Meet the Press

Tim Russert came into homes on Sunday mornings as host of Meet the Press and night after night during this election and so many before. His sudden and early death shocked us all on June 13.

Even from this side of the screen, Tim's love for his job, politics, and life was palpable, and Americans came to feel like they knew him. His death was a how-can-this-be moment that dominated the news so much that we questioned how much was enough.

Tom Brokaw stepped in as temporary Meet the Press moderator, and David Gregory took over last Sunday — a choice we deemed as boring. David certainly can't replace Tim, so he'll have to put his personal mark on the show to win us over. Until then we miss Tim, making his death one of the biggest and saddest stories of 2008.

Source

Yesterday on Meet the Press President-elect Barack Obama promised to make the White House a symbol of everyday Americans during his presidency. He explained: "Part of what we want to do is to open up the White House and remind people this is the people's house." Obama plans to invite artists and scientists on a regular basis, in an attempt to inspire national character.

Some other highlights from Obama's interview include:

• On culture: [I'm] "thinking about the diversity of our culture and inviting jazz musicians and classical musicians and poetry readings in the White House so that once again we appreciate this incredible tapestry that's America."
• On the economy: The recession “is a big problem, and it’s going to get worse. . . The key for us is making sure that we jump-start that economy in a way that doesn't just deal with the short term, doesn't just create jobs immediately, but also puts us on a glide path for long-term sustainable economic growth, and that's why I spoke in my radio address on Saturday about the importance of investing in the largest infrastructure program, in roads and bridges and other traditional infrastructure since the building of the Federal Highway System in the 1950s."

To find out what Obama had to say about education and Iran, read more

An optimistic and fired up John McCain showed up to Meet the Press this morning where he dispelled the notion that he was hurting in the polls. McCain said, “We are doing fine. We have closed in the last week, and we’re going to continue this close in the next week.” Did you catch that? "The next week" he's referring to is the last week of the campaign. It's almost impossible to believe that there's still an ending to this.

Talk turned to his running mate and McCain stood firm on his Palin-position, “I don’t defend her. I praise her. She needs no defense." And as for that much ballyhooed shopping spree, McCain is very pragmatic about it. “She lives a frugal life, she and her family are not wealthy, she and her family were thrust into this."

Though a Newsweek poll released yesterday shows Obama with a 13-point lead nationally, McCain pressed on assuring voters, "We've closed in the last week. We'll continue to be very competitive in many of the battleground states." In all this morning, he sounded tough, rough, and ready, good-naturedly likening himself to Knute Rockne at half time. Is his optimism right on?

To see what he had to say, read more

After Colin Powell's thorough endorsement of Barack Obama yesterday on Meet the Press the reactions and analysis flew in the media and your comments. Here are some of the standout reactions:

• Michelle Malkin called "Powell’s embrace of Barack Obama is a triumph of hope over reality," but is careful to say she doesn't think it's an issue of race. "It’s Obama’s social liberalism, not his skin color, that attracts Powell most."
• Rush Limbaugh and Pat Buchanan didn't come to the same conclusion, saying, "I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all the inexperienced, very liberal, white candidates he has endorsed," and "look would Colin Powell be endorsing Obama if he were a white liberal Democrat..." respectively.
• Over on Townhall, they link the endorsement to the importance Powell puts on the opinion of the media elite saying, "But what his endorsement highlights again is that this race isn't just about left vs. right, liberal vs. conservative. It's about elites vs. normal, everyday Americans."

To see what McCain had to say and what happens next, read more

On Meet the Press moments ago, former Secretary of State Colin Powell laid out first his reasons, and then his much-anticipated endorsement. Powell said that Obama had been showing intellectual vigor and displaying concern for all of the country and the issues people care about, while he was concerned by McCain's seeming constant changing of ideas on how to solve problems. He said though Gov. Palin was to be respected she was not ready to be the president, which is "the job of vice president."

Continuing, he expressed dismay over the Ayers tactic and the robocalls happening about him, saying, "this goes too far. It makes the McCain campaign look too narrow." Adding the party has moved too far to the right, something else that he was troubled with. After telling a stunning story about a picture of a mother at her son's headstone in Arlington cemetery who was a 20-year-old soldier of the Muslim faith, and he expressed extreme disappointment that the faith seems to being used in the campaign as a synonym for terrorism or anti-Americanism.

Then he said it. To see who he endorsed, read more

Democratic VP nominee Joe Biden made his 42nd appearance yesterday on Meet the Press. Tom Brokaw asked him some tough questions, often reciting previous Biden statements from many years past. Here's a rundown on how Biden met questions about the surge, abortion, religion, and the latest addition to the race, Sarah Palin.

• On Sunni/Shia cooperation in Anbar:
  It's still — it's a big problem, Tom. . . . We're paying 300 bucks a month to each of those guys. Now the problem has been and the promise was made by Maliki that they (Shia) would be integrated into the overall military. That's a process that is beginning in fits and starts now, but it's far from over.
• On a timed withdrawal of American troops:
  Whether or not the surge worked is almost irrelevant now. We're in a new deal. What is the administration doing? They're doing what Barack Obama has suggested over 14 months ago, turn responsibility over and draw down our troops. . . . The only guy in America out of step is John McCain. John McCain's saying no timeline.
• On Iraq, the surge, and political reconciliation:
  The surge helped make that (reduction in sectarian violence) possible. What made it possible in Anbar province is they did what I'd suggested two and a half years ago: gave local control. They turned over and they said to the Sunnis in Anbar province, "We promise you, don't worry, you're not going to have any Shia in here. There's going to be no national forces in here. We're going to train your forces to help you fight al-Qaeda." . . . What you had was the awakening. The awakening was not an awakening by us, it was an awakening of the Sunnis in Anbar province willing to fight.

To see what Biden had to say about his view on abortion as a Catholic, and for his view on Republican counterpart Sarah Palin, read more

• According to her father, Amy Winehouse has been diagnosed with emphysema connected with her smoking cigarettes and crack cocaine. — PopSugarUK
• Get Smart opened in the number one spot at the box office this weekend, with The Love Guru only coming in at fourth, after second-place Kung Fu Panda and third-place Incredible Hulk. — BuzzSugar
• Tom Brokaw will be hosting Meet the Press through the November elections, filling the vacancy left by Tim Russert's death. — CitizenSugar
• Ellen DeGeneres gave Portia de Rossi a pink diamond engagement ring, and the couple has set a date for their upcoming wedding, part of which will be aired on Ellen's show. — People
• Timbaland and Monique Idlett had their second wedding ceremony Sunday night on a private island in Aruba. — Us Weekly
• A paparazzi photographer is suing Woody Harrelson for $2.5 million, accusing the actor of assaulting him and breaking his camera two years ago. — AP
• Ellen DeGeneres, Rachael Ray, and Tyra Banks won Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday night. Check out the full list of winners. — BuzzSugar
• ICYMI, comedian George Carlin passed away of heart failure yesterday.

Source