Sunday Talk - Happy Father's Day

100 years ago this month, the United States held its first modern
Father's Day celebration in Fairmont, West Virginia.
In 2008, Presidential Nominee Barack Obama will spend it with his family at church, preaching the value and virtue of responsible fatherhood.  Many in the political world will spend it mourning the passing of Tim Russert.

Full Lineup and other goodies below...

Tim Russert - Anchor, author, father. (1950-2008)
Rest in Peace -

   

Moving tributes from:

John Edwards, Bob Schieffer, Mario Cuomo, Hillary & Bill Clinton, The Buffalo Bills, Ted Kennedy, Mike Huckabee, Speaker Pelosi, Al Gore, Charlie Gibson, Walter Cronkite and more.

Howard Fineman tells a touching story of Russert caring for his ailing father this year.

Presidential Nominee Obama on Russert's passing:

I’ve known Tim Russert since I first spoke at the convention in 2004. He’s somebody who, over time, I came to consider not only a journalist but a friend. There wasn’t a better interviewer in TV, not a more thoughtful analyst of our politics, and he was also one of the finest men I knew. Somebody who cared about America, cared about the issues, cared about family. I am grief-stricken with the loss and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family. And I hope that, even though Tim is irreplaceable, that the standard that he set in his professional life and his family life are standards that we all carry with us in our own lives.

                 
           Netroots Kingpin Kos karate chops Harold Ford on MTP in 2007.

Russert's Sunday Show Dominance:

Tim Russert moderated Meet the Press longer than any other person in the programs's history. When he took over in 1991, the program ranked third in the ratings behind ABC and CBS.

As of last week, Meet the Press has finished first place on Sunday morning in Total Viewers for 89 consecutive weeks.

In May, MTP won the sweep period for the 42nd consecutive sweep. It was the best Total Viewer delivery for the program since 2004.

Though we often mock his show and his guests, Russert's Meet The Press was my favorite Sunday political show.  I loved it & I thought it was great that he recently started doing more election night coverage with Tweety and Keith Olbermann.  My favorite MTP story is the one where Howard Dean has dry runs with mock interviewers before appearing because Tim rattles him so much.  

As a fan of sunday talk (and Sunday Talk) and as a father, it's horribly sad for me to think he left behind a son and an aging father who relied on his help.  However, he left quite a legacy for his family, his employer and his name.  I was so looking forward to watching his November election coverage with the MSNBC crew.

Condolences to Russert's family and friends.

THE LINEUP -

Meet The Press: Russert memorial with an empty anchor's chair.

This Weak: Future AG John Edwards. Former Savior-of-the-gop Grampa Fred.

                               
                          FLASHBACK: Can I get a round of applause?

Face The Nation:  LA Gov. and Exorcist fan Bobby Jindal.  Failed Speaker and all-around nerd Newt Gingrich.  Jim Vandehei from Politico.

Faux News:  Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Sen. Byron Dorgan (R-ND).  Math expert Karl Rove.

Late Edition with Wolf:  House Min. Leader John Boehner (R-Waaaah), AZ Gov. Janet Napolitano (D), Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PAssive/aggressive), McSame economic adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Obama economic adviser Dan Tarullo, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar something or other.  Bill Schneider, Hotline's Amy Walter and Jessica Yellin talk shop.

                     

NOTEABLES -

Tom Delay's wife refuses to vote for McCain, supports Bob Barr.

Slate review of the new network PLANET GREEN says it's so bad,
it "embarrasses the Earth."
The upside is that they replay all those cool "Living With Ed" episodes
featuring Ed Begley Jr. and his excellent ecohome.  Love that show.

Bob Woodward has himself a neat little tax break scheme via his charitable foundation...that really doesn't benefit any real charities other than his family's private school, his neighborhood beautification group, etc.

Campaign cola dot com.  "Yes We Can Cola" outselling McSame and HRC.

                       

Still, none can compare to the addictive seduction of CLINTON COLA:

                           

"The Taste to Come Back 4 More!"
I used to have a six-pack of this stuff.  
Like our victory against McCain Dole in '96, it was pure sweetness.

________________________________________________________________________

Keeping track of John McSame's lies is getting harder by the day -

"I’m not for, quote, privatizing Social Security. I never have been. I never will be." [6/12/08]

"As part of Social Security reform, I believe that private savings accounts are a part of it — along the lines that President Bush proposed." [3/3/08]

McSame hates YouTube -

Ouch.

With McSame's first wife threatening to become an issue this year, it'd be best if he wasn't photographed with fellow adulterers.

     

Obama is everywhere.  Even behind Harvey Birdman, ensuring that justice will be done.