Timmeh's screwing up. Again.

sJust a quickie this morning. On MTP, Tim Russert has three pundits discussing the Democratic primary. It's David Broder, David Gregory, and Michele Norris. What's wrong with that you say? Follow me.

David Broder (AKA "The Crypt Keeper") is one of the living dead, a pundit so old and out of touch that his opinions on virtually everything are completely irrelevant. So why is he still an honored guest?

Then we have David Gregory, a mainstream talking head whose sole claim to fame was a single testy exchange with George W. Bush over his speaking French. Since that time he's been a card-carrying member of the punditocracy, speaking in hushed adulatory tones to the wealthy and powerful.

Finally we have Michele Norris, of NPR. I had hoped for a reasonable progressive perspective; I mean, it's NPR, right? No such luck. She immediately started regurgitating Hillary Clinton talking points, implying that McCain might win because he's "stronger".

I mean, seriously Timmeh. Why even pretend to be a journalist? Start wearing a McCain button and invite a rotating panel of Republican apologists. I am ashamed to admit that I attended the same high school.

Just a Sunday morning rant.

•  pay no attention to the talking heads

  or the people behind the curtain.

  by cabaretic on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:03:13 AM PDT

•  Timmeh

  Is that another name for Pumpkinhead?

  by kaleidescope on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:03:36 AM PDT

  •  hey now - that's Tucker's nom du' gourd

    

    by Blue in VA on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:14:08 AM PDT

•  the "P" in NPR

  doesn't stand for "progressive".
  Hasn't ever, and it certainly hasn't since the Tomlinson era. Consider;

  Cokie Roberts - vying with Broder for the ossification award, never misses a chance to concern-troll the democrats, especially Obama
  Juan Williams - "black peole should stop playing the victim", and frequent token on FoxNews.
  Mara Liasson - registered Republican.

  And recently we were treated to a week-long series of utterly uncritical "interviews" with conservative icons like Grover Norquist...and no such thing for the progressives.
  And they haven't answered my emails asking about that either.

  Missed MTP again - how was Pat Leahy?

  by kamarvt on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:11:47 AM PDT

  •  NPR is a perfect example...

    ....of the refs being well and truly worked by the Republicans. "Oh no! We're too liberal! Let's go hire another conservative. Hey, Tucker, want a job?"

    by metal prophet on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:19:30 AM PDT

    •  Save tax money & pull the plug

      on NPR & PBS...Lehrer is as bad or worse than those mentioned above, imo, and it's not worth the effort to rescue public tv & radio...

      by daliscar on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:36:51 AM PDT

      •  npr =

        nice polite republicans.

        by TheGreatLeapForward on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:40:02 AM PDT

      •  That idea has been on the Republican agenda

        for many years.  They found they couldn't do it directly, but then realized that all they needed to do was staff it with Republican hacks and we would do the work for them.

        We need to retake the fortress, not burn it down.

        by EeDan on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:54:20 AM PDT

        •  Right

          It's still a very good outfit, giving a lot more details and in-depth stories that commercial operations often ignore or gloss over. It's just that they've been tilting to the right and weren't very much on the left to start with.

          by metal prophet on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 09:38:34 AM PDT

          •  I would be happy with a disconnect from

            federal funding if that would insure their impartiality.  The last I read about it indicated that only 10% of NPR's funding comes from CPB anyway.  If all it would take is an extra 10% on top of my usual contribution, I could handle that.  I don't care if they are on the left - in many ways I prefer that they remain in the middle - but I do demand consistency and impartiality from them, and that has been lost since BushCo started planting their operatives in the CPB.

            by EeDan on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 09:52:31 AM PDT

      •  10% comes from taxpayers

        90% comes from listener pledge drives and underwriting.

        You'd think that would act as a reality check for the propagandists, wouldn't you?

        And by and large, public radio and teevee is far better than the corporate version.
        it's just a looong way from "progressive".

        by kamarvt on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:55:44 AM PDT

        •  Why bother to donate

          to NPR/PBS?  In my heart, I know that the Repugs have staffed NPR/PBS with Faux News staffers and others like Meeeee-shell Norris so that the 90% donations dry up.  Yet, I feel so much better getting my news and commentary from Air America, Jones Network and websites like DKos, Crooks and Liars, HuffingtonPost, etc.  NPR/PBS has had its life sucked out of it by this administration so it's dead to me.

          by bluegal on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 09:39:21 AM PDT

          •  that's something i struggle with every drive

            And sometimes I "starve the beast" sometimes i feed it.
            Here's why;
            The pledge drives are to the benefit of local public radio. Here it's  VPR, which is frankly excellent in any number of ways. They have won many national journalism awards, they covered the impeachment debate in the VT House, they are truly nonpartisan, they follow up on stories over time, they cover state and local events (and capricious Vermont weather) like no other, and they answer my questions personally when I write them.

            I do support my local public radio station. Sometimes my objections to the national (read:compromised) network override this, and I boycott. I usually feel guilty right after the drive. Like this time.
            Alternate media is invaluable, true, but the local aspect and accessibility of VPR are truly worthwhile. I just wish I could "earmark" my donations to stay in-state, instead of being part of the $600k that goes to NPR just for Morning Edition.

            Maybe it's time for another letter...

            by kamarvt on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 10:55:35 AM PDT

•  Good Ol' Pumpkinhead

  What a moron.

  by Thomas C on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:13:22 AM PDT

•  NPR is certainly not "Managua on the Potomac"

  That's for damn sure.

  by metal prophet on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:16:49 AM PDT

•  I think you are

  exaggerating.

  by RedMask on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:17:22 AM PDT

•  This different from normal -- how???

  you needed another option:  all of the above.

  by MI Sooner on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:22:42 AM PDT

•  I am so sick of blaming the media

  It's everyone's favorite excuse now.  Hillary never loses, it's just the media calling it that way.  Obama's a messiah because the news just said so.

  No one ever takes responsibility anymore, just attributes their own flaws to some bias in the media.  It's so sad.

  Sorry, rant over.  You can all go back to whatever it is you're doing.

  by obligatorydiscord on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:26:40 AM PDT

  •  You are the media.

    Now get busy finding that missing white pregnant blond woman....

    by PBJ Diddy on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:49:46 AM PDT

  •  Then maybe you don't live near the Hudson

    River, where GE dumped PCB's, and then dragged its feet for decades. CorpWatch notes that one of the key areas of lobbyist spending for GE, owner of NBC, is to undermine the Superfund clean-up law, which created funds to clean up the worst polluted sites, and replenish those funds by suing corporate polluters. Try seeing that issue aired much on TV .....

    by jfdunphy on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 08:22:53 AM PDT

•  Edwards to Endorse Hillary

  Sorry to be off-topic - but:

  I've used up my diary for today, but someone should post this:

  On Chris Matthews' Sunday Morning show, Stengel of Time magazine just stated that Edwards will endorse a candidate before NC, and possibly before PA, and that the candidate he will be endorsing will be Hillary Clinton.

  by markusd on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:36:10 AM PDT

  •  Gossip

    He's probably parroting Andrea Mitchell, or vice versa. Why would you buy this? Oh yeah, desperate Clinton supporter.

    by bumblebums on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:55:19 AM PDT

  •  If true, I would then be proud to say

    I did not vote for him.

    by fightorleave on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:59:52 AM PDT

•  Same high school, hmmm

  Sounds like you might be responsible for everything he says and does and that your views on any subject are highly suspect.

  by global citizen on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:39:48 AM PDT

•  Timmeh is a Dummeh!

  Hillary's shill was asked about the tax returns and donor list, which required a simple yes or no answer; but Timmeh let the shrill shill drone on and on and never answer the question.

  by manwithnoname on Sun Mar 16, 2008 at 07:59:03 AM PDT