Tim Russert dies of heart attack

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He was the best in the business. He had the respect of nearly everyone in politics.

I just hope they can find somebody to replace him on MTP who is half as good.
 
When I heard the news, I immediately thought of his family of course, but also Chuck Todd whom Russert had taken under his wing. Watching Chuck talking about Tim as a father figure on MSNBC was absolutely heartwrenching, but it showed how Tim reached out to people beyond their politics, and he cared about their families as much as his own. He was one of a kind.
 
He was the very best the media had to offer. It was a pleasure to listen and I'm sure he has influenced many future journalists.
 
Just read his last book "Wisdom of our Fathers." It was so touching. Meet The Press was a Sunday morning tradition in this house.

Godspeed
 
Devastating news. He was a true hero when it came to the search for finding truth in politics. I'll never forget him and that white board and the Gore/Bush election.
 
Oh my. Very sad news. 58 is waaaayyy too young. My thoughts to his family and friends.
 
I don't even know what to say...the world of American politics won't be the same without him...

I know. It seems I saw him every day either on the Today Show, MSNBC and it wasn't Sunday without him on Meet The Press.
It's weird to feel so sad about someone I never met, but saw him nearly everyday.

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Tom Brokaw's voice was quivering during this. They just showed it on CNN. I've been watching some TV and didn't see this. It's so sad.

He was the best in the business. He had the respect of nearly everyone in politics.

I just hope they can find somebody to replace him on MTP who is half as good.

God's speed Tim. My heart breaks for his family. :heart:
 
truly a sad sad day for all of us but most especially for his family!

All the prayers that I can muster are with his son, wife and immediate family..


he will be greatly missed.:sad:
 
It's way too bad. He was the last journalist I ever trusted to even try and ask politicians the tough questions that they were all too ready to brush off in a flurry of prefabricated PR. Every other journalist, these days, only ask softball questions or, even worse, stupid questions.

His loss will be greatly noticed by those who lament the fall of journalism.
 
I'm shocked. I've never watched any other news channel other than NBC. I don't know how long he has been with NBC but it seems like he's been there my entire life. I can't believe it. The election coverage will never be the same for me. He will be missed.
 
Very sad news. We at work were really shaken up.

I have a lot of distaste for my business, but, Russert always has stood out. Honest, unflinching, enthusiastic, generous and not devoid of ethos, a real pro and someone you knew you could trust. The loss to his family is of course incalculable, and the loss to the world of journalism is indeed great.
 
This is so very sad. Tim would have LOVED covering this election. And us viewers would have loved watching his intelligent comments and genuine enthusiasm for his work.

My heart goes out to his family, and his family of friends at NBC News and beyond.
 
This is so very sad. Tim would have LOVED covering this election...

So sad, and so true. He died doing what he loved, at the peak of his powers. I didn't catch him every week, but when I did see him, his passion was palpable and his enthusiasm for politics infectious. It's a cliche, but he seemed like a good guy who was anchored in the belief that great dialogue and debate could steer us through all of the trash. Someone to be admired.
 
What a crushing loss.

Tim Russert was never ashamed of his Buffalo roots, and people like him make me proud to be a Western New Yorker. "Go Bills."
 
I just found out about this a few minutes ago. I'm shocked and extremely sad. Like others have said, American politics will not be the same. RIP Tim. :sad:
 
NBC had a very nice special about Tim tonight, anchored by Brokaw. At one point, they showed pictures of him with "You're Missing" and "Into The Fire" by Springsteen playing in the background. Very touching.

Still feels so much like just a bad dream.
 
It's way too bad. He was the last journalist I ever trusted to even try and ask politicians the tough questions that they were all too ready to brush off in a flurry of prefabricated PR. Every other journalist, these days, only ask softball questions or, even worse, stupid questions.

His loss will be greatly noticed by those who lament the fall of journalism.

Totally agree. I loved Tim Russert. And trusted him to ask those tough questions of everyone from Dick Cheney to John Kerry. He did it the precise way it should be done. Use their words and confront them, don't back down from uncomfort and give them the opportunity to stand up and defend themselves. He would ask a question and then actuallyallow the interviewee to answer. Almost never interupting and never worried about time restraints.

The saddest thing, in light of it all, is these other journalists and pundits (talking just the TV personalities) praised him for this very thing all evening. Which at least tells you how aware they were of their journalistic credibility with the regular people. Sort of like almost saying "they are on to our game but we still have to go for those ratings!". Which is probably ironic considering the size of the audience during Meet the Press. Cable news is just the antithesis of Tim Russert. And that's not a good thing and I think they all know it too.

Anyways, Russert got big ratings too! That's what was amazing. Without all the cable newsy senationalism. He owned Sunday mornings and Sunday mornings are probably the most important news day for politics. Chris Wallace, Bob Schieffer and Wolf Blitzer all acknowledged this, to an extent. I mean, they have to acknowledge that MTP wins virtually every Sunday morning but they also praised his integrity and methods. As Blitzer becomes even more of a stooge for his corporation and Wallace tries to find the latest conservative spin for Fox. Schieffer is all class but just as boring as it seems. Russert was hardcore news and politics and it was entertaining because you knew the great question would never be avoided. And the 'dodge' by the interviewee would not be passed by. He'd also treat his subject with respect and allow them to fucking talk. There aren't many interviewers anywhere, from ESPN to David Letterman to E! to Larry King that will allow a motherfucker to speak and not be interupted incessantly.

John Edwards even remarked on MSNBC's coverage today about how you could tell by the look on Russerts face if he thought you were bullshitting him with your answer and right then, you knew he'd follow up.

Anyhow, this was a big, big loss. Especially 5 months to go before such a HUGE election. Perhaps David Gregory could be a replacement temporarily but given his tenacity with the Bush admin (which is a good thing) he might be seen as a partisan, at first at least. He'd have to go after the Obama campaign and the Dems in a similar way and I think he would and maybe he'd be a good choice. At least in the short term. Even Russert worked for two prominent Democrats but made his name with fairness, fierecness and earned our trust. I think it's fair to say we have a trust problem with the rest of our own media.
 
Tim Russert has died of a heart-attack

For anyone who doesn't know, he was the host of NBC's historic "Meet the Press" since 1991.
I'm not a huge fan of his, but, even after hearing of his death in the late afternoon and shrugging it off because I resented his superficial coverage of the campaign -- focussing on the race and "who's up and who's down" instead of the all-important issues -- and his rather nationalistic stance, I am only now realizing I won't see him on TV again. That makes me quite sad. He was a fixture in my family every Sunday morning for over a decade, first winning over my big brother in the early '90s when we lived together as a family; then, winning over my mother by the mid-'90s by which time she, my father and I moved away.

The sound of Russert's voice was one of the first things I'd wake up to, and he did the best job of any political talk show host; though he slacked off on the Bush administration in the years after 9/11, and I feel didn't fulfill his responsibility to the nation and the world in doing so, he generally asked tough questions, and tried to focus on substance in a world of increasing corporatization and superficiality -- when not inviting idiot odd couple Mary Matalin and James Carville or covering elections, that is.

I feel badly for his family, especially his son. He seemed quite loving, and I really can't believe he's gone.

I am saddened by his passing.
 
That's funny, because when his female colleagues Norah O'Donnell and Judy Woodruff were on earlier they were talking about how he cared more about the status of women than many men in his generation :|


Would you mind being a bit more respectful as many of us here are mourning him?
 
That's funny, because when his female colleagues Norah O'Donnell and Judy Woodruff were on earlier they were talking about how he cared more about the status of women than many men in his generation :|


Would you mind being a bit more respectful as many of us here are mourning him?


completely agree. keep this stuff out of this thread please out of respect of everyone.
 
i saw Alison Krauss and Robert Plant last night. they dedicated the last song of the evening -- "Your Long Journey" -- to Russert.

very powerful.
 
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