Catch Face the Nation

This Sunday morning Bob Schieffer interviewed Barack Obama.  It was a wonderful interview and I cannot recommend it enough.  At the end Schieffer remembers his ‘62 coverage of the admittance of the first African American to ‘Ole Miss, and the violence that ensued as whites fought for the maintenance of segregation.  He contrasts this with his most recent trip to cover the debates–also worth a watch.

Hey, you can’t get away with that!

I would like to understand, if anyone with the answer has a minute, how it is that calling off the formalities of a convention in recognition of a hurricane is not also playing into a form of political maneuvering around a natural disaster? Really, Dick Cheney can’t come because he is monitoring the situation in the Gulf Coast? My first instinct, truly, is that bringing Dick Cheney to this Convention in St. Paul was the worst nightmare of the RNC and that the news of Gustav sent them into a giddy flurry of scapegoating. Why are they getting away with this?

Moreover, why are “they” getting away with all of this too: ARRESTING RNC PROTESTORS IN RAIDS.

I too, am concerned with what is happening in the Gulf Coast states and am saddened by the notion of another storm wracking havoc on those who have already been through so much. So hold a somber convention, so lead with solace. But to scrap the whole program in favor of eliminating those members of the party who are responsible for the fiasco of the last 8 years… A little too convenient, a little too unaccountable. Hey, you can’t get away with that! Oh, I guess in this country, with this media, you can.

Tribute to Tim Russert

I would be remiss to not acknowledge the passing of Tim Russert on this blog. Anyone reading this likely knows that Tim Russert was the long-time host of Meet The Press. His Sunday morning coverage of politics, especially during this primary season, was a staple in my house. (Much to the frustration of my children who wanted to watch cartoons and instead joined me in front of the T.V. to hear political analysis from the experts).

A huge sorrow was felt in the Convention room on Friday when Keith Roark announced that Russert had died, in the NBC Newsroom, of a heart attack at age 58. Roark, himself, seemed to choke back tears amid the gasps and cries of shock and sadness. We Democrats know how critical journalists like Russert are to at least shifting the balance on the excessive spin which is far too prevalent in the media right now. This loss is tragic and we can only hope that his work will inspire new journalists to attempt to fill his shoes and achieve his standards.