Tim Russert is dead.

[btownmeggy]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25145431/

I'll miss him so much.

[DaGip]

Wow! That really sucks! I liked Russert.

I really feel for his son, as he just graduated...

[jnd94]

Think about how he will never see who wins the election.

[bradleybadly]

Russert was simply a class act. I heard other journalists say today that they could never remember a time when he wasn't smiling. Rest in peace, Tim.

[DaGip]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajm5JTf7jZs

One of my very favorites! But there are more...

RIP Tim!

[spurgistan]

The man still had so much to say. One of the few talking heads that seemed so much more than just an endless font of idle speculation, the link Gip had is a good example of that. Miss you, Mr. Russert.

[sam_levi_11]

can sum1 sum up who he was

[btownmeggy]

can sum1 sum up who he was

He was political aide and strategist when he was a young man. Then he entered political reporting on TV. He ended up hosting one of the most important news shows in the US, Meet the Press. Meet the Press was a tradition in my house growing up, so I've watched him almost every Sunday since I was in primary school. It was known for being a really hard show for politicians to go on, because he very roughly interrogated EVERYONE regardless of their political position (but certainly not in a mean-spirited way like some other famous TV "news" hosts do).

For the past year he's been one of the two main election reporters for NBC news, along with Chris Matthews. They had a really good rapport and were really fun to watch on MSNBC.

Russert was just a really smart man who knew A LOT about American politics and was very stimulating to watch on TV, and I'm not ashamed to say that I loved him.

This is the only celebrity death I can remember ever affecting me like this, or at all. I heard about it right after lunch yesterday, and I cried.

[jonesthecurl]

can sum1 sum up who he was

He was political aide and strategist when he was a young man. Then he entered political reporting on TV. He ended up hosting one of the most important news shows in the US, Meet the Press. Meet the Press was a tradition in my house growing up, so I've watched him almost every Sunday since I was in primary school. It was known for being a really hard show for politicians to go on, because he very roughly interrogated EVERYONE regardless of their political position (but certainly not in a mean-spirited way like some other famous TV "news" hosts do).

For the past year he's been one of the two main election reporters for NBC news, along with Chris Matthews. They had a really good rapport and were really fun to watch on MSNBC.

Russert was just a really smart man who knew A LOT about American politics and was very stimulating to watch on TV, and I'm not ashamed to say that I loved him.

This is the only celebrity death I can remember ever affecting me like this, or at all. I heard about it right after lunch yesterday, and I cried.

Last time I cried over a celebrity death was Robert Heinlein. I was at my wholesalers, picking stock for my shop, and I'd just discovered a new edition of one of his novels, "restored", i.e. with previous censorial editing reversed, and was on a high, with The Man right to the forefront of my thoughts. Then I found that there were TWO editions of "Locus", the SF newsletter, one had the front page "Clifford Simak dies"(which I was sad to hear). The other had a second front page wrapped around it wiht the bigger news (sorry Clifford), "RAH dies". I was surprised how intense my reaction was.

[RjBeals]

He was political aide and strategist when he was a young man. Then he entered political reporting on TV. He ended up hosting one of the most important news shows in the US, Meet the Press. Meet the Press was a tradition in my house growing up, so I've watched him almost every Sunday since I was in primary school. It was known for being a really hard show for politicians to go on, because he very roughly interrogated EVERYONE regardless of their political position (but certainly not in a mean-spirited way like some other famous TV "news" hosts do).

For the past year he's been one of the two main election reporters for NBC news, along with Chris Matthews. They had a really good rapport and were really fun to watch on MSNBC.

Russert was just a really smart man who knew A LOT about American politics and was very stimulating to watch on TV, and I'm not ashamed to say that I loved him.

This is the only celebrity death I can remember ever affecting me like this, or at all. I heard about it right after lunch yesterday, and I cried.

Great Post btownmeggy. Good sum up of how tim Russert's death will effect more than just the old farts.

[V.I.]

We attended the same high school in Buffalo, though he graduated several decades before myself. I was fortunate enough to have had the chance to meet him in Washington during the 2004 election. A kind, affable and dedicated journalist.

I was driving with a number of people of various generations when the news broke; the level of earnest remorse expressed by all those present - as well as the American and international public - is an impressive testament to such an important political icon. Suffice to say, there would be nowhere near the feeling of loss, should any member of the current administration to keel over dead.

[DaGip]

Hey, I just saw this on Hal Turner's webpage:

Now that he is dead, I can reveal that Tim Russert was a confidential source of mine. He provided me with many of the inside stories about government shenanigans and corruption.

Tim and I met in 1997 when I ran the campaign of Murray Sabrin for US Senate. We stayed in touch over the years.

When I took to the airwaves and became racially aware, Tim made clear he could never be seen talking to me, but he liked my "take" on things and agreed to feed me information from time to time. We went to great lengths to make certain our communications were private, using pre-paid cellular phones and anonymous e-mail remailers to conceal our dealings from everyone.

Believe it or not, Tim Russsert was racially aware. He told me he listened to my show regularly and donated anonymously several times. He loved the fact that someone -- anyone -- was "getting away with" what I do on my show.

Tim's death is a loss. This guy pulled no punches. He played no politics. He was a very good jouranlist and his death is a loss for all of us.

http://www.halturnershow.com/

How true do you think that is?

[Juan_Bottom]

I don't know..... It's just hearsay unless verified, but! I doubt it.
Isn't Hal Turner that Nazi radio host? And if so, isn't he the guy who claimed a confidential source told him congress has discussed a possible/probable civil war? That guy is a bastard.

[DaGip]

I don't know..... It's just hearsay unless verified, but! I doubt it.
Isn't Hal Turner that Nazi radio host? And if so, isn't he the guy who claimed a confidential source told him congress has discussed a possible/probable civil war? That guy is a bastard.

Yeah, but he's our bastard!

[jonesthecurl]

I don't know..... It's just hearsay unless verified, but! I doubt it.
Isn't Hal Turner that Nazi radio host? And if so, isn't he the guy who claimed a confidential source told him congress has discussed a possible/probable civil war? That guy is a bastard.

Yeah, but he's our bastard!

What you mean "we", Kimo Savvi?

[bradleybadly]

I saw this on MSNBC earlier because they interviewed Luke Russert, his son. Luke went by to honor his father at the chair where his dad sat & hosted Meet the Press every Sunday.