Perhaps you will join me in an experiment. Ask ten people to identify Roxana Saberi and the circumstances surrounding her recent problems. My guess is that most responses will include a blank, unknowing stare. Ms. Saberi, by the way, is the American freelance journalist who was arrested in Iran on the charge of espionage, sentenced to eight years in prison and a few days ago released. Her story was important to me because it is my view that Iran, along with Pakistan, is potentially the most dangerous trouble spot for the Obama administration. Iran, a powerful nation made even more so by the debacle in Iraq, is probably closer to possessing a nuclear weapon than we realize and its president denies the holocaust while advocating the demise of Israel. The Iranian tinderbox has become more worrisome with the election of Benjamin Netanyahu, a hard line conservative with hawkish tendencies, as prime minister of Israel. And so, since it is my view that we need to deal with Iran, and dealing with them in a reasonable manner was complicated by the Roxana Saberi situation, I was excited when listening to the news on my truck radio to hear of her release. That afternoon, when I returned home from work, I checked the cable news channels to hear the details. To my dismay the first channel made no mention of the story. Rather they were engaged in a long report on the recent Correspondent's Dinner- you know, the yearly event where journalists dine with the president, bask in their own significance and then for several days report on every detail of the event, being certain to include clips of themselves waving knowingly at passing starlets. Perhaps I am in the minority, but I do not see this as news, and further I really don't care how Wanda Sykes feels about Rush Limbaugh's kidneys. I switched to a different channel with a completely different political philosophy hoping that they would report on the Saberi release. But alas,they were enraged by an extended debate over Miss California. One red-faced reporter announced he was about to "vomit" with outrage. This story hardly seems newsworthy. In the first place, Miss California's view of marriage is of little interest to me, and secondly, should anyone be surprised that there are racy photos in her portfolio?

The press is sometimes referred to as the fourth branch of government. If this is the case, the cable news channels are poor representatives. I often think of Tim Russert and how I miss him. Russert was the son of a blue collar worker from upstate New York and I am quite certain of his personal political beliefs. Still,when he was doing his job as a journalist he was tough but fair to his guests, whatever their political bent. When his report ended, I always found myself thinking of how much I had learned and how much there was to consider. Never did I see Russert's personal view in the story and never did he tell me what I was supposed to conclude. Russert had a sense of humor that was refreshing, but his reporting never had the tabloid style of so many on the cable networks.

You probably recall the famous line of Lloyd Benson's when he said to Dan Quayle,

"I knew Jack Kennedy, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine, and believe me, you are no Jack Kennedy."

I find myself paraphrasing Benson's remarks when I say to the cable networks,

"I knew Tim Russert, Tim Russert was professional journalist, and believe me, you are no Tim Russert."

P.S. I finally Googled Roxana Saberi and found several excellent reports on the internet.