I share the stomach growls of my fellow bloggers over Tim Russert's asking Barack Obama his opinion of Harry Belafonte's lableling George Bush the evilest motherfucker on the planet. I too think this was an inappropriate line of inquiry from the Tim Man. Just because Obama has been known to surrender his hips to the sultry sway of the calypso beat is no reason to be quizzing him so oafishly on the subject.
But I am even more upset by the follow-up questions Russert had prepared for Obama, which he tabled in order to spend more time with the Bickersons, James Carville and Mary "Lemon Puss" Matalin. I'm told Russert intends to save them for Obama's next visit, i.e., when he needs a black person on the program whose name isn't Condi Rice. Here they are, and I think you'll find them as tactless as did I.
1) Senator Obamarama, the nation still mourns the loss of our first black president, David Palmer, tragically gunned down in the season premiere of 24. What does his death say about the state of race relations today, and what can we learn from his presidency?
2) Bobby Brown. Whitney Houston. A marriage in turmoil. Any thoughts?
3) If you were down to your last Oreo cookie would you eat it as snack, or throw it at Michael Steele?
4) What's your favorite UPN show?
5) There are those who say the comic strip Boondocks goes too far, and presents a distorted picture of the African-American community. Have you spoken to Aaron McGruder about toning it down, and if not, why not?
In related Meet the Press news, next week Tim is assembling a special panel the address the cruel, coordinated attack on Kate O'Beirne's courageous book Another Cut-and-Paste Job from a Right-Wing Hack, consisting of Kate herself, the lovely Miss Nevada, and a cold sore to be named later.
