Tim Russert: "You know, we were supposed to talk about Alberto Gonzales and we were supposed to talk about the 2008 race... this was a lot more important."
After a full week of shocking and sometimes heartbreaking news from around the world and especially in the political environment, what single issue could be so important that the Meet the Press round table discussed it (and nothing else) for 36 full minutes? Iraq? Iran? Wolfowitz? Missing emails? Deadly weather patterns?
Nope.
Don. F'ing. Imus.
I am livid. I understand that the story effects them personally because it's about language in the media and where to draw the lines. I understand that they have all had their cage rattled because the call for morally appropriate language is coming from liberals and conservatives are defending a slimeball. I understand that they have all had to rethink their positions on the race issue after being so very comfortable with all of the Imus's on the air.
BUT WE, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, DON'T CARE THAT MUCH.
I'm glad that "Imusgate" has sparked a necessary and far overdue conversation about the state of racism in America and I am certainly glad that the market has responded so forcefully and that he lost his job. I'm also glad that, after 5 years of a political atmoshpere hijacked by terrorists, the discourse can be about something that actually effects the lives of American people. But, oh my goodness, I just watched a wasted opportunity.
WHERE ARE THE MISSING EMAILS?
It's one thing if right wing organizations run a complete black-out of the missing email scandal, but Meet the Press is the most watched Sunday news program in the country. The missing emails are shaping up to be the biggest scandal in American politics since the Nixon administration and is clearly illegal. Forget about the implications that this story has for Gonzales (whose job is lost at this point anyway), what's been revealed this week is complete disregard for the Presidential Records Act specifically and Constitutial law generally. Heck, it's a perfect illustration of an Administration with little or no regard for the principles of freedom and democracy.
So, I'm fed up. Here is every contact I could find for Meet the Press and NBC. Please help me tell them exactly why the main stream media is becoming obsolete and blogs appear to be the only way to gather important information about politics.
Meet the Press mailbox:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...
Meet the Press email address:
MTP@NBC.com
Mailing address:
Meet the Press
c/o NBC News
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, N.Y. 10112
Phone Number:
212-664-4444
Fax Number:
212-664-4426
212-664-5705