Tim Russert: A Fox in Nipper’s Clothing

An excellent column by Paul Waldman on the Ghastliness of Tim Russert. (Note for British readers: he’s America’s  version of Paxman except twice as smug and half as useful) Waldman makes the reasonable point that Russert and his ilk help ruin Presidential debates. On Tuesday in Philadelphia Russert was at it again, demanding if the cadidates would “guarantee” that Iran would not produce a nuclear weapon while they were President. As though the US President were some omnipotent being capable of achieving anything they desired merely on the ground that they, well, desired it. To her credit Hillary Clinton refused to be bullied into giving Russert the imbecilic answer he wanted, insisting only that she would do all she could to prevent Tehran getting the bomb.

In many ways that was worse stuff – because it was at least concerned with serious policy – than the nonsense served up at the end of the debate with questions about UFOs (“Do you believe in them?”) and Halloween costumes.