...I would be very remiss if I didn't say a few words about the passing of probably the biggest journalistic icon of our time, Tim Russert.Tim died yesterday at his desk at the NBC Washington Bureau headquarters, apparently of a massive heart attack, suddenly and without warning, doing what he loved most -- getting ready for another edition of Meet The Press.
When I heard the news yesterday, I was shocked, as I'm sure most of the world was. I will always remember where and when I heard it, much like I remember when and where I was when I heard about President Kennedy, then Martin Luther King, then Bobby Kennedy.
Nobody made politics come alive like Tim did, and nobody made politics more accessible to "everyman" than did Tim. He had the common man touch, combined with the journalistic chops, and he never seemed to tire of his job; on the contrary, he seemed to get better and livelier and more excited every year. He was at the top of his profession, wrote two best-selling books, and lived more life in his 58 years than many of us can even dream of living were we to make it to the ripe old age of 100.
We relied on Tim; we trusted him; we invited him into our homes. Things will just not be the same without him. His passing has left a void that I suspect no one will ever fill.
Godspeed, Tim, and wherever you are, give 'em hell. You will be sorely missed, and your memory much cherished.
