Tim Russert Dead at 58
This is incredibly shocking news. I know it doesn't really relate to Oregon politics, but I thought you'd be interested in hearing. The Times has better news than NBC:
Tom Brokaw, the former anchor of NBC Nightly News, came on the air at 3:39 p.m. that Mr. Russert had collapsed and died early this afternoon while at work.
He had just returned from Italy with his family.
“Our beloved colleague,” a grave Mr. Brokaw called him, one of the premier journalists of our time. He said this was one of the most important years in his life, with his deep engagement in the network’s political coverage, and that he “worked to the point of exhaustion.” Mr. Brokaw said Mr. Russert was a true child of Buffalo and always stayed in touch with his blue collar roots and “the ethos of that community.”
He said Mr. Russert had just moved his father, who is in his late 80s, from one facility to another in Buffalo. He said he loved his family, his Catholic faith, his country, politics, the Buffalo Bills, the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals.
“This news division will not be the same without his strong, clear voice,” Mr. Brokaw said.
After Mr. Brokaw made the announcement, the network switched to Brian Williams, the anchor of the NBC News, who is reporting from Afghanistan this week. Mr. Williams broke down as he tried to describe what the loss meant to his network family.
Discuss.
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June 13, 2008 |
Jeff Alworth | Comments (83 so far)
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Comments
Posted by: torridjoe | Jun 13, 2008 1:06:53 PM
Russert's insider punditry were a pox on politics, but no one deserves to go that early, that way. Best to his family and the NBC family.
Posted by: Jeff Alworth | Jun 13, 2008 1:07:52 PM
Some folks may be inclined to chime in with criticisms about the way he conducted MTP interviews. I'd say that this is not the time for criticism. He was far, far too young to die and this news is outside the sphere of politics. A reminder of how fragile lives are.
Posted by: Kristin | Jun 13, 2008 1:10:24 PM
I agree that it's not the time for criticism.
I remember watching Meet the Press and he made ending comments that often included warm words to his son.
Very, very sad.
Posted by: Peter Bray | Jun 13, 2008 1:10:47 PM
Sad news.
NBC must be really sad at this point... do they have any other political analysts of his caliber in the ranks?
Posted by: torridjoe | Jun 13, 2008 1:13:54 PM
"NBC must be really sad at this point... do they have any other political analysts of his caliber in the ranks?"
CHUCKTODDCHUCKTODDCHUCKTODD!
Posted by: Erik Sorensen | Jun 13, 2008 1:14:52 PM
I second Jeff. No need for that--not the time.
Tim Russert was truely a legend in what he did. An expert political analyst I will remember him for. He will be missed by many. May he rest in peace.
Posted by: Kevin | Jun 13, 2008 1:15:07 PM
IMHO there simply is no other political analyst of Russert's caliber. He was one of a kind and will be sorely missed.
Posted by: Dena | Jun 13, 2008 1:19:34 PM
I always admired him for his work with the Cuomo campaigns. Man, I am bummed. I just happened to pick up a copy of Big RUss and Me at Borders the other day to give as a Father's Day present. Prayers for his family and friends.
Posted by: Stephanie V | Jun 13, 2008 1:27:01 PM
As awful as this must be for his wife and children, my heart aches especially for his father, "Big Russ." There can't be much worse in life than burying a child, even a grownup middle-aged child.
Peace to all the Russerts.
Posted by: Kari Chisholm | Jun 13, 2008 1:35:20 PM
Wow. He was the longest-running host of the longest-running show in the history of television.
Back in the days before the internet, watching Meet the Press was one of the few ways you could get solid and substantial political analysis. In many ways, I feel like I grew up with Tim Russert.
Sunday mornings won't be the same.
Goodbye, Timmeh.
Posted by: torridjoe | Jun 13, 2008 1:39:09 PM
"Wow. He was the longest-running host of the longest-running show in the history of television."
How bout that. Beats the Today Show (starring Dave Garroway first, I think) by 5 years, which started in 52, and which I thought was first for some reason. The Tonight Show was 54, and wasn't that Jack Parr to start?
Interestingly, all three are NBC shows.
Posted by: darrelplant | Jun 13, 2008 1:43:59 PM
MSNBC now has someplace for Tucker Carlson to land.
Posted by: Kari Chisholm | Jun 13, 2008 1:55:20 PM
Actually, I think the successor will be David Gregory.
Posted by: Scott Jorgensen | Jun 13, 2008 2:06:39 PM
A true tragedy.
Russert frequently displayed a level of journalist excellence unmatched by most. I still remember watching him make John Kerry squirm by asking about the fact that Kerry and Bush were both in Skull and Bones. Nobody else had the guts to ask about that or even bring it up.
Tim Russert will truly be missed.
Posted by: torridjoe | Jun 13, 2008 2:07:10 PM
Gregory? Ugh. Can you roll over in your grave before you're in it? The guy was a back up dancer for Karl Rove's rap performance.
Posted by: joel dan walls | Jun 13, 2008 2:10:04 PM
I prefer my news on the radio, without the visual distractions, unless the images are indispensable. So, I rarely saw Mr. Russert except when watching election-night coverage. I don't know his reputation particularly, but it is perhaps noteworthy that Russert took a pounding in the pro-Clinton blogosphere during the primaries. Why?
Posted by: Dena | Jun 13, 2008 2:12:44 PM
He was a prime example of how important knowledge of history is for a journalist who served in his capacity. When I think of the coverage of the 2000 Presidential election, I think of Russert with his yellow legal pad, doing the numbers, breaking to down for the viewers.
Posted by: Dena | Jun 13, 2008 2:16:15 PM
" I don't know his reputation particularly, but it is perhaps noteworthy that Russert took a pounding in the pro-Clinton blogosphere during the primaries. Why?"
With all due respect Joel, today is not the day to evaluate that question. I don't believe you want to be inflammatory. To critique his career in this moment would be uncooth.
Posted by: tired of joe's attitude | Jun 13, 2008 2:38:46 PM
Torrid joke, didn't your parents ever teach you that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?
I hope when you go, that Kari doesn't tell anyone that your blue oregon posts are a pox on Oregon politics.
My prayers go out to the family of a great father, American, and journalist.
Posted by: Kevin | Jun 13, 2008 2:40:18 PM
My favorite moment with Russert came earlier during the Primary when Governor Richardson tried (unsuccessfully) to tell Russert that there was no contradiction in his claiming to be both a Red Sox fan AND a Yankees fan. LOL - the look on Russerts face was priceless, as was the intense squirming Richardson proceeded to display as Russert refused to let him pass it off unchallenged.
There have been other great interviewers. But the very greatest are simply irreplacable because their own unique traits are part and parcel of what made them great interviewers in the first place. Tim Russert and Charlie Rose are both classic examples. Fortunately Rose caught his heart problem before it was too late.
Posted by: geoffludt | Jun 13, 2008 3:01:50 PM
David Gregory would be god awful, is there a smarmier guy out there?
The fact is that no one, I mean absolutely no one in NBC's stable (or anyone elses for that matter) is fit to fill Mr. Russert's shoes (it just can't be done), he was the closest thing we had to an objective journalist these days and my Sundays will be worse for his loss.
I'm just sick over it.
Posted by: John Dunagan | Jun 13, 2008 3:27:07 PM
It's a shock, more than anything, to see him go. I'm sad he won't get to see how it all turned out.
Posted by: torridjoe | Jun 13, 2008 3:30:11 PM
"Torrid joke, didn't your parents ever teach you that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?"
Did yours? I guess not, apparently.
If Kari or anybody wants to say that, now or the day I die, bless 'em. It's not for me to make those judgements. I won't be able to hear, just as Timmuh can't. If you're going to tally up the people who give you the thumbs up or thumbs down at your funeral, you missed the point of living.
I'll end with my favorite quote from Olympia Dukakis in Steel Magnolias: "If you can't say anything nice about someone...come sit next to me!"
Posted by: naschkatzehussein | Jun 13, 2008 4:19:28 PM
I agree with torridjoe--Chuck Todd, but leave it to the network to pick David Gregory.
Posted by: Jenni Simonis | Jun 13, 2008 5:49:27 PM
It's just too bad that so many of the good journalists over the past few years have passed away. It's people like Russert that made me want to be a journalist. And it's people like so many of those who claim to be journalists today that made me leave journalism.
Posted by: darrelplant | Jun 13, 2008 5:54:04 PM
My favorite moment with Russert came earlier during the Primary when Governor Richardson tried (unsuccessfully) to tell Russert that there was no contradiction in his claiming to be both a Red Sox fan AND a Yankees fan. LOL - the look on Russerts face was priceless, as was the intense squirming Richardson proceeded to display as Russert refused to let him pass it off unchallenged.
I could care less about baseball and which team or teams a politician says they support.
Personally, I'll always remember Russert for his role in the Valerie Plame affair, and his lack of transparency about having testified to the grand jury whenever he spoke -- at length -- about the matter on MTP or other shows.
Posted by: Ray Duray | Jun 13, 2008 5:54:36 PM
Condolences to the Russert Family. This might be the appropriate time, since this is a political blog after all, to recall one of the best moments of Tim Russert's tenure at MTP. On September 10, 2006, the fifth anniversary of the still unsatisfactorily resolved attack on the WTC towers and the Pentagon, the nation was in a completely new reality.
Here's a brief part of the interchange between Russert and guest VP Dick Cheney:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14720480/page/2/
[COPY]
MR. RUSSERT: But Mr. Vice President, the primary rationale giving—given for the war in Iraq was Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. You—on August of 2002, this is what you told the VFW. Let’s just watch it.
(Videotape, August 26, 2002):
VICE PRES. CHENEY: Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction.
(End of videotape)
MR. RUSSERT: In fact, there is grave doubt, because they did not exist along the lines that you described, the president described, and others described. Based on what you know now, that Saddam did not have the weapons of mass destruction that were described, would you still have gone into Iraq?
VICE PRES. CHENEY: Yes, Tim, because what the reports also showed, while he did not have stockpiles—clearly the intelligence that said he did was wrong....
[END COPY]
In hindsight, it's easy to praise Mr. Russert for his courage in confronting VP Cheney in September, 2006. Russert may have helped to bring about the Democratic successes that November, by simply pointing out facts that were inconvenient to the Administration.
What is less obvious is why we should praise Mr. Russert for his rather more timid questioning of the Administration's mendacity in the 2002-3 time period.
So, as with much of the mainstream media, there certainly is reason to praise Mr. Russert for his efforts, but there is reason why that praise must be faint and informed if our Republic is to survive the corporate onslaught to our "press" and our government that we are currently enduring.
***
Some commenters here have been suggesting replacement hosts for MTP. Here's a couple of ideas...
How about Phil Donahue? It would only be fitting, since while Russert dithered about going to war with Iraq, Donahue got the story right in early 2003 and therefore got fired by NBC. There would be poetic justice in such a move.
Or how about admitting that NBC is deeply in bed with the CIA, the Administration and GE's corporate and military-industrial cronies? I'm going to suggest to Jeffrey Immelt that Carl Bernstein would be a perfect host for MTP. He already knows where all the skeletons are arranged in the closet. http://tinyurl.com/4nqgjg
Posted by: torridjoe | Jun 13, 2008 6:31:13 PM
"Personally, I'll always remember Russert for his role in the Valerie Plame affair, and his lack of transparency about having testified to the grand jury whenever he spoke -- at length -- about the matter on MTP or other shows."
Shhhh...don't you know you're violating terms of common decency??
Posted by: Dena | Jun 13, 2008 7:38:51 PM
"Shhhh...don't you know you're violating terms of common decency??"
Maybe its just about not being an ass at an inappropriate time...or common decency.
Posted by: darrelplant | Jun 13, 2008 10:23:28 PM
Maybe its just about not being an ass at an inappropriate time...or common decency.
Sorry, but I've never held Russert in the high regard a number of the other commenters here seem to have done. I actually remember the old "Meet the Press", which -- while still flawed -- was somewhat more focused on issues than horse-race politics.
What is the decent interval to wait before remembering that someone who died wasn't really all they're cracked up to be? Would I have to wait for a week or two to mention that Fidel Castro had done some really ugly things if he was the one who had died? Or would that make me an "ass"?
Posted by: Kevin | Jun 13, 2008 11:25:02 PM
I could care less about baseball and which team or teams a politician says they support.
Oh, of course you don't. And that explains why you took the time and effort to blockquote an entire paragraph talking about those very things...
Just so you know... We all care very deeply about the fact that you could care less about those things. Really.
Posted by: Bob Tiernan | Jun 14, 2008 1:00:55 AM
Scott Jorgensen:
Russert frequently displayed a level of journalist excellence unmatched by most. I still remember watching him make John Kerry squirm by asking about the fact that Kerry and Bush were both in Skull and Bones. Nobody else had the guts to ask about that or even bring it up.
Bob T:
No one got a free ride when Russert was doing the
interview (like the way Obama had journalists
having "tingly feelings" running up their legs
over him), but we really need interviewers
who will call many of these politicians what
they are -- crooks. Of course, do that once
and no more crooks will show up. End of show.
Bob T
Posted by: Deborah Barnes | Jun 14, 2008 6:38:54 AM
Unlike Darrelplant, I found Russert to be the one individual on television who asked the questions I wanted answers to of individuals in politics. I looked forward to Sunday mornings so I could watch Meet the Press. I encouraged my broadcasting students to do the same.
I am very saddened by the loss of a great man with incredible talent. He will be missed.
Posted by: carla axtman | Jun 14, 2008 8:46:58 AM
What is the decent interval to wait before remembering that someone who died wasn't really all they're cracked up to be? Would I have to wait for a week or two to mention that Fidel Castro had done some really ugly things if he was the one who had died? Or would that make me an "ass"?
FYI: Its generally considered to be good manners to wait at least a couple of days before raking a guy who dropped dead of a heart attack over the coals.
Personally, I think Russert was an incredibly gifted talent who did some landmark things in his time on television. He was brilliant at understanding the political landscape of the country. While I disagreed with some of the things he did--its incredibly sad and shocking that such a great man died so young.
Posted by: LT | Jun 14, 2008 10:00:40 AM
Right On Carla!
I did not agree with every question Russert ever asked.
However, we can all hope that when we are gone, that many close friends and co-workers will say such nice things about us as Tim's friends have.
Turns out among his good deeds were that he was godfather to 2 children (one from each family) of 2 other journalists who were friends. When the brother of one of his godsons had brain surgery, he started sending that young man a baseball cap every time he went to a city where he could buy a different one.
Sometimes we get caught up in the nastiness of politics and forget what really matters.
Posted by: Bob Tiernan | Jun 14, 2008 11:34:48 AM
Ray Duray:
How about Phil Donahue? It would only be fitting, since while Russert dithered about going to war with Iraq, Donahue got the story right in early 2003 and therefore got fired by NBC. There would be poetic justice in such a move.
Bob T:
"Dithered"?
Wait! -- You're saying that it'd be better to have a
host with a firm agenda. I thought objectivity was
important. On the other hand, being objective, or
at least faking it, leads one to gloss over wrongs.
Bob Tiernan
Posted by: Bob Tiernan | Jun 14, 2008 11:41:21 AM
darrelplant:
What is the decent interval to wait before remembering that someone who died wasn't really all they're cracked up to be? Would I have to wait for a week or two to mention that Fidel Castro had done some really ugly things if he was the one who had died?
Bob T:
Actually, too many progressives wouldn't even mention
anything like that after 25 years go by. If the goal
is squashed free enterprise, no private property, etc
then a dictatorship to maintain that goal is fine. So
don't criticize the guy who one KBOO caller referred to
as "Fido" (full sentence was "Fido's a good guy").
Bob Tiernan
Posted by: darrelplant | Jun 14, 2008 3:17:42 PM
Oh, of course you don't. And that explains why you took the time and effort to blockquote an entire paragraph talking about those very things...
That doesn't even make sense. I don't care about baseball. I don't follow it. I don't follow any sports. I don't believe saying you support one team or two teams or three teams has much bearing on a candidate's ability to govern.
I quoted the paragraph because I was responding to the remark in the paragraph. Just as I am doing here. To me, Russert's comment was on the par with his colleague Chris Matthews's remarks about Obama getting a 36 at bowling.
FYI: Its generally considered to be good manners to wait at least a couple of days before raking a guy who dropped dead of a heart attack over the coals.
Carla, I noted that I didn't share Kevin's laudatory view of him catching Bill Richardson in pandering to fans of Boston and New York and that I thought his public silence on what he personally knew about official wrongdoing in the White House regarding the Valerie Plame affair was perhaps more important to my remembrance of him. If you want to believe that's raking someone over the coals, that's your right, but it was a pretty soft handling of what could have been said about Russert's part in playing down the leak.
Bob T:
No one got a free ride when Russert was doing the
interview
Unlike most journalists Russert treated conversations with public officials as off the record "unless they request otherwise."
Bob T: Actually, too many progressives wouldn't even mention anything like that after 25 years go by.
That's just sheer garbage.
Posted by: backbeat | Jun 14, 2008 10:50:28 PM
Russert was Cheney's go to guy, not the friggin Pope.
He played lead snare drum in their march to the illegal, immoral invasion of an innocent country.
Posted by: backbeat | Jun 14, 2008 11:05:34 PM
NBC should have done the dignified thing: give Russert a nice nod in the last 1-2 minutes of their news programs, and dedicate this sunday's show to him. Beyond that, it was a disgusting display. MSNBC has been covering this death 24/7, ignoring the real news such as midwest flooding, the fact that we finally got habeus back, and more. I consider Russert a traitor who enabled them to sell the country on an illegal and immoral invasion. He's a tool. Had they just given him the usual nod, I would have kept quiet, but this is disgusting. We have a little Katrina going on and they are having a sex fest. Just awful.
So no, this is not the Pope or the President. It was a guy who helped lie us into a war. No, I won't wait a couple of days if they are going to feed me this crap.
Posted by: Bob Tiernan | Jun 15, 2008 12:55:55 AM
Ray Duray:
...the fifth anniversary of the still unsatisfactorily resolved attack on the WTC towers and the Pentagon...
Bob T:
Oh-oh! Now just what is "unsatisfactorily resolved" about this? Just wondering, mind you. Is there still a chance that you believe it was radio-operated airlines controlled by the CIA? Or Mossad agents had tricked some Muslims into doing this?
Bob Tiernan
Posted by: Bob Tiernan | Jun 15, 2008 1:00:58 AM
Ray Duray:
In hindsight, it's easy to praise Mr. Russert for his courage in confronting VP Cheney in September, 2006. Russert may have helped to bring about the Democratic successes that November, by simply pointing out facts that were inconvenient to the Administration.
Bob T:
Hmmmm....what about the long-held belief (conspiracy theory) that NBC was owned by GE which would never let the news or news shows harm Repub chances. Oh well. I'm always prepared to accept facts that puncture these ridiculous stories.
Bob Tiernan
Posted by: Bob Tiernan | Jun 15, 2008 1:04:17 AM
Darrelplant:
What is the decent interval to wait before remembering that someone who died wasn't really all they're cracked up to be? Would I have to wait for a week or two to mention that Fidel Castro had done some really ugly things if he was the one who had died?
Bob T:
Heck, why wait for Castro to die. I've been trashing that despot for decades.
Bob Tiernan
Posted by: Bob Tiernan | Jun 15, 2008 1:12:27 AM
Backbeat:
NBC should have done the dignified thing: give Russert a nice nod in the last 1-2 minutes of their news programs, and dedicate this sunday's show to him. Beyond that, it was a disgusting display. MSNBC has been covering this death 24/7, ignoring the real news such as midwest flooding, the fact that we finally got habeus back, etc
Bob T:
I agree 100%! He's one of their own so they make it more news than it really is. Reminds me of when Dan Rather thought it was news that there was a pending strike at CBS,
and asked us to have "courage".
Anyway, the point about hearing less about actual news so that the network(s) could feed us something else also reminds me of the brief top-of-the-hour news on the radio stations when I am informed that this or that film made X-number of millions over the weekend when I really wanted to hear more about the flooding somewhere in the country, or which crooked politician had just gotten a $10 million pork project for a beer can museum in his district.
Bob Tiernan
Posted by: Bill McDonald | Jun 15, 2008 5:24:11 AM
I'm going to use the "urgency of now" rule on this. I loved Tim Russert as a person based on his many appearances on Imus in the Morning. The guy was hilarious and had a huge personality and sense of humor. The family stuff was genuine and his father, Big Russ, is a true inspiration. I ache when I think of them telling him this news. It is so unfair.
I also cringe when I read how this great person's death somehow catapults the work of the 4th estate into a more vaunted position than it deserves. There was no decency period in using this tragedy to pat themselves on the back. Tim was held up as an example of their relentless drive for the truth. We heard he was tough but fair and in many instances he undoubtedly was. But when they gush over the little white board with, "Florida, Florida, Florida" on it, let's not forget that Tim Russert never actually got to the truth about Florida and he certainly didn't during the run-up to Iraq. That's when we really needed him to be tough - at least as tough as Knight Ridder was on the case for war.
So RIP Tim Russert. I loved the man - he was a giant. But shame on the corporate media for any attempts to capitalize on this to enhance their own shabby image. There will never be an interval of decency long enough for them to try that.
I'd like to see Greg Palast replace Tim Russert. Then we'd get to the truth a lot more. But I know that's not going to happen because of the corporate ownership structure of the U.S. media, and I don't blame Tim Russert for that. In that sense he was just a wonderful, enthusiastic, thoughtful, entertaining, extremely well-paid pawn in the game, and I'll miss him a lot.
I think his corporate bosses used his genuine love of this country against him. That sincere, idealistic view of America was endearing but it definitely turned Tim into too much of a cheerleader for the craven powers that be. "What a country" is a great sentiment, unless you're so busy admiring how a kid from Buffalo got this far, to notice what has happened to America lately. Maybe that's it: Tim was simply too decent and nice to begin to grasp how twisted and devious our current leadership is.
So enough with how Tim "held their feet to the fire." I wish he had - but they would have gotten someone else if he had really tried that. if anything he got too close to Cheney and company and they burned him. The fact that what he did is now being sold to us as proof that the media is on the case, and not just a PR wing of government, is the biggest shame of all. Who are they kidding with that?
Thanks for letting me vent.
Posted by: Bill McDonald | Jun 15, 2008 5:29:41 AM
I didn't mean for the comment to be bold. Will somebody please turn that off? Thanks.
Posted by: Dena | Jun 15, 2008 10:59:02 AM
Happy Father's Day to all. A special Father's Day prayer to Luke Russert, Big Russ and all who have lost their fathers. Below is an excerpt from Tim Russert's book, "Wisdom of our Fathers" At the end of the day, our relationships transcend politics. And if yours don't, then go get to work.
" 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.
Story continues below ↓
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“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."
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Posted by: Jenni Simonis | Jun 13, 2008 1:02:44 PM
Yes, that's just terrible. I've watched some of his coverage of this election cycle and found it a heck of a lot better than most of what's out there. I really enjoyed watching him the night that Obama clinched the nomination.