NBC - Give Tucker Carlson Russert's <em>Meet The Press</em> Chair

Say NBC -- now that you're canceling Tucker Carlson's show on MSNBC, why don't you give him Tim Russert's chair on Meet The Press?

Carlson is younger, better-looking and faster-talking. He's mastered the art of silencing people with whom he disagrees by talking over them (a skill Mr. Russert only evidences when ambush-questioning Senators Clinton and Obama while moderating debates).

What you lose in gravitas you'll more than make up for in intellectual honesty. Installing Carlson in the Meet The Press moderator's chair would put an end to that kabuki of even-handedness that Mr. Russert, you and your owners at General Electric have been fobbing off on Sunday morning political junkies for years.

Such a move would give your flagship political program the Fox News right wing shill aura it so richly deserves. Where else on network television can a Democratic politician go to get the Three Stooges treatment, with Mr. Russert in Moe's role, saying, "Why I oughta! C'mere!"

It's a role that Carlson could easily reprise.

The move would also free up Mr. Russert to pursue Democrats on a full time basis -- a pastime that is obviously near and dear to his heart. Who can forget the bulldog-like tenacity with which he pursued the Clintons in the past? Or the barely-concealed contempt for the unfortunate Al Gore and John "Too French" Kerry?

Mr. Russert would also be available for more of those softball games between your network and the Republican Party. Nobody can throw softballs to Republicans like he can. Nor can anyone fail to ask obvious follow up questions quite like that.

Do the right thing, NBC. Give Carlson Russert's Meet The Press gig. Either that or trade him to Fox News for Juan Williams and a liberal to be named later.