AceSpitball Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 By DAVID ESPO and LAURIE KELLMAN, AP Special Correspondent Fri Jun 13, 7:41 PM ET WASHINGTON - Tim Russert, a political lifer who made a TV career of his passion with unrelenting questioning of the powerful and influential, died of a heart attack Friday in the midst of a presidential campaign he'd covered with trademark intensity. Praise poured in from the biggest names in politics, some recalling their own meltdown moments on his hot seat. ADVERTISEMENT Russert, 58, was a political operative before he was a journalist. He joined NBC a quarter century ago and ended up as the longest-tenured host of the Sunday talk show "Meet the Press." He was an election-night fixture, with his whiteboard and scribbled figures, and was moderator for numerous political debates. He wrote two best-selling books, including the much-loved "Big Russ and Me" about his relationship with his father. He was NBC's Washington bureau chief. President Bush, informed of Russert's death while at dinner in Paris, saluted him as "a tough and hardworking newsman. He was always well-informed and thorough in his interviews. And he was as gregarious off the set as he was prepared on it." NBC interrupted its regular programming with news of Russert's death and continued for several hours of coverage without commercial break. The network announced that Tom Brokaw would anchor a special edition of "Meet the Press" on Sunday, dedicated to Russert. Competitors and friends jumped in with superlative praise and sad recognition of the loss of a key voice during a historic presidential election year. Known as a family man as well, he had been named Father of the Year by parenting organizations. Familiar NBC faces such as Brokaw, Andrea Mitchell and Brian Williams took turns mourning his loss. Williams called him "aggressively unfancy." "Our hearts are broken," said Mitchell, who appeared emotional at times as she recalled her longtime colleague. Bob Schieffer, Russert's competitor on CBS' "Face the Nation," said the two men delighted in scooping each other. "When you slipped one past ol' Russert," he said, "you felt as though you had hit a home run off the best pitcher in the league. I just loved Tim and I will miss him more than I can say." NBC said Friday evening that Russert died of a heart attack. Michael A. Newman, Russert's internist, said resuscitation was begun immediately and continued at Sibley Memorial Hospital, to no avail. An autopsy was pending, Newman said. Russert, of Buffalo, N.Y., took the helm of the Sunday news show in December 1991 and turned it into the nation's most widely watched program of its type. His signature trait was an unrelenting style of questioning that made some politicians reluctant to appear, yet confident that they could claim extra credibility if they survived his grilling intact. "I can say from experience that joining Tim on "Meet the Press" was one of the greatest tests any public official could face," said Rep. John Boehner, House Republican leader. "Regardless of party affiliation, he demanded that you be straight with him and with the American people who were watching." Russert was also a senior vice president at NBC, and this year Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He had Buffalo's blue-collar roots, a Jesuit education, a law degree and a Democratic pedigree that came from his turn as an aide to the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York. Lawmakers from both parties lined up to sing his praises after his sudden death. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Russert was "the best in the business at keeping his interview subjects honest." "There wasn't a better interviewer in television," Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential contender, told reporters in Ohio. Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Obama's rival for the White House, hailed Russert as the "pre-eminent journalist of his generation." Carl P. Leubsdorf, president of the Gridiron Club, an organization of journalists, said, "It was a measure of the degree to which Tim Russert was respected in the journalistic world that he was the first broadcaster elected to membership in the Gridiron Club after the rules were changed in 2004 to end our century-old restriction to print journalists." Said longtime colleague Brokaw, the former NBC anchor: "He'll be missed as he was loved greatly." The network said on its Web site that Russert had been recording voiceovers for this Sunday's "Meet The Press" when he was stricken. He had dozens of honorary college degrees, and numerous professional awards. He won an Emmy for his role in the coverage of President Ronald Reagan's funeral in 2004. He was married to Maureen Orth, a writer for Vanity Fair magazine. The couple had one son, Luke. All credits to Yahoo! News. They are the source of the article provided. Discuss his death and his accomplishments as an American politician. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil_Sabre Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 One of the few political based people on the media I liked. He always reported straight down the middle, never straying to the right or left....just as a reporter should, but few do it. You could never tell whether he was a republican or democrat, which is the way a reporter should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackattack Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 He was a really good reporter but I mean the nonstop coverage by msnbc, CNN, and FOX is getting a little old. No disrespect to him but he's not like a god or anything. I mean didn't two marines die today? Whatever he was a hell of a guy so I guess he earned it. Hes to T Russ =D> Why couldn't it have been Olbermann? :pray: My carbon footprint is bigger than yours...and you know what they say about big feet. These are the times that try mens souls... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PennState4lyfe Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 Meet the Press will never be the same... HI! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil_Sabre Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Meet the Press will never be the same... Do you really think so? Well no dip....the HOST OF THE SHOW is dead....I think you're right, that might change a couple things.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tehravenx Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Meet the Press will never be the same... I agree. I don't know if I'll still watch it anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
champion Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 It's a shame to see him go, he was a great political reporter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Da Pirates Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 I was watching a soap opera (Don't ask) and a message came on saying "ABC news special report" and then I heard the news, pretty sad :| BR BR BR? HUEHUEHEUEHUE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoffman44 Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Never heard of him... well i guess that's what i get for only watching CNN and CBC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackattack Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Never heard of him... well i guess that's what i get for only watching CNN and CBC. Besides Russert your not missing much on msnbc. My carbon footprint is bigger than yours...and you know what they say about big feet. These are the times that try mens souls... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushrock Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Huge shock. I went to cnn.com, saw the headline, and "wtf" was running through my mind. He was well-respected. R.I.P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powman3 Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 They're going to have a hard time finding somebody even decent enough to fill his shoes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magekillr Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 "Russert calculated possible United States Electoral College outcomes on a marker board on the air during NBC's coverage of the 2000 U.S. presidential election. Four years later, Russert again accurately predict the final battleground of the presidential elections: "Ohio, Ohio, Ohio." He often moderated political debates. On MSNBC's show Tucker, Russert predicted the battleground states of the 2008 presidential election would be New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Nevada, saying "If Democrats can win three of those four, they can lose Ohio and Florida, and win the presidency." He was BY FAR the most fair person in the news when it came to politics. He offered little to no [cabbage], and was fairly realistic about situations. He had the memory of an elephant, and a high intelligence. He could always find the most important parts of bills being passed in the United States...it was so weird. He had a natural gift, and I'm going to miss him on "Meet the Press". Ironically enough, the man loved politics so much that he met his wife at a Democratic Convention in the '70's. Farewell Mr. Russert...you will be missed. This 2008 White Board is for you =D> The only two people I can think of being remotely close to filling his shoes are David Gregory or Chuck Todd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoffman44 Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 They're going to have a hard time finding somebody even decent enough to fill his shoes... Look what i found. The moderator's chair on NBC's "Meet the Press" stood empty on Sunday in remembrance of Tim Russert, the man who had occupied it for 17 years. http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/15/russer ... index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
War_Eagle777 Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 :cry: R.I.P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchainmail Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 I stopped liking him the day Ron Paul came on his show... he deliberately misrepresented Dr. Paul's positions to a point where it was brutally obvious. Outside of that, however, I respected him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magekillr Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 I stopped liking him the day Ron Paul came on his show... he deliberately misrepresented Dr. Paul's positions to a point where it was brutally obvious. Outside of that, however, I respected him. Sorry, Tim doesn't do that. He plays no favorites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam_ross0 Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 I don't and have never really watched political shows very actively, aside from when I'm sitting there watching it when my parents were. I thought most of the reporters were..not so great, but Tim Russert was one of the few who I watched, recognized, and enjoyed hearing. He was a good politician, very fair and he actually knew what he was talking about. R.I.P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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