There wasn’t much I agreed with Tim Russert about, but I always respected him. I think we lost a lot of objectivity when he passed away.
I have to admit it. I’m a political junkie. I watch as much of the talking heads each Sunday morning as I can get away with; much to the dismay of my family. It’s a ritual. I curl up on the sofa and yell at the TV. Well, I don’t actually yell the entire time. I do manage a few moments of calmness during Fox News Sunday. The remaining shows are so slanted to the left that it’s a miracle I don’t slide off the sofa and into the street; but I digress.
The replacement of Tim Russert on Meet The Press with David Gregory was the worst choice NBC could have made. NBC didn’t then, and doesn’t now, have a pool of objective journalists to choose from. In fact there isn’t a one amongst the entire pack. The NBC news division is a putrid collection of left-wing activists masquerading as reporters. There are some commentators that are openly liberal, and I can accept that. However, in a role such as the moderator of Meet The Press, Gregory is simply incapable of moderating or questioning those who don’t share his radical thinking without exposing his lefty leanings.
This morning, Eric Cantor, Republican Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, made an appearance on Meet The Press, for a one-on-one discussion with Gregory. It was a farce, to say the least. Gregory started the discussion by beating Leader Cantor about the Republicans purposed reduction of 100 billion dollars of spending in this fiscal year. He wanted specifics, when he knew full and well that nothing would be discussed until the President released his budget. Failed gotcha moment number one.
Then Gregory, failing to pin down Cantor on budget cuts, attempted to paint the Republican’s performance in repealing Obamacare akin to the ramrod manner that the Democrats used to enact the law last year. It’s laughable, and shows Gregory for what he is. Let’s compare 7 hours of debate on a law that simply states it repeals the 2000 page Obamacare legislation to the attempts made by the House under Pelosi’s control to enact the law without ANY debate or vote. Of course, that failed, however to make this a fair comparison, they would had to have had 394 hours of debate on Obamacare. Everyone knows that didn’t happen. Obama going out on the campaign trail to try and sell that abomination doesn’t count as debate, it’s marketing. Therefore, the 7 page repeal law should’ve only had 9 minutes of debate to be comparable. Gregory, of course neither mentioned nor conceded that.
Gregory’s attitude and questioning of Cantor was so tilted, in every aspect, I would recommend that all Republican leadership, in both houses, refuse to do that show again until Gregory is canned. He simply is incapable of being unbiased. If Republicans want to be villified, go ahead, but what’s the point?
And that brings us full circle. Tim Russert, though clearly a liberal, was an exceedingly fair man. Much of this comes from his time working as special counsel, and later as Chief of staff, to U.S. Senator Daniel Moynihan. There are many characteristics of Moynihan that were evident in Russert. Both had a liberal view of the world, but both were thinkers and pragmatists. They could respect and hear opposing views. It was this ability, to be open to discuss and listen to all sides of an argument that made them who they were. Gregory shares none of these qualities. He carries his left-wing bias like a badge of courage. His claim to fame was his disrespectful and attacking manner in press conferences with then President Bush. And he carries that approach onto the set of Meet The Press, but you only see it when he’s talking with Republicans. He is, in my mind, single-handedly destroying a show that was part of the political fabric of the nation.
Note to Mr. Gregory: If you believe in bipartisanship; if you believe in a better tenor in Washington; if you believe in fairness, do your network, country and profession a favor: resign.