John Podhoretz (remember him?) offers an answer to my question. Basically, he says it goes back to the 2000 New York Senate race. It’s a good answer, but I’m not sure I buy it. I think JPod helps clarify why Hillary hates Russert. But what I want to know is how anyone can seriously attack Russert’s drivers license (and other) questions from the Philly debate. I think the answer lies far from her personal animosity. If it would help her get elected, she’d say Tim Russert is on her short list to be Vice President. I think the answer lay in a certain carefully honed sense that the Clintons should be treated like royalty combined with a strategic desire to paint her as a victim (and thus help goose the women’s vote). I also think — and this will be denied up and down by liberals — that they hate Russert because they believe the press should be liberal and favorably partisan toward Democrats and they get furious when Russert — or anyone else — won’t play the game the way they want. Republicans know the press in general and Russert in particular will be hostile to them. Democrats are still surprised when, on rare occassions, they get similar treatment.