Every Sunday morning, usually without fail, I would
switch over to see who was going to be on Meet the
Press, with Tim Russert. The show was always a cut
above most of the other shows, on at the same time,
although as a channel surfer, I would check out the
other news shows as well, and ultimately wind up
back at Meet the Press.
Tim always interviewed, those
who were guests on the show, with an intensity, but
fairness, which was both entertaining and enlightening.
Meet the Press was a great news program, with Tim
Russert at the helm. It will not be the same without
Mr. Russert. During the primary, you could always
count on Tim to give you, the most up to date analysis
along with any inside information, that he was able to
share with the audience, regarding any of the candidate's
campaigns. The place to be on election night, was
wherever Tim Russert was reporting from. He was a
delight, because, you could tell he loved what he was
doing. One of the commentators, who were telling different
stories about Tim, said on Friday, that he was very excited
about Obama, because he felt he was authentic.
On Friday of last week, Tim was at his office, and had
just completed an interview with two reporters, who
had written a book, and he was going to promote the book.
They left Tim, thinking that it was a great interview, but
it seemed that Tim did not feel very well. Not too long
after that, Tim collapsed and although they tried to revive
Mr. Russert, they could not. He suffered a heart attack,
Tim was 58 years old. Fittingly, Mayor Brown of Buffalo,
New York, ordered the flag flown at half mast, in Tim's
honor, when he heard of his passing.
His son Luke, who he dearly loved, had recently graduated
from Boston College, and the family had just gotten back
from a vacation in Rome, where they met with the Pope.
There was some stress, as someone related, because he had
also recently, taken his father, Big Russ, who he wrote about
in a best selling book of the same name, to an assisted
living facility. It was reported that Tim had taken, and passed
a stress test in April, and had used the treadmill that morning.
Mr. Russert suffered from heart disease.
His career was amazing in itself, he graduated college, got
his law degree, and somehow was discovered by Senator Patrick
Moynahan, who asked him to travel with him to Washington.
D. C., to work for him, it was said that Tim got on the plane
without a suitcase. His personality and ability appealed to the
Senator, and it can probably be said, that Tim never regretted
his decision to get on the plane. He went on to work at NBC
News, and was then selected to host the news show, Meet
the Press, and the rest as they, is history. He had reportedly
has been hosting, for seventeen years.
So many of his associates and employees at NBC and MSNBC
praised Tim for the help he gave them, with their careers, but
most of all for the example he set for all of them, and his love
of family.
He would always tell them, they said, to have your
priorities in order, do not neglect your family. He loved his wife
Maureen and his son Luke dearly, and he lead by example, and
to a person, everyone said he was a fantastic role model. He work
ethic was above par, he did not want any of his associates to go
on the air, unless they had it right.
There will be a large missing link on Sunday mornings
now when I turn on Meet the Press, there will be no Tim
Russert. He will be genuinely missed, by a huge audience,
his staff in Washington, where he was the Chief of the
Washington News Bureau, all those who knew him and
admired him, his beloved family, and all those who felt
that he was a part of their Sunday morning family, including
yours truly.
He leaves a pair of giant shoes to fill, God
speed Tim, and may God's grace, be with his family and
friends, and all those who loved him. He was a giant in his
field, one not easily replaced.
