Which is why reporters need to ask themselves what is the value of the access. Access for access’ sake does not serve the public good. The rise of citizen journalists, while still in its infancy, seems to be replacing the role of old journalism.
Helen Thomas had more balls than Russert ever had. After being frozen out for three years by the Bush White House, Bush finally got up the nerve to ask her a question.
But she didn’t believe the nonsense you are peddling about how journalists need to play footsie, she immediately pinned him to the wall with a question about how his reasons for the war had all turned to dust … to which, of course, he had no answer.
So no, Russert didn’t “push the edges more than most”. He never even approached the edges. Helen always did, and she lasted through a host of Presidents … your claims simply don’t hold water.
Whoa! I agree with intention.
The end must be near…
False alarm, the comet crashed in Jupiter. 
Amen. Russert was a self-congratulating lard-assed sycophant. And that comparison is unkind to the self-congratulating, the lard-assed and sycophants. I find that the worms that feed on Russert’s decomposing body are more even-handed. I would sooner much rather that such fair and balanced worms feast on my mortal remains than to ever have another phony baloney “hard-nosed” journalist take bows while waiting for liars in power to telephone him to alert him to their misdeeds.
And the sad thing is they’ve replaced him with David Gregory, who was nothing more than a White House parrot in the run-up to war.