Damn. I just started to notice how good he was during this year’s primary.
Tough loss. 
Here, here!
This just reminds me that the two finest news programs on television are Meet the Press and World News.
Normally I just swear at the news, but today all I could do was say quietly, “But we really NEED him now!”
I had just seen Tim Russert on The Daily Show (could have been an old one, as far as I know), and it was a really enjoyable interview. He genuinely seemed to love what he did, and he had an unusually clear vision of what questions needed to be asked. He was a natural, and one of the last of the true journalists working in television.
Some of the joy just went out of this incredibly important presidential election. Is there anyone left who will ask them all the tough questions?
Damn.
One of the things that I learned today that I didn’t know before is that Tim Russert was a very devout man. Even his son Luke was named after one of the apostles. Tim even had an audience with the Pope this week.
“Born of the sun, he traveled a short while toward the sun,
And left the vivid air signed with his honor.” – Stephen Spender
It’s my understanding that he and his wife took his son to Italy to celebrate his graduation from Boston College, and they stayed while he flew back.
He also wrote a best-selling book about his father, Big Russ. Can you imagine what he’s going through, and it’s Father’s Day tomorrow.
I imagine St. Peter snoozing by the Pearly Gates, seeing Tim come up and saying, “What the hell, dude? The election’s not for another five months!”
MSNBC said that Tim had moved his father into an assisted-living facility just ten days before.
I wonder if the stress of that led to his heart attack?
Dammit. What a sucky situation all the way around.
Maybe this is Tim’s way of saying that the election won’t be decided.
I had just read about his death a few minutes before when my co-worker announced, “Tim Russert died.” I said, “Yes, I just saw that. I really liked him.” She nodded, and the consensus in the office was “Yeah, me, too.” That’s just it. He was so damned likable. He seemed like one of us, you know? He didn’t seem like a “celebrity.” He seemed like a real guy. Like your dad, or your brother, or your neighbor, or your friend. I’ll miss him.
We’d pretty much sworn off TV news for the last few years, but the primary season energized our interest in getting the latest, and MSNBC was always the station that we’d watch. He always had a smile on his face and seemed excited about what was transpiring this election year.
RIP.
Condolences from:
FLORIDA
FLORIDA
FLORIDA.
YouTube has a really nice tribute page up now.
If that is the case, I give a sincere mea culpa in tribute to Mr. Russert.
I think it was the absence of any mention on the ticker that set me off. But since two people have posted that they did report on it fairly extensively, I withdraw my objection.
BTW, the funeral is going to be televised on MSNBC today. 4 PM EDT, I believe–can’t find the time on their website, but I’m pretty sure that’s what Keith said.