Superville Review

Alex Wong / Getty

What is there to say? Television journalism, the world of politics and the country has lost a giant in the profession. And outside of that America has lost a man of passion for life, family and his job. Tim Russert. Many after hours Sunday mornings I would stroll through the door at three or four a.m. from whatever party or club I found myself in, go to bed and be up by eight to see Meet The Press. It was must see Television; specifically during the historic Democratic primary season. Yes, I would watch Russert's show and if I was back east I might follow it with a trip to church. Out west, I would throw on my Bills jersey and join the other Bills backers of Southern California to say what Tim would sign his show off with on fall Sundays. "Go Bills!"

I grew up in Washington, D.C. I was born and partially raised in Buffalo, NY. I understand the politics that makes up Washington's federal maze and the sub politics that make up it residential neighborhoods. I also understand the blue collar, hard working, straight talking mentality of the Buffalonian; the tie to community. The need to feel appreciated and worthwhile in spite of economic downturns, four Super Bowl losses and winter time snow totals. Like me, Tim understood why a city by a Lake with hard winters and magnificent summer and fall seasons is hard to let go of. To see Tim Russert was to see someone who understood these things before I did. Although I never had the pleasure to meet him, he was a friend. And politics won't be as much fun without him because he was just too unique.

I often say doing something with greatness is the only thing that will inspire people to reach for greatness themselves in whatever they do. The way Tim Russert performed his job, with zeal, preparation and command no doubt fits the threshold of greatness and it inspired everyone from colleagues to fans as we have had the pleasure to hear over the past weekend. But Tim Russert also taught me another lesson about inspiring people. Not only does greatness inspire, but Joy also inspires. Tim Russert went about his life, his love of family, people and profession with a joy that was worn on his sleeve. And that is greatly inspirational.

Labels: Tim Russert

And here we go. Politricks as usual. On Meet the Press with Tim Russert, Hillary Clinton defended her comments about Lyndon Johnson and Martin Luther King by saying that obviously Barack Obama's camp had put out the undue criticism that followed. That this criticism had injected race into a campaign that desperately needed to avoid the issue of race or gender. Politically, this is a good strategy on Clinton's part; if it weren't so transparent. No one from the Obama campaign had commented on Clinton saying that the Civil Rights dream of Dr. King would not have been realized without President Lyndon Johnson. That was Congressman James Clyburn from South Carolina, a man with a long history in the civil rights movement, who came out on the record as saying he and others in the black community were offended.

Now for the record, as a black man, I didn't take offense to her comments. Dr. King's influence and impact on American and world society is unrefuteable. However, for the issues that were pressing the black community at the time the movement needed a strong voice in the executive branch. Dr. King, by himself, could not pass legislation. He had no vote in the congress or the senate. Bill Clinton's comments were also misconstrued. Clinton's Fairytale view of Obama's record on the Iraq war very different from him saying that Obama's candidacy itself is a fairytale. Neither of these comments were "racial." However, Mrs. Clinton has now injected the issue of race, purposely. The waters are muddied and won't get any clearer.

Barack Obama's admission to drug use in his earlier years was a pre-emptive strike against what the country is seeing now. Direct questioning from Clinton campaign workers and sneaky assertions from supporters such as Bob Johnson. The same Bob Johnson who lorded over a BET network that single handedly contributed to the exploitation of half naked black and brown women in ninety percent of the music
videos that ran on his network. The same network that at one time offered the black community an array of programming from world news, talk shows, youth programming and entertainment shows that did not solely rely on various strains of rap music.

Bob Johnson is a smart man. He built an empire despite the fact that he allowed it to crumble from bad programming. He is too smart to tell us his veiled reference about Obama "doing whatever he was doing in the neighborhood..." was not a direct inference to Obama's past drug use. He seemingly was saying Obama's past drug use separates him from Clinton's ability to lead the United States. This from a man who has one of the only film company in Hollywood, Our Voices, where black American's can greenlight a project and its first offering is the stupifying comedy, "Who's Your Caddy." A film that is no better than the least of what "white Hollywood" has given to its black constituents. How irresponsible is that? Socially, very irresponsible. Financially, a smart move. Draw in kids with loud characters, loud clothes, loud music under a supposed theme of being misunderstood. The bigger coup is that these kids are the ones who advertisers covet; which leads us back to Mr. Johnson's true interests. Money.

There's an old expression about like birds flocking together. Johnson is out for money. Hillary Clinton is out for the power. And some muddied water is fine as long as their bottom lines are met. I would advise Mr. Johnson and Mrs. Clinton to watch the company they keep because soon, they could be the ones with mud in their eye.

Labels: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Bob Johnson, Hillary Clinton, James Clyburn, Lyndon Johnson, Martin Luther King, Obama's Fairytale, Race and the 2008 Presidential Campaign, Tim Russert