Russert

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Excerpts from some of the tributes:

President Bush:

Those of us who knew and worked with Tim, his many friends, and the millions of Americans who loyally followed his career on the air will all miss him.

As the longest-serving host of the longest-running program in the history of television, he was 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.

Senator John Kerry:

Tim was the best political newsman of his generation, and he was a trailblazer in the unique way he brought his personal love of politics, honed by Moynihan and Cuomo, right into our living rooms every Sunday. Tim was at once brilliant and insightful while always approachable, always accessible, and always your next door neighbor and your friend who was there to referee the debates of the big issues of our time. He relished that role and he excelled at it, as any one would who believed in the tenets of Jesuit education. He loved to hold the big guys accountable and in the original, intelligent, studied way he did it he emerged as the biggest guy of all. It is impossible to overstate how much Tim was inseparable from American politics. When I decided to announce for President, the only place to do it was on ‘Meet the Press.’ It is impossible to imagine political life without him as our guide every Sunday.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell:

I’m sure I speak for all elected officials when I say he always asked the question we hoped he wouldn’t. Yet for all his achievements, Tim Russert always remained tethered to his middle-class upbringing and the good and decent people who made him who he was. But he will be remembered by many more Americans who knew him as a proud son of Buffalo, New York.


Democratic Chairman Howard Dean:

A tough interviewer, Tim delivered the news with authority, in a plain-spoken way that made the great issues of our day accessible to everyone.   His love of politics and our country came through in his relentless pursuit of the truth and in the quality of his work as a journalist.  On this sad day, our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.

Republican Chairman Mike Duncan:

His sudden death is a loss that will be felt throughout the journalism and political worlds. His reputation for fairness, accuracy and hard work earned him bipartisan respect. He will be missed

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich:

Tim was genuinely charming but as anyone who came to the set of Meet the Press unprepared can tell you, he was direct, tough and gave no quarter. His experience working with Gov. Mario Cuomo and Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan gave him an insight few in the journalism world can match.

It is particularly poignant to lose such a dedicated father and a son who so honored his father in his book “Big Russ and me” just before Father’s Day.

Tim’s life serves as a model and a reminder for everyone to cherish the ones you love.

Senator Joe Lieberman:

Tim Russert was the embodiment of journalistic integrity and clarity who shed light on how our politics and our government work. Tim became an American institution and the Explainer in Chief of our political life.

Senator Chris Dodd:

Tim Russert was a force in American politics, a force for integrity in our media, but above all, a friend. Since 1991, millions of Americans have looked to Tim on Sunday mornings for his keen insight into the political process. From his days in government to his remarkable tenure at NBC, Tim never lost his enthusiasm for vibrant and respectful political discourse – for the diversity of views and values in our society and the role of politics in our daily lives.

Senator George Voinovich:

Tim’s genuine decency, humor and objective evaluation of news and politics made him one of the most beloved members of the American media. He had a special knack for asking the tough questions on the minds of Americans, and did so with a kindness and warmth that truly connected him with both his guests and his viewers.

House Republican Leader John Boehner:

I can say from experience that joining Tim on Meet the Press was one of the greatest tests any public official could face.  Regardless of party affiliation, he demanded that you be straight with him – and with the American people who were watching.  Tim’s ‘white board’ analysis of the Electoral College has become a fixture on election nights, and frankly, it is difficult to imagine what that night will be like without him this year. 

Senator Charles Schumer:

It is hard to comprehend the fact that Tim Russert has been taken from us so suddenly. Just about every American thought he was part of their family, sitting around the kitchen table on Sunday mornings, talking about the country and its politics. I first met Tim Russert when he was working for Pat Moynihan and even then it was clear he had a great mind, a big heart, and a twinkle in his eye. My thoughts and prayers are with his family today. Western New York, in particular, will miss Tim Russert because he was, in every way, Mr. Buffalo. Even when he was interviewing presidents and heads of state, Western New Yorkers knew that his blue-collar, Buffalo sensibility guided him throughout

David Rehr, president of the National Association of Broadcasters:

Tim Russert was one of the most trusted and credible journalists in the history of broadcast news, delivering balanced and authoritative political reporting to millions of viewers.

Senator Barack Obama:

I’ve known Tim Russert since I first spoke at the convention in 2004. 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.