Ralph Nader announced his bid for president on Meet the Press today. Tim Russert gave a ridiculous interview, focusing on the 2000 election and Nader's potential effect on Democrats rather than real issues. Below is a particularly blatant and shameful example of Russert's disregard for Nader's platform and politics:

[The election coverage has avoided discussion of Palestine/Israel] even though it's central to our security and to, to the situation in the Middle East. [Barak Obama] was pro-Palestinian when he was in Illinois before he ran for the state Senate, during he ran--during the state Senate. Now he's, he's supporting the Israeli destruction of the tiny section called Gaza with a million and a half people. He doesn't have any sympathy for a civilian death ratio of about 300-to-1; 300 Palestinians to one Israeli. He's not taking a leadership position in supporting the Israeli peace movement, which represents former Cabinet ministers, people in the Knesset, former generals, former security officials, in addition to mayors and leading intellectuals. One would think he would at least say, "Let's have a hearing for the Israeli peace movement in the Congress," so we don't just have a monotone support of the Israeli government's attitude toward the Palestinians and their illegal occupation of Palestine.

MR. RUSSERT: But would you prefer, as an American citizen, to have Barack Obama or John McCain as president?  continue reading »