Tim Russert's genius as an interviewer could not have been more on display than it was Sunday during his masterful exposure of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (TN) as a liar and political opportunist. On a slew of subjects ranging from Iraq to the economy to the Terri Schiavo case, the NBC host put a litany of Frist's words and actions on trial, leaving the heart surgeon-cum-politician stammering, fidgeting, rocking and looking more uncomfortable than Karl Rove in a size 34 waist pants. To be honest, Frist could not have looked wormier and less credible.
On the issue of Iraq, Russert asked Frist if the war was still justified since no WMD have been found. The good doctor replied that it was, but gave no logical reasoning: "It's a war of necessity. Again, if we project ahead and we start looking back, you can always say, 'Well, that is the outcome that occurred and we could take no other choice.' The problem is, the reality is that we need to make decisions today based on intelligence, based on the facts that are delivered to us. And, therefore, at that time, it was absolutely a war of necessity."
On the fact that President Bush's grand plan for Democracy in the Middle East looks shakier than ever given that hostile parties have won elections in Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq and now the Palestinian territories, Frist said: "We are very unhappy with the results, very disappointed in the results. But the beauty of democracy is that it reflects the reality of what is on the ground. It reflects the reality of those grass roots, of what people are feeling." Huh? Is this really why 2200 US soldiers have died, so that a bunch of lunatics on the ground can "freely" suicide-bomb their way into elected office? Is that really the kind of "Democracy" Bush is striving for?
On the issue of Iraq, Russert asked Frist if the war was still justified since no WMD have been found. The good doctor replied that it was, but gave no logical reasoning: "It's a war of necessity. Again, if we project ahead and we start looking back, you can always say, 'Well, that is the outcome that occurred and we could take no other choice.' The problem is, the reality is that we need to make decisions today based on intelligence, based on the facts that are delivered to us. And, therefore, at that time, it was absolutely a war of necessity."
On the fact that President Bush's grand plan for Democracy in the Middle East looks shakier than ever given that hostile parties have won elections in Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq and now the Palestinian territories, Frist said: "We are very unhappy with the results, very disappointed in the results. But the beauty of democracy is that it reflects the reality of what is on the ground. It reflects the reality of those grass roots, of what people are feeling." Huh? Is this really why 2200 US soldiers have died, so that a bunch of lunatics on the ground can "freely" suicide-bomb their way into elected office? Is that really the kind of "Democracy" Bush is striving for?
What bit Russert? He is actually putting that legal eagle background to some good use, for a change. He lets politicians and partisan-as-hell talking heads get by with too much, too often.
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