In Memoriam: Tim Russert 1950-2008

Turning on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer last night, wanting to catch up on the news, I was deeply saddened to find out that Tim Russert suddenly died yesterday. I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but on Sunday mornings and election nights, he was a trusted voice on a subject that I care a great deal about. Seeing the outpouring of commentary by his colleagues and politicians, both in printed word and on television news, is a testament of the great loss to serious political journalism in Washington D.C. with Mr. Russert's passing.

During national election years, to drown out the noise created by most political news coverage these days, I tuned in to Meet the Press on Sundays to get a sense of what was really going on. In my opinion, Tim Russert was in the same league as Walter Cronkite, and Edward R. Murrow. Mr. Russert was always described as tough, but he was fair. He had integrity, a quality that is not center stage as much as it should be.

I most appreciated his working class roots. Mr. Russert did not put on airs. To me, he was a person who embodied the ideals of what is so great about our country. He was another example of what you can do if you worked hard and had integrity.

Good bye Mr. Russert, you will be sorely missed in this household on the historic upcoming election. It is a shame that you will not be here to see it and share with us your obvious love and excitement for the election process. Peace be with your wife, son and family during this time of sorrow.

An excellent article about Mr. Russert from the Gray Lady