The Passing of a Giant

As I write this I am still in shock over the fact that tomorrow morning, Sunday, when I get up, Tim Russert will not be hosting Meet The Press. I wake up Sunday mornings, slowly, with coffee brewing and Tim on tv, verbally goosing some gas bag politico into giving an answer that was not full of double speak.

Yesterday afternoon, my brother left a voicemail on my cell telling me of Russert's sudden death. He of all people knows what a news nerd I am. Seriously, I watch more news in a week than most people watch in ten years.

All of my life I have been a political junkie. And because of that, I sometimes detested politics because I knew personally how hypocritical politicians could be. Years before I pimped office products, during my college years I worked in politics (I know, a surprise to many of you who just know me for the paying gig). So more than once I got an up front seat to politicians, or their handelers, changing their minds on issues mid stream. Or I saw how political campaigns thrived or died on gossip or innuendo. It was a freaky thing.

Although I am no longer active in working any campaigns, I watch politics now from a different standpoint. I've enjoyed watching this years Democratic primary process. And to hear Russert explain it, well, it made it even more enjoyable. Politics is serious but Russert showed us we could still enjoy it.

What makes this even sadder, and not just because he leaves a wife and a son, is that our press, who is responsible for pushing politicians into answering the tough questions, has lost one of the few real unbiased members of the MSM. A majority of news show hosts, quite frankly, are gas bags. But Russert, in his inexpensive suites and somewhat disheveled look, could care less about appearence. What he cared about was finding out the answers for the everyday person who was working hard to make ends meet. Like most of us, he came from a working class background and thankfully he never forgot his roots; he never forgot his Catholic background.

My heart goes out to his family (no man should have to bury his son) and his coworkers. And I hope all journalists take a look at how he always demanded answers and kept pressing politicians until he got them.