American Politics Journal -- Readers React to Our Letter to Andy Lack

Friday, September 15, 2000 -- NEW YORK (AmpolNS) -- Our letter to NBC News President Andy Lack yielded hundreds of letters from our readers. We thank you all for our comments -- here are a few of the emails (and even faxes) we received:

Tim Russert,

Your question to Hillary Clinton last night about apologizing for her husbands indiscretions was absolutely idiotic.

Who do you think you are asking Hillary that type of question? Do you ask all your friends that have husbands that have cheated on them to apologize for their husband's actions? Your true right-wing leanings certainly showed last night!

Now I understand why George Bush would want to have a debate on your show -- so you could ask him soft questions and sandbag Al Gore. Mr. Russert, if this is your idea of a fair and balanced journalism then you need to get into another profession immediately. Lawrence Spivak, the founder of Meet the Press, must be turning over in his grave at what a sham you have turned his show into.

We now know that you are a right-wing shill, spewing right-wing propaganda. Your ratings should really hit the skids now; hopefully, you won't be on the air much longer.

SylAnn

Mr. Lazio:

I was raised on Long Island and I can say with no uncertainty that I was appalled at your total lack of grace and manners in bringing up to Mrs. Clinton the matter of the Lewinsky affair. This has to be a low in politics, even considering the hypocrisy of the last 8 years. This has to be a very sensitive and painful subject for our First Lady, a family tragedy, for you to assault her with this reveals to the general public the true nature of your character. If you felt the need to rub salt in a wound there is plenty of opportunity with "your" Mr. Gingrich and the affair with his intern, or Mr. Hyde's adulterous affair or any one of a DOZEN affairs that were being acted out at the same time that fingers were being wagged at the President, but to throw this publicly in the face of Mrs. Clinton is hideous.

The final bell has not been sounded on Mrs. Clinton's allegations that this was a well-orchestrated (and Scaife funded) "vast right wing conspiracy", but if all the truths are to be known, I along with millions of concerned Americans will not rest until that is so.

Are you not concerned that someday your children will see a tape of your actions of last night and will also want to know the truth?

As my much loved Grandmother (also a Long Islander) would have said "Shame on you"!

Bob Boracci

To NBC: Tim Russert is an obnoxious, low-classed drooling tub of arrogance. To personally embarrass the first lady with her husband's infidelity goes beyond the pale. I used to watch him in hopes that his fat head would explode. Now I'll not watch, but await the report with infinitely more glee.

I don't understand why you pay him a cent.

As long as you continue to do so, I will NEVER turn on NBC as long as Tim Russert works there. Not one program, not ever.

I'm Irish, I understand boycotts.

You disgust me.

Aisling Donnal

I have written many myself, but alas, [Russert] is stuck there to ruin a great program -- Meet The Press. I haven't watched it in almost 2 years because of his antics and snide remarks about democrats, the President and Al Gore.

-- Diana Coleman Huddleston.

Tim Russert's performance last night when he questioned Hillary about Lewinsky was despicable. When the right is offended by a journalist they distribute the e-mail address of that journalist and make calls to the media company that employs that journalist.

How can we voice our displeasure about Russert? NBC? Any ideas for a way we can attack this true scumbag? Any help would be appreciated.

Hank

Editors' note: Drop a line to Andy Lack / NBC News / 30 Rockefeller Plaza / NY NY 10112

Dear Sir:

This is a short note to inform you that due to the underhanded, one-sided performance of your employee Tim Russert during the NY Senatorial debate, I and my family have initiated a boycott campaign against your news organization and its commercial sponsors.

The sixteen adult members of our family have vowed to each contact a minimum of 15 friends and or relatives asking them to do the same with 15 of their friends and associates and so on. In part, our boycott is designed to reduce the number of adults viewing your network, but more importantly its mission is to bombard each of your advertisers with thousands of letters and emails notifying them of our intent to boycott the purchase of their
products.

It is my sincere hope that this effort hits you where it will hurt most, your network's wallet.

Dennis J. Caruso

I miss Meet the Press -- and will continue to do so until such time as NBC gives the self-serving Mister Russert his pink slip.

It's also time to boycott sponsors of Meet the Press -- until Russert is out.

Libby M

Tim Russert owes America an apology, not Hillary Clinton.

His question about her husband's presidency was hitting completely below the belt. He should be ashamed of himself. The question had no place whatever in a "debate" about how the two candidates would serve New York. It was completely unethical of him to use such underhanded partisan attack tactics.

Mrs. Clinton should have left the podium, walked over to Mr. Russert, slapped him vigorously in the chops, returned to the podium, and said, "Next question." He is lucky she is a gracious lady.

Sincerely,
Kim Sayers

To the editors:

I could not have said it better or more eloquently.

Tim Russert joins such "illustrious" Democrat tools of modern-day fascism as David "That's my mistress" Schippers and "Screamin'" Chris Matthews in the Political Hall of "Defame."

Steve

Immediately after reading your letter to NBC's president, I fired off a similar formal letter to his holiness's Rockefeller Plaza digs.

And I've never done that before!

But like you and your many readers, I've grown increasingly disgusted by Russert's outrages to his "guests" on his program and in the supposedly neutral settings of political debate (lest we forget his treatment of the Republican candidates in their primary debate early this year when he focused so many follow-up questions on Senator McCain that McCain "dominated" the airtime and then pontificated his own philosophies that Alan Keyes had to call Russert on the tactic).

Anyway, thanks for the address. Please continue to publicize the addresses of biased media outlets and their sponsors. I intend to make a habit of writing letters now!

John W



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