beach Boys melody churning in my head, and bits of lyrics starting to come together:

“Way up in Buffalo, where the sky is grey
There’s a boy named Tim Russert, can’t way to get away
Down to the Nation’s Capitol, onto the TV screen
To become a Sabbath Gasbag*, the likes of which we’ve never seen

He’s our Little St. Russ (Little St. Russ)…
He don’t miss no one!” etc.

*phrase borrowed from Calvin Trillin, who coined it to describe weekend-morning newsfolk

I feel badly for Russert’s family, and have enjoyed some of his election coverage, while also railing at my TV more that once during MTP. However, the full blown coverage is way over the top.

In light of that, yesterday afternoon/evening would have been an excellent time to release embarrassing news (Friday document dump). Hmmm, maybe an email to Josh Marshall’s shop is in order - think I’ll go there.

ever see the russert interview of W on MTP?

russert: hard-hitting impeccably worded question
W: mah hort, tim. mah gut. it’s hord work, tim, it’s hord work.
rusert: next hard-hitting impeccably worded question

you spent the entire hour hoping to hear russert say, ”excuse me, mr.
president, not only did you fail to answer the question, you also
failed to address it, and i’m not even sure that was english.”
but of course you never did.

compare that to his interview of howard dean …

russert: hard-hitting impeccably worded question
dean: perfectly adequate factual answer
russert: NOT GOOD ENOUGH!! and why DON’T you know the number of
troops in iraq?!?

because the republican oligarch who controlled russert’s career reely
didn’t want dean to be the nominee. and his wish was tim’s command.
for twenty-five years.

you might wish a cretaceous extinction on all the fat faces round the
gasbag table except for one thing: the thirty-somethings that
replace them will be even worse. at least the russert generation know
they’re whores. The Next Generation will just assume that’s how the
game is played.

you’re not a reporter, you just play one on tv. frame everything the
way the rnc wants it framed. repeat every meme the rnc wants to hear.
above all else, follow russert’s law: never demand an honest answer
from a republican. absolutely never. and you too can have a mansion
on nantucket. just like timmie.

Better people have been dying everyday, what makes him so special? Bueller, Bueller?

Why do I love tbogg? Well, let me see,
“I never, not even once, watched Tim Russert on Meet The Press. I just have better things to do than watch so-called “news-makers” shows on TV.”
My man.

skippy agrees w/tbogg and john cole.

I’m old enough to remember seeing Murrow do the news live in black and white. Now there was a man and a journalist.

One more who generally does not watch Sunday shows, of any kind. I read the entire obituary in the NYT and could certainly fathom why this was a bad thing for the people who knew Tim Russert.

I don’t remember him doing AFL games (that’s a touch too old for me. But I loved hearing him do AFC games on NBC for years. Utter class. Always managed to make even blowout games seem interesting.

No offense to the friends and family of Tim Russert, but hearing that Charlie Jones died definitely affected me more.

And MSNBC spending FIVE FREAKIN’ HOURS covering nothing but his death, at a time when half of Iowa is underwater, is Exhibit A in how fucked up the media in this country is.

If you think they’re overdoing the coverage now, just wait until he rises from the dead on MTP this morning.

Charlie Jones. Along with Dick Stockton, one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet in sportscasting. Hell, he was a nice guy, period.

I can’t remember which Olympics it was but Jones was calling a race and he got the winner wrong. How did he handle it? “It is nobody’s fault but our own.” It was beautiful. I knew people who knew him though I never had the pleasure of meeting him personally. All who knew him said the same thing–you didn’t like Charlie and you didn’t like people. I’ll miss him.

Legend has it that as Shoeless Joe Jackson was leaving the courthouse during the 1919 Blacksox trial, a young boy begged of Jackson, “Say it ain’t so, Joe.”

Too bad there was no one to say, as Tim Russert was leaving courthouse after his testimony in the Scooter Libby prosecution, “Say it ain’t so, Tim.”

When small men cast long shadows the sun is going down.
~Venita Cravens

I’m mystified as to why CNN went to candidates Obama and McCain for hagiographic quotes (and why they felt compelled to deliver them), which were plastered over the screen during the 5 minutes I watched yesterday.

I’m sorry, I mean sad for the man’s family but really - a journalistic giant he was not.

If I weren’t 2000 miles away from you, I’d give you a high five for never having watched Tim Russert. Sundays are too valuable to spend watching newsmaker-and-pundit programs. The only place I’ve ever watched him is on clips posted at C&L and other blogs. May he RIP, but I’m also with John Cole on this one.

Bob Keeshan was a TV personality with more of a positive lasting impact on our lives.

My first thought about Russert will always be that Cheney’s group saw him as a vehicle for getting their message out. That kind of says it all.

His ’sacrifice’ could’ve been avoided if he’d exercized more and did push-aways(from the dinner table) more often.

If Bob Keeshan were around today, Glenn Beck and his fellow bottom-feeders would be questioning his close relationship with Mr. Greenjeans.

A lot of people have a problem with the way Russert defined his job. His death doesn’t change that.

Politics is not a horse race. It does a disservice to all of us for the media to simply handicap it as such, and it offers up the opportunity for cynical political media handlers to manipulate the narrative.

We have one political party which is often venal and incompetent, and another which is militaristic abroad and authoritarian at home. The truth is not found by staking a position precisely in the middle between the two. Russert, however, embodied this approach, which is really perhaps the only viable strategy to maintain some vestige of journalistic integrity while at the same time living the life as an inside-Washington power player.

For the professional pundit, the key to longevity is to walk the middle ground, no matter how thick the sewage is across the path.

RIP, Tim. You were good at what you did. It’s a shame that what you did, IMHO, did not serve the best interests of the Republic or the world, but peace be on you and your loved ones.

Bob Keeshan was a TV personality with more of a positive lasting impact on our lives.

Capn - I watched the Capn hundreds & hundreds of hours and learned important things for life.

Timmeh - Parts of a few shows here & there. I learned that I had to change the channel if I didn’t want to replace the teevee. “Where’s the fucking follow-up? Get him to answer your goddamn question! Do you know he is lying to you, or don’t you care?” FFFUUUCCCKKK!!!”

Okay, I fully admit, I am not exactly in my “happy place” right now. When I’m home, and there’s nothing on I particularly want to watch, I put on music. )Lately I’ve been in a “Dire Straits”/”Mark Knopfler” kinda mood, but “Brother” or “Seven Nations” works too.

My dad is in his second week of radiation for prostate cancer (the surgery didn’t work). I wasn’t able to spend the weekend with him, and I desperately need to see him while he still allows me around - I’m afraid he’s a bit too proud to let us close to him once the side effects hit hard and he starts being sick all the time and losing his hair, he has the most beautiful, thick snow-white hair. There’s an 80 percent chance the radiation will work, and I plan to go see him this week, but I can’t help feeling I should have been with him on Father’s Day.

Instead, I traveled 6 hours south and spent the weekend with my husband and his father who is dying. He’s an old soldier, so he has it set up for his kids who are there at the flag ceremony to lay a few hundred on the bar to cover the tab and buy everyone who shows up a drink. He did two tours in Vietnam, where he was exposed to agent orange, which we know causes one of the different kinds of cancer from which he has suffered over the past few years. His emphysema is self-inflicted from years of chain-smoking, and he climbed in the bottle to medicate the pain from the wounds that don’t show - he talks about the rescue missions in the Belgian Congo, and sometimes he’ll talk about Japan, but he never talks about the rescue missions or any of the other stuff that happened in Vietnam while his five children grew up without him.

And while we were sitting at his house, checking his meds to make sure he’s taking what he should WHEN he should, to give him the days or weeks he has left with as little pain as possible..and while we were listening to his last wishes and directives about how he wants everything handled, from distribution of what little he owns to who to notify at the end and who has his will to signing legal papers to make sure his children have equal access to his money and power of attorney for when the time comes..the tv was on in the background (he always keeps the tv on, he says it’s company, but he only turns the sound down when we’re all there). And all day long, on every channel he normally watches, was nonstop talk about Tim Russert.

It was surreal somehow.

I’m truly sorry for his family - my own husband had a bout of congestive heart failure a couple months ago, at age 48, and I know EXACTLY how close we came to losing him - but DAMN, LET IT GO! We all know he had family and friends who loved him - what more could a person want?

But even with the business of death, life goes on.

I’m sorry, as I said, I’m not in my happy place right now. My apologies for venting.