What did Meet the Press host Tim Russert have in mind when he questioned Sen. Barack Obama about comments made by Harry Belafonte calling George W. Bush "the greatest tyrant in the world?"
For starters, Belafonte is neither a Democratic party official nor is he a public office holder. So why did Russert feel the need to pursue the line of questioning?
More specifically, I am wondering whether RACE played a role in Russert's line of questioning.
(more below).
Here is the relevant passage of the Russert interview (link"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...):
"MR. RUSSERT: Let's talk a little bit about the language people are using in the politics now of 2006, and I refer you to some comments that Harry Belafonte made yesterday. He said that Homeland Security had become the new Gestapo. What do you think of that?
"SEN. OBAMA: You know, I never use Nazi analogies, because I think those were unique, and I think, you know, we have to be careful in using historical analogies like this. I think people are rightly concerned that we strike the right balance between our concerns for civil liberties and the uniform concern that all of us have about protecting ourselves from terrorism.
"MR. RUSSERT: Mr. Belafonte went to Venezuela, as you well know, some time ago and met with Hugo Chavez, leader of that country, and said some things that obviously were noted in this country and around the world. Let's listen, and come back and talk about it.
Videotape, January 8, 2006)
"Mr. HARRY BELAFONTE: And no matter what the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world, George W. Bush, says, we're here to tell you not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of the American people, millions, support your revolution, support your ideas, and we are expressing our solidarity with you.
(End videotape)
"MR. RUSSERT: Is it appropriate to call the President of the United States the greatest terrorist in the world?
"SEN. OBAMA: I don't think it's appropriate. That's not language that I would use. But keep in mind that, you know, one of the great things about the United States is all of our citizens have the right to, you know, speak our minds about what's going on politically."
Why did Mr. Russert imply that what Mr. Belafonte said was over the top when what Mr. Belafonte was saying was the TRUTH? Why won't Mr. Russert go after real extremists who are harming our country, like George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and all those Republicans in Congress who continually obstruct justice by failing to pursue impeachment proceedings against Bush and Cheney for their wanton criminal acts?
I wonder. And thinking about it further, I still wonder if RACE really did play a role in Russert's questioning of Obama.