Newspaper Page Text
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♦ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2008
OPINION
Why lim Bussed mattered
Tim Russerts’ death is America’s
loss.
The long-time host of the
Sunday news program “Meet the
Press” who died on June 13 left a gap
ing hole in the side of American politi
cal discourse.
Politics, as we all know, has a coarse
ness about it. It’s a rough and tumble
world not only for the politicians, but
usually for the journalists who cover
them. It seems that everyone is more
interested in getting the upper hand
than accurately communicating the
truth.
Every generation needs people who
work hard at getting to facts and
digging below the convenient sound
bites and rhetoric so common among
political figures. Sadly, one of the most
prominent people known for doing so
has been tragically silenced.
Tim Russert had a ton of integrity
as a journalist. He expected himself to
be honest and he expected the politi
cians he interviewed to be honest too.
Unlike the highly partisan folks on his
and other networks, he proved Sunday
after Sunday that you could have an
honest and rigorous discussion on the
most important issues facing the coun
try (and the world) without being mean
spirited and petty. Why is it so difficult
to find journalists who don’t obviously
sneer at those they disagree with and
coddle those they like? The reason is
quite simple and quite human - we
have opinions of our own. We like some
answers and dislike others. Russert,
though by all accounts a man of deep
faith and conviction, meted out jour
nalistic justice to anyone and everyone
no matter their position on the left-to
right political spectrum.
Even though he was tough, he clear
ly harbored no ill-will toward peo
ple. Compared to a lot of people in
Washington he didn’t play the “gottcha
game,” where journalists try to trap
"Tell me the one about all the b.O.T. project commitments
...I just love a good fairy tale I"
Time for some serious campaigning
Hey, y’all.
After that big downtown
fire last week, I got to think
ing about something I heard that’s
right spicious! Them Chapman boys
been sayin’ they’s going back in the
barbecue bidness.
I dint have no idea they was gon’
come back in such a big way. Ever since
Big D put up that “Rib Shack” on the
corner, 01’ Ed and Snyder have been
saying they were going out smoke that
Evans boy. I guess they showed him!
Me and the boys was down on
Jernigan the other day an’ we saw oP
Bobby Tuggle cornin’ out the back of
the Muse pichur show buildin’. Y’all
reckon he’s thinkin’ ‘bout opnin’ it
up agin?
They ain’t no tellin’ what he’s up
to, but, like my Aunt Porky Lou says,
some folks jus’ bear watchin’.
From what I hear, David Overton is
right proud of them firefighters from
Perry, Warner Robins and Houston
County what saved his building and
all them jewels (Me and the boys keep
ours with us!). I been tol’ he’s putting
up some money to throw the guys a
shindig.
He’s hoping some folks will join him
in raisin’ some money. Me and the boys
already got us a whole Mason jar fuUa
quarte-s we gon’ donate cause We love
Randy
Hicks
Columnist
Georgia Family Council
their guest by cornering them with
their words (often a misquote or stum
ble) simply to make them look stupid.
He conducted his interviews to get to
the core of what politicians believed,
and I think honestly gave people the
opportunity to explain themselves and
their positions.
I loved the fact that he was equally
hard on everyone. And that he had a
low level of tolerance for spin and dem
agoguery. When I’d sit down to watch
“Meet the Press” I’d think to myself
“we’re going to hear something true
today.” Everyone knew he was a tough
interviewer, had done his research and
would persist in getting answers to'
his questions. At the conclusion of an
interview in April 2006, Sen. John
McCain jokingly said, “I haven’t had
so much fun since my last interroga
tion.”
He wanted to know what his guests
were really thinking, what kind of
answers and solutions they could offer.
He once said, “I have the sense when
I’m out there on ‘Meet the Press’ that
I’m a surrogate for people who get up,
go to work, raise a family and don’t
have the time to read six newspapers
a day, read all the books and know
all the questions to ask. I want to cut
through the fog.” In many ways Tim
Russert set the bar for everyone else in
his profession—being more interested
in getting to the truth and conduct
ing himself with integrity, than with
just scoring political points. For him,
it wasn’t about Tim Russert, it was
Porky's
Ponderings
porky@evansnewspapers.com
them firefighters.
I’m spectin’ it’s gon’ be packed like
sardines at that impack fee vote tomor
row night, if they vote. They sayin’
they gon’ have that meetin’ in the
confrunce room, so I’m plannin’ to
be under the table so I don’t get suf
fercated.
Me and the boys been noticin’ all
them campaign signs goin’ up, an
thinkin’ we gon’ have to get serious
‘bout advertisin’.
Has anybody got a bam roof we can
rent so we can paint on it like them ol’
See Rock City signs?
80-Diddley’s thinkin’ we oughta do
sumpn like them ol’ Burma Shave
signs so people’ll be fidin’ down the
road readin’ the rhyme. Like they’d be
five signs in a row:
Wanna to see
Yo taxes fall?
Put a pig in
about performing the job of a good
journalist.
His honesty in public life as a jour
nalist was obviously built on a foun
dation established in his private life
through his faith and his family. A
devout Catholic, he was widely known
as a dedicated, husband, father and son.
Tim Russert was very public about the
influence his father had on his life. His
best-selling book “Big Russ and Me”
talked about the lessons he learned
from his dad, a hard-working sanita
tion worker from Buffalo, New York.
Once when Tim asked his father
for advice before going on “Meet the
Press,” his dad said, “Pretend you’re
talking to me. Don’t get too fancy.
Don’t talk that Washington talk. Ask
questions that my buddies at the legion
hall would want to know about.” That
was good advice and it set the tone for
the more than 16 years he spent host
ing the program.
One of the most touching things that
has come to light since Tim Russert’s
passing has been the description by
friends and colleagues of his close
relationship with his son Luke, who
just recently graduated from Boston
College. It seems everyone who knew
Tim also knew about Luke because
they were so close and his dad was
always talking about him.
In an interview on the “Today Show”
just days after his dad died, Luke
Russert described their relationship.
“I spoke to him at least two to three
times a day,” Luke told Matt Lauer.
“It had to do with the election coming
up, sports, or just about life. There
was always a lot of love from him. We
would always hug. There’s not a day
that goes by that I have not known my
father loves me. For that, I’m eternally
grateful.”
That alone is quite a legacy.
Tim Russert proved that you can
See HICKS, page
City Hall.
Vote for Porky I!
Or maybe:
Perry’s perfect.
Thas no joke.
Don’t be fixin’
What ain’t broke!
Vote for Porky!
How ‘bout us havin’ the vice pres
ident cornin’ here to Perry? I was
hopin’ I could get my pichur took with
him, and me and the boys went over
there, but we dint have but $4.78 cents
between us, so they dint let us in. I
heard Piggette got in by lay in’ on a
platter with a apple in her mouth, only
they caught on to her when she started
eatin’ the apple.
We heard that one of the candi
dates for County Commission wants
to turn the Spec Buildin’ into a Arts
Center. You think I’m lyin’? I ain’t.
Thas the way it goes sometimes. Any
old buildin’ nobody knows what to do
it, somebody’s bound to start talking
‘bout puttin’ The Arts in it, or makin’
a mooseum outa it an’ getting’ grant
money and all that. Well, what I gotta
say is they gon’ have a fight on they
hands, ‘cause we’d move out if it was
a buncha jobs, but we ain’t movin’ out
for no arts center.
"One voice can make a difference"
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Perry City council only has
residents’ best interests in mind
Having the vision to provide for the future
needs of this community has been a
benchmark for the members of the Perry
City Council. They have dedicated many,
many hours in studying those issues that will
impact our community in the years ahead.
They have made wise decisions that have
already paid big dividends in making our
community one of Georgia’s most progres
sive places in which to live as well as one of
the safest.
The citizens of Perry have every right to
be proud of their city council in their effort
to deal with the impact fee decision they will
make at an upcoming meeting.
The members of council have devoted more
time and effort studying this issue than any
item that has ever appeared before them.
They have done their homework and what
ever decision they make will be in the best
interest of those who live and pay taxes in
our community.
I am extremely proud to serve with the
members of council who have worked so
diligently to create a city whose standards
are higher than most communities in Georgia
and whose quality of life 'is envied by many
cities throughout Georgia.
Sincerely,
- Perry Mayor Jim Worrall
Questioning if they know impact
Marie Antoinette said during the French Revolution
of the poor citizens of France who were suffering:
“Let them eat cake!” The “red shirts” at Tuesday night’s
City Council Meeting in Perry represent a mostly affluent
class of business folks such as developers, Chamber of
Commerce staff and realtors who amazingly don’t even
really understand a lot about the history and benefits of
impact fees.
Just ask them! They also don’t have the common good
of most citizens and our poor in their thoughts. Or really
care about new fire stations or city parks or new high-tech
industry. Or about the future of the wildlife at Oaky Woods
and it becoming a state park for all of us.
Civic pride and the common good are probably unknown
to the red shirts.
They are not public benefactors like Andrew Carnegie
who donates to help all of us.
Their actions are not likely to improve the infrastructure
and future of the City of Perry and voter apathy will prob
ably let them have their way.
- Frank W. Gadbois, Warner Robins
Houston
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