Brian Williams And Luke Russert Bromance: Pair Talks Tim, Sweat, And Kids On NBC Payroll

Monday afternoon on MSNBC, a jacket-less Brian Williams sat down with NBC correspondent at-large Luke Russert for a jovial segment touching on what Luke's late father Tim would think of the convention, a comparison between Luke's and Brian's physiques, and a discussion of NBC Newsers' children on the payroll for the DNC.

"We're all playing the parlor game of WWTT — What would Tim think?" Brian told Luke. "What would he say? What would he do? What would he have thought of the choice [of Biden]? Who would he now think McCain has to choose? He lived for this and these next few days, in specific, are what he lived for."

"Absolutely," Luke agreed. "He greatly enjoyed conventions, he used to call them his Superbowl, as were election night coverages."

As for the Biden pick, the younger Russert speculated that his father would have said, "He shored up the experience gap, but will Joe Biden be gaffe-free from now until the election?"

As the interview went on, Brian and Luke bro'ed it up (literally, with Williams calling Russert "brother"), with Luke joking about Brian being "thinner" than he is (and thus less prone to sweat and more able to pull off the jacket-less look) and the fact that Williams' daughter Allison (who Luke referred to as "the Yalie") is also on the NBC payroll, interning during the convention in Denver.

Watch:

Also: watch Luke Russert explain Facebook to Chris Matthews:

Comments

[Cogs]

I've noticed that any questioning of Tim Russert's close friendship with John McCain will be deleted. I'm only trying find out if others think he was an enabler for McCain and that he hid the truth about the man's character and temperment. I read the book "The Real McCain" and it sure sheds a light on Russert's role in helping to create this phony image of McCain as a reformer and maverick. This is not an attack on Russert but an inquiry into the strange bond between McCain and the media.

[dattexas]

Most of the people posting here don't critique the substance of his opinion, just that he's related to Tim. Jealousy isn't pretty.

[Irons]

Jeebus, another nepotistic prepster on teevee.

[simplyirresistible]

NBC shows its disdain for the intelligence of the American public. Can we all say nepotism?

So long as we continue to watch these gongs shows they'll keep delivering us clown acts. When will Americans jump off the carousel?

You have other media choices. You have the freedom to choose. Why not make a better choice for yourself and your family? Send American media a strong message: Give us honest, informed journalism or we'll find it elsewhere. Find some of those choices here:

http://healinganation.wordpress.com/2008/08/14/georgias-on-everybodys-mind/

Baracck Obama, annoyed by the persistent airing of the lying, filthy Republican terrorist ad, is "organizing his supporters to target the stations that air it and their advertisers."
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12816.html

There used to be a time when media were responsible to the American public for their content. There used to be a time when media had to prove they were serving the public good. Now they flip their middle finger at us.

How would you respond if every time you went to a shopping mall, every employee inside flipped their middle finger at you?

[JCane526]

Don't kid yourself...

Television is a business. To be ultimately cynical, its just one big commercial. Cable and now major network political commentators are just time fillers peppered in between ad space. If you get some news thrown in, awesome. Spicing up these major events with light hearted talk and fluff pieces are what the MSM thinks the American public needs to stay glued to their TVs (*cough* NBC's Olympic coverage much?).

Anyone who comments on this or any blog, or heck, reads a blog regularly, is in the extreme minority. You seek out not only journalistic coverage of an event, but differing opinions of said event in an attempt to craft your own. Those that rely on MSM only to get the news are getting just the amount of 'news' they desire. There's too much easily accessible information out there, if you choose to find it, to pretend to be a MSM victim anymore.

[dooleynoted]

I'm sorry his dad died but little Luke doesn't offer any more than the average male you would find on any college campus. There are talented young people out there who would truly bring a fresh take and interesting insights from a young person's perspective to the convention. Luke just isn't one of them.

[SDnavyPROUD]

In response to Matthews' question about why does Obama resonate so well with young voter. Luke still didn't exactly get it.

Younger generations understand that humanity is largely interconnected and when one group or individual suffers injustice all of society will eventually suffer. This we know intuitively, but it also can be witnessed in how certain crises have first affected specific segments then spread to larger parts of society. Case in point is the housing crisis, the Katrina debacle, or the Indonesian tsunami.

[MoeSart]

Bull. The only vote many of these kids have ever cast was for American Idol.

Just like most Obama fans, they can't provide one accomplishment that qualifies Obama to be POTUS.

[VOTER]

"BULL" and "DOUBLE BULL"

back at you, you jerk!

[nuclearmonkeys]

List of accomplishments for you.

http://www.barackobama.com/learn/meet_barack.php

But I guess McCains compelling story of being born w/ a silver spoon in his mouth, barely making it through the naval academy, before getting the prestigious honor of reverse ace (losing 5 planes), and becoming a POW, though of course he doesn't like to talk about that.

Then after coming home, he cheated on his wife before leaving his family and marrying a rich beer heiress, though he was a POW so it's ok. With her money he catapulted himself into politics and the rest is mavericky history.

[cheferic]

the qualifications to be president of the United States of America are listed in the U.S Constitution and they are 1.A natural born U.S citizen (Which John McCain technically isn't)
2.Over the age of 34 and 3 Resided in the U.S for the last 7 years. Those are the ONLY qualifications no matter how many times the pundits,the bloggers ,the candidates or anyone else try to put more qualifications in the list.So thats 3 out of 3 qualifications for Senator Obama and 2 out of 3 qualifications for Senator McCain, Most of our parents and older siblings in fact, are qualified to be president and 33% more qualified than John McCain.I for one would like to know what a candidates PLAN is but so far all we talk about is religion and what dreamed up qualifications someone needs to not tell us their plan and still get elected -like the currant president did.I think young people desire change and Obama represents change.

[cBc]

Watch...?

Can't bear to.

[JennyJay]

Geeeeze! . . . Enough Already! . . .GAG RESPONSE HERE! . . . Most people in the world really
hate it when The Boss's Son jumps to the head of the line and becomes Vice President in the company because "everybody loved his dad". The big shots love this career path, but everybody
else thinks - it STINKS and is sickened by it. You can't tell me this kind of fanny-kissing move
is good for morale at MSNBC. I sure hate it and I am just a veiwer, I don't even work there and it makes me gag.
America hates people who unfairly jump to the head of the line - for any reason!

[ezbreezer]

Like GWB?

[Quotidien]

Bromance.. haha, I'm so using that !!

NBC knows that Face the Nation would have been #1 had it not been for Tim Russert. They owe him a lot and Luke is there to cash in on it.

[renatam]

Here's the question. Would these pundit stars carry any other INTERN -- on air -- in this manner? If the answer is NO, then it should not be happening with Luke Russert.

He should create a RESUME and send it out w/cover letters and begin at the ground level where other youngsters begin. This would build character and EXPAND his worldview, which is clearly limited. Since his mother is a writer, I am amazed she doesn't get he needs a broader perspective before he puts himself forward as our media filter in any way -- leaving him open to ridicule his entire life, if he doesn't leave the on-air profession. This isn't a good way to begin -- for anyone, especially Luke Russert.

[BuddyLove65]

Some of the best news that money can buy. Yuk Yuk Yuk. Too bad we can't all be "on the pay roll."

[cloudmaker]

Gee. If my dad was a nuclear physicist and popular with everyone and he
died, do you think they would let me become a nuclear physicist?

[VOTER]

If your dad had been a nuclear physicist for NBC, the answer is "YES!"

[VOTER]

NBC:

GIVE US NEWS - NOT NEPOTISM

Thank goodness, for C-SPAN!

[geobushono]

logrolling with a 22 year old legacy hire............The msm,don't ya just love it?

[uheardme]

He's UNQUALIFIED.