I'm sorry, but this is exactly the same type misguided, rationalized pseudo-science drivel masquerading as serious thought that the fundamentalists spew while proclaiming that women are unclean, conniving, and are only good for making babies.

How did it get into Salon??? Yes its going to be controversial, but its so trivial and anti-intellectual that it takes all of Salon down a notch or two.

Spot on.

Amongst the echo of calls for sainthood and building of a new myth it must be pointed out that, like almost all "journalists" working today, he repeatedly sold out to the right wing and the Bush administration in order gain access to these people and to keep his job.

Because of the corporate media's capitulation and pandering to the radical right over four thousand US service men and women have needlessly died along with as many as quarter of a million Iraqi men, women and children.

While Russert and his corporate media colleagues are not directly responsible, they are key enablers.

You want to canonize someone for their integrity and professionalism when they die then you will have to wait for someone like Phil Donahue who stuck to his principals and paid the price for it.

The truth can be inconvenient sometimes. It can even spoil a fine eulogy.

And these are not letters to his family.

If you want to write a goodbye eulogy filled with sweet accounts of the man's life and brush over reality, go ahead, I'm sure his widow will appreciate it.

But this is... or sometimes is, a news site. Trying to accurately convey the man's real accomplishments is what's important here. Any journalist that still claims to have any integrity would agree.

Russert, like most of the "journalists", working during the run-up to the war, had a chance to be great. But instead they chose another path.

Rest in peace to the four thousand US service men and women who have died at a much younger age than Russert. I hope they can forgive Russert and the rest of us for not speaking up or rising to the occasion.

"this is not a paen to the mainstream media, f**kwad. this is forbearance, some sense of propriety, and a modicum of class. the a$$ part you have down good and proper. G*Y."

--jeffersonian

The thought of you typing that, red faced, bloodshot eyes bugging out, has just made my day. Thank you friend. The gift of laughter is wonderful thing.

1.) No one has said anything mean, shrill or obscene about Russert. Its also interesting to see how many responses seem to imply the following... paraphrasing: "if we only knew where you were you were we'd make you shut up."

2.) I'm not sure if the objections are more to pointing out that because of Russert's pandering to the government during the run-up to the war, and after, he and his colleagues bear a degree of responsibility for the consequences of that war, or the ridiculous notion that you cannot disagree with anything wonderful said about a person who has recently died, not matter how preposterous it is.

3.) This type of debate will never happen in the media. Not because of this seemingly new rule that you must inflate the accomplishments of the recently deceased, but because he was one of them. If anyone points out that Russert has blood on his hands for his collusion to sell the Iraq war it means they do to, and they will never admit to that... If anyone did they'd be fired on the spot for if the news readers and talking heads have blood on their hands the corporate executives are covered in it.

4.) Plenty of evidence has been provided that Russert was in collusion with the government. No evidence, or even a rational argument, has been made that he was not pandering in order to get prime interviews and further his career.

is beyond the pale of polite discussion ring completely false, hollow and lame.

(except for jeffersonian who is apparently having a genuine meltdown.)

It sounds as though the flaming against anyone who would dispute a flattering falsehood concerning Russert would instantly go away if the deceased were someone with whom the flamer differed. Judging by the venom of the rants I would add that the flamers would probable rejoice in death of someone they did not like.

Russert is not being flamed, the notion that he was a great journalist of high integrity is being treated with the contempt that it deserves.

after the rants you have been posting?

take a deep breath, get out from under your sheet and turn off the flashlight, pop another pill and for God's sake put down that bottle Prozac should not be taken with alcohol ; )

Good suggestion about Bill Moyers,

Bill Maher would be even better.

Real issues would be discussed, not flag pins and who you want to have a beer with.

(Moyers would move it in that direction as well)