Toledo Talk - Tim Russert dies at 58 from an apparent heart attack

From jr's workspace

Tim Russert dies at 58 from an apparent heart attack

There are celebrities and public figures whose deaths cause you to pause because of the ways in which they have touched your life with their work. Then there are people like Tim Russert, who was one of those rare journalists who managed to maintain credibility and trust while simultaneously endearing himself to people on both sides of the political aisle, and who became such a fixture in American politics and journalism that his death today at age 58 leaves me stunned.

The passing of such a worthwhile human being as Tim Russert is like a right cross to the gut to me, and I am more than saddened as I consider the loss to the world of journalism and - more importantly - to the millions of people like me who came to depend on Russert for objective analysis and challenging interviews.

Russert seemed like a straight-shooter to me with his tough, fair questioning of politicians.

MSNBC :

Tim Russert, NBC News’ Washington bureau chief and the moderator of “Meet the Press,” died Friday after being stricken at the bureau, NBC News said Friday. He was 58.

Russert was recording voiceovers for Sunday’s “Meet the Press” broadcast when he collapsed. He was rushed to Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, where resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, said Russert’s physician, Michael Newman.

Newman said the cause of death was not immediately known. Russert had returned from Italy, where his family was celebrating the graduation of his son, Luke, from Boston College.

A grilling on “Meet the Press” was often considered an essential proving ground in the career of any national politician. Russert took the helm of the 60-year-old public affairs program in 1991.

Tom Brokaw breaking the news :