A Nice Tribute to Tim Russert from Ezra Klein at The American Prospect

[NYCGirl]

SAD NEWS.

The wires are reporting that Tim Russert died from a heart attack today. He was 58.

I had a weird experience a few months ago where a Twitter message I thought private was accessed by someone outside my circle and leaked to Wonkette. The message was written during one of the debates, and it was an obscene comment (that was an inside joke, but still) that expressed, err, displeasure with his moderation. I always felt bad about that, because whatever problems I had with Russert, he deserved to be argued with respectfully, and shouldn't have had to read folks' private text messages insulting him. I sometimes thought about trying to figure out a way to get his e-mail and apologize, but I never actually did it. Now I wish I had.

Whatever my issues with Russert's coverage, he was there, week after week, night after night, playing the bulldog against politicians in the way he thought best. It was quite a commitment to American politics, and over the years, gave rise to some remarkable moments. Because I think folks should be remembered for their best work, here's a transcript of his September 2002 interview with Dick Cheney. If the press had been as skeptical and aggressive in the run-up to the war as Russert was on that morning, sitting next to the vice president, we never would have invaded Iraq. But for now, it's going to be strange indeed to turn on the TV on Sundays and not hear his voice. Presumably, he's up somewhere beyond the cloudline, hectoring God about His inconsistencies. "But Lord, in Exodus 6:12, you clearly said..."

http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/ezraklein_archive?month=06&year=2008&base_name=sad_news_2