Chuck Todd

Today NBC News named Chuck Todd as the network's chief White House correspondent--a position previously occupied by the new moderator of Meet the Press David Gregory. Mr. Todd will be joined on the beat by Savannah Guthrie. He will retain the title of political director of NBC News and has picked up a third title to boot: contributing editor to Meet the Press.

From the release:

"Chuck truly made his mark in the 2008 Presidential election season where he offered unmatched political analysis. His objective, smart, real reporting has been honed through the years in Washington and makes him uniquely qualified to lead our White House coverage team," said [NBC News President Steve] Capus. "Savannah also emerged in 2008 as one of our primary go-to reporters. Hard-charging, dedicated and resourceful, she has earned a great reputation and the respect of her peers."

NBC Political Director and on-air analyst Chuck Todd and his colleague, the polling expert Sheldon Gawiser, are rushing to put together How Obama Won, a state-by-state guide to President-elect Barack Obama's victory that will be published as a paperback original through Knopf's Vintage imprint sometime before the inauguration in January.

According to editor Errol McDonald, who approached Mr. Todd with the idea about a month before the election, the book will be divided into four sections: Battleground states, emerging battleground states, receding battleground states, and all the rest.  read more »

TV Guide's Stephen Battaglio has posted a funny Q&A with NBC News' political director, Chuck Todd.

Sample question: "Do you think you'll soon reach a point where you'll be contractually obligated to keep the facial hair?"

At one point, Mr. Todd admits to Mr. Battaglio that there is one job in television which he desperately covets.

Spoiler alert: It's not the job of moderating Meet the Press.

"I would probably quit my job tomorrow," says Mr. Todd, "if somebody asked me to be the play-by-play guy for University of Miami college football."

On the morning of Sunday, June 22, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams made a much anticipated announcement at the end of Meet the Press, which he was moderating in the wake of Tim Russert’s sudden death of a heart attack nine days earlier.

“Beginning next week, my friend Tom Brokaw has agreed to step in as moderator of Meet the Press, to get us through this election season,” said Mr. Williams. “And allow me to add, during these past difficult days, Tom’s been an enormous comfort here in this Washington bureau.”

A comfort: yes. A full-time presence in Washington: no.  read more »

Two uncommitted superdelegates outlined what they see as their role the Democratic nomination and made a plea for an fast end to the contest at a panel in midtown last night.

Put on by DL21C and moderated by NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd, the event hosted Ralph Dawson, a lawyer from New York, and D.N.C. Treasurer Andrew Tobias, who's from Florida.

Both seemed to see the role of superdelegates in terms closer to the position of the Clinton campaign--which believes that superdelegates should use judgment--than the position of the Obama campaign, which believes superdelegates should vote for the candidate elected in their district, or the candidate who wins the popular vote. Dawson said if superdelegates have to play a decisive role in selecting the Democratic nominee, there’s a few criteria they should look at, like electability and the policies the candidates would pursue once in office.

Perhaps more importantly that who, however, is when.  read more »