Petrelis Files

Must Russert Condemn Rev. Phelps's Protest of Coretta King's Funeral?

Tim Russert found himself in a large vat of boiling hot water heated by liberal bloggers and pundits because of his boorish questioning of Sen. Barack Obama two weeks back on "Meet the Press."

Some simple facts, just in case you're not aware of them, need to be stated before we proceed. Russert is a straight white man and Obama is also straight and male, but he's multiracial.

On Jan. 22's "Meet the Press" Russert opened his questioning of the Democratic Senator from Illinois by asking about recent withering comments by entertainer and political activist Harry Belafonte attacking President Bush. What puzzled many was why Russert posed the questions he did to Obama when there was no obvious link between the singer and the senator, other than both are men of color, which probably meant to Russert that it was fair to question Obama about Belafonte's comments.

Let's go to the transcript:

> MR. RUSSERT: I want to talk a little bit about the language people are using in the politics now of 2006, and I refer you to some comments that Harry Belafonte made yesterday. He said that Homeland Security had become the new Gestapo. What do you think of that?

> SEN. OBAMA: You know, I never use Nazi analogies, because I think that those were unique, and I think, you know, we have to be careful in using historical analogies like this. I think people are rightly concerned that we strike the right balance between our concerns for civil liberties and the uniform concern that all of us have about protecting ourselves from terrorism.

> MR. RUSSERT: Mr. Belafonte went to Venezuela, as you well know, some time ago and met with Hugo Chavez, leader of that country, and said some things that obviously were noted in this country and around the world. Let’s listen, and come back and talk about it.

> (Videotape, January 8, 2006) Mr. HARRY BELAFONTE: And no matter what the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world, George W. Bush, says, we’re here to tell you not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of the American people, millions, support your revolution, support your ideas, and we are expressing our solidarity with you. (End videotape)

> MR. RUSSERT: Is it appropriate to call the President of the United States "the greatest terrorist in the world"?

> SEN. OBAMA: I don’t think it’s appropriate. That’s not language that I would use. But keep in mind that, you know, one of the great things about the United States is all of our citizens have the right to, you know, speak our mind about what’s going on politically.

Time for some political fun and games. I want to turn the tables on Russert and pose the following questions to him, since like the vile Rev. Fred Phelps, he's also a straight white man, which is reason enough for Russert to opine on Phelps' plan to protest at Coretta Scott King's memorial service on Tuesday in Atlanta, because she endorsed fair treatment of America's gay and lesbian citizens.

If I were to interview Russert, here are questions I'd want him to answer.

Q: I want to talk a little bit about the language people are using in the politics now of 2006, and I refer you to some comments that Rev. Phelps made yesterday in a flyer posted on his web site. He said revered civil rights advocate Mrs. King was a "fag-enabler." What do you think of that?

Q: Rev. Phelps has traveled to many parts of the country to protest at the funerals of murdered gays, U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq and West Virginia miners, and said some things that obviously were noted in this country and around the world. Let’s read, and come back and talk about it.

(Flyer from Phelps, Feb. 3) "God Hates Fags! Fag-Enablers! Ergo, God hates Coretta Scott King and is now tormenting her with fire and brimstone where the worm never dies and the fire is never quenched, and the smoke of her torment ascendeth up for ever and ever."

Q: Your reply, Mr. Russert? Is it appropriate to call the First Lady of the Civil Rights Movement a "fag-enabler"?

For argument's sake, I'll accept that Russert had every right and good cause to ask Obama about Belafonte's political statements, and, that the senator is his brother's keeper. At the same time, it must also be alright to lump Russert and Phelps together in the brotherhood of straight white men, and to ask the newsman to condemn the reverend's hateful comments and actions.