[Jawbone54]

Died of a heart attack after vacationing in Italy.

He was one of the hardest-hitting journalists on television today. What a shock for the industry.

[design219]

Wow, I always liked him. Sundays will never be the same again.

58 is really young.

[Luca Rescigno]

Holy crap.

[rickey939]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dakar the Fourth]

Just caught this on the ride home. Totally unexpected.

[hyteckit]

Wow. Unexpected.

Sad to hear.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by design219 

Wow, I always liked him. Sundays will never be the same again.

58 is really young.

Yeah, my wife and I really enjoyed Meet the Press. Every time we'd see it, I'd reiterate how equally aggressive he was with all of his interviews, while somehow remaining polite.

He'll be missed.

[Sherman Homan]

He wrote a great book about his father, Big Russ, who is still alive. It is not fair to outlive your kid.

[Lateralus]

My God.

As somebody who was raised in an NBC News household and still lives on it, I have always loved Tim Russert. Such a fantastic journalist and such a nice guy.

Horrible news.

[lpkmckenna]

Sad.

[spacefreak]

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

Died of a heart attack after vacationing in Italy.

My condolences to a man who seemed like a genuinely nice guy.

Further reading on the matter claims he died in Washington DC at NBC's studio while doing a voice over, so I wonder how this "vacationing in Italy" headline came about.

[Jawbone54]

He just returned from vacation, which was a celebration for his son who graduated college this year.

[subego]

This sucks.

I always looked forward to him asking someone to state their position, and then going "well, we have this tape here where you say..."

The man (and his team) always did his (their) research.

[Randman]

WASHINGTON — Tim Russert, who pointedly but politely questioned hundreds of the powerful and influential as moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press," died Friday of an apparent heart attack. The network's Washington bureau chief was 58.
In addition to his weekly program, Russert appeared on the network's other news shows, was moderator for numerous political debates and wrote two best-selling books.
President Bush, informed of Russert's death while at dinner in Paris, swiftly issued a statement of condolence that praised the NBC newsman as "an institution in both news and politics for more than two decades. Tim was a tough and hardworking newsman. He was always well-informed and thorough in his interviews. And he was as gregarious off the set as he was prepared on it."
NBC interrupted its regular programming with news of Russert's death, and in the ensuing moments, familiar faces such as Tom Brokaw, Andrea Mitchell and Brian Williams took turns mourning his loss.
Williams called him "aggressively unfancy."
Our hearts are broken," said Mitchell, who appeared emotional at times as she recalled her long-time colleague.
Russert, of Buffalo, N.Y., took the helm of the Sunday news show in December 1991 and turned it into the nation's most widely watched program of its type. His signature trait there was an unrelenting style of questioning that made some politicians reluctant to appear, yet confident that they could claim extra credibility if they survived his grilling intact.
He was also a senior vice president at NBC, and this year, Time Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Russert had Buffalo's blue collar roots, a Jesuit education, a law degree and a Democratic pedigree that came from his turn as an aide to the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York.
One of his books, "Big Russ and Me," was about his relationship with his father.
Praise flowed quickly from those who knew Russert across the television interview room.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Russert was "the best in the business at keeping his interview subjects honest."
"There wasn't a better interviewer in television," Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential contender, told reporters in Ohio.
Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Obama's rival for the White House, hailed Russert as the "pre-eminent journalist of his generation."
Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, the House Republican leader, said Russert was "one of the smartest, toughest television news journalists of all time .... I can say from experience that joining Tim on Meet The Press was one of the greatest tests any public official could face."
Carl P. Leubsdorf, president of the Gridiron Club, an organization of journalists, said in a statement, "It was a measure of the degree to which Tim Russert was respected in the journalistic world that he was the first broadcaster elected to membership in the Gridiron Club after the rules were changed in 2004 to end our century-old restriction to print journalists."
"He was an enthusiastic member and a willing participant in our shows. His fellow Gridiron members join with all of those who knew and respected Tim in mourning his untimely death."
"It is my sad duty to report this afternoon" that Russert collapsed and died while working in the network's Washington studios, Brokaw said when he came on the air.
The network said on its Web Site that Russert had been recording voiceovers for this Sunday's "Meet The Press" when he was stricken.
Russert had dozens of honorary college degrees, and numerous professional awards.
He won an Emmy for his role in the coverage of President Ronald reagan's funeral in 2004.
He was married to Maureen Orth, a writer for Vanity Fair Magazine. The couple had one son, Luke.

[xi_hyperon]

Really, really saddened to learn about this.

[NYK Ace]

yea its all over the news here in buffalo, just crazy

[glideslope]

Godspeed Tim. My Sunday's will never be the same.

[Atheist]

Bummer.... the only television journalist I could bear to watch.

[IceEnclosure]

Originally Posted by Lateralus 

As somebody who was raised in an NBC News household and still lives on it, I have always loved Tim Russert. Such a fantastic journalist and such a nice guy.

Horrible news.

: \

Same here.

He definitely seemed like a cool guy and surely was at the top of his game, and possibly the hardest hitter of the bunch.

Not as important obviously as the loss to his loved ones and the like, but it's a shame he won't be around for the outcome of this rather historic presidential race.

[Apple Pro Underwear]

it's weird how on CNN they don't say what he died of...

[Chongo]

He went after everyone with equal zeal. You had better have your "stuff" together before you went on "Meet the Press"

[Randman]

He died of a hearth attack but after the initial report broke, the wires services pulled back on the info since it hadn't been confirmed. Once his internist made the announcement that it was a heart attack, it's been reported that way since.

[Chongo]

He went after everyone with equal zeal. You had better have your "stuff" together before you went on "Meet the Press"

[Apple Pro Underwear]

thanks randman...

it just seemed very weird. " he collapsed and died, and is now mourned..."