Tim Russert:
Timothy John Russert, Jr. (May 7, 1950 – June 13, 2008) - Journalist, Patriot, Hero:
Tim Russert was an American journalist who hosted NBC's Meet the Press. He was NBC News' Washington Bureau Chief and hosted a weekly interview program on MSNBC. He was a frequent correspondent and guest on NBC's The Today Show and Hardball. He co-hosted the network's presidential Election Night coverage and presented the polling results of the NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey on the NBC Nightly News. Russert collapsed and died at his office in Washington on June 13, 2008. -Wikipedia
Tim will be missed by not only the journalists and politicians in Washington, but also us bloggers and all people who cared about current events. He affected each and every one of us, Democrat or Republican. His uncanny ability to be "fair and balanced" held the standard by which every journalist should follow. Tim was incredibly articulate in a way that even the most uneducated and ignorant could understand his interviews. I am truly blessed to have had the opportunity to watch his show, see his analysis on television and read his articles from the multiple outlets of coverage that he would provide. He was a wonderful father, a wonderful journalist and a wonderful patriot.
Reading the extremely intelligent articles that Tim has written over the years is one of the reasons I started this blog. Seeing the impact that he had on the people around me, my country and even the world through his writing helped inspire me to become the dedicated and political savvy person I feel I am. His stress on education, rights to free speech and the importance of family, in time, may seem like just a blip in the history of Mankind...but I hope will have a lasting impact by creating a standard by which all of us can and should live by.
While sitting at home switching between the networks fighting back the tears of despair that filled my heart I came across an incredibly disrespectful situation that I feel must be made public. I hope that in posting this I can open some blind eyes to the disrespectful nature of the station that was once known as "Fox News."
Faux News:
I say "once known as" because I used to switch between CNN, CSPAN, Fox News & MSNBC as a budding political junkie. After switching between all of them I began noticing a clear bias that stemmed from Fox News towards the conservative republican side of the fence. It was clear that not only would they have more Republicans on their programs, but they would allow them to go entirely too far in the things that they say:
That is one example of the tasteless filth that Faux News actually considered "Fair and Balanced" reporting. Not only have there been MANY examples in the past...
...but the complete lack of contempt for anything that is said on their precious network is appalling and should be reprimanded.
Faux News Disrespects Tim Russert:
As I stated earlier, I was flipping through the major news channels catching up on the news of the death of Tim Russert. I held steady on CNN for a bit until they went to commercial and then I switched to MSNBC. I did this with plans of switching between the networks at every commercial so that I could, in essence, have commercial free coverage of this historic event. Commercials never came on MSNBC. I watched for a long while with great coverage including Tom Brokaw, Barbara Walters and Pat Buchanan. I began noticing the backgrounds of Tim Russert's past shows, interviews and hand shakes included politicians from all different persuasions. I remember thinking to myself "Wow, this guy knew and got along with everyone!"
It was then I remembered I wasn't switching through the networks anymore. So I switched to Faux News. Commercial. I flipped to CNN for a bit and then back to Faux News. Commercial. I switched over to MSNBC for a few minutes and again switched back to Faux News. COMMERCIAL. "What???," I said out loud. I thought, "Fine, I will wait until it comes back on." I began doing some house chores. SEVEN commercials later and we were back to the news with good ole ex-CNN morning show host, Bill Hemmer. I heard laughing. LAUGHING? Surely not...so I begin to pay attention. Sure enough, Bill Hemmer is on the phone with former Governor George Pataki (R-NY) and they are laughing? From what I could gather they were referencing a humorous moment in the intersected life of Pataki and Russert.
I held fast...determined to find some good information from what I consider a naughty and nastily biased news network. I didn't. What I DID find was so incredibly biased and disrespectful towards such an UNbiased and widely respected journalist that I got up and headed straight here to make this post.
Faux Backdrops Heard Round the World:
A great man has died. His body still being examined. His family still in shock. The country still in shock. Yet Faux News...being the "Fair and Balanced" network that they are...has decided to run the most biased side show I have ever seen.
While watching the coverage of Tim Russert's death on Faux News, I noticed Republican after Republican were interviewed, questioned and asked for their experience on Tim Russert. Almost all of them spoke of how objective and unbiased he was. While these Republicans were speaking (most with the utmost respect), Faux News was putting their own backgrounds on the screen. These backgrounds consisted of the following:
Tim Russert with George W. Bush.
Tim Russert with John McCain.
Tim Russert with George H.W. Bush.
Tim Russert with Rudy Giuliani.
Tim Russert with John McCain.
Tim Russert with Bill O'Reilly.
Tim Russert with Fmr. Gov. Pataki.
Tim Russert with John McCain.
Tim Russert with George W. Bush
Tim Russert with John Stack (Faux News Vice President)
Tim Russert with Dick Cheney
Tim Russert with John McCain.
Tim Russert with Chris Wallace.
Shocked and for lack of a better phrase, "surprisingly surprised," I turned it back to MSNBC. It almost seemed like the producers were using this opportunity (the death of a well respected journalist known for his nonpartisan reporting) to stump for John McCain!
I just couldn't believe it.
A man who lived the greater part of his life being objective and unbiased. A man who lived the last years of his life playing hardball with politicians, from Bill Clinton to John McCain to Barack Obama to George W. Bush. A man who prided himself in doing his job SO WELL that even the closest of his friends had no idea what his political persuasion was.
A man who had just died suddenly...portrayed, through backdrops, the exact opposite of the type of man he was and wanted other journalists and news networks to be.
Shameful, disgraceful...TYPICAL of Faux News.
Mr. Tim Russert, wherever you may be, I wish you eternal happiness and my thoughts are with your family to get them through what will be a very rough time. I want to thank you for all that you have done for journalism, cable news & the hearts and minds of all whose lives you touched with your loving and sincere demeaner. You have made Meet the Press a legend. Your political analysis and objective opinions will be with us forever and always.
Dan
Posts
Compliance is Not Consent
5 years ago
8 comments:
We have learned from the swift-boat experience that these liars and rumor-mongers must be challenged early.They can no longer be dismissed as something no reasonable and well informed person will see as BS.
There seems to be a principle that if you repeat something often enough, it becomes "truth."
"I think even the republicans have to admit it is time for change and I believe many will vote for Obama."
I saw this first hand at the Washington State Democratic caucus. One small businessman I talked to seemed to put it best. The Republicans ar ethe party of big business, and haven't done Main Street any good the past eight years.
if anything it seems that you're taking advantage of this opportunity to attack fox when their coverage was as respective and comprehensive of others. what would tim think of that??
sad,
First I would like to say thank you for reading my blog and making a comment. I welcome the challenge that it appears you will be. On to your comment:
I would agree with your comment except that, in my opinion, the news coverage was NOT as respective and comprehensive as the others I watched.
Had it been respectful and done with more dignity and without obvious commercialism towards McCain, I would not have had reason to post the blog entry.
Unfortunately, due to difference of opinion, the basis of your comment is invalidated.
I support Barrack Obama and I know he will win against the sluggish and old McCain who is admittingly going to continue with the Bush agenda that is just not favorable or popular right now. I think even the republicans have to admit it is time for change and I believe many will vote for Obama. I have seen all the slants against Obama and checked out Snopes.com's views and, of course, most were taken out of context or made up stories against him. He will win, I feel it and I know it. It is time to bring our boys home from a pointless and expensive war and it is time our economy get back to the days of Clinton when we made money and were enjoying ourselves despite his personal problems. Democrats, I believe, have the better agenda overall and are more for the people, of the people, and by the people. I am sadened to hear that a great democratic news analyst has died, Tim Russert of NBC's "Meet the Press". He was on our side and loved this campaign and I just watched Obama's eloquent speech of sentiment towards Russert's family and how much he respected him and is going to miss him. Russert was looking forward to seeing this campaign succeed and that, once again, a Democrat to take the White House.
This blog was posted on the Powerful Intentions website and I believe it shows us that there is a need for change right now and the impeachment of Bush is a good start.............................
Ideas For The Impeachment of the Bush AdministrationPosted by elle
Not sure if anyone is aware of this but Congressman Dennis Kucinich presented the House on Monday with 35 articles asking for the impeachment for Bush and his administration. Kucinich also vowed that if Nancy Pelosi does nothing in the next 30 days that he will present 60 more articles for impeachment.
My thought is for everyone around the globe to meditate and visualize his impeachment and to stop the new war in Iran that Condelezza Rice presented at the Bildeberg meeting. Bush wants to go into Iran after November because he does not want to hurt the republican nomination.
I have started doing this myself as of yesterday. I am staying strong through these times... I refuse to walk in fear. I am a child of God. "Ask and ye shall receive".
Peace & Love to you all
Have you heard the latest? Mike Huckabee joins the FOX Follies!
He'll be in good company with Coulter, Gibson, Hannity, and O'Reilly.
Mr. Russert...though we had never met, never spoke you had changed my life with your reporting. You made politics make sense, gave me an idea of what an un-biased reporter should look like and above all else - asked the questions that I wanted to ask. Thank you. RIP.
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