WALLACE Demolishes GOP Talking Point.

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56. It was from an interview I saw, likely either on NBC or

MSNBC. He described going to this cocktail party during election season. And I still remember the devilish grin that took over his face when he described running into some GOP figure and when he believed nobody was looking, opened his jacket to reveal the “secret” bush/cheney campaign button so only his pal could see it. Like fraternity brothers flashing the secret code in a mixed crowd, wink-wink.

I remember feeling my jaw drop.

Okay, there’s currying favor with various sides and sources so they’ll come on your show and they’ll allow you access, but then you portray yourself as objective and not instinctively favoring one side over another?

I watched the interview and couldn’t help noticing that he added nothing along the lines of “and on the inside of my jacket on the other side, I had a Gore/Lieberman campaign pin to flash to friends I knew were gonna be at the same cocktail party who were Democrats. Nothing. He wasn’t doing any stealth “both sides/BOTH SIIIIIIIDES!!!!!” schtick that night.

I can never get around that one whenever Tim Russert’s name comes up. When he died, I watched the lofty, worshipful coverage of his career and what he meant to NBC News and its political coverage over many years of elections and administrations. They all spoke of him in hushed tones. I could not. I couldn’t get that “shhhhhh, don’t tell anybody, but just know I’m one of you (wink-wink)” story outta my mind. Still can’t.