Russerted out

Lookit, I enjoyed and respected Tim Russert’s work like most TV news junkies. And I made known my shock and sadness when Mr. Russert died last Friday.

But goodness gracious... MSNBC is still devoting hours upon hours to memorializing the man.

After Russert’s funeral today, perhaps the cable news network will return to doing news. I think Tim would have wanted it that way.

I mean, wow... they really gave him the “full Reagan.” Johnny Carson didn’t get this kind of love when he passed. Walter Cronkite probably won’t either.

I hear that Pope Benedict XVI saw MSNBC’s funeral coverage today, then he told his College of Cardinals, “Don’t make that kind of fuss over me when I go.”

Too much, I tells you!

It’s left to me to restore some cosmic balance.

If you watched the “Meet the Press” tribute on Sunday, you saw one of Tim Russert’s greatest hits – his withering interrogation of David Duke about the scope of Duke’s knowledge of the Louisiana economy. (Duke was running for governor at the time.)

Let me tell you, David Duke, America’s best-known bigot, was quite delighted to receive some attention during NBC’s shivah.

Duke talked about it Monday with his friend and fellow ex-Klansman Don Black on Black’s Internet radio show.

I’m streaming a 6½-minute edit on my Vox blog. (You ain’t surprised, are you?) Click here to listen, if you can tolerate the sound of two neo-Nazis sucking each other’s ding-a-lings.

Duke actually boasts that “I beat Tim Russert!” in a “Meet the Press” rematch. And Don Black is all like, “They scareda you, man! They can’t fuck wit’ no David Duke!” Or words to that effect.

Anyways... R.I.P., Mr. Russert.