Tim Russert, Veteran Journo, Dies

Tom Brokaw, who was the anchor of NBC Nightly News until his retirement, announced on the air at 3:39 p.m. that Russert collapsed and died early this afternoon while at work, The New York Times reports. Russert had just returned from Italy with his family, reports The Times.

[Breaking News]

Veteran reporter and host of NBC’s “Meet The Press,” Tim Russert has died of a heart attack, according to media reports.

 

Tim Russert, the host of “Meet the Press,” and NBC’s Washington bureau chief, has died. He was 58.

Mr. Russert was a towering figure in American journalism and moderated several debates during the recent presidential primary season.

Tom Brokaw, who was the anchor of NBC Nightly News until his retirement, announced on the air at 3:39 p.m. that Russert collapsed and died early this afternoon while at work.  Russert had just returned from Italy with his family.

Russert came from Buffalo, New York, and worked for two prominent New York Democrats, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Gov. Mario Cuomo, before being hired in 1984 by NBC in its Washington bureau.

Meanwhile tributes continued to come in all evening today.

“I’ve known Tim Russert since I first spoke at the convention in 2004,” Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama said. “He’s somebody who, over time, I came to consider not only a journalist but a friend. There wasn’t a better interviewer in TV, not a more thoughtful analyst of our politics, and he was also one of the finest men I knew. Somebody who cared about America, cared about the issues, cared about family. I am grief-stricken with the loss and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family. And I hope that, even though Tim is irreplaceable, that the standard that he set in his professional life and his family life are standards that we all carry with us in our own lives.”

Separately, Senator Hillary Clinton and former president Bill Clinton issued the following joint statement:

“We were stunned and deeply saddened to hear of the passing today of Tim Russert.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Maureen, his son Luke, his father who we all have come to know as Big Russ, his extended family and all of his many friends and colleagues at NBC who have suffered a tremendous loss.  Always true to his proud Buffalo roots, Tim had a love of public service and a dedication to journalism that rightfully earned him the respect and admiration of not only his colleagues but also those of us who had the privilege to go toe to toe with him.  In seeking answers to tough questions, he helped inform the American people and make our democracy stronger.  We join his friends, fans and loved ones in mourning his loss and celebrating his remarkable contribution to our nation.”

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