Gothamist: BREAKING: NBC News' Tim Russert is Dead from Heart Attack

emilydickinson

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:38:55 -0500

Tim Russert was a real quality journalist. MTP is one of the few places whereyou actually get the chance to hear a politician in a format that allows for something more than a 30 second sound bite. I think his interviews always showed a lot of integrity, he asked a lot of hard questions and was interesting to watch. There aren't many decent journalists left who had the reach of Tim Russert. It's sad.

matty

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 06:59:17 -0500

Check out what these psycho-bitches are saying http://www.hillaryis44.org/?p=655#comments

Albert Sharpton

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 02:27:30 -0500

it's one of obama's terrorist attack on america

TheKlaus

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 02:09:37 -0500

I don't give tow, or even three shits about what has been commented above me. For what it's worth around here (very little), Tim Russert's death is pretty much the most devastating person-I-never-knew death since Stanley Kubrick. This guy tackled politics with the absolute most subjective eye ever. It was never 'attack the left' or 'attack the right'; it was always 'here's the situation' and he approached it from all sides with a completely impartial approach; no agenda. Just honest discourse. This upcoming election, and the primaries and whatnots thus far, have been super-historical and I have enjoyed and have been looking forward to Russert's involvement in the process. The fact that his voice of reason will be gone from this point forward in this most historical election process is devastating to me. This guy was our final line of defense between us and the completely party-loyal media bullshit. As far as I am concerned, we've lost the last voice of impartiality. What kills me is that his death has produced a huge sigh of relief for shitty, slanted journalism.

jenspellnogood

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:00:02 -0500

there is definitely blood on hillary's hands. who's next?

MFer

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:43:43 -0500

Big fucking deal. People die every day. He was nothing special. Worst. People think he was something special. Brain fart meats [sic] heart attack.

NYCSniper

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:19:00 -0500

Lesson: Don't cross the Clintons

NYCSniper

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:18:20 -0500

Hillary’s revenge. She executed her payback for Russert asking that question about the law for drivers licenses for illegals. Russert’s question at that first debate — and Hillary’s horrible answer — started her slide into defeat. Earlier this week, news reports surface of a "Clinton Hit List" -- persona non grata. Coincidence. You Gothamists who write me off are like ostriches with your head in teh sand. I guess you believe building #7 wasn't demolished after all? Early in the election during a Clinton campaign conference call with several journalist on the call, a Clinton surrogate made sure to say that Russet should be shot... Basically, the Clintons always knew that Russert would be a problem for them.

Kojak

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:44:57 -0500

You have to be somewhat diplomatic when offering to interview the most powerful people in Washington and the World. Do you think anyone would agree to be interviewed by the man if they thought he was going to bust their balls continuously? He did pull some punches when interviewing people like Bush but he was pretty stern with Rummy, Rice, and even Colon, but he didn't go overboard. He was no patsy and was a straight shooter. He'll be missed.

Karen

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:22:53 -0500

I didn't become a faithful watcher of Tim Russert until I moved to Indiana, from Lockport, NY. I started watching him every Sunday morning, to get my dose of that wonderful Buffalo accent! (if I hear IN-surance, or DE-troit one more time...). I found him to be one of the more balanced inteviewers, so much so, that it was hard to tell what his personal politics were. And, it was nice to see someone respected, on national tv, who had the same faith as me, that the Bills and Sabres are one day, gonna do it. I'm sure everyone back in Buffalo, heck, back in Erie and Niagara Counties in NY, feel like they just lost a buddy.

nik13

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:29:36 -0500

Awful news. Russert was the last honest journalist left.

babyhitler

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:34:30 -0500

Tim and Pat Kiernan are my favorite anchormen. I always liked Tim Russert cause he looked like phil collins and spoke well about politics. The only thing I didn't like about Tim was that he believed a Jewish Cosmic Zombie was his lord and Savior and protector and was a crazy religious zealot. I guess dying at 58 from a heart attack disproved that theory dude. Anyway, Now he's one with the earth. RIP dude.

Anna_Merkin

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:31:12 -0500

I never used to understand how people from my parents' generation would get so emotional about public figures. Lately, I've begun to understand a lot more. RIP, Tim.

Roger McDowell

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:28:28 -0500

His journalism was top notch but he was also open about who he was. As a huge Bills fan, we lost one of our great spokesman as well. This is honestly very sad news.

sonyactivision

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:03:23 -0500

Having lived in buffalo, all I can say is we got punched in the gut again...hard.

S.D.

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:55:08 -0500

Rocknrope, it's the apparent anonymous nature that inspire some people to act like that...

Rocknrope

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:38:21 -0500

I'm always amazed at how the internet makes people willing to sound like insensitive douchebags. Didn't your mothers teach you better than that?

eyekantspel

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:30:19 -0500

okay, representing the leftwing nuts, JT10000 thinks Russert was a patsy for the Bush administration, and for the rightwing nuts, NYCSniper thinks the Clintons had him killed. Looks like pretty much everyone else can agree that Russert was one of the best we had, and will be missed.

JGNY

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:19:24 -0500

RIP Mr. Russert. My Sunday mornings will never be the same.

Peter Trinkle

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:18:28 -0500

How especially sad that this happened right before Father's Day. RIP Tim, you will be missed.

jt10000

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:12:25 -0500

One other thing - I'm sorry if I seem to be singling out Russert -- there are far worse journalists that Russert working for our national media that have let the Bush administration push through its agenda over the last seven years.

jt10000

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:03:10 -0500

eyekantspel, I'm not commenting on how well-informed Russert was, but on the role he played in society, pretending to be seeking truth when he was being played in return for access to Washington powerbrokers. Here's an indictment of Russert, from notes taken by Cathie Martin, Cheney's communications director about the value of having Cheney go onto Russert's show, from an article in the Washington Post: ---begin quote from Washington Post--- Flashed on the courtroom computer screens were her notes from 2004 about how Cheney could respond to allegations that the Bush administration had played fast and loose with evidence of Iraq's nuclear ambitions. Option 1: "MTP-VP," she wrote, then listed the pros and cons of a vice presidential appearance on the Sunday show. Under "pro," she wrote: "control message." "I suggested we put the vice president on 'Meet the Press,' which was a tactic we often used," Martin testified. "It's our best format." --end quote--- Note that statement well eyekantspel: "control message" Russert's show was the best format for the VP to spin the American people.

theevilone

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:56:13 -0500

That's a damn shame. I always enjoyed watching him for his clear love and enthusiasm for the electoral process.

Tim N.

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:54:44 -0500

brooklynbs... yes, I was just thinking about that, he was great. Damn.

Tim N.

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:53:17 -0500

#28... if it's a joke, it's not funny. If it's not, it's just sadder. Hitting [report this] now...

Think twice

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:52:07 -0500

Rest in peace Tim. May God bless and keep your family and co-workers.

brooklynbs

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:49:28 -0500

Very sad. Russert was great at his job and an important voice in American politics. If you ever watched the underrated NBC show "Homicide: Life On The Street," they payed tribute to Russert. A detective played by Isabella Hoffman was named Megan Russert and her backstory was that she was from Buffalo and Tim Russert's cousin. Russert once made a guest appearance on the show as himself and was pretty funny in his brief stint as an actor.

nycat

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:47:56 -0500

This is so sad.

NYCSniper

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:42:26 -0500

And by the way, this IS truly the loss of a GREAT newscaster.

NYCSniper

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:41:46 -0500

@eyekantspel: please educate yourself re: allegations of myurder re: The Clintons. "Heart attack" is one of the many causes of death that befall their adversaries. Are you saying that chemicals that can trigger accelerated heart rates leading to death do not exist?

eyekantspel

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:33:55 -0500

name someone better jt10000. Lazy journalism? I'm sure you are much better informed than Tim Russert was on the issues. idiot.

jt10000

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:30:59 -0500

Fake balance "He was THE MOST reasonable and balanced reporter/interviewer of the lot," We live in a world where balance is letting two sides of political discussions state their case, without looking at what is true. Is giving balance between, say Dick Cheney and people who point out how he's ridden roughshod over the constition good journalism? It's lazy journalism.

matty

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:30:06 -0500

"Russert was a calm voice of reason in what is normally a shouting war between the left and the right." you mean a shouting war between HRC and anyone within 30 feet of her?

JenChungsBra

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:29:46 -0500

Wow. Shows you how fragile life is.

eyekantspel

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:27:28 -0500

NYCSniper, the guy died of a heart attack. Who cares what some random HRC supporter said? It's as irrelevant as that McCain supporter calling HRC a bitch. Seriously, it's hard enough for candidates (or in HRC's case, ex-candidates) to control what THEY say over the course of a long campaign, and ridiculous to try to hold them accountable for whatever any one of their millions of supporters might say on any given day. It it too much to ask to just reflect on what a shame it is that one of the few balanced voices out there is gone? Russert was a calm voice of reason in what is normally a shouting war between the left and the right.

S.D.

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:27:14 -0500

Wow, a man dies and nut cases pop out for attention... Back on topic, this is horrible for his family. Did he even have a history of heart problems?

Steven

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:25:15 -0500

RIP Russert. Sad day for his family and NBC news.

mcc32

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:24:15 -0500

JacqueMehoff: nbc delayed the news of his death because they could not locate Tim's wife to inform her. She and his son were/are still in Italy.

Neil Epstein

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:15:52 -0500

Wow, I'm really shocked and saddened by this. He was the whole reason I watched NBC!

eyekantspel

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:11:59 -0500

Tim Russert was a democrat by background, but his coverage as far as I could see was not biased in either direction. He was THE MOST reasonable and balanced reporter/interviewer of the lot, and it's a real loss, even more so just a few months before a big election. He will be missed, and I can't even think of anyone else out there who can fill his shoes.

TimSPC

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:07:31 -0500

Goodnight, funnyman.

Golly Jee

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:06:16 -0500

He was a very good interviewer even though he was a liberal. He was a bit too tough on the Clintons which did not go UNnoticed by the left wing new world order group determined to put a black man in the highest office in the world. They did not want any hard questions put to Obama. Tim will be replaced with a black reporter.

jt10000

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:04:13 -0500

Matty, are you talking about the same Russert that Cheney would go to to get soft coverage that appeared incisive? Sad that he died so young, but on the reporting side of things we was very accepting of conventional wisdom and the current administration.

meL

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:55:36 -0500

RIP Tim. How John McLaughlin managed to outlive you we'll never know.

dimshine

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:54:45 -0500

didn't he invent the Russert potato?

miss mess

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:50:12 -0500

Tim N: my thoughts exactly re: Buffalo Bills.

Phineas Gage

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:47:21 -0500

People still watch TV news? Why?

Tim N.

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:46:59 -0500

And he never lived to see the Bills win the Super Bowl. This is very, very sad. His thoughts were always sharp, his analysis was fresh, and the fact that he used to piss off both sides of an argument usually indicated he was telling the truth. I know I'll miss him.

matty

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:44:08 -0500

My Sunday morning will not be the same. It's sad cause I geniunely believe that he wanted Obama to win.

JacqueMehoff

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:41:42 -0500

You guys scooped it, MSNBC is breaking just now. he collapsed, RIP Mr. Russert.

S.D.

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:40:03 -0500

That's terrible! My condolences to his family. His insight will be missed.

EastRiver

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:39:08 -0500

I'll miss his dry erase marker board Electoral College math madness.

matty

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:38:39 -0500

How did you get this story before CNN?

hulaedwyn

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:37:22 -0500

Wow, how sad. I really liked his coverage and will miss him during this election cycle. RIP, Tim!

nomnomnom

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:36:56 -0500

Wow. Not that this should be what NBC is thinking about, but their election coverage is FUCKED.

Jen Chung

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:35:40 -0500

Sorry - I should have re-read it before I posted. I've made the change, just waiting for the site to rebuild the post.

matty

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:35:18 -0500

This is terrible news! I love Tim Russert! ;(