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Tim Russert was one of the best interviewers on television. Coverage of his heart attack and unexpected death at the age of 58 approached the level of media saturation that followed the passing of Pope John Paul II. However, Russert does not deserve to be canonized for doing the job he was paid to do.

In fact, a case can be made that amid all the effusive praise, Russert was not as tough on Washington insiders as has been portrayed. Yes, he was a very good interviewer, but not any better than Mike Wallace or Ed Bradley.

Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), a media watchdog group, has compiled research that raises questions about the quality of Russert’s performance.

The report, posted on www.fair.org, observes: “Surprisingly, some of Russert’s journalistic colleagues praised him for being tough on the Bush administration over the Iraq War. “In reality, Meet the Press was the venue for some of the White House’s most audacious lies about the Iraq War - most of which went unchallenged by Russert.

“On the morning that the New York Times published a front-page article falsely touting the now-famous ‘aluminum tubes’ as components of an alleged Iraqi nuclear weapons program, Vice President Dick Cheney appeared on Meet the Press, where Russert pursued open-ended questions that seemed to invite spin from the vice president on Iraqi nuclear weapons.”

FAIR noted, “Recalling such softball questioning, it’s easy to believe the advice that Cheney press aide Cathie Martin says she gave when the Bush administration had to respond to charges that it manipulated pre-Iraq War intelligence: ‘I suggested we put the vice president on Meet the Press, which was a tactic we often used,’ she said in January 2007. ‘It’s our best format.’ “

Russert did not show that same type of deference toward critics of the Bush administration.

“In some of the presidential debates he moderated, Russert often gravitated toward questions that were either irrelevant or framed from a right-wing political view,” FAIR stated. “In one debate, he challenged the Democratic contenders to match Rudolph Giuliani’s pledge that he would not permit Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. When Barack Obama suggested that talking about attacking Iran was ‘irresponsible,’ Russert responded: ‘So you would not offer a promise to the American people, like Giuliani, that Iran will not be able to develop and become a nuclear power?’

“In the same debate, he asked Hillary Clinton if she would support an Israeli attack on Iran. When Clinton suggested this was a hypothetical, Russert interrupted with a curious non-sequitur: ‘It’s not a hypothetical, Senator. It’s real life.’ “

In Bill Moyers’ documentary Buying the War, Russert offered a tepid defense for not initially raising more questions about the invasion.

“I don’t think the public was, at that time, particularly receptive to hearing it,” he said. “Back in October of 2002, when there was no debate in Congress about the war in Iraq - three-fourths of both houses of Congress voted with the president to go.”

FAIR noted, “The reticence to actually render judgment on those in power - particularly the Bush White House - was what many critics found so frustrating, especially coming from someone who enjoyed a reputation as a dogged interviewer.”

In his personal life, Russert was said to be extremely sensitive and fair-minded. Journalist Gwen Ifill counted him as a mentor and said he encouraged her to make the switch from newspapers to television. But Russert was also among the high-profile journalists appearing on shock jock Don Imus’ radio program.

And some of his on-air questioning of African Americans was misguided. According to FAIR: “When Barack Obama appeared on Meet the Press, Russert grilled him about comments made by left-wing actor and entertainer Harry Belafonte: ‘I refer you to some comments that Harry Belafonte made yesterday. He said that Homeland Security had become the new Gestapo. What do you think of that?’

“Russert followed up on the issue, despite the fact that the only apparent connection between the two men was the fact they were both black.”

The report continued, “When Russert moderated a debate between Obama and Hillary Clinton, he asked Obama about Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, despite the fact that the two had no discernible ties.”

New York Times columnist Frank Rich was correct when he wrote it’s “disingenuous to pretend that there isn’t a double-standard operating here. If we’re going to judge black candidates on their most controversial associates - and how quickly, sternly and completely they disown them - we must judge white politicians by the same yardstick.”

In that respect, Russert was no better - or worse - than other journalists.



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George E. Curry, former Washington correspondent and New York bureau chief for the Chicago Tribune, was editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine. He can be reached at gcurry@phillynews.com.