Tim Russert

I have been a loyal follower of Meet the Press for a long time and I remember when Tim Russert first began to moderate the show. He wasn’t a natural on air personality but that didn’t matter. I was always impressed with his fairness, the quality of his questions, and his no frills approach each Sunday.

I met Tim Russert many years ago while working in Milwaukee. He was a featured speaker at a company event. I arrived late to the meeting due to some production issues back at the office. Tim arrived about the same time I did; about 45 minutes before his talk. He sat in the back of the auditorium, in a seat next to me. He asked me a ton of questions about the company, our competition, and our challenges. His presentation was informative and funny.

I was shocked to hear about his passing this weekend and just wanted to write about it. It is funny – I didn’t know him but I felt like I did – watching him for so many years on Meet the Press and NBC’s campaign coverage. I can’t imagine what his family is going through. He was a devoted family man with a passion for living. You could feel this just by watching him each Sunday.

Tim Russert was truly a unique individual. He was respected on both sides of the aisle and by his colleagues in broadcasting. He will be hard to replace. I will miss him on Sunday mornings.