Broadcasting from the hills of Wyoming yesterday, Meet The Press, the third since Tim Russert died and Tom Brokaw's first since being named permanent interim moderator, was, by all accounts, nothing like the broadcast viewers remembered. Brokaw anchored a (taped) segment from the Western Governors’ Association. Invited guests, usually booked to at least spur some argument, included Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. of Colorado and Gov. Dave Freudenthal of Wyoming, who "me too'd" each other. The only modicum of debate? With NBC's own political director Chuck Todd.

Mr. Brokaw did spar gently with his last guest: Chuck Todd, NBC’s political director, who this year has emerged as MSNBC’s most understated star, a master of exit polls, electoral maps and delegate counts. When Mr. Todd asserted quite categorically that Senator Barack Obama would not win Montana and North Dakota, Mr. Brokaw, a native of South Dakota and a veteran of the 2000 election-night fiascos, reprimanded his younger colleague.

“Now be careful about what you say at this stage about what he’s going to win,” Mr. Brokaw said. It was a fair point, except that seconds before, Mr. Brokaw had asserted that Senator McCain had Idaho in the bag.

[NYT]