The Bully, the Professor and the Pumpkinhead
By More on the appalling O’Reilly/Russert interview from the typically brilliant Bob Somerby.
I think the important point the Howler emphasizes is Russert’s culpability. To criticize O’Reilly for being a lying bully is, in a way, like criticizing the sky for being blue, although it bears more repeating. It’s what he is. It was Russert who prevented a civil conversation from developing, and allowed O’Reilly to constantly dodge issues by engaging in ad hominem attacks, smears and non-sequiturs. While ultimately it’s O’Reilly who’s the demagogue and the bully, Russert knew what O’Reilly was about before he had him on–and sat there numbly while he turned his show into a circus.