Tim Russert 1950-2008

(Danville, California)

 

    I am saddened today about the death of Tim Russert, arguably the greatest political reporter of our generation. The NBC "Meet the Press" host and best-selling author was only 58 years old.

 

    I had occasion to meet Tim on stories from time to time in Washington, DC, as well as on social occasions, such as the annual Radio-TV Correspondents' dinner. I also enjoyed his books about his dad, because they reminded me of my relationship with my own father. My dad owned both Russert books, and I saved them and found comfort in reading parts of them after my dad passed away.

 

    I don't have any idols in the TV business, because I think that's kind of a silly notion in any profession. However, there are people I deeply respect and admire, and one of them was Tim Russert. In this awful era of screaming, partisan journalists and hosts, Russert was as calm and fair and as well researched as they come. He did his homework. His guests were the stars of the show; he was not. Anyone running for president got a good grilling on "Meet the Press," which came to be known affectionately as the "Russert Primary" because it was often tougher than trampling through Iowa and New Hampshire in the dead of winter.

 

    I last spoke with Tim Russert during the Iowa Caucuses on January 2, when I took this picture of him. We were at a jam-packed rally for John McCain, along with a whole host of network reporters, including George Stephanopolous, Andrea Mitchell, Judy Woodruff, Brian Williams and more. It was a "who's who" of American journalism, with a bunch of local reporters like me tossed in. Russert and I spoke briefly about why so many top reporters were there, when McCain was polling in 5th place. "Do you guys know something we don't know?" I asked him, wondering whether they had polling that McCain was surging. He said he honestly didn't know why everyone was there, as he patiently posed for pictures with the locals. I was struck by how much time he took speaking with local voters who had come to the McCain rally without knowing that such a famous TV journalist would be there.

 

    Anyway, I did not know him well, other than pleasantries exchanged while covering politics over the years. What I knew him best for was his quality and integrity on "Meet the Press," a show made richer by the man who hosted it for so many years.

The worlds of politics and journalism will deeply miss him.

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