Tim Russert (CNBC) recently did a customarily soft-ball interview with Markos Moulitsas and Jerome Armstrong about their new book, “Crashing the Gate.”  The interview (and book) made clear the disdain the Markos and the political left (mainly the grass roots activitsts, bloggers, etc.) have for the inside-the-beltway people, even democrats.  In fact, Markos finds distasteful everything other than “outsider credentials.”  What I found so amusing (and ironic) about this interview was what they two of them think of each other.  Russert has ridiculed Kos for thinking that Gore is electable, while Kos has made quite ugly statements about Russert.  Daily Kos has a commentary on Tim Russert that is about as hateful, vulgar and venomous as a commentary can get.  I know, a web site owner may not be responsible for or necessarily even agree with every entry of every blogger on his site, but this commentary is particularly hateful, and as best as I can tell, represents the attitude of most on the far left towards both Tim Russert and Chris Matthews.  They see these two basically as lap dogs for the RNC and the administration.  For what Kos thinks about Russert, see Here, and followup here and here.  There is a little more on Russert here.  Regarding how the liberal blogs and grass roots activists see Russert, see here.  Be careful.  Some of the entries contain profanity, and most of them are very biting and hateful.

But in the interview, Russert seemed disinterested, almost disengaged.  Markos gushed and waxed on about poor Kos … we get no respect or support compared to the conservative bloggers, and so on and so forth (as if Michelle Malkin gets RNC money to blog!).  In a particularly irrelevant moment, he mentioned that you can drive into Chicago and see billboards of Michael Savage.  You are tempted to ask, “so what?”  Russert stared back with rather empty eyes, and I became disengaged in a little while (I am normally a political junkie and it is not like me to disengage).

Here is the question: will the real lackey stand up?  Did Russert not know what the folks at Kos think of him?  If not, since he himself is included in this beltway insider crowd that they have such disdain for, Russert was woefully unprepared for the interview.  If so, why would he grant the interview?  Did Markos know what Kos thinks of Russert?  If not, is Markos not managing the Kos content as well as he needs to?  If so, why would he go to Russert for the interview to begin with?

In hindsight, the interview would have made much more sense had the following brief discussion occurred on camera just prior to the interview.

Russert: I think you’re a buffoon for thinking that Gore can be elected.

Markos: I think you are a worthless lap dog for the RNC and the administration.  You are the very type we talk about in our new book.

Russert: Very well, since I like to be liked by everyone, how’s ’bout an interview on your book.

Markos: Great! I like to have the respect of lap dogs too, and anything I can do to get inside the beltway so that I can criticize those inside the beltway, I’ll do!  I’ll smile a lot, too.

How pathetic.