Friendly Rival Pays Tribute to Colleague
Remembering Tim Russert
Saturday, June 14, 2008
by Chris Matthews
He was a character right from Mark Twain. You know, the first kid to go barefoot in the summer, the first to wear shoes in the winter. He was a colleague, a role model—and let’s be honest this day—a rival. You couldn’t keep up with the guy. He heard it first. Better yet, saw it first. Saw what it meant and saw the path where this new bit of news led.
Like Huck Finn, Tim Russert knew things about life that were in nobody’s notebook. He got the story first because he just “got it.” That’s how he exposed David Duke as a racist by simply asking him to name the leading employers in the state. This guy had been trying to say his campaign for governor was “about economics.”
He saw that Clarence Thomas would make it past the confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court because his accuser—Anita Hill—testified in the afternoon and Thomas got to testify in primetime.
He knew on that horrid morning of September 11th that the hijackers had grabbed the transcontinental flights because they’d have enough fuel to melt the girders of the World Trade towers.
He was like that other Mark Twain character, Tom Sawyer. He got us to think it was fun to whitewash the fence because he was having so much fun “doing” it. As a newsman, Tim managed to make Sunday morning a hot news spot. As a fan, he made Buffalo cool.
He was, of course, Irish. Being Irish, he tended and fought for his turf always with pride whether for his hometown team or his show. “If it’s Sunday, it’s Meet the Press”—you can’t do better than that.
More than that, he defended his country. It was something watching him catch the pretense behind the pander, the trace of charlatan that graces the best as well as the worst of our politicians. And because he could, we could see the truth behind that well-guarded hedge.
People ask me, will now ask me as long as I live, what was he like?
To them, to you right now, I say: Trust your instincts. He was the guy you saw—tough, regular, hardworking, delighted with what he was doing, and something else you probably figured: great company. We will miss him, this man of sterner stuff.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Irish Wake Via Cable TV and Internet
Chicago-7 p.m. CST
UPDATED 8:15 p.m.
It’s been an incredible 24 hours. I’ve been pretty glued to the TV watching the various and continuous tributes to Tim Russert. I must say I have never seen anything like this and have never felt this way about the death of a celebrity. First of all, I never considered Russert a celebrity. I think he’d take that as a compliment. I’d like to share a few observations and reflections....
1. Tim Russert was always introduced as Washington Bureau Chief for NBC News and Moderator of Meet The Press. I knew that the Bureau job made him the boss of all of the reporters and corespondents covering the White House, Capital, Defense Department, etc. It really was more of a COO position than I realized.
2. When you watch the old clips of Meet The Press you realize the difference between Meet The Press and what Bob Novak once called, Meet The Russert. Prior to Tim Russert’s tenure as Moderator of Meet The Press, and for some time after, Meet The Press was a show where political leaders and others went to be interviewed by several members of the press. As Russert resurrected Meet The Press, he did away with the other members of the press. He was the sole interviewer. Given his unique skills as a lawyer and journalist, he was able to pull it off. I think it created a more seamless and serious endeavor. Under Russert’s leadership, the pols came to be grilled by Tim and the press would come to have round table discussions with "Little Russ."
3. The ProConPundit has confirmed that Joseph Gawler Sons Funeral Directors in Washington, DC, is handling the funeral. Gawlers’ were founded in 1850 and handled the funerals of Abraham Lincoln, JFK, Gerald Ford, most presidents in between, and as their website says, "Supreme Court Justices, Senators, Congressmen, Military leaders, Foreign Dignitaries and many other notable Americans." They can add one more notable American to their files. Their website is www.josephgawlers.com
I am curious as to which church the funeral will be held at. My hunch would be Holy Trinity in Georgetown, St. Matthew’s Cathedral, or St. Joe’s on Capital Hill. I would also bet the milk money that he will be buried in a small, Catholic cemetery in Buffalo. No doubt on a lot where Big Russ will some day be buried.
4. A seldom disclosed fact is that Tim Russert’s mother, Elizabeth, died a few years ago after a short battle with cancer. She divorced his father after the kids were raised.
5. Its been incredible to see and hear the words of love and tribute offered by Russert’s colleagues and friends, dignitaries from church and state. Everyone from Joe Lieberman to Newt Gingrich, from Archbishop John Foley to Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.
6. As a passionate funeral director and irreverent minister, times like this remind me of the well-intended but foolish things people can say. Theodore Cardinal McCarrick is the retired Archbishop of Washington, DC. He arrived to the Washington Bureau office of NBC News after Russert’s death and offered an impromptu prayer service for the friends of Tim Russert. Later last night when he was interviewed on MSNBC he spoke eloquent words of tribute to Tim’s life. He’s a great man. He summed them by reflecting on how much Russert meant to everyone on earth but that "God wanted him now." Well-intended, but terrible. I can’t tell you how many times, though the years, I have heard someone tell a grieving family member that the death of their loved one was God’s will.
I’m really not aware of any theological premise anywhere, in any religious tradition, that enables any one of us to think we know that someone’s death was God’s will. Catholic theology has traditionally held that everything that happens is either a part of God’s ordaining will: things God specifically wills; and God’s permitting will: things God allows to happen that may not have been God’s intention. In that sense, God’s permitting will may be employed to explain death. For instance, if someone drives their car over a cliff and God does not stop them, one can be stretched to understand why an omnipotent God didn't stop them. With all due respect to that teaching, isn’t God’s permitting will just a coping mechanism, a way for us to explain what we don’t and cannot understand? My criticism of McCarrick is affectionate but I think it is a coping mechanism and, what is sometimes called in theological circles, cheap grace. Cheap grace is dismissing ultimate concerns with the tritest of explanations. Sometimes we have to wrestle with the complex and, other times, we have to be honest about what is real.
Tim Russert was a hundred pounds over weight, over worked, sleep deprived, and under extreme pressure, not the least of which was in light of budget cuts at NBC News. Look at pictures of him. He has aged dramatically in the last two years. We cannot dismiss his death as God’s will. God may have greeted Tim yesterday by saying, "You’re 30 years early." God may have wanted a healthier Russert to continue doing the work that he did so superbly and uniquely. In death, we should celebrate people’s lives, absolutely. But we shouldn’t explain away their death in ways that keep us from, as the great Apostle Paul said, running the race so as to win.
7. Tom Brokaw will convene an awesome Meet The Press tribute to Tim Russert tomorrow with seven of Tim’s nearest and dearest colleagues. As a great touch, Russert’s chair will remain vacant.
8. I was a huge fan of Russert’s and am a huge fan of Chris Matthews–for very different reasons. They were good colleagues and friends in a professional sense. But they were not friends. My hunch is that Matthews resented Russert and that Russert didn’t care so much for the raucous nature of Hardball. I was, therefore, eager to hear Chris Matthews yesterday. He happened to be in Paris, as was, oddly enough, Bob Schieffer, of Face the Nation. I gave Matthews a lot of credit. He spoke of how much he admired Russert and relied on him and trusted him. But he made a point of saying, "You’re hearing a lot of tributes from people who were close friends with Tim. I was not part of that group. We had a good working relationship." I really appreciated his integrity in being sincere. That’s more than I can say for the WORTHLESS Keith Olbermann who emceed the MSNBC coverage of Russert’s death yesterday. I think that was because Matthews was out of the country. Olbermann is just a wind bag and horse’s ass. I can’t stand him. I do credit him yesterday when observing that Russert was a real pro at being non-partisan or trans-partisan in his conduct. Olbermann, referred to that quality in Russert and said "That is a skill I don’t even pretend to be able to exude." Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
9. My heart really goes out to Tom Brokaw, Andrea Mitchell, and proteges: Norah O’Donnell and Chuck Todd. Their words and efforts to stay composed even caused some congestion among the cold hearted ProConPundit. Also, Mike Barnicle, someone I alternately like and dislike, was one of Russert’s best friends. He was at the hospital when Russert was pronounced dead. He was on last night and this morning. I really feel sorry for him.
10. NBC was not the first news outlet to report Russert’s death yesterday. Russert would hate not breaking the story. NBC was holding off until they were certain that Russert’s wife and son, father, and three sisters were informed. Big Russ just entered an Assisted Living facility a week ago.
11. Tim Russert's life proves why John McCain should be the next President and NOT, Barack Obama. Oh yes, my mission takes not a holiday. Tim Russert was 11 years older than Barack Obama and I. He had far less opportunity in life than did Barack Obama and went to the pinnacle of his desires: personally and professionally. And what did he say about that? WHAT A COUNTRY! Yes, Russert always invoked the phrase of his garbage truck driving, WWII veteran dad. In every blessing he knew, he gave thanks to God for being an American. No silly machinations about protesting hand-over-heart during National Anthem.
One of the things a President does is represent the country and speak for the country in times of tragedy. Obama's remarks upon Russert's death underscore his inexperience. He first met Russert four years ago and, concluded some silliness by saying that he "considered him a friend." Get over yourself.
12. Two other touching tributes came from Newt Gingrich and Jack Welch. Gingrich used two words I had never heard used before and never thought I would hear him say: BRILLIANT LIBERALS. Those were the words he used to describe Russert’s former bosses, the late, great, Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) and former Gov. Mario Cuomo (D-NY). Gingrich said that Russert worked for “arguably the smartest senator of his generation, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and arguably the smartest governor of his generation, Mario Cuomo.” He said Russert benefitted from a “pedigree of practical, hard-nosed politicians who were idealistic and practical, cynical and glorious.” He referred to Moynihan as both “liberal and, perhaps, the first neo-conservative.” They may have been a tremor at Arlington National Cemetery at that moment. He recalled Cuomo as having invented work-fare in New York State as an alternative to welfare. Moynihan, like McCain, was well respected by colleagues in both parties and was adept at negotiating compromises for the sake of getting something done beyond staking out ideological grounds.
Jack Welch, former CEO of GE was a mess. He could barely stay composed. GE owns (or owned?) NBC. Welch was responsible for Russert’s promotion to Meet The Press. Impresses me as micro managing, but what do I know? Welch was beside himself with grief. He said that he received more e-mails and telephone calls yesterday regarding Russert’s death than at any other time for any other reason.
I must pay tribute once again to my friend and former classmate, Ed Hanson. I mentioned yesterday that Ed and I used to watch Meet The Press together on Sunday mornings circa 1998. I forgot that he, in fact, converted me to, what he called, “Meet The Depressed.” I didn’t watch MTP—thought Russert was too young. God forgive me. I was a devotee of THIS WEEK WITH DAVID BRINKLEY. I loved Brinkley. Brinkley retired in 1996. He announced he would retire at the end of 1996, following the presidential election. On the night of Bill Clinton’s re-election, Brinkley was asked by a colleague how he felt about Clinton’s re-election. Thinking they were off the air, don’t you love it already, he said, "The next four years will be filled with pretty words, and pretty music, and a lot of goddamn nonsense!" I did say I loved him, right? I was depressed myself watching THIS WEEK WITH SAM DONALDON & COKIE ROBERTS. Ed converted me to Russert. Thank you, Ed.
One of the things a President does is represent the country and speak for the country in times of tragedy. Obama's remarks upon Russert's death underscore his inexperience. He first met Russert four years ago and, concluded some silliness by saying that he "considered him a friend." Get over yourself.
12. Two other touching tributes came from Newt Gingrich and Jack Welch. Gingrich used two words I had never heard used before and never thought I would hear him say: BRILLIANT LIBERALS. Those were the words he used to describe Russert’s former bosses, the late, great, Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) and former Gov. Mario Cuomo (D-NY). Gingrich said that Russert worked for “arguably the smartest senator of his generation, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and arguably the smartest governor of his generation, Mario Cuomo.” He said Russert benefitted from a “pedigree of practical, hard-nosed politicians who were idealistic and practical, cynical and glorious.” He referred to Moynihan as both “liberal and, perhaps, the first neo-conservative.” They may have been a tremor at Arlington National Cemetery at that moment. He recalled Cuomo as having invented work-fare in New York State as an alternative to welfare. Moynihan, like McCain, was well respected by colleagues in both parties and was adept at negotiating compromises for the sake of getting something done beyond staking out ideological grounds.
Jack Welch, former CEO of GE was a mess. He could barely stay composed. GE owns (or owned?) NBC. Welch was responsible for Russert’s promotion to Meet The Press. Impresses me as micro managing, but what do I know? Welch was beside himself with grief. He said that he received more e-mails and telephone calls yesterday regarding Russert’s death than at any other time for any other reason.
I must pay tribute once again to my friend and former classmate, Ed Hanson. I mentioned yesterday that Ed and I used to watch Meet The Press together on Sunday mornings circa 1998. I forgot that he, in fact, converted me to, what he called, “Meet The Depressed.” I didn’t watch MTP—thought Russert was too young. God forgive me. I was a devotee of THIS WEEK WITH DAVID BRINKLEY. I loved Brinkley. Brinkley retired in 1996. He announced he would retire at the end of 1996, following the presidential election. On the night of Bill Clinton’s re-election, Brinkley was asked by a colleague how he felt about Clinton’s re-election. Thinking they were off the air, don’t you love it already, he said, "The next four years will be filled with pretty words, and pretty music, and a lot of goddamn nonsense!" I did say I loved him, right? I was depressed myself watching THIS WEEK WITH SAM DONALDON & COKIE ROBERTS. Ed converted me to Russert. Thank you, Ed.
Friday, June 13, 2008
America’s Premier Political Journalist,
"Explainer-In-Chief," Has Died
Kenosha, WI - 3 p.m. CST
Tim Russert died in his office this afternoon, apparently of a heart attack, at age 58. Details are very sketchy at this point but it must have happened very quickly. NBC News is reporting that he was stricken at 3:25 p.m. EST. I got word of this just ten minutes later. Seems hard to imagine things happened that quickly.
Russert was first an attorney before becoming a journalist. He was the longest serving moderator of the longest running television program, Meet The Press. He was also the Washington Bureau Chief for NBC News and host of the Tim Russert Show on CNBC. He was a proud Irish-Catholic and devoted Buffalo Bills fan, clearly a man of great faith. Russert was also a one-time chief of staff to the late, great, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY).
I never miss Meet The Press. I usually have to record it and watch it later. My fondest memories of watching Meet The Press were during the years I lived in Washington, DC. It was during those years that I would watch it with my good friend and classmate, Ed Hanson. Ed sent a text message and e-mail shortly after Paul this afternoon. It was ten years ago that Ed and I shared Sunday mornings watching Meet The Press together. Ed was more conservative then and I was less. We enjoyed debating each other and have evolved through the years in directions different from where we started. Russert, however, stayed the same...reliable, steady and always putting politicians words on the screen. In recent years, I have enjoyed Russert’s phone interviews on MSNBC early in the morning. Often on the treadmill at the health club, I watch Morning Joe and, before that, Imus in The Morning. Those were new experiences for me to get in touch with a lot of Russert’s lighter side.
Much else will be said so I’ll cut to the chase. He was like no other. He annoyed me when he turned his back on Don Imus a year ago. Conservatives thought him too liberal. His own instincts and sensibilities were liberal but I never saw anyone get anything less than a thorough Russert grilling on Meet The Press.
This is a huge loss for American political journalism. Russert ran a more solid political show than anyone else. He was tough and fair and could pierce the pretense and pomposity of any politician. He did it as a shrewd lawyer but always did it with dignity and always, always, avoided the cheap shot.
Russert took over Meet The Press in 1991 at a time when it, and all of the Sunday morning shows were on the decline. He reinvigorated it and, as a result of that, the other networks and later cable stations improved–but never surpassed him.
He was the boss of all of the other political people on NBC and MSNBC, generally speaking. He was beloved by them and its hard to imagine how hard they’ll have to work to come close to the mark Russert delivered and mentored.
He was the boss of all of the other political people on NBC and MSNBC, generally speaking. He was beloved by them and its hard to imagine how hard they’ll have to work to come close to the mark Russert delivered and mentored.
This is a terrible, unfathomable tragedy. I cannot imagine not having the benefit of Russert’s interviews and also, especially on election nights, enjoying his endless anecdotal stories of politics and politicians. Even watching this, one can’t help but think as different people come on the air to speak that Russert will be on and give us the straight scoop. What a void.
Sen. Joe Lieberman, (ID-CT), gave Russert perhaps his best title today: EXPLAINER-IN CHIEF. Heartfelt prayers and deepest sympathies go out to Maureen and Luke Russert, and, of course, his greatest role model, Big Russ.
If it's Sunday, it's Meet The Press.
In Respected Memory
Timothy John Russert, Jr.
May 7, 1950-June 13, 2008
Timothy John Russert, Jr.
May 7, 1950-June 13, 2008
An Irish Proverb
May dawn find you awake and alert,
approaching your new day with dreams,
possibilities, and promises.
May evening find you gracious and fulfilled.
May you go into the night blessed, sheltered, and protected.
May your soul calm, console, and renew you.
May evening find you gracious and fulfilled.
May you go into the night blessed, sheltered, and protected.
May your soul calm, console, and renew you.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Nunn Softens Opposition To Gays
As part of his vetting process, Sam Nunn, former U.S. Senator (D-Georgia), has softened his opposition to gays in the military. Nunn has been out of the Senate for 12 years and is a top contender to be Obama’s running mate. He would be a superb choice as he balances Obama with impeccable credentials in foreign policy and had a reputation as a bi-partisan.
As chair of Senate Armed Services, Nunn vigorously opposed any plan of Bill Clinton’s to lift restrictions on gays serving openly in the military. As a negotiator and one willing to compromise, Nunn ultimately endorsed "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." 20 of the 25 countries in NATO allow gays and lesbians to openly serve in the military. Most Americans and most military people are not opposed to gays and lesbians serving in the military. The Clinton policy was a well-intentioned policy that has done more harm than good.
Nunn told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week that the issue should be revisited. Wanting to avoid the flip-flop tag, Nunn added, "I'm not advocating anything -- except I'm saying the policy was the right policy for the right time, and times change. It's appropriate to take another look." Nunn’s comments make sense (Nunn-sense). The issue hasn’t been revisited since 1992, he’s been out of public service for a dozen years and public opinion has changed.
Nunn’s departure from politics continued the movement of the ProConPundit away from the Democratic Party. He’s a good man and a rare find as a conservative Democrat. He could help Obama get elected and, if his voice and wisdom were given due credence, could help Obama govern well. He is not remembered by huge chunks of the looney left and rejected by others, which will help Obama get the votes of moderates who are skeptical.
Could the ProConPundit support an Obama-Nunn ticket? No. I am with McCain. A McCain-Nunn ticket would get my attentiion! My belief and my hope is that, unlike 2000 and 2004, this year’s presidential election margin of victory will not be razor thin. It will be substantial, possibly landslide. Our country needs a decisive victory and then the country needs to get behind whoever wins. I won’t root for Obama but if he wins, I’ll take pride as a Chicagoan...it would be Illinois’ first president since Lincoln. Having a credible running mate will help. Nunn is arguably his best choice.
If Nunn is on the ticket, he could help to bring Georgia into the Democratic column. A running mate has not brought a state to the electoral college that would not have otherwise supported the nominee since LBJ delivered Texas in 1960. Nunn wouldn’t be able to singularly bring Georgia. However, there are 600,000 African Americans in Georgia that are eligible but not registered to vote. If registration drives are successful and Nunn is on the team, Georgia’s 15 electoral votes could go Democratic for the first time since 1992. Interestingly, Georgia went for Clinton in 1992 but Dole in 1996.
As part of his vetting process, Sam Nunn, former U.S. Senator (D-Georgia), has softened his opposition to gays in the military. Nunn has been out of the Senate for 12 years and is a top contender to be Obama’s running mate. He would be a superb choice as he balances Obama with impeccable credentials in foreign policy and had a reputation as a bi-partisan.
As chair of Senate Armed Services, Nunn vigorously opposed any plan of Bill Clinton’s to lift restrictions on gays serving openly in the military. As a negotiator and one willing to compromise, Nunn ultimately endorsed "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." 20 of the 25 countries in NATO allow gays and lesbians to openly serve in the military. Most Americans and most military people are not opposed to gays and lesbians serving in the military. The Clinton policy was a well-intentioned policy that has done more harm than good.
Nunn told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week that the issue should be revisited. Wanting to avoid the flip-flop tag, Nunn added, "I'm not advocating anything -- except I'm saying the policy was the right policy for the right time, and times change. It's appropriate to take another look." Nunn’s comments make sense (Nunn-sense). The issue hasn’t been revisited since 1992, he’s been out of public service for a dozen years and public opinion has changed.
Nunn’s departure from politics continued the movement of the ProConPundit away from the Democratic Party. He’s a good man and a rare find as a conservative Democrat. He could help Obama get elected and, if his voice and wisdom were given due credence, could help Obama govern well. He is not remembered by huge chunks of the looney left and rejected by others, which will help Obama get the votes of moderates who are skeptical.
Could the ProConPundit support an Obama-Nunn ticket? No. I am with McCain. A McCain-Nunn ticket would get my attentiion! My belief and my hope is that, unlike 2000 and 2004, this year’s presidential election margin of victory will not be razor thin. It will be substantial, possibly landslide. Our country needs a decisive victory and then the country needs to get behind whoever wins. I won’t root for Obama but if he wins, I’ll take pride as a Chicagoan...it would be Illinois’ first president since Lincoln. Having a credible running mate will help. Nunn is arguably his best choice.
If Nunn is on the ticket, he could help to bring Georgia into the Democratic column. A running mate has not brought a state to the electoral college that would not have otherwise supported the nominee since LBJ delivered Texas in 1960. Nunn wouldn’t be able to singularly bring Georgia. However, there are 600,000 African Americans in Georgia that are eligible but not registered to vote. If registration drives are successful and Nunn is on the team, Georgia’s 15 electoral votes could go Democratic for the first time since 1992. Interestingly, Georgia went for Clinton in 1992 but Dole in 1996.
Seismic Obama Defections
In a presumably must-win state for Barack Obama, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland sent a stinging message to Barack Obama during an NPR interview yesterday. Strickland was a fervent supporter of Hillary Clinton in the primary and endorsed Obama following her eventual withdrawal from the primary last Saturday. When most people are asked if they have an interest in being asked to be a running mate, they demurely say they have no interest. These folks consist of people who want and don’t want the job. There is a significant number of wannabees who say they don’t want it but will serve in any way the nominee asks. Then there is a sliver of people like Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney who eagerly admit they would be honored to serve. Its very rare for someone to come out, as Strickland did, and categorically tersely, irreversibly say they wouldn’t do it. Strickland even used Shermanesque verbiage: "Absolutely not. If drafted I will not run, nominated I will not accept and if elected I will not serve." The press is giving this little attention but it’s a sign of trouble and a huge slap in the face to Obama. Strickland stood at Hillary’s side during some of her most bombastic criticism of Obama. So its part payback. More than that, he knows that Obama will not play well in Ohio. Party loyalty says he’ll endorse him but this remark was totally unnecessary. Anyone under consideration could privately communicate that they are not interested. This public rebuke of Obama means he wants to make it perfectly clear that he will not tie his own reputation to Obama.
Meanwhile, Democratic Congressman Dan Boren, of Oklahoma, referred to Obama as "the most liberal senator" in Congress and declared that has no intention of endorsing him. He did state that he would cast his delegate vote for him at the convention, vote for him in November, and celebrates the "testament to the Democratic Party" in nominating an African American. Stressing economic issues and foreign policy challenges, Boren said he cannot endorse Obama.
Hillary Clinton carried Boren’s rural district by 66% in the primary. Boren considers himself a centrist but describes his district as conservative. Boren should not be confused with his father, David Boren, who is the President of University of Oklahoma, former governor and senator.
Here is what makes Boren’s refusal to endorse Obama unimportant. He is the only Congressman in Oklahoma that is a Democrat. Oklahoma’s 7 electoral votes have not supported a Democrat since LBJ in 1964. What’s important about it is that it reflects attitudes among like-minded Democrats in states that could conceivably go Democratic: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia.
The media is in love with Obama. He's in trouble.
In a presumably must-win state for Barack Obama, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland sent a stinging message to Barack Obama during an NPR interview yesterday. Strickland was a fervent supporter of Hillary Clinton in the primary and endorsed Obama following her eventual withdrawal from the primary last Saturday. When most people are asked if they have an interest in being asked to be a running mate, they demurely say they have no interest. These folks consist of people who want and don’t want the job. There is a significant number of wannabees who say they don’t want it but will serve in any way the nominee asks. Then there is a sliver of people like Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney who eagerly admit they would be honored to serve. Its very rare for someone to come out, as Strickland did, and categorically tersely, irreversibly say they wouldn’t do it. Strickland even used Shermanesque verbiage: "Absolutely not. If drafted I will not run, nominated I will not accept and if elected I will not serve." The press is giving this little attention but it’s a sign of trouble and a huge slap in the face to Obama. Strickland stood at Hillary’s side during some of her most bombastic criticism of Obama. So its part payback. More than that, he knows that Obama will not play well in Ohio. Party loyalty says he’ll endorse him but this remark was totally unnecessary. Anyone under consideration could privately communicate that they are not interested. This public rebuke of Obama means he wants to make it perfectly clear that he will not tie his own reputation to Obama.
Meanwhile, Democratic Congressman Dan Boren, of Oklahoma, referred to Obama as "the most liberal senator" in Congress and declared that has no intention of endorsing him. He did state that he would cast his delegate vote for him at the convention, vote for him in November, and celebrates the "testament to the Democratic Party" in nominating an African American. Stressing economic issues and foreign policy challenges, Boren said he cannot endorse Obama.
Hillary Clinton carried Boren’s rural district by 66% in the primary. Boren considers himself a centrist but describes his district as conservative. Boren should not be confused with his father, David Boren, who is the President of University of Oklahoma, former governor and senator.
Here is what makes Boren’s refusal to endorse Obama unimportant. He is the only Congressman in Oklahoma that is a Democrat. Oklahoma’s 7 electoral votes have not supported a Democrat since LBJ in 1964. What’s important about it is that it reflects attitudes among like-minded Democrats in states that could conceivably go Democratic: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia.
The media is in love with Obama. He's in trouble.
Creator of Vice-Presidents Ferraro & Edwards Resignation Not As Humiliating As His Appointment
The resignation of Jim Johnson as co-chair of the VP search and vetting committee is a conundrum. Johnson accepted this voluntary position a week ago along with Caroline Kennedy and Eric Holder, former federal prosecutor. Johnson was the "vetter" that made running mate recommendations to Walter Mondale and John Kerry. He resigned amidst controversy over his preferential sub-prime loans from Countrywide Financial while working for Fannie Mae, a.k.a. The Federal National Mortgage Association. This is not to be confused with Fannie May, a Chicago based chocolate confectioner.
Johnson’s defection is an embarrassment. Here’s the conundrum, is it more embarrassing that the person you pick to vet your VP choice resigns a week later or that you hired the person who gave us Vice-Presidents Ferraro and Edwards? I mean, really. Why would you want the person who helped select running mates who contributed only to defeat?
The resignation of Jim Johnson as co-chair of the VP search and vetting committee is a conundrum. Johnson accepted this voluntary position a week ago along with Caroline Kennedy and Eric Holder, former federal prosecutor. Johnson was the "vetter" that made running mate recommendations to Walter Mondale and John Kerry. He resigned amidst controversy over his preferential sub-prime loans from Countrywide Financial while working for Fannie Mae, a.k.a. The Federal National Mortgage Association. This is not to be confused with Fannie May, a Chicago based chocolate confectioner.
Johnson’s defection is an embarrassment. Here’s the conundrum, is it more embarrassing that the person you pick to vet your VP choice resigns a week later or that you hired the person who gave us Vice-Presidents Ferraro and Edwards? I mean, really. Why would you want the person who helped select running mates who contributed only to defeat?
Friday, June 06, 2008
Forty Years Ago Today
June 6, 1968. I nearly leaped out of bed with joy that morning. It was on the south side of Chicago and it was the last day of school, first grade. When I came out of my room, I was surprised because my mom was usually in the kitchen with the radio on, WIND. But she was in the living room with the TV on. I knew that “Bobby” Kennedy had been shot the day before and was in the hospital. We had prayed for him at bedtime the night before. As I got closer to the TV, I saw that my mom was crying. Bobby Kennedy died. My frame of reference was when Martin Luther King, Jr. died two months earlier. My school closed because of riots and racial tension. There were no riots this time. No noise. Just quiet. School didn’t need to close–it was over. That wasn’t all that was over.
My dad was a retired active duty Air Force career man but still in the Reserves. He was a Chicago Democrat and a precinct captain. He was happy when LBJ decided not to seek re-election and we hung an RFK sign in the window. The sign stayed–for a time and was eventually replaced with a Humphrey sign. But it was over. It was the third in the trilogy of American assassinations and piercing symbols of how wrong things were and how far off the tracks things seem to have gotten. It was, in my opinion looking back, the death of the Democratic Party in many ways.
Chris Matthews spoke on Hardball today of the life and death of RFK. As a Funeral Director, I naturally pay very close attention to funerals. Matthews mentioned how different RFK’s death and funeral was from JFK’s which piqued my interest. He later explained that although the deaths were similar in their tragicness but that the death of JFK was like the death of a prince and the death of RFK was the death of someone that common people connected with more.
I don’t normally use this blog for personal reflections and have not used it before to express religious views. I felt this significant, sad, anniversary warranted a word of memory. I close with the Newman Prayer which I recite at every funeral I direct or preside at:
My dad was a retired active duty Air Force career man but still in the Reserves. He was a Chicago Democrat and a precinct captain. He was happy when LBJ decided not to seek re-election and we hung an RFK sign in the window. The sign stayed–for a time and was eventually replaced with a Humphrey sign. But it was over. It was the third in the trilogy of American assassinations and piercing symbols of how wrong things were and how far off the tracks things seem to have gotten. It was, in my opinion looking back, the death of the Democratic Party in many ways.
Chris Matthews spoke on Hardball today of the life and death of RFK. As a Funeral Director, I naturally pay very close attention to funerals. Matthews mentioned how different RFK’s death and funeral was from JFK’s which piqued my interest. He later explained that although the deaths were similar in their tragicness but that the death of JFK was like the death of a prince and the death of RFK was the death of someone that common people connected with more.
I don’t normally use this blog for personal reflections and have not used it before to express religious views. I felt this significant, sad, anniversary warranted a word of memory. I close with the Newman Prayer which I recite at every funeral I direct or preside at:
In Memory of
Robert F. Kennedy
1925-1968
Oh Lord, support us all the day long,
until the shadows lengthen,
and the evening comes,
and the busy world is hushed,
and the fever of life is over,
and our work is done.
Then in your mercy,
grant us safe lodging,
the holy rest,
and peace at the last,
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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