Reflections on the passing of Tim Russert...

An intelligent man and Genuinely Good Guy, gone at the age of 58...

I had the TV on this afternoon as I was replenishing the bird food in my Parrot's cage, and I heard the news as it broke; Tim Russert, moderator of "Meet The Press", died suddenly at NBC's Washington, D.C. Bureau, while at work, doing a job he relished and savored. And with his passing, I firmly believe we have all lost one of the Best and Most Believable Talking Heads out there. His interviews were always a pleasure to watch, especially the way he had of getting the Interviewee to dump the rhetoric and focus on What Was Going On, or What Had Happened. It seemed that the rapport between Tim and the other NBC reporters or analysts on the program was very, very good, and from all that I've read and heard, he was a Good Guy. Most of all, he was as Smart As They Come. I respected him.

The death of a Public figure makes us all look up and take stock of things, and somehow, we have to get thru it and do our best until our time comes, and when that happens, hopefully someone, somewhere, will have a good word for us, when we pass away. As I write this, while watching MSNBC this afternoon, certainly a lot of folks have said good words about Tim Russert. Those who sat in the 'Meet The Press' hotseat said today, without exception, that his interviews were Tough but Fair. In addition to his "Meet The Press" program, he'd also been hosting a weekend TV interview program which allowed him to step out of politics a little, and converse with those who weren't necessarily involved in the political spectrum. He wasn't flashy, not especially good-looking, but he was dedicated to his craft, and he brought sort of a working-class sense to the high and lofty art of political interviewing. Tim Russert was the Real Deal. I'm sad he's not with us anymore.



Tim Russert, who passed away this afternoon at age 58. Done Too Soon.