I remember someone commenting that the reporting on the Iraq war was sanitized and pale compared to that of the Vietnam war. Gregory first couldn't believe that the person meant what he said, and then was highly insulted. The "imbeds" were all that was needed as far as he was concerned.

His ego gets in the way of any semblance of objectivity. As tough as that Vietnam-era footage was to watch, it certainly brought it home to all of us. Can anyone say that about the reporting from Iraq, which usually involves someone standing with a microphone giving a run-down of the events of the day. I'm not blaming that aspect all on the media; the Bush regime has made it impossible to do down-and-dirty reporting, but let's not pretend that we have any war coverage at all any more.

I remember the exact moment Gregory enraged me and was forever on my shit list. He was on his show talking about Obama being presumptuous and he said "how does the Obama campaign push back on this because IT IS THERE" and right after Rachel said "The people pushing for something past Presidents have done for years says more about them than it does about Obama" I realized he was a complete shill after that.

Here's the problem, perhaps, with so many of these MSM media types. They have to do a tap-dance to get moved up the ladder. So all we see, for the most part, are these bland people, out of touch with too much that really matters.

Ok... off to do some volunteering at the medical center... in touch with real people, many of them poor but all of them ill... and real. Even if you're out of touch beforehand, illness or an accident boots you straight into reality.

I woke up this morning to the Gregory news...I can't say I'm shocked (this is the msm, after all)
but I AM highly disappointed. I know there is only one Tim Russert, and those shoes are unlikely to be filled anytime soon, AND I had no one in mind that I would have preferred, but somehow I had hoped they would come up with SOMEONE with a modicum of integrity. Gregory is a blatant whore (as opposed to someone who at least TRIES to camouflage it.)

In an effort to be fair, I'll give it a few weeks (I REALLY hate to prejudge!) Maybe he'll surprise us all and grow a pair, I mean, rise to the occasion.

David Gregory? This is the best the MSM has to offer? Probably all you could expect from Brokaw.

I am curious to find out who others might think would be more appropriate to moderate such a show as MTP. I will throw out a few names just to prime the discussion (hopefully?):

Ted Koppel?
Bob Edwards?
Gwen Ifill?
Who else?

I personally have a difficult time coming up with any plausible candidates who impress me as being independent and able to assume a real-world perspective that is essential to the task. Any ideas?

When that sob danced with Rove, that was it for me.
Andrea Mitchel would have been alright. When someone would get out of line during the campaign she would pipe right up and say that the statement was untrue.
Gregory will always start with: 'some are saying',
'others have said'. Two sides to every issue. Is slavery a good thing? Tune in tomorrow when we listen to both sides.
On one of the newsheets that listed potential candidates most of those listed here were mentioned. But it actually named Hitchens. Can you imagine?:

Thank you for taking the time to appear today on Meet the Press, Mr. Ambassador. If you could curb that penchant of yours for impregnating young girls, I think we will be hearing a lot more from you in the future. or

Thank you tuning in to Meet the Press this morning. I must apologize but I promise that we will no longer have guests appear who eschew the facts in order to hold on to beliefs most of us shed in elementary school.

It really would be something to behold.

"Smoke, Mirrors, and Pancake" to take a quote from "Nixonland" about how Nixon used the television medium in 1968. Lots of pancake makeup. Gregory is just another vacant anchor who agrees with Brokaw that it's all the people's fault. They have been "tsk tsking" those awful poor and stupid people who took on too much debt. And they should be punished. Maybe he'll have on Bill Cosby as a regular.

This is what Sheldon Wolin calls "managed democracy" in his book, "Democracy Inc."

Sorry, that would be equally.

I guess it is Gregory's turn. He has paid his dues. But, he is just a shill, like all the rest of them. Ask the easy questions, ask the questions that will insure that you will be able to ask another question. That is the name of the game.
"Prup" mentioned Linda Ellerbee. She was great. I had forgotten her...I watched her in the middle of the night when I was feeding my babies. In the late 70's, early 80's. Before cable. she was wonderful.
Rachel is smart, and she askes the right questions. But she needs a show that will let her ask the right questions. She is where she needs to be right now. She will go far...our Rachel.

Oh well, time for someone to say something positive about Gregory. I liked his questioning of Scott McClelland. Even more I liked it when I showed up for a Walk For Autism one sunday morning and there he was, unshaven , carrying a small child on his shoulders.