I knew Tim Russert, I watched Tim Russert, and you, sir, are no Tim Russert.

Between Gregory and George Stephanopoulos, Sunday morning seems less friendly all the time.

The loss of Tim Russert caught political junkies - hell, it caught everyone by surprise.

Seven months later, his death is an open wound every Sunday morning.

The jovial Meet the Press host never missed a chance to pin some self-serving Senator against the wall with old newspaper comments.

But Meet the Press is in big trouble, thanks to its uninspired new host.

No one could replace the indomitable Russert, but NBC couldn't have picked a worse replacement.

Six solid months of Tom Brokaw as guest moderator soothed the pain; aside from his infamous Richard Jewel moment, Brokaw's stern newsman persona fit perfectly with the show's format. He's the respected elder statesman, and the political types know better than to feed him a line of bullshit.

There seemed a plethora of good choices out there, yet NBC went with the most vanilla candidate imaginable, White House correspondent David Gregory.

While Gregory seemed a decent reporter - White House reporters are pack animals, often feeding from the same trough of press availabilities - he seems overmatched as Meet the Press moderator. He lacks the flair and affability of Chuck Todd, NBC's political correspondent.

I caught his Sunday morning showdown with Obama official David Axelrod. Gregory seemed as if he'd shown up for a press conference, not spent the week burrowed in the library to sharpen the knives for Axelrod.

Gregory's better suited to the duty he performed this morning - covering as a co-host on the Today show. I can't watch him besmirch of one television's oldest shows anymore.

Thank God Bob Schieffer reconsidered his decision to pack it in after the election. The tough old Texas is the last man standing. That alone prevents Sunday morning from slipping into a wasteland. Still, I often forget about him; Russert has a massive presence. While NBC should not have sought a clone, they should have looked for the right temperament and personality.

As a result of their decision, I'm forced to act productively - at 9 a.m. every Sunday, no less - instead of watching politicians squirm.