Honoring Tim Russert, One Year Later
Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of the death of Tim Russert, beloved NBC Washington bureau chief and host of “Meet The Press.” The past year has been filled with events that Tim no doubt would have taken great joy in covering — the down-to-the-wire fight for the Democratic nomination between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton (although he had already declared her out of the running), the whole Sarah Palin thing, the historic election and the recession — just to name a few. Tim’s insight into the inner workings of Washington politics were always delivered with fervor and you could tell he just loved his job.
Last year, we watched with sadness as news flooded the Internet about Tim’s collapse at work and his death from a heart attack. He was young and it was unexpected, but at least he died doing what he loved. Days later, when all the cable news networks aired a tribute to Tim, we couldn’t help but tune in, and cry. That ukulele version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” that they played at the end (from Tim’s iPod!) still gets us any time we hear it.
Today, our sister blog TVNewser has some great tributes and memories from Tim’s colleagues including Tom Brokaw, who moderated Tim’s televised memorial and took over for him on “Meet The Press” through the election cycle. We like PBS‘s Gwen Ifill‘s heartfelt thoughts the best:
“A funny thing happened to me during the election year. I kept hearing Tim’s voice. Wherever I travel, viewers tell me this too. I have no doubt he would have been spinning like a top to be covering such a historic and consequential election year. And he would have been the first one out of the box holding the Obama administration’s feet to the fire. SO much going on, and all without Tim. No wonder I still hear his voice.”
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