Appearing at the end of MSNBC's The Daily Rundown on Tuesday, NBC News NASA correspondent Jay Barbree wished host Chuck Todd good luck in becoming moderator of Meet the Press, hailing the chief White House correspondent: "...when God was making Chuck Todd, he was disturbed for a moment, he got distracted, and he looked back and he'd made his heart twice his size." [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]
Barbree continued: "And that's what Chuck's going to bring back to the show. He's going to bring back heart, good taste, fairness. It's always had that, that's why it's on the top. And the people who put you there, Chuck, who decided you are to be the moderator, should be patted on the back over and over again."
Barbree mentioned late moderator Tim Russert, but skipped over David Gregory's tenure on the Sunday show, during which it lost its top ratings spot.
Given Todd's history of pushing liberal talking points in his reporting, it remains to be seen if he will truly "bring back fairness" to Meet the Press.
Here is a transcript of the August 26 segment:
9:53 AM ET
CHUCK TODD: So I have to put my trust in my producers on this one. It's my last week anchoring The Daily Rundown before I head over to Meet the Press. As a send-off, my producers have decided to spring a mystery guest on me. I have no idea who it is. My only hints apparently are that he's a pal of mine, a veteran NBC News reporter, so let's find out who it is. Hello? Oh, Jay Barbree, one of my favorite colleagues here, from outer space, on the spaceship – spaceship Earth.
JAY BARBREE: That's it, Chuck. Yeah, I'm back down here to say congratulations to you, old buddy. I was so happy to hear about you getting the job, getting the gig over on Meet the Press. Because as you know, Chuck, it's been on the air sixty years now and it's always been in the top place. And I was on first fifty-three years ago with Ned Brooks and we did Alan Shepard's launch, we did John Glenn, and then on with Lawrence Spivak during the Apollos. But, you know, so much in recent years with my good friend, the late Tim Russert.
And I just want to tell everybody, a lot of people don't know this about Chuck Todd, but when God was making Chuck Todd, he was disturbed for a moment, he got distracted, and he looked back and he'd made his heart twice his size. And that's what Chuck's going to bring back to the show. He's going to bring back heart, good taste, fairness. It's always had that, that's why it's on the top. And the people who put you there, Chuck, who decided you are to be the moderator, should be patted on the back over and over again. Good luck, my friend. Go get them, okay?
TODD: Well, you're kind to say it, Jay. And thanks for making the effort.
