Farewell Tim

First Ed Bradley, now Tim Russert. The news world will never be the same. When I first got news that Russert, host of MSNBC's Meet The Press has passed away, I thought some hackers had got into AOL and were playing a mean gag. Come to find out a few hours later that Russert had succumb to a heart attack on the job. He was one of the few newsmen I can think of today that was civil to whomever he happened to be interviewing, regardless of party. Uninterested in the "gotcha!" interviewing that has become so pervasive in today journalism, but really seeking to pull out the answers we the viewing public needed to hear, he approached his subjects with respect.

What I liked about what I saw in Russert was the enthusiasm he brought to his work and his style of work. Like a little kid at a birthday part, he was just as giddy when it came to any of the Election 2008 Presidential Primary debates. In particular, I enjoyed his myriad of hand and head gestures, for emphasis and (perhaps unknowningly) to be the exception of the stereotypical talking head.

Even through the television screen, his joy was contagious, and that's what I'll miss the most. Farewell Tim. Say hi to Ed for me.