For the most part, I agree with you, M.J. The coverage of Russert's death has left me with the impression that the man himself was a generous human being and a kind soul, but his passing does not change my opinion of his work as a journalist. Russert contributed mightily to the "gotcha" style of journalism that is now so prevalent on television. His standard practice was to cross-examine his interview subjects using their own statements as exhibits. On the surface this seems the essence of fairness, but mostly it was just tiresome. His obsessive focus on niggling details often obscured more significant issues. (His performance as a debate moderator during the primary season was particularly disgraceful.) And even though the TV eulogizing has depicted him as being above "the fray," in many ways he was at the center of that fray.

Still, I do mourn the man. His personal warmth came across on television. And I think the reaction to his death has much more to do with who he was as a person than who he was as a journalist.

Posted at June 17, 2008 10:55 AM in response to Going Overboard on Russert

Odd opening line to the post here. "In a possible recognition ..."? "..could become more of a liability than a plus ..."? I think it's possible that your supposition could be incorrect! As other commenters have pointed out, Obama's simply stating the obvious. He's not clarifying HIS position, he's correcting McCain's characterization of his position. One reason I prefer reading TPM to watching political news on televsion is that TPM rarely engages in the "He said, She said" variety of news analysis so pervasive on television. I say rarely because this post at least nibbles at the edges of that type of analysis.

Posted at May 29, 2008 10:54 AM in response to Obama Clarifies Position On Meeting With Foreign Leaders

Count me as quite happy to read the work of Ta-Nahesi Coates on TPM. Enjoyed your recent piece on Bill Cosby in the Atlantic Monthly, sir. I just hope that the kneejerk responses of race-sensitive commenters don't drive you away.

Posted at May 13, 2008 11:08 AM in response to The Negro Sings Of Zionism

And Hillary is a consistent liberal voice who never winks and nods in the direction of "centrists" or conservatives. Right. I heard a rumor she has some connection to the DLC ...

Posted at April 27, 2008 12:57 PM in response to Obama Doesn't "Take Fox On," After All

I think it's patently obvious that Obama did, in fact, "take on" Fox News. He certainly took Fox on in the sense that he appeared on the network, answered Chris Wallace's questions, confronted an interlocutor. Did he "take on" Fox in the sense of engaging in combat (verbal or otherwise), in the sense of shouting obscenities at Wallace, in the sense of punching him in the face, in the sense of appearing (even in more subtle ways) to be an angry black man in front of people who suspect him of being precisely that? No. Clearly, one could reasonably infer from the comments of Obama's aide that he would be more aggressive than he was, but "take on" is, yes, open to interpretation. So are media appearances by presidential candidates. Obama's job (remember?) is to attract voters. He doesn't need to attract the votes of people who already support him, and he doesn't need to satisfy TPM reporters or commenters when they're at their most hyper-critical and apopleptic.

Posted at April 27, 2008 12:51 PM in response to Obama Doesn't "Take Fox On," After All

How dare you, Michael Bérubé, subtly suggest that being a low-information voter might not be a splendiferous thing. How dare you sully the reputation of political operatives who are only doing the yeoman's work of shamelessly pandering to the woefully uninformed. How ... dare ... you!

Posted at April 3, 2008 11:12 AM in response to P.S. I Lama You

I can assure you that Phil Bredesen is no bozo. He may be an Obama supporter, which might displease some TPM readers (who may or may not be bozos themselves). What's obvious, however, is that Bredesen has the best interests of the Democratic Party and the country in mind as he continues to push for the quite reasonable solution of holding a pre-convention superdelegate primary. (If only it could be a caucus, though I've heard they're undemocratic at best and demonically evil and the spawn of Beelzebub at worst.)

Posted at March 26, 2008 2:22 PM in response to Dem Gov. Bredesen (TN) Warns Against Super-Delegates Overturning Primaries

It strikes me that many of the reactions to Wright's allegedly (but not actually) racist sermon are themselves somewhat racist, or at least narrowminded. Wright speaks truths that make a lot of white people uncomfortable, and so they reject them out of hand to avoid confronting them. It happens all the time. People believe they are not racist because they go around saying they aren't. They believe they understand the condition of blacks in America because they consider themselves "tolerant" and "open-minded." And yet, when they see a black minister talking about the black experience in a way that makes almost every black man and woman nod his or her head in agreement, they reject his arguments without truly considering them. Does this not reveal a condescending attitude toward black people? A belief that anyone who laments the existence of racism is a crazy liar? Wake up, people, and take an honest look at the country in which you live. This is not, as people like to say, a colorblind society.

Posted at March 14, 2008 12:30 PM in response to Crazy Like an Uncle

Let me be the first commenter to point out that, in fact, many of the Founders WERE Deists and that this fact DOES strengthen the case for separation of church and state, particularly from the perspective of an originalist. (I'm not one, but I imagine Waldman is.) Waldman's not arguing with progressives (imagined or real), he's arguing with history.

Posted at March 12, 2008 12:12 PM in response to Militant Unitarians

I find it encouraging that so-called Millennials seem to be taking an interest in politics and community. What I find less encouraging is having the entirety of my own generation written off as nihilistic, apathetic, and conservative. Hardly anyone I know meets that definition.

Posted at March 3, 2008 4:41 PM in response to Millennials Rising