Although not as flashy as the newsletter controversy, here’s a fascinating curio from Dr. Paul’s political closet: in a Christmastime appearance on Meet The Press in 2007, Paul said that Abraham Lincoln should never have started the Civil War, instead ending slavery by having the federal government purchase all of the slaves and set them free. Like many libertarian ideas, it’s appealing unless you think about it for five seconds.

The conservative blogosphere is abuzz over Newsbusters‘ unearthing of a 2007 video that featured MSNBC’s Chris Matthews and the late Tim Russert discussing problems with the trajectory of Social Security, with Matthews calling it “a bad Ponzi scheme.” MATTHEWS: [...] If you think about it, what does [Hillary Clinton] gain if she says, Let’s raise [...]

MSNBC president Phil Griffin recently sat down with Mediaite and discussed the reasons for the network’s success, which included the unrepentant assertion that MSNBC’s coverage comes from a progressive stance. We also discussed the successful navigation through some rocky waters over the last six months (the departure of Keith Olbermann and successful transition to a new prime time lineup), with little effect on its overall ratings.

Glenn Beck was not happy with President Obama’s remarks on Libya yesterday for a number of reasons. The main issue was that it came way too late in comparison with Obama’s frequent comments on the situation in Egypt. And the final issue Beck had was that Obama never seemed to mention Muammar Gaddafi’s name and hasn’t in any recent statements. Now why would he do that? Glenn Beck is on the case.

It was a big day on the set of “Meet The Press” this past Sunday, for two reasons: It marked the beginning of the broadcast in HD, and it was the first show to be shot on the show’s brand-new set. The move signaled a new era – and was yet another step away from the old one, and former host Tim Russert.

As the face of media evolves, it’s important to honor the figures who helped define, shape and set the standards in their industries. These are some of the most prominent members of the media who passed away over the past 10 years. Take a look back with some snippets from their respective New York Times obituaries.

Timothy Joseph Russert, father of the late, legendary NBC Newsman Tim Russert and grandfather of NBC correspondent Luke Russert, passed away today at the age of 85.

Known as “Big Russ,” Russert became famous in his own right by being a focus of the New York Times bestseller “Big Russ & Me.”

I can’t say I started crying during the opening credits of the upcoming HBO documentary By The People: The Election of Barack Obama, but only because I got to the theater five minutes late. The film — which will air on November 3 on HBO — begins in Iowa in 2007, eight months before the caucuses and light years before today, and spends nearly half of its two-hours focusing on the state and the young supporters populating its campaign headquarters.

Tim Russert passed away slightly more than a year ago, and the show he was so tied to, Meet the Press, has gone through several incarnations as it recovers from the huge impact of losing the man at its helm.

One thing that is evident – there is less Meet the Press in the post-Russert era.