Russert Mulling Apology After 'O'Neill' Rally'?

Newsmax ^ | 7/29/02 | Carl Limbacher and Crew

[NormsRevenge]

Monday July 29, 2002, 6:52 p.m. EDT

Russert Mulling Apology After 'O'Neill Rally'?

With today's 447 point rise in the Dow - the third largest in Wall Street history - you can bet Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill feels vindicated, especially after weathering a full-tilt media browbeating at the hands of "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert on Sunday.

The sometimes balanced NBC newsman threw all pretense of objectivity out the window as he grilled the Republican ex-CEO, adopting an insulting prosecutorial tone that suggested O'Neill was responsible for a Wall Street's slide that was already worse than 1929.

Here's a sampling of Russert's questions, which he sometimes delivered with finger pointed accusatorially towards O'Neill:

"Are you totally out of touch with the American people?.....

"No chance for another dip in the recession, a double-dip recession?......

"The Standard & Poor's index of 500 stocks, they have lost 37 percent of their value since George Bush became president. That is twice--twice--the loss under Herbert Hoover. That is a grave concern to people. They are losing their pension plans, their income plans, their retirement plans, their college savings. You understand that, don't you?......

"So you're not resigning?......

"Do you believe that you are the chief economic spokesman?.... And you're fulfilling that role?.... And that you have calmed people's nerves and calmed the markets?"

Judging from today's market rally, the answer to Russert's final question would be an emphatic, yes.

We trust that at his earliest opportunity, the NBC Washington bureau chief will note that investors had an excellent chance to take O'Neill's measure yesterday, when he also appeared on "Fox News Sunday" and "Face the Nation." They apparently liked what they heard.

No word yet on the wording of Russert's apology to Secretary O'Neill.

[NormsRevenge]

Crow.. If cooked correctly, can be quite tasty..

[madprof98]

But Russert is, of course, right--regardless of anything that has happened or might happen to the stock market. Some of my fellow parishioners explained it to me after church on Sunday. It seems that many years previously this evil fellow named Reagan made a secret deal with the POWERS that rule BIG BUSINESS, and it's been all downhill since then. If it weren't for the big downturn in the stock market, in fact, that nasty George W. Bush would have made all of us turn in our Social Security and get worthless Enron stocks in return. Fortunately, good Democrats like our own Max Cleland and Cynthia McKinney are standing up to this satanic monster. And so on. (These people are middle-class African-American Catholics. Between these folks and the gays, the Dems have a constituency from now til the end of time.)

[T. Jefferson]

Guess timmy forgot to mention the Nasdaq fell 50% in
Clinton's final year in office, and that Bush inherited
the recession and accounting scandals.

[McLynnan]

Russert's interview of O'Neill was one of the all time lows in journalism. Russert's job is to ask pointed questions, however there is no excuse for the rude, condescending, hostile treatment he handed O'Neill. Contrast Russert's hatchet job with Hume's O'Neill interview yesterday. Hume elicited much more information by treating O'Neill with respect.

[Always Right]

I miss all the people predicting a sub-6000 DOW. I tried and tried to get one to back it up with a little wager, but they refused for some reason and instead resorted to name-calling.

[abclily]

Russert is trying to help the Democrats win the November elections. As November draws near, Russert will get shriller.

[bybybill]

Don`t blame Russert, he can`t heep it, he`s a RAT and always has been.

[Unknown Freeper]

[aristeides]

"The Standard & Poor's index of 500 stocks, they have lost 37 percent of their value since George Bush became president. That is twice--twice--the loss under Herbert Hoover.

Surely that's not true? Didn't stocks lose something like 80% of their value under Hoover?

[mombonn]

russert was a total jerk yesterday. He deserves to drown in all the egg slathered all over his face.

I started to post replies 2 or 3 times yesterday, only to give up in disgust.

I'm not sure I'll EVER tune in to MTP again.

IN YOUR FACE, greaseball russert.

[aristeides]

A lot of the RATs learned better under the Clinton regime. Why didn't Russert? Doesn't he mind the fact that the Clintons forced his old boss Moynihan out of office?

[mombonn]

As November draws near, Russert will get shriller.

If he gets any more shrill, he'll have to go through a sex change operation.

[Mfkmmof4]

Oh please!! You must want Clinton back in office!

[McLynnan]

Russert is trying to help the Democrats win the November elections

True, but you'd think he'd have enough sense to be a bit more circumspect about it. I can't tell you how po'd I was after watching that interview yesterday. Steam was coming out of my ears at church, where I sat and composed my poison pen letter to Russert.

[lonestar]

Oneil is more interested in enjoying his retirement years traveling around the world on government expense then acting as a strong Secretary of Treasury. He is a big liablity for W and should be replaced gently.

O'Neill is reported to be under consideration to replace Robert Rubin at Citigroup when he goes to jail.

[mlocher]

thanks for the post. i stopped watching russert years ago because of his rudeness and strong socialist views. i will be damned if i am going to contribute to his ratings and salary.

objective mainstream journalism is dead. rip. (russert is prick)

[terilyn]

Yeah right, and Russert should win an Emmy for that performance. off/sarcasm

[jackbill]

Oneil is more interested in enjoying his retirement years traveling around the world on government expense then acting as a strong Secretary of Treasury. He is a big liablity for W and should be replaced gently.

Horse Hockey. O'Neill has more integrity in his little finger than you and Fat Timmy combined.