NBC Luminary, Tim Russert, Dies at 58

Garland and I turned on the TV, just to start catching up with the day's news when we learned that NBC journalist and political bright light, Tim Russert, had just died. Mr. Russert was the host of "Meet the Press" and a news executive who ran the Washington Bureau. He was at is office when he succumbed.

He loved politics as well as public policy and he was interested in everything. An astute interviewer, he was known to pin his guests down to get to the root of the topic as it impacted the life of the nation or our society. Courteous and genuinely kind, he brought something useful as well as interesting. Mr. Russert was the premier interviewer in television news.

He was one of Time's 100 Most Influencial People for 2008. I can't agree more. It was from Meet the Press as well as NPR that I learned to love the news. He cause me to move from skeptical to more thoughtful about the news. He knew he'd hit the lottery in life and he wanted to share his winnings with us.

Here's Mr. Russert's last go at Meet the Press before leaving for his last vacation with his beloved family. Classic Russert.