Dont be so hard on Russert. He posed the question on education spending that McBride flubbed big time during the Florida debate. He also hammered Gore on Meet the Press in 2000. He is fair. I guess if former association disqualifies him, then Tony Snow would have to go too.
Russert has a style that is basically rude to everyone, but he is definitely harder on Republicans. Most of his sharper queries are right out of the DNC/PC playbook. He is a thinly disguised flak for the Democrats. As for Tony Snow, he is a commentator and I don't think he even pretends to be objective, but in practice I think he actually comes off as more objective than Russert.
As far as McBride and Gore flubbing it, that is not the result of anything Russert did but, rather, their own shortcomings. Face it, when a Democrat blows a question on education, which is a demo issue, it says a lot about his inadequacy as a candidate, not Russert's fairness as a questioner. It is the equivalent of asking a Republican about the Communist threat during the height of the Cold War and having him blow it. Bad candidate, not impartial cross examiner.