The passing of journalist Tim Russert has been story one all weekend, the all encompassing item on most of your American cable channels. The outpouring of remembrance has been symbolic of the impact that the proud son of Big Russ of Buffalo, had on the American agenda these last seventeen years.
Russert the main political analyst for the NBC television network and the moderator of the most important political talk show of the land Meet the Press, passed away on Friday suddenly of a heart attack.
It has been an event that has shaken the NBC news family to their core, from the iconic Tom Brokaw Russert's close friend, through his co workers Brian Williams and Keith Olbermann, to the youngest of interns just learning the ropes in their profession, his larger than life presence seems to be as large a hole to fill as there ever could be.
His death had such an impact on the American political scene that all political talk has seemed to come to a stop this weekend as politicians, journalists and everyday Americans took time to remember his contribution to the American debate.
His inquiries while moderator of the Sunday morning show have made for some of the key events of the political landscape in the States in recent years. A timeline of the famous and the infamous, the players and the posers, always through the prism of what the average American needed to know about and of those that wished to govern them.
Russert the main political analyst for the NBC television network and the moderator of the most important political talk show of the land Meet the Press, passed away on Friday suddenly of a heart attack.
It has been an event that has shaken the NBC news family to their core, from the iconic Tom Brokaw Russert's close friend, through his co workers Brian Williams and Keith Olbermann, to the youngest of interns just learning the ropes in their profession, his larger than life presence seems to be as large a hole to fill as there ever could be.
His death had such an impact on the American political scene that all political talk has seemed to come to a stop this weekend as politicians, journalists and everyday Americans took time to remember his contribution to the American debate.
His inquiries while moderator of the Sunday morning show have made for some of the key events of the political landscape in the States in recent years. A timeline of the famous and the infamous, the players and the posers, always through the prism of what the average American needed to know about and of those that wished to govern them.
Part of the tribe of Irish-Catholic Americans that have made a large contribution to both American politics and the media over the last few decades, Russert was forever proud of his ancestry, his roots in Buffalo, his family ties and loyalty and his love of country. From an early start as a lawyer and then a political operative in Tip O'Neils office and as an aide to New York Governor Mario Cuomo, Russert found his passion and his place in journalism.
Through his years as a political moderator and examiner Russert had the front seat to many a controversial story.
.
His on air skewering of David Duke, the fomer Ku Klux Klansman candidate for Governor of Louisiana, most likely did more to show the shallow nature of his odious bid for power than all the politicians in the world could have provided.
It shone a bright light on a slickster who hid his own roots and despicable biases, while seeking high office. Russert exposed a candidate that couldn’t tell his questioner how many people were in poverty in his state, nor name any of that state’s main employers. Surely an indication of someone that should not even be on the ballot; let alone gain a vote. It was Russert who exposed him for what he was and identified in broad strokes what father Big Russ would call a phony.
Likewise his questioning of Louis Farrakhan pulled no punches, there was no soft soap for the Black nationalist leader, his appearance on that show revealed Farrakhan to be less than a charitable man when it came to the bridging of the racial divide, one while unbowing to his opposition and unapologetic for his commentaries, was ultimately left on the perimeter of the greater debate of race in America, a topic that always made for a charged conversation, but one that Russert approached with rational balance.
There were many fascinating moments in modern American history explored through his words and the lens of Meet the Press. Whether it was a President trying to explain a number of scandals, or one trying to define the questionable reasons for war, to a Secretary of Defence having to order an aide to return the camera to his conversation with Russert , after it had been awkwardly shifted away to avoid an uncomfortable question, the moderator found the story and delivered what Americans thirsted for, knowledge.
On Meet the Press the always present reality was that the important questions were going to asked and the politicians or government officials were required to provide some kind of an answer, the viewer left to divine the element of truth or falseness of those in power, a process made much easier from Russert’s inquiries.
The powerful and the wannabe’s, all had to pass through those Meet the Press studios, to be held accountable for their actions and words. His was America’s listening post, a place for Americans to seek out the real story of the day, not some sanitized press event but raw news with no filters, it was what journalism was and should be all about.
For many an invitation to appear on Meet the Press was a sign that theirs was a serious campaign or cause, yet one they needed to approach with trepidation and with the realization that the hour of network television time came with the price of full disclosure, no side deals and no secrets. It was pure accountability that was required, and woe was the politician that couldn’t deliver.
From the early days of Murrow through the era of Cronkite, Chancellor and Brinkley, Russert provided a continuation to the dedication of craft, through his work he exemplified the service that good journalism could and should be.
While a day of sadness for his wife Maureen, son Luke, Russert’s sisters and of course father Big Russ, his passing on the cusp of the day in which we celebrate fatherhood seems almost pre-ordained, a reminder of the values he held closest to his heart.
Few modern writers have come to symbolize the strong bond between father and son as Russert, his first novel Big Russ and Me has been described as one of the best examinations of the father-son dynamic that there is.
Expressing as it does his own strong love for his father Russ and the many sacrifices that he made as Russert was growing up, those remembrances are combined with the pride and joy that Mr. Russert had in the accomplishments of his own son Luke.
Frequently mentioned with glee by Russert for all he had accomplished so far, he is a young man just recently graduated from college, set now to face a world of his own, suddenly missing his compass if you will, but we suspect well grounded by the guidance and examples of both his father and grandfather.
No greater example of the chain of life could be imagined than to study the words that Russert shared with his son and his thoughts of his father. And perhaps there is no greater example of what the celebration of father’s day is all about, than examining the chronicles of the Russert generations.
Far beyond the hard hitting interviews of the political class and the sheer joy he expressed in the pursuit of those stories, it will be his dedication to his family and the values he shared with both his father and son, that tell us the most about one of the giants of journalism.
And on this Father’s Day, no better tribute can be found than to leaf through the pages of his books and share in the wisdom of a fine life lived to its fullest, balanced in every way; leaving many behind grateful to have shared in the journey and to have learned much from the messenger.
Big Russ and Me
His on air skewering of David Duke, the fomer Ku Klux Klansman candidate for Governor of Louisiana, most likely did more to show the shallow nature of his odious bid for power than all the politicians in the world could have provided.
It shone a bright light on a slickster who hid his own roots and despicable biases, while seeking high office. Russert exposed a candidate that couldn’t tell his questioner how many people were in poverty in his state, nor name any of that state’s main employers. Surely an indication of someone that should not even be on the ballot; let alone gain a vote. It was Russert who exposed him for what he was and identified in broad strokes what father Big Russ would call a phony.
Likewise his questioning of Louis Farrakhan pulled no punches, there was no soft soap for the Black nationalist leader, his appearance on that show revealed Farrakhan to be less than a charitable man when it came to the bridging of the racial divide, one while unbowing to his opposition and unapologetic for his commentaries, was ultimately left on the perimeter of the greater debate of race in America, a topic that always made for a charged conversation, but one that Russert approached with rational balance.
There were many fascinating moments in modern American history explored through his words and the lens of Meet the Press. Whether it was a President trying to explain a number of scandals, or one trying to define the questionable reasons for war, to a Secretary of Defence having to order an aide to return the camera to his conversation with Russert , after it had been awkwardly shifted away to avoid an uncomfortable question, the moderator found the story and delivered what Americans thirsted for, knowledge.
On Meet the Press the always present reality was that the important questions were going to asked and the politicians or government officials were required to provide some kind of an answer, the viewer left to divine the element of truth or falseness of those in power, a process made much easier from Russert’s inquiries.
The powerful and the wannabe’s, all had to pass through those Meet the Press studios, to be held accountable for their actions and words. His was America’s listening post, a place for Americans to seek out the real story of the day, not some sanitized press event but raw news with no filters, it was what journalism was and should be all about.
For many an invitation to appear on Meet the Press was a sign that theirs was a serious campaign or cause, yet one they needed to approach with trepidation and with the realization that the hour of network television time came with the price of full disclosure, no side deals and no secrets. It was pure accountability that was required, and woe was the politician that couldn’t deliver.
From the early days of Murrow through the era of Cronkite, Chancellor and Brinkley, Russert provided a continuation to the dedication of craft, through his work he exemplified the service that good journalism could and should be.
While a day of sadness for his wife Maureen, son Luke, Russert’s sisters and of course father Big Russ, his passing on the cusp of the day in which we celebrate fatherhood seems almost pre-ordained, a reminder of the values he held closest to his heart.
Few modern writers have come to symbolize the strong bond between father and son as Russert, his first novel Big Russ and Me has been described as one of the best examinations of the father-son dynamic that there is.
Expressing as it does his own strong love for his father Russ and the many sacrifices that he made as Russert was growing up, those remembrances are combined with the pride and joy that Mr. Russert had in the accomplishments of his own son Luke.
Frequently mentioned with glee by Russert for all he had accomplished so far, he is a young man just recently graduated from college, set now to face a world of his own, suddenly missing his compass if you will, but we suspect well grounded by the guidance and examples of both his father and grandfather.
No greater example of the chain of life could be imagined than to study the words that Russert shared with his son and his thoughts of his father. And perhaps there is no greater example of what the celebration of father’s day is all about, than examining the chronicles of the Russert generations.
Far beyond the hard hitting interviews of the political class and the sheer joy he expressed in the pursuit of those stories, it will be his dedication to his family and the values he shared with both his father and son, that tell us the most about one of the giants of journalism.
And on this Father’s Day, no better tribute can be found than to leaf through the pages of his books and share in the wisdom of a fine life lived to its fullest, balanced in every way; leaving many behind grateful to have shared in the journey and to have learned much from the messenger.
Big Russ and Me
Wisdom of our Fathers
The measure of anyone will be the tributes we receive at the end of our lives, while his ending came far too soon, those tributes have been many, heartfelt and truly reflective of the larger than life presence that made an impression on so many.
A glance through some of these below will give you just a small sample of the outpouring of grief and sympathy that his passing has generated and in some cases trace his history in an unvarnished way, most likely as he would have found correct.
NBC-- Meet the Press homepage
MSNBC-- Tim Russert remembered
Buffalo News-- A poignant Father’s Day for Tim Russert’s family, friends
New York Times-- With Tim Russert’s Death, NBC News Must Replace a Man of Many Roles New York Times-- Tributes to Tim Russert and questions for NBC
New York Times-- In Mourning for a Man, and His Era
Chicago Tribune-- NBC lost more than a newsman
Baltimore Sun-- He loved life
Boston Globe-- Tim Russert, tenacious journalist, dead at 58
Salon-- One of the good guys
The Politico-- Sundays after Russert
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