Gopher, please edit this thread and add the red x, please. I am in such grief over this. I've calmed down enough to eat now. Barbara Walters was just on MSNBC saying that much of America is mourning. I am stunned and shaken. sKally
Tim Russert of NBC News dies at age 58
by Gopher 27 Replies latest social current
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Hope4Others
Hi there Gofer,
I watched him often...not very old 58 when its not too far off for me. That's too bad I'm sure he will be greatly missed.
Have a nice Weekend!
hope4others
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SixofNine
he wrote about the impact of his book on his family:
(his son's name is Luke)
Dad needed to know it was all right to express his love to me, and my book had assured him that it was. Now that I had declared my love for him—and in public—something between us changed forever. About a month later, Maureen, Luke, and I went back to Buffalo for Christmas Eve and then on to New York, where we attended midnight mass. When we returned to our apartment, Luke disappeared to take a shower. A few minutes later, I heard Maureen yelling, “My God, what have you done?” She ran into the room, horrified. “He has a tattoo!”
I jumped out of my chair and yelled, “Luke, come in here!” I was really mad. A few months earlier, when he had told me he wanted a tattoo, I brought up the possible health risks and pointed out the irreversibility of a youthful decision that he might someday regret. I had talked him out of it—or so I thought.
But here he was before me, with a towel around his waist and his arms firmly locked down.
“Let me see it.”
“No.”
“Let me see it!”
“No!”
“Luke, let me see it!”
He reluctantly raised his left arm, and there were the letters TJR. Those are my initials—and also my dad’s. Luke was misty eyed. “After I read your book,” he said, “I wanted you and Grandpa to always be on my side.”
I collapsed back into the chair—speechless—and then sobbed. Luke came over and wrapped his arms around me. Laughing and crying at the same time, I pledged never to complain about Luke’s tattoo again. I was honored to be on his side... forever.
In November, my dad had reacted to my book by telling me flat out that he loved me. And now, just a month later, in a very different way, so had my son. Of all the things I have done in my professional career, nothing has been more rewarding than writing that book. -
RubaDub
What a shit.
I have always considered him one of it not the best journalist in Washington. I would never miss Meet the Press .. if I was away, I would Tivo it.
How sad, a guy so young, energetic and likable is gone.
Rub a Dub
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sf
Much oblige gopher. Some weekend reading: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/geoffrey-dickens/2008/05/28/tim-russert-certifies-mcclellan-charges-not-moveon-org
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sf
Russert may have been investigating this mans death: http://surftofind.com/lawyer
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journey-on
I just got home and saw this on the internet. A heart attack at 58! That's unbelievable. This is so sad.
His wife, Maureen Orth, writes for Vanity Fair magazine and has profiled lots of controversial figures. This
is just so awful. My heart goes out to her and their family.
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nvrgnbk
That was pretty heavy, Six.
Thanks for sharing it.
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beksbks
I knew you guys would be on this.
I can't believe it. I've spent so much time with him over the last year. He seemed a decent person, and far, far, too young.
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Gopher
Reaction to NBC News moderator Tim Russert's death:
"I think I can invoke personal privilege to say that this news division will not be the same without his strong, clear voice. He'll be missed as he was loved — greatly." — Tom Brokaw, NBC News anchor emeritus.
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"We have lost a beloved member of our NBC Universal family and the news world has lost one of its finest. The enormity of this loss cannot be overstated." — NBC Universal Chief Executive Jeff Zucker.
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"Tim epitomized excellence in journalism and unflinching commitment to the craft. Our profession has lost a stellar journalist." — Sylvia Smith, president of the National Press Club.
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"As the longest-serving host of the longest-running program in the history of television, he was an institution in both news and politics for more than two decades. Tim was a tough and hardworking newsman. He was always well-informed and thorough in his interviews. And he was as gregarious off the set as he was prepared on it." — President Bush.
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"There wasn't a better interviewer in television. Not a more thoughtful analyst of our politics. And he was also one of the finest men I knew." — Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
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"He was truly a great American who loved his family, his friends, his Buffalo Bills, and everything about politics and America. He was just a terrific guy." — Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
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"He delighted in scooping me and I felt the same way when I scooped him. When you slipped one past ol' Russert, you felt as though you had hit a home run off the best pitcher in the league." — Bob Schieffer, host of CBS News' "Face the Nation."
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"Today, broadcast journalism lost one of its giants, who will be remembered along with names like Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite and David Brinkley. The city of Buffalo has also lost its favorite son, who loved his city and its hometown team, the Bills." — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
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"Tim never forgot his roots in Western New York, and his hometown has always celebrated his great accomplishments. A graduate of Canisius High School, he is still known as legendary Buffalo Bills fan." — Gov. David Paterson, D-N.Y.
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"He was tough on 'Meet The Press,' but I never felt he was out to knock down government or politicians. He was trying to make us all better. And I think he really did that." — Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn.
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"Tim Russert's death is not just a body blow for NBC News, it is a body blow for the nation and for anyone who cherishes newsmen and women who have remained devoted to reporting hard news in an era increasingly consumed by trivia." — Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wis.
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"Tim asked the tough questions the right way and was the best in the business at keeping his interview subjects honest." — Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.
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"Tim was one of the outstanding journalists of this generation. He had a well earned reputation for integrity and fairness. I can personally attest to that. For those of us who had the privilege of appearing on 'Meet the Press,' Sunday mornings will never be the same." — Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.
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"Western New York, in particular, will miss Tim Russert because he was in every way Mr. Buffalo. Even when he was interviewing presidents and heads of state, Western New Yorkers knew that his blue collar, Buffalo sensibility guided him throughout." — Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
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"His passing is a loss for our country and for all who hold dear the principle of a press that is free, vibrant and responsible." — CIA Director Michael Hayden.
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"Having sat in the studio with him, I can only say that he was a gentleman when the 'on air' light was lit as well as when it was not." — Former New York City Mayor Giuliani.
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"Buffalo has lost a favorite son, and our nation has a lost a giant of political journalism. Tim was my favorite sparring partner — he was always tough, always fair, and always cared about the issues." — Rep. Tom Reynolds, R-N.Y.