The sudden and shocking death of Tim Russert leaves a huge hole in telvision journalism. Many of us in the blogosphere have had our issues with Russert, notably that he and NBC allowed themselves to be used by the Bush administration to fan the flames for war with Iraq. We can leave that debate for another day. What we are losing, sadly, is a giant of intellect, perspective and clarity who seems irreplacable within the current ranks of television journalism.
Tim Russert loved politics and it seemed that nothing could keep him away from the airwaves when significant political news was brewing. He would show up on the Today Show, Morning Joe, Nightly News and well into the night on MSNBC. Then again on Sunday morning for a full hour. In television that is pressure--huge, unrelenting, stress and pressure. Undoubtedly it is what gave him a heart attack.
Agree with him or not, Russert always had something to say that was intelligent and clear. He never meandered or wondered aloud. His thoughts were always grounded and crystalized and one generally trusted him to have his facts right. He was what we wanted and needed in a television journalist. Someone in the Cronkite, Brokaw tradition. His loss will be felt deeply by most Americans. Those left to keep watch should pay heed to the legacy he left.