I'm looking forward to what you all bring my way from the convention floor.  Thanks for all your efforts.
I do have an opinion on my preference as to how you proceed through the convention reporting, analysis, and commentary for both sides. Here goes:
.........
I have been an independent, and am voting for Obama-Biden.  I am bothered by the interweaving of negative Obama ad playing, opinion and commentary in with the reporting and commentary on the VP rollout glow.  I want both sides at the end of the metaphorical day ... but the tight weaving in and instant response by the other side doesn't let either side have their glory moments, let alone what it does to me. Something is lost in a depth of experience for me to hear the negative attack statements and sound bites from the other side before I can experience fully the message of what the current side is saying. I would rather have some solid reporting and objective as possible analysis to inform me while letting whoever, the Dems or Pubs have their glow during say a rollout and convention.  Then have the commentary and opinion of the non-objective other-siders have their go at it. This would make for a more constructive, informative, and positive experience for me while getting the balance I do want.
... Otherwise it is tit for tat and I get dizzy and sick to my stomach.
Thanks for listening to my opinion. I wish the same for each side.
Joel Peters - Augusta, Georgia

Brian -

Welcome Home, now the real Games begin.

Joan

Good Evening Mr.Williams, Great to see you on a Saturday evening! You travel great distances! First of all as I always say great to have a report from Richard on the broadcast! Even though he wasn't actually seen on the broadcast the voice over on the report about Bryan Clay the United States Decathalon Gold Medal winner was wonderful! Bryan Clay is really a great athlete to win in ten events in two days. All that rain during the run on the track Friday. Simply awesome and inspirational to see. As Richard stated Bryan Clay was doing these events in hot and muggy weather which cannot be easy. The 28year old Hawaiian proved to be a winner and is trying to clean-up the sport of track and field. Being tested several times a week. He seems like a good husband and father with a wife and children. He is a great role model to young children wanting to be like him. Congratulations to Bryan Clay on the Gold Medal! Always wonderful to have a report by you Richard! Stay Safe and Well Richard! Great reporting!
The United States is doing super in the medal count with 107 medals! Go USA!
On another note Tropical Storm Fay os relentless on the amount of rain it is pouring down on Florida. Mr Sanders report from the panhandle of Florida stating that 5" of rain an hour has fallen was amazing. I hope it moves on away soon. At least Central Florida is drying out alittle, but there is much damage caused by the storm and alot of clean-up.
And of course the big news of Senator Joe Biden being chosen as Senator Obama's running mate might prove helpful. The Democratic National Convention begins this week with alot of speeches to be made. Time will tell.
Thank you for the broadcast Mr.Williams! Thank you Mr.Holt for all your great coverage from Beijing! Always wonderful reporting Richard! Peace to you and to all!

Lots of Love to Laurel,Jackie,Stephanie,Claudia,Celine,Anna and Matt!
Be Well Always!
Stay Safe and Well Richard! Always great reports! Great reporting from Beijing!
XOXO  

Brian I got that 3 am call but it was from my daughter telling me Obama had picked Biden. I didn't sleep well for the rest of the night. I've had to take 3 smoothies to calm down and my daughter explained to me the reason. I'm not a happy camper and I just have it in me to turn on a true friend. The DNC will do has they please without thought of the people they represent. Politics as usual but the question is where do the Democrats get the votes. Obama had 17,000 plus in the primary and Biden ended his bid for President in Iowa when he got 1% of the vote. Now let's see how Biden brings voters in as he couldn't when he was running for President. To much as been made up of supporting a party and not the person who does the job. If our Democracy is of a certain Party why bother to have a Primary just let the Party pick the candidate. Senator Hagel side it best he is loyal to the American people first then a Party. I wish both McCain and Obama the best of luck in their drive to the White House. I just don't see the same American Government for the people by the people in this new process.

I'll be going to Juniors tomorrow and let everyone know how it goes. I'm so glad I don't leave for Denver to visit my son until Sept.3 when the Convention is over.

Best to Lisa, Laurel, Stephanie, Claudia, Celine, Anna and Matt

Have a great weekend all I'll be watching you Brian where ever I go.

Andrea broke the story because she is a classy, informed reporter Brian!   Meanwhile the other cable stations were just working off speculation and camping out in front of people's homes.   While you were reporting the news the cable stations were on speculation mode.

As far as your sound problem it seems to be systemic broadcasting from Denver tonight.   Blitzer and Cooper both got caught broadcasting into thin air too!

Bests to All!

For Obama it will be difficult now for spreading his agenda. He has chosen a towering figure in the Democratic Party as his running mate. Let's think for a moment. Biden is the Cheney of Obama. When Bush ran for office in 2000 he had no foreign and security credential so he chose Dick Cheney, a former Secretary of State. Obama has little foreign and security credential so he has chosen Biden, member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committe and Judiciary. Also Cheney is a heavy-hitter like Joe Biden who are both political lightning rods in their respective party. Also he has chosen a fellow Senator. As I previously stated, he should choose a Governeur, because Senators are not ready to lead but to talk. Governeurs have the advantage of knowing how to run a specific state entity.

Also it would be difficult for Obama that the largest political rally he has ever and will ever hold was the rally in Berlin with 200,000 attendees. Even the Invesco Field at Mile High has to be filled 3 times that the attendance of Berlin could merely be matched. A task pretty unmatchable. So Obama's largest ever rally was in a foreign country instead in the United States. That's a negative point for Obama in the campaign process.

I guess now that McCain will either choose Senator Lindsey Graham or Governeur Mitt Romney. Graham because has debated with Biden multiple times on "Meet the Press" during the Russert days and on the first post-Russert broadcast and knows how to attack Biden hard on specific issues. So Graham becomes the lightning rod for McCain. Or he will choose Romney, because Romney has the purse (200mn Dollars) to match the high donations that a Obama/Biden ticket would generate.

Finally the propaganda of the Chinese government at the Olympics will come to an end and the media is concentrating on the real issues in the sparkling Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.

"powering through."

Heh. Your producer and director did good work tonight reordering the show after the power interruption. I knew something was amiss, as the story dumped out pretty abruptly, but Lester and the crew handled it well.

Kudos to NBC Nightly News. It's the unplanned that is the true test of skill.

Sorry, Jackie - I'm grateful he didn't choose Hilary!  

I have still yet to watch any Olympics.  Glad its going to be over tomorrow.  I'm ready for different news.  Summer Olympics just don't appeal to me, though I will cheer for my hometown Olympians - from my computer.  I happen to feel that NBC did a fine job with covering them, but once you're done, I'll be happy to get back to the Law & Orders!  I learned a lot about China the past two weeks and I doubt I would have learned it all if it hadn't been for the news coverage.  Thanks.

Speaking of TV.... FOOTBALL IS NOW ON!  I've got to go get my fix!

What is good about Senator McCain is the simple fact that his economic and political package is problematic. His economics is the political economy of the leisure class, which has not worked over the last eight years. All his economic policies from drilling to economic surge are designed to enrich the wealthy at the expense of the underlying population. He will try to redistribute whatever left of our mational income to the wealthy by cutting their taxes, particularly on those wealthy who make their wealth by not working, e.g., by inheriting their families’ wealth. His politics is the politics of the leisure class as well. For example, his foreign policy is imperial one, which will be designed to create wars with Russia, with some Middle Eastern countries, and with Pakistan, to mention a few. These imperial wars require more funds to spend and more people to die: more blood. However, the military complex will benefit by selling more military hardware, and oil prices will rise; hence, oil corporations will generate more profits. We, the rest, will have to die for Senator McCain’s dream of more wars that he will not be able to count, and those of us who will survive his imperial wars will have to pay higher prices for oil, food, healthcare, and education.  

Senator McCain lacks leadership too because he will not be able to energize people to die for more profits for the military complex and oil corporations. Therefore, he cannot lead the country for greatness. He is not going to get my sympathy as one term-president, because it is too costly and risky to vote for him. If he gets that term he will ruin our great country. Senator McCain has already created a significant foreign policy problem with Mr. AL- Maliki, because the Senator stated that AL-Maliki would not ask him to pull the troops out of Iraq. AL-Maliki has been very mad about this remark. In Iraq this means that AL Maliki is nothing: a bag. It also implies naked humiliation. Few days later the Senator provoked Putin, because he thought Putin is as weak as AL-Maliki.

Senator Obama believes in changing the system, not breaking it. Senator Biden knows the system very well and will help Senator Obama to change it for the benefit of the underlying population. Senator Biden’s experience will also help Senator Obama to lead. Senator’s Biden selection has shown the world that Senator Obama is not interested in the Yes Man, because the latter is not consistent with democracy. The strategy of the Yes Man has been failing and has directed our country to a disastrous trend. Senator Obama has shown a true leadership by picking Senator Biden as his VP. Best Regards    

Watching you last night with the Vice-President countdown, it felt so good for you to mention Tim Russert and how he would be feeling now.    I too miss him  still and think of him often.  He would get so excited.  I still miss him on Meet the Press and do not even think about waking up and tuning it in on Sunday.  No offense against Mr. B.

One thing Obama has done is expose how unbiased the news truly is.  You have all turned into Obama cheer leaders and I know you will continue with this at the convention.  So much for the reporters who claim to be unbiased reporters of the news.  Now we know you for the manipliators of the public that you have always been.  Thank-you Obama  PS good luck with those reporters who get chills in their legs maybe a Doctor could help.
                        James T Huff Jr.

This political season gets better and better.  The only thing missing is Tim Russert's huge smile.  You all must be tired but you're doing great work.  Keep smiling.

Nice to hear- you guys are so lucky because you get to travel a lot- must be fun.
Mr. Williams, do you answer Newsvine questions anymore?

Yellda

Dear Brian,

I have enjoyed your co-anchoring of the broadcast with Lester Holt these past couple of nights.  I think you should do it all the time, and that you should sign off by saying, "Good night, Chet."  "Good night, David."  :-)

It was good to see the Team U.S.A. men's basketball team win the gold medal last night.  Spain gave them quite a run for their money.  Our players really deserved it, though, as did Coach K.  What a classy guy.

I also enjoyed Team U.S.A. baseball.  It's too bad it was relegated to cable; I thought it was exciting enough to warrant network coverage.  And it was nice to see Davey Johnson again.  If only he was still the Orioles' manager!

Enjoy your time in Denver.  We'll surely miss Tim Russert, but it will be nice to have Luke on board.

To Joan in CT:  Did you catch Brian mentioning that he will anchor the 1:00 hour on MSNBC this week?  It's always good, isn't it?

Lots of love to the regular posters:  Lisa, Jackie, Stephanie, Celine, Claudia, Anna, and Matt.  XOXO

Brian, we enjoyed the Olympics on NBC and your coverage while there in Beijing.  I have a bone to pick with NBC.  Why would you guys start giving out the results of events on your newscasts before they are broadcast later that evening???  Some of us didn't want to know the results before we watched. That activity works against your own network by discouraging some folks from watching later; at the very least, it makes it less interesting.  Please don't do that again.  Thank goodness that the swimming was on air live.  At least we had some nights that were not anti-climactic.  Thank you.

Brian, we watch you every night, wouldn't have it otherwise. We moved from Denver a few years ago and miss terribly the New Saigon restaurant on South Federal. That's not too far from where you will be during the convention. I REALLY hope you get some time off and take yourself over there for some lunch or dinner and take your cohorts with you. You will not regret it, I promise you! If there's any reason for us to move back to Denver, it will be that restaurant!

I really miss Tim Russert's commentary!!!!! Wouldn't he just love this!?

I am sending this via your blog Brian - but the message is direct toward the entire NBC staff. Please stop mentioning EACH AND EVERY TIME Luke Russert appears on the air who is father was. Most of us already know - and the continual reference diminishes the fine work Luke is doing (on his own) for your network.

His discussion of the youth vote, its importance and how they are being specifically reached by the Obama campaign was one of the best discussions of the subject I have heard. He seems to have a true understanding of the subject - REGARDLESS OF WHO HIS FATHER WAS.

I realize that your staff is still going through the grieving process - but I am sure that Tim Russert would be the first to agree with me.

Brian,

As a Hillary supporter poised to support John McCain in November, I have noticed a sharply critical NBC news staff of my new candidate for President. Is this going to continue, or will you and the rest of the NBC elections news team, including Chris Matthews, Lee Cowan, and Keith Olbermann make a commitment to abandon your ongoing favoritism of Barack Obama, in order to cover the election fairly and provide a balanced and honest coverage for future generations to look back on? You are a good broadcaster but to be a truly great broadcaster, look to your predecessor, Tom Brokaw, and his unbiased reporting of political events, such as in 2000.

Dear Mr.Williams. I so enjoy the news and know that in the coming months I will tune into your newscast frequently. I wonder if you would please consider taking a breath now and again. You speak in paragraphs, and it becomes difficult to watch/listen to you without gasping for air. A fan but breathless.

Brian,

I have been an NBC Nightly News fan since the mid 1950s when I worked for RCA and was one of the large group of employees who bought the first color TV sets when the only color broadcast was the NBC nightly news. I also wrote the dialog for a small public service piece for Chet Huntly. I would like to offer a suggestion, I have noticed that you use the phrase, as always, when ending an interview with certain persons. It looks and sounds as though you are saying something personal to that person. I am not sure that is proper on a newscast.
That being said, I still feel that you are in the same league with John Cameron, Chet, David and Tom.
Keep up the good work.  

Dear Brian,

Do you really think that Obama's being raised in Hawaii-Kenya- Kansas is "bizarre". Wow! odd comment for someone who makes his living reporting from all over the world. I've traveled all over, also, so I guess that makes me "bizarre" too. Do you think all this travel make us all a little less American? Does our Americanism get watered down if we leave American soil? Or maybe travel just remind us that all of us on this big, blue marble are God's children and maybe that fact informs the decisions we make in our life. What were you trying to convey with that comment...Obama's otherness? I've watched you for years and years but right now, I'm feeling very disappointed in you.

Hey Brian,
Could you use your pull to get MSNBC to stop airing McCain's attack ads ad nauseum for free.
I have to say it's brilliant stragegy for the McCain campaign to create an ad that will get the pundits blithering enough to play them over and over, hour after hour, but poor business. Don't people usually have to pay for commercial spots?
I hope you're going to give Obama commercials equal time whether they're dirty or not.

Dear Brian,
In this computer-driven age, why are we wasting time with the political conventions?  Couldn't there be some sort of "conference call" done in which each state punched a button to nominate a candidate?  It would solve the safety and security issues in the blink of an electronic eye.  It seems like a no-brainer to me.
             

Dear Brian,
Great reporting last night but for the life of me I will never be able to figure out the Ted Kennedy love fest. Like most young Americans I liked JFK and thought that Bobby would have been a great president. But Teddy! I never could figure out the out pouring of love towards this man.

I was 18 and in Beverly Mass. when my buddy and I heard about Mary Jo and Chappaquitick. We got into our mustang and headed towards Edgar Town. We were there hours before of the media. We drove out to the wood framed house where the party had been. The secret service was already there. We parked a few blocks away and snuck around back and found at least six metal garbage cans filled up with empty liquor bottles. We next went over the famous wooden rickety bridge and the sand dunes. I also found the kid who was the first mate on the ferry that took Ted many hours after back to the mainland in a tavern. My friend and I went diving in the middle of the night and searched for the missing purse/pocketbook in the river. I later contacted life magazine and other media outlets but nobody wanted to hear my story. I was told by friends and family that for my own safety to let it die.

I understand it happened a long long time ago and when do we stop paying for our mistakes? But did Ted, except for paying off Mary Jo's family ever pay for his? It just puzzels me how this man is so worshipped by both Demo. and Repubs. Perhaps I am wrong. He must be a great guy. A real genuine lion heart!

Have a great convention. But please speak to Ms. Mitchell and no more tears for Teddy. He has certainly had a better life then most of us and no doubt when he does die he will be given the respect and honor of a great Greek God.
     

Major American networks should be ashamed, sinking to the level of  cheap tabloids in prime-timing  a `17 year old's pregnancy as a major political matter.  Whats' next for our political scene, the college drinking habits of anyone with enough courage to step into the political snakepit..... perhaps a debate by  former high school sweethearts or perhaps real-time live camera websites for all candidates- 24/7.....

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