Meet Tim Russert -- the new administration shill

Posted by Mission Man at 9:18 PM

I finally caught yesterday's edition of Meet the Press late last night (transcript here), and I am once again absolutely astonished that anyone can call the mainstream media "liberal."

Tim (I'm the easiest guy to get V.P. talking points through) Russert had four guests: two Dems and two Repubs. The Democrats were former Congressman Tom Andrews, director of the Win Without War coalition, and Congressman Joe Sestak, retired vice admiral of the U.S. Navy; while the Republicans were former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, author of "No Retreat, No Surrender", and Richard Perle, former chairman of the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board.

Once again, Russert refused to act anything like a serious moderator. He didn't question Perle when he kept trying to turn the word "redeployment" into "cut and run;" he didn't do anything to stop DeLay's continuous allegations that anyone who opposes this war (or worse, goes out and protests) is "aiding and abetting the enemy." For those of you not familiar with the Constitution, that's a flagrant slander -- accusing someone of treason on national television.

However, the funny part was watching DeLay attempt to lecture a retired Vice Admiral of the United States Navy on military strategy -- and then trying to say that he has better sources in the military. This is priceless --

"REP. SESTAK: ...Tom, you're right it's about security, ultimately, our security, that we can be better and bring about a better security for the United States throughout this world.
FMR. REP. DeLAY: But surrender does not bring security.
MR. PERLE: You must be...
REP. SESTAK: Tom, it's a different strategy.
FMR. REP. DeLAY: No, it's surrender.
REP. SESTAK: That brings about a more--no. Tom, we've learned so much in the military that...
FMR. REP. DeLAY: "This is hard, so I want to surrender."
REP. SESTAK: Absolutely not.
FMR. REP. DeLAY: That's exactly what it is.
REP. SESTAK: You never just keep banging your head against the wall, we learn in the military. Is there a better way to go about it? And that's what this bill does is it takes the last leverage we have to make it happen."

Why isn't DeLay working on his defense right now in his corruption case, and why is Russert even allowing him to have a platform on what is arguably the most important of the Sunday talk shows? Not only that, but at the end of the interview Russert actually shills for DeLay's book.

Some things I guess I just don't understand. One thing I do understand, however, is that NBC really needs to do something about letting Russert continue to be a mouthpiece, or at least a facilitator for the Bush administration. He's gotten to be almost as bad as the Faux Noise Channel.