Tim Russert, the chief political reporter for NBC and host of the long-running Meet The Press, died of a heart attack this afternoon. Russert was recording voiceovers for Meet The Press and collapsed.
This is obviously sad and odd because he was young, but it's also crazy because we're in the middle of an election year, and Russert was one of the faces of NBC and MSNBC when it comes to politics. He was an unabashed political junkie and was front and center in this year's election, being involved in all of the primary coverage and even participated in debates along with colleague Brian Williams.
Russert worked in for Democratic Senator Daniel Moynihan's campaign in the mid 70s and in the early 80s worked on Mario Cuomo's campaign for Governor of New York. He joined NBC in 1984 and became moderator of Meet The Press in 1991. He also wrote two books.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-13-2008 @ 4:05PM
CJH said...
My condolences to his family and friends. He was a hardworking, passionate man, and he will be missed. Things like this make us realize that life can be over in a second, and that we have to take advantage of every moment we have on this earth.
Don't anybody dare bring politics into this.
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6-13-2008 @ 4:14PM
Will said...
Oh wow! When I was kid I would watch Meet the Press every Sunday. I just saw him a couple of weeks ago during the primary coverage and he was very entertaining.
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6-13-2008 @ 4:17PM
Ian said...
"...died of a coronary
embolism at the age of 58, NBC has confirmed.
An earlier news alert stated incorrectly that the cause of
death was an apparent heart attack."
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6-13-2008 @ 5:24PM
LOs said...
Are we really going to split hairs over an "apparent heart attack" and a coronary embolism?
Don't get me wrong this is really sad news, and I hope Matthews & Olbermann give the man his proper due.
But seriously, whoever can tell a coronary embolism from a heart attack just by looking at someone, I hope they are doctors.
R.I.P Tim Russert, 58 is way too young.
6-13-2008 @ 5:55PM
Ian said...
I wasn't meaning to split ends, I just wanted people to know exactly what happened to him. A clot blocking the flow to the heart vs. a heart attack makes what happened even more tragic, as it's simply one of those chance occurrences you can never see coming. He appears to have been in good health otherwise. I'm sad to see him gone, and agree, he died way too young. RIP indeed.
6-13-2008 @ 4:31PM
KMF said...
I'm absolutely stunned. Wow. This is really sad news. My condolences to his family and friends.
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6-13-2008 @ 4:36PM
ranger72 said...
I always liked him when I saw him on TV; he was just a genuinely likable guy. The election coverage will be poorer for his loss.
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6-13-2008 @ 4:37PM
MacGuffin said...
He was a legend and will be sorely missed. There is no one better than Tim Russert.
R.I.P.
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6-13-2008 @ 5:07PM
Leota said...
i can't believe this. =(
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6-13-2008 @ 5:40PM
0megapart!cle said...
He was a titan of MSM, truly one of the most reputable, honest, and unbiased members of the class. Now that's not saying much for the MSM, unfortunately, but their overall lack of class makes Russert's professionalism and work ethic all the more awe-inspiring.
I can't imagine anyone else on MTP. I don't envy whoever they get to replace him.
So he was recording the voice-overs? Did he have the interview segments taped already? It would be interesting/sad if we got to see him one more time this Sunday.
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6-13-2008 @ 5:41PM
StillBash said...
Oh wow. This is pretty disturbing.
My father is at that age. Because of the presidential campaign even I saw him on a weekly basis.
I guess I'll go call my dad now...
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6-14-2008 @ 12:06AM
Tess Capra said...
Unlike the bombastic blowhards who lead most shows with panel discussions, Russert wasn't in love with the sound of his own voice. He was intelligent, firm, hard-hitting, shrewd, wry, and polite without relying on yelling or over-talking. Sad to say, I truly think he's irreplaceable.
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6-14-2008 @ 11:34AM
Susan Burns said...
I am very sad. I watched him on the today show for political commentary for years. He was so young. He will be missed.
My condolences go out to the entire family. You are in my prayers.
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6-13-2008 @ 8:57PM
Scotty Ice said...
RIP Tim
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6-13-2008 @ 11:04PM
Oreo said...
Damn, just damn...
He is only a few years older than my mom.
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6-15-2008 @ 1:14AM
Will said...
Man. This is one of those times when the news makes my jaw drop open, when Brokaw announced it. Never saw that coming. He was amazing because I don't think I've ever seen anyone, on tv or not, as interested in the polictical process as he was. I've watched NBC news since Brokaw's days as anchor & so many times this year during the primaries, he would come on & just be like a kid in a candy store, talking about the process. November certainly will seem rather empty without him.
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