I know they're saying the job is going to David Gregory, but look me in the monitor and tell me Damon Weaver isn't exactly the kind of person we need holding feet to the fire and asking the tough questions.

Remember when Joe Biden said Barack Obama would face a big challenge early in his Presidency? Well, this is it. Your move, Mr. President-Elect.

(via Aziz is Bored)

According to this story that an NBC-owned website pulled from the Associated Press, NBC is rumored to finally be ready — six months after Tim Russert's death — to announce an official replacement host for Meet the Press. Almost.

Now, when you hear the name, you'll most likely think to yourself "Gregory who?" But that's a very naive response.

The correct response should be "David who?"

NBC News is close to naming chief White House correspondent David Gregory as Tim Russert's replacement on the top-ranked Sunday political talk show "Meet the Press," a network executive said Tuesday.

Gregory is negotiating terms of a deal that would give him the job, said the NBC News executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal wasn't final.

For those of you familiar with MSNBC's early evening programing, you might recognize David Gregory as the hour-long blank space on your television screen between Chris Matthews at 5 pm and Chris Matthews at 7 pm.

I knew that NBC was looking to find a replacement who could match the depth and strength of Tim Russert's personality.

I'd just assumed that they meant before Russert's heart attack.

If you didn't get a chance to see John McCain on Meet the Press, I highly recommend carving out a half hour to watch it now, before you start getting drunk at lunch. It's pretty fascinating. And just full of revelations.

Like, did you know that John McCain is doing well in the polls? Or that Sarah Palin is popular and well-respected? Or that John McCain is going to win next Tuesday?

Me neither.

Help me out here. Who is John McCain trying to delude there?

Tom Brokaw, the voters, or himself?

I know!  I thought that Meet The Press Didn't air until 10:30 EST!  But apparently, through some hole in the space time continuum, we get to find out early what Colin Powell has to say.

Bill Clinton appeared on Meet the Press yesterday, presumably as a stand-in for Sean Hannity and Baroness Lynn Forester de Rothschild.

What follows is a list of quotes spoken by the former President on yesterday's show. Figure out whether he was talking about a) Barack Obama, b) John McCain, c) George W. Bush or d) Sarah Palin.

1. I have never concealed my admiration and affection for [blank]. I think he's a great man.

2. …People from your native state, in South Dakota, and people in Arkansas, and they look at [blank], and they say, "You know, this is a pretty impressive deal."

3. And in the world, the places where America is popular today in the world, really popular, 10 countries in central and eastern Africa… Why? Because they see us through the prism of [blank]'s AIDS and malaria programs…

4. I mean, he was, you know, until he was in the State Senate until 2005 and then he began a campaign for president, [sic] which is, in all probability, will be successful, and those are very great accomplishments. But those are personal accomplishments.

Answers: The first three were about himself and the last one was about Dick Cheney.

In reality, it was 1-b, 2-d, 3-c, 4-a.

And on quote number four, he had his fingers crossed.

If John McCain is serious about separating himself from the 10,000 lb weight that is the Bush legacy, he should really consider going back in time and not saying things like this on Meet the Press…

RUSSERT: The fact is you are different than George Bush.

McCAIN: No. No. I-the fact is that I'm different but the fact is that I have agreed with President Bush far more than I have disagreed. And on the transcendent issues, the most important issues of our day, I've been totally in agreement and support of President Bush.

So have we had some disagreements on some issues, the bulk–particularly domestic issues? Yes. But I will argue my conservative record voting with anyone's, and I will also submit that my support for President Bush has been active and very impassioned on issues that are important to the American people.

And I'm particularly talking about the war on terror, the war in Iraq, national security, national defense, support of men and women in the military, fiscal discipline, a number of other issues. So I strongly disagree with any assertion that I've been more at odds with the president of the United States than I have been in agreement with him.

Christ, McCain. Tim Russert was trying to help you out.

(via Huffington Post, with video)