'Today' Flashback: Russert Praised Clinton on Mideast Peace, Scoffs at Bush Now

On Tuesday's "Today" show NBC's Washington bureau chief, Tim Russert, scoffed at President Bush's attempt to broker Middle East peace at the Annapolis conference, as he derided it as a "Hail Mary pass." However, nine years ago, when Bill Clinton made a failed attempt at Mideast peace, in the midst of his impeachment, Russert praised the former President on the October 23, 1998 "Today" show: "As the impeachment hearings grind on, could you have a situation where next year the President cannot go to the Judiciary Committee on a particular day because he's receiving the Nobel Peace Prize? That's the kind of irony the White House looks at as they look at the success of President Clinton on this day."

The following exchange, that occurred on the November 27, "Today" show, stands in stark contrast to Russert's overly optimistic analysis of Clinton's bungled Mideast peace attempt in 1998:

Matt Lauer: "What's our level of clout, at this particular time, given the problems in Iraq and elsewhere?"

Tim Russert: "It's minimal, Matt. There's no doubt about it. The President is trying, seven years in, to broker a Mideast peace. The Palestinians, Hamas, a key political factor in that country is not even involved. The President is in a weakened position, in terms of his foreign policy. It is a Hail Mary pass, there's no doubt about it. The odds are very long."