Greenwald on Tim Russert

From Glenn Greenwald’s 12/26/07 column at Salon.com, listing some of his favorite quotes of 2007:

“When I talk to senior government officials on the phone, it’s my own policy — our conversations are confidential. If I want to use anything from that conversation, then I will ask permission” —Tim Russert, under oath at the Lewis Libby trial, citing the textbook function of a government propagandist to explain his role as a “journalist.”

“I suggested we put the vice president on ‘Meet the Press,’ which was a tactic we often used. It’s our best format,” as it allows us to “control the message” — Cheney media aide Cathie Martin, under oath at the Libby trial, making clear how well Russert fulfills his function.