Very sad news, Tim Russert, VP of NBC News and host of "Meet The press" dies of a heart attack. He was only 58 years old, much too young and much still to accomplish. There is some bitter sweetness in the fact that at least Little Russ got to see his son graduate from Boston College, a fine Catholic school. To Russert, Catholicism and family were pillars of the good life. More here.
He was an extraordinarily lucky and hardworking man, having had the chance to work with two of the most politically muscular figures in the history of the Empire State, Governor Mario Cuomo and Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Further, he parlayed that experience into an executive role at NBC News as well as -- amazingly -- an on-air position as host of the most prestigious of the Sunday talkies.
Russert was such the political junkie that enjoyed this 2008 Presidential race so much it is terrible to imagine that he didn't get the chance to finish covering The Big Story. We will miss Russert with his decidedly low-tech scribbling chalk board on election night -- as American a tradition as the Thanksgiving Day parade -- calculating live on the air the electoral math. You could see the joy on his face. It was a joy of a man doing exactly what he was placed on this earth to do.
Tim Russert was one of the great formative influences on my love of politics and the media world. He will be missed.
RIP, Tim Russert.
2 comments:
sad day indeed.
i, too, was looking forward to his dry erase board and dogged enthusiastic late-night election musings/predictions. i think chuck todd will be fine on his own. but surely, what a night together they would have had.
still watching msnbc and kinda loosing it myself each time a reporter or anchor begins to choke up.
Chuck Todd is a magnificent political heavyweight. he has big footsteps to fill, but Tim mentored him well.
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