By David Morgan
NBC interrupted its programming for a special report by
former anchorman Tom Brokaw, who announced in a voice heavy
with emotion that Russert had died at the network's Washington
bureau after returning from a trip to Italy with his family.
Russert was prerecording a segment for this Sunday's "Meet
the Press" program when he collapsed.
"I think I can invoke personal privilege to say this news
division will not be the same without his strong, clear voice.
He will be missed as he was loved, greatly," Brokaw said.
Russert was the NBC News Washington bureau chief as well as
a political analyst for "NBC Nightly News" and the "Today"
morning program. He also anchored "The Tim Russert Show," a
weekly interview program on the CNBC cable-TV channel.
"Here was a guy who, in a really affable way, was able to
do something that news anchors don't really do: provide cogent,
understandable, compelling analysis of really complex issues,"
said Syracuse University media expert Robert Thompson.
It was as host of "Meet the Press" since 1991 that Russert
became a leading voice in American politics by mixing his
cheerful on-air persona with the tough questioning of political
guests including President George W. Bush and leading
personalities of the 2008 presidential campaign.
"This was one of the most important years in Tim's life,"
Brokaw told viewers. "He loved this political campaign. He
worked to the point of exhaustion so many weeks."
'AN INSTITUTION'
"He was an institution in both news and politics for more
than two decades," Bush said in a statement issued in Paris,
where the president was traveling.
"Tim was a tough and hard-working 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."
Russert was also a best-selling author. "Big Russ and Me,"
described his childhood in Buffalo, New York, and his
relationship with his father, who worked as a garbage
collector. He also wrote "The Wisdom of Our Fathers," inspired
by letters he received from children talking about their
relationship with their fathers.
Democrats and Republicans lauded Russert's work.
Speaking to reporters in Columbus, Ohio, Obama said, "There
wasn't a better interviewer in television, not a more
thoughtful analyst of our politics."
McCain said: "Tim Russert was at the top of his profession.
He was a man of honesty and integrity. He was hard but he was
always fair."
Russert joined NBC News in 1984. In April 1985, he
supervised the live broadcasts of NBC's Today show from Rome.
In 1986 and 1987, Russert led NBC News' weeklong broadcasts
from South America, Australia and China. NBC is controlled by
General Electric Co.
Dick Cheney
(Additional reporting by Paul Eckert, Steve Holland, Steve
Gorman, Jeff Mason, Andy Sullivan and Tabassum Zakaria; Editing
by Howard Goller and Mohammad Zargham)
Full Coverage: Tim Russert, 1950-2008
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