Breaking: Tim Russert, 58, has passed away. He collapsed and died while at work.
CBS reports:
According to the MSNBC biography on Russert, he was the Managing Editor and Moderator of "Meet the Press" and political analyst for "NBC Nightly News" and the "TODAY" program. He anchors "The Tim Russert Show," a weekly interview program on MSNBC. Russert also serves as senior vice president and Washington bureau chief of NBC News.
A political icon, whose Sunday Morning TV show, Meet the Press, he wil be missed as one who pulled together his experience and knowledge from his years of running the show.
Tom Brokaw said, "Our nation has lost one of our premier political journalists."
Rob Kall is executive editor and publisher of OpEdNews.com, President of Futurehealth, Inc, inventor . He is also published regularly on the Huffingtonpost.com. He is a frequent Speaker on Politics, Impeachment, The art, science and power of story, heroes and the hero's journey, Positive Psychology, Stress, Biofeedback and a wide range of subjects. He is a campaign consultant specializing in tapping the power of stories for issue positioning, stump speeches and debates. He recently retired as organizer of several conferences, including StoryCon, the Summit Meeting on the Art, Science and Application of Story and The Winter Brain Meeting on neurofeedback, biofeedback, Optimal Functioning and Positive Psychology. See more of his articles here and, older ones, here.
To learn more about me and OpEdNews.com, check out this article.
and there are Rob's quotes, here.
To Watch me on youtube, having a lively conversation with John Conyers, Chair of the House Judiciary committee, click here Now, wouldn't you like to see me on the political news shows, representing progressives. If so, tell your favorite shows to bring me on and refer them to this youtube video
My radio show, The Rob Kall Show, runs 9-10 PM EST Wednesday evenings, on AM 1360, WNJC and is archived on www.whiterosesociety.org Or listen to it streaming, live at either www.wnjc1360.com or here.
A few declarations.
-While I'm registered as a Democrat, I consider myself to be a dynamic critic of the Democratic party, just as, well, not quite as much, but almost as much as I am a critic of republicans.
-My articles express my personal opinion, not the opinion of this website.
He may not have been everything we wanted in a Journalist, but there were many times when he asked the tough questions others wouldn't. My condolences to the family and what a huge loss this is to a News Media that is so lacking with people of courage.
I'm sure it's only coincidence, but a lot of people seem to be passing away lately, and it's fitting to say only the good die young. Has anyone noticed that it hasn't been those whom we depise that are passing away? My Grandmother's favorite saying was that "Satan always protects his own."
This is indeed a sad day, and a horrific day for Political Journalism. RIP.
William Cormier
by
William Cormier (117 articles, 5 quicklinks, 17 diaries, 292 comments)
on Friday, June 13, 2008 at 3:20:06 PM
so I know how quickly it can arise and how final the outcome can be. In spite of that, this news comes as a shock and was difficult to believe at first.
I'd like to express my condolences to his family and his co-workers.
by
John Sanchez Jr. (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 8 diaries, 1059 comments)
on Friday, June 13, 2008 at 3:41:05 PM
I was ultimately shocked. Tim Russert was only 58. And as a previous comment reads, heart attacks can quickly arise and just as quickly become life-ending.
I thought about how this will immensely change the election as far as media involvement goes. And how it will change future elections. Tim Russert was a moderator in the debates and he also had many of the candidates on his show to ask, as he has been praised for, tough questions.
But, I cannot say that I thought highly of the man. He was an example of what the corporate media can do to a person who works for it. He didn't moderate the debates well and he was part of the corporate media's drumbeat for war and forgive me if I am wrong but being that he worked for NBC owned by GE he probably never got around to admitting he could have questioned the case for war a little more.
I comprehend his iconic status and say that he will sorely be missed. But, I flip through cable news right now to see it taking up MSNBC, FOX News, CNN, and CNN Headline News thinking Tim Russert's death is a gift for corporate media that they are going to package and unwrap for possibly the next week.
Tim Russert's death has the potential to squelch the impeachment groundswell that has grown this week, and so let us hope the issue of impeachment is not buried with Tim Russert.
I may be overreacting because I have seen what the corporate media can do, but do deaths of notable people warrant hours or days of coverage?
I'll close level-headed knowing some people may be rubbed the wrong way or question what I have said when considering that not a lot of time has elapsed since Brokaw made the statement.
Let us the people wish him farewell and offer his friends and family our condolences but as members of a people-powered media, let us have the wherewithal to see how the media so easily overdoes tributes at the expense of giving Americans real news they need to preserve democracy.
by
Kevin Gosztola (195 articles, 103 quicklinks, 64 diaries, 779 comments)
on Friday, June 13, 2008 at 4:05:36 PM
This is most sad news, and I too wish to express my condolences to his family and friends.
Yet this bodes too true:
"Tim Russert's death has the potential to squelch the impeachment groundswell that has grown this week, and so let us hope the issue of impeachment is not buried with Tim Russert."
Unfortunately now we may never know what he had planned for this Sunday's show on the issue of impeachment?
by
Kiko (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 24 comments)
on Friday, June 13, 2008 at 4:21:34 PM
This was a shock and admittedly I had mixed feelings about Mr. Russert as a beltway establishment media figure. Tim Russert was the poster boy for the sad travesty of celebrity that has come to be our national mainstream media - truly American too - where else could Katie Couric anchor the CBS Evening News for the chair occupied in a different era by Edward Murrow, Walter Conkite and Dan Rather.
Hopefully Mr. Russert's premature demise will cause some reflection among other media figures (I hate to use the term 'journalists') that life is too damned short to be stenographers for the establishment. I don't think that Tim Russert was one of them but he certainly was a celebrity and that is NOT what journalism in this country should be about.
We lament Russert but how many of the dead in the wars that the MSM propaganda parrots who their lack of journalistic integrity indirectly led to are given even the courtesy of a fleeting mention on the celebrity news programs like Meet The Press?
That being said, my deepest condolences go out to Mr. Russert's family.
EE
by
Ed Encho (6 articles, 12 quicklinks, 55 diaries, 385 comments)
on Friday, June 13, 2008 at 6:34:34 PM
The loss of Tim Russert will affect them about as much as the loss of Brittany Speers.
I did not know Tim Russert and perhaps never got to see some of his redeeming characteristics like friends and family members of his may have, but I read some of his articles and heard some of his statements. But some of what Tim Russert facilitated and enabled may live on, like Antony said of Caesar. I think some scoundrels are going to be missing a useful idiot.
Russert believed in God. If he was right then may his God show him mercy. I will not praise him and I will try not to give him another thought because I am concerned with justice.
I just read Kucinich's impeachment articles for the second time. I hope Americans are also making good use of their mortal time.
by
Brett Paatsch (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 21 diaries, 961 comments)
on Friday, June 13, 2008 at 11:40:04 PM
I am sad as well - Maybe it is a generational thing
I have to say Brett that your comments were just plain krass and exactly what I would expect out of a right-wing blowhard. In a sea of journalistic blowhards up and down the channel, Tim Russert was most certainly not one of them. And for that I am thankful that my Sunday morning routine was watching his "Meet the Press". I lived for many years outside of Buffalo New York, where Tim was from, for that I probably have developed a higher degree of kinship than most of the other 6 billion who do not care.
But irrespective of that Tim's style and his on-air and off-air compassion is as close to what the old Journalistic greats portrayed. Yes he was part of the corporate media and yes he probably did not question the drum beat to war that drown out all rationale thought 6 years ago. But then again WE ARE ALL TO BLAME. None of us here got arrested for protesting or speaking out against the initial discussions of war. Hell I wasn't even what I would consider an activist until after the war.
I was very sad yesterday for Tim's family and all of America. I will continue to be sad through my Sunday morning routine. He will be dearly missed by many of the older generation who has seen first hand the slow bastardization of journalism and as William pointed out he is one of us and was one of the few remaining glimmers of hope in the corporate media. If you disagree, name me one other that is younger than Tim and currently has the same name recognition among the American people and is not a blowhard.
It is very unfortunate for us that God needed another angel up in heaven.
by
E. Nelson (6 articles, 0 quicklinks, 11 diaries, 77 comments)
on Saturday, June 14, 2008 at 10:09:11 AM
If St Peter's seeking "R" souls, "R"ove and "R"umsfeldt might be spared.
We all die, but some of us let ourselves die even as we continue to walk around. And some of us make life itself, our moments, a series of deaths for ourselves and for other people.
Here, in this forum, one can see daily, mixed in with the efforts of those who are trying to stand for something other than themselves, we can also see the laments of people who claim to be powerless. And also one can see the humanity of folks that are themselves works in progress making mistakes and learning as they go.
With your exposure to Russert you may be better placed to know and to praise Russert. But from outside of America, looking in as a former America-phile, I think your collective moral compass is pointing something like North West instead of true North. And your journalists, who are also people, are partly responsible for that.
I am not averse to the right of politics - on the right sometimes they will take necessary ACTION, when lefties won't, but I am not of the right. I suspect I am closer to the middle politically but that from inside America your compasses are skewed.
I didn't get arrested protesting the war in Australia. I vaccilated changing my position as the information available changed. Some of my friends seemed to be protesting for the wrong reasons and others seemed to be for the war for the wrong reasons. I wanted to look at the evidence. I wanted to understand the UN Charter and what it allowed and what it didn't allow and I asked myself what I would do in Bush's situation post 9-11.
One thing was clear though and that was there was a heck of a lot of believing (as in NOT reasoning and NOT checking facts) going around.
Prime Minister Howard was on record BELIEVING Iraq had WMDs, and BELIEVING Iraq constituted a serious threat. Blair in Britain likewise.
The Coalition of the Willing was formed from leaders who's critical thinking was clearly WANTING and I may be wrong but I suspect it was their inability to put faith aside and to work the actual problem that caused the problems.
Bush had an historical opportunity as President BEFORE he invaded Iraq to REFORM the UN AND to deal effectively with terrorism, but he didn't see it.
And even if he had seen it he probably would not have been able to explain it to a population that had become accustomed not to thinking but to gratuitously believing.
But that is then and this is now. Now the issue is whether torture and aggressive invasions are going to be US Presidential perogatives and I say they are bloodly well not going to be.
When you are done mourning Tim Russert, I would like to hear what you are doing about impeachment and I look forward to you challenging me as often as you like about what I am doing.
by
Brett Paatsch (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 21 diaries, 961 comments)
on Sunday, June 15, 2008 at 12:42:07 AM
