BREAKING NEWS: Tim Russert Dies

[The Senator]

Tim Russert has died of a heart attack.

It's on MSNBC right now.

 

[The Senator]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/

 

[Darthphere]

Sad news indeed. Was looking forward to him tackling the presidential candidates in the coming months. Horrible loss.

 

[BMM]

They broke into coverage of the US Open on NBC. I didn't think Tom Brokaw was going to be able to get through the report without breaking down.

 

[Kelly]

A man of integrity, who totally divorced himself of all of the feuding between networks.

We have lost a strong newsman, IMO, the strongest in the business.


His news program "Meet The Press" was the only news program that I encouraged my students to watch on a regular basis.

He was a man in full.


He'll be missed.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

Too soon. I wish it has been O'Reily or somebody from Fox News, lord knows we need less of them.

 

[The Senator]

He was a good newsman.

The only time I ever had a problem with him was when he showed his blatant bias towards Obama during the Democratic debates.

Other than that... his presence will be missed.

 

[Kelly]

Too soon. I wish it has been O'Reily or somebody from Fox News, lord knows we need less of them.

Very ignorant statement, and a statement that really disrespects a thread in honor of Mr. Russert.

 

[Rocker22]

Sad.

 

[rdh007]

Rip

 

[SuBe]

Agreed, very immature thing to say. He was good at what he did.

Edit: Sorry, that was weird. I just click the Quote Button, and it did that. Sorry.

 

[DACrowe]

Oh my God.

This is terrible news. He was SO young! And IMO the best political journalist in Washington D.C. today and the voice of reason on Network news. He seemed like such a nice guy. Wonder if O'Reilly will talk **** now.

I'm just in disbelief.

 

[Excel]

R.I.P.

Damn, great newsman and seems like an even better person

WASHINGTON - Tim Russert, NBC News’ Washington bureau chief and the moderator of “Meet the Press,” died Friday after a sudden heart attack at the bureau, NBC News said Friday. He was 58.

Russert was recording voiceovers for Sunday’s “Meet the Press” program when he collapsed, the network said. No details were immediately available.

Russert, the recipient of 48 honorary doctorates, took over the helm of “Meet the Press” in December 1991. Now in its 60th year, “Meet the Press” is the longest-running program in the history of television.

In 2008, Time Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Timothy John Russert Jr. was born in Buffalo, N.Y., on May 7, 1950. He was a graduate of Canisius High School, John Carroll University and the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He was a member of the bar in New York and the District of Columbia.

Senate staffer before entering journalism

After graduating from law school, Russert went into politics as a staff operative. In 1976, he worked on the Senate campaign of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., and in 1982, he worked on Mario Cuomo’s campaign for governor of New York.

Russert joined NBC News in 1984. In April 1985, he supervised the live broadcasts of NBC's TODAY show from Rome, negotiating and arranging an appearance by Pope John Paul II, a first for American television. In 1986 and 1987, Russert led NBC News’ weeklong broadcasts from South America, Australia and China.

Of his background as a Democratic political operative, Russert said, “My views are not important.”

“Lawrence Spivak, who founded ‘Meet the Press,’ told me before he died that the job of the host is to learn as much as you can about your guest’s positions and take the other side,” he said in a 2007 interview with Time magazine. “And to do that in a persistent and civil way. And that’s what I try to do every Sunday.”

Cuomo, Russert’s onetime boss, wrote of Russert: “Most candidates are not eager to present themselves for Tim’s incisive scrutiny, which is fed by his prodigious study and preparation. But they have little choice: appearing on ‘Meet the Press’ is today as vital to a serious candidate as being properly registered to vote.”

Russert wrote two books — “Big Russ and Me” in 2004 and “Wisdom of Our Fathers” in 2006 — both of which were New York Times best-sellers.

Emmy for Reagan funeral coverage

In 2005, Russert was awarded an Emmy for his role in the coverage of the funeral of President Ronald Reagan. His “Meet the Press” interviews with George W. Bush and Al Gore in 2000 won the Radio and Television Correspondents’ highest honor, the Joan S. Barone Award, and the Annenberg Center’s Walter Cronkite Award.

Russert’s March 2000 interview of Sen. John McCain shared the 2001 Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence in Television Journalism. He was also the recipient of the John Peter Zenger Award, the American Legion Journalism Award, the Veterans of Foreign Wars News Media Award, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society Journalism Award, the Allen H. Neuharth Award for Excellence in Journalism, the David Brinkley Award for Excellence in Communication and the Catholic Academy for Communication’s Gabriel Award. He was a member of the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame.

Russert was a trustee of the Freedom Forum’s Newseum and a member of the board of directors of the Greater Washington Boys and Girls Club, and America’s Promise — Alliance for Youth.

In 1995, the National Father’s Day Committee named him “Father of the Year,” Parents magazine honored him as “Dream Dad” in 1998, and in 2001 the National Fatherhood Initiative also recognized him as Father of the Year.

Irish America magazine named him one of the top 100 Irish Americans in the country, and he was selected as a Fellow of the Commission of European Communities.

Russert is survived by his wife, Maureen Orth, a writer for Vanity Fair magazine, and a son, Luke.

 

[Shifty]

Terrible to hear. Can't even imagine what it would be like to announce to the world that your friend and co-worker has died at work.

 

[BlackLantern]

ya seriously if anyone was the Voice of Reason in mainstream media it was Russert....even when he was a guest on other interview shows he always maintained the air of being a gentlemen....sad...RIP Tim...Go Bills

 

[YsoSerious]

Very sad news. He was so pumped about this years election. Probably the most influential reporter of this generation.RIP Tim...

 

[Kelly]

Agreed, very immature thing to say. He was good at what he did.

Um, Supes could you please fix your quote of me. It makes it look like I made the ignorant statement. lol, I've said some stupid things in the past, but I don't normally stoop to that kind of ignorance.


Thanks, in advance.

 

[DACrowe]

He really was the toughest, most rational and fairest political journalist of the last 20 years.

This is tragic.

 

[souvlaki]

Whoa... just turned on MSNBC. Keith Olbermann looks like he's about ready to cry. I'd imagine a lot of people at NBC and MSNBC are really stunned by this. Sad news, I really liked him a lot.

 

[souvlaki]

Um, Supes could you please fix your quote of me. It makes it look like I made the ignorant statement. lol, I've said some stupid things in the past, but I don't normally stoop to that kind of ignorance.


Thanks, in advance.

Good advice. I read that quote, and had to double check because my initial reaction was "Kel said that?!?"

 

[chaseter]

I hope John Stewart feels like **** for constantly hounding and making fun of this man. Good man, sad loss.

 

[SuBe]

Um, Supes could you please fix your quote of me. It makes it look like I made the ignorant statement. lol, I've said some stupid things in the past, but I don't normally stoop to that kind of ignorance.


Thanks, in advance.

Fixed, sorry about that. I just clicked the Quote button and it did that. Strange.

 

[Addendum]

I hope John Stewart feels like **** for constantly hounding and making fun of this man. Good man, sad loss.

Just because everyone will die doesn't mean that comedians can't make fun of people.

Stewart will find another person to mock and the jokes about Russert won't be told.

 

[The Senator]

I hope John Stewart feels like **** for constantly hounding and making fun of this man. Good man, sad loss.

Uh, yeah, I guess he should start apologizing to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney for making fun of them all these years.

You know, just in case they die.

 

[souvlaki]

I hope John Stewart feels like **** for constantly hounding and making fun of this man. Good man, sad loss.

Jeez, lighten up. It sucks that the man is dead, but that doesn't mean while he was alive he was completely immune to having the occasional joke told about him. Jon Stewart didn't hound or make fun of Russert any more than any other newscaster.