The sad and sudden death of Tim Russert is sad on a couple of different levels; there's always the tragedy of such a seemingly decent guy dying an untimely death then there's the symbolic loss for political journalism. There where three men that you could count on asking the hard and relevant questions to those in power if given the opportunity: John Stewart, Bill Maher, and Tim Russert and Russert was the only reporter of the three.
Meet The Press is the absolute gold standard of political interviewing, if you look bad on Bill O'Reilly or Stephen Colbert you've fallen victim to their gimmicks to generate humor both unintentional and intentional, If you look bad on Meet The Press, it was your own fault. Tim never missed an opportunity to show his guests their own hypocrisies and always did it with class.
I almost didn't write this post, but once I did, I knew what the title would be. Bill O'Reilly is in many ways the anti-Russert, he constantly slays the truth for his ego's sake, hoping we'll believe it if he shouts loudly enough. He's afflicted with the disease that many of us- of every political stripe- have; it's true because we say it is, facts be damned. He calls his show "The No-Spin Zone" when you can practically dry your clothes in his actual, factual spin.
Getting a journalist to report the truth is like getting a politician to tell the truth; you'd think it's their job, but they'll go out of their way to prove you wrong. Meet The Press was the real no-spin zone; Tim Russert didn't have to say it, he just did it. Now there's one less reporter doing his job by telling politicians they're not doing their's.
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