Goodbye, Tim

June 13th, 2008, 8:28 PM EDT

His last appearance with us, exactly one year ago.  He was a terrific journalist and an inspiration to us.

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=FmeMYinBaDM]

Posted in Liberaland by Alan

Responses to this post...

  1. I’ve been watching msnbc all day. Tim was equally liked and respected by all ranges of the political spectrum. It’s rare to see, in politics anyway, that someone can be seen as fair to everyone. I feel horrible…

    Posted by FuRyUs
    June 13th, 2008 at 9:12 pm

  2. Tim, my great man, you will be missed.

    Posted by Luis
    June 13th, 2008 at 9:27 pm

  3. Tim passed away too soon. You will be missed, Tim. It is a sad day in the news media.

    Posted by Tim
    June 13th, 2008 at 9:50 pm

  4. What bothers me the most is that Tim missed seeing this election through. He was so excited about it. His eyes would literally sparkle sometimes talking about it. Maybe he’s watching from somewhere else.

    I miss him so much already.

    Sundays will NEVER be the same again.

    Posted by Epiphany
    June 13th, 2008 at 9:56 pm

  5. What bothers me the most is that Tim missed seeing this election through. He was so excited about it. His eyes would literally sparkle sometimes talking about it. Maybe he’s watching from somewhere else.
    ———————-

    Exactly what I was thinking…..covering politics was his life and it doesn’t get much better than this election year. I am admittedly not a regular viewer of Meet the Press (although I thoroughly enjoy it whenever I watch it), but I think what I will miss the most is Tim’s frequent appearances on MSNBC throughout the day when he put his characteristically fair and insightful perspective on all of the political happenings of the day.

    And I have to say that it is especially a real shame, for him and for us, that he won’t have to opportunity to moderate a McCain-Obama debate this year. I’m sure that was one of the points in this election year he was most looking forward to.

    Posted by Michael
    June 13th, 2008 at 10:31 pm

  6. This makes me so sad. Russert is a class act who really loved the world of politics. He’s the kind of journalist and professional that should be admired and emulated. Sunday mornings will not be the same without him around. My sincerest sympathy to his family and friends.

    And to think of the bad things I’ve heard some at FOX (O’Reilly and Doocey off the top of my head) say about him because just he works for NBC, their hated enemy. Maybe this will cause them to think twice about what they say next time.

    Posted by CheesyPoofs
    June 13th, 2008 at 11:00 pm

  7. I will pray for him and his family.

    Posted by jerrysrollin.blogspot.com
    June 14th, 2008 at 12:34 am

  8. So who will helm Meet the Press now? David Gregory? He irritates me…although he is somewhat fair (I think).

    Posted by flap
    June 14th, 2008 at 12:54 am

  9. Perhaps Tim took politics a bit too seriously, it can be stressful regarding the quality and experience of the canidates which has been going down hill for the last 50 years.

    Posted by Frank
    June 14th, 2008 at 3:36 am

  10. This extraordinary journalist and devoted son and father set an admirable example for others and will long be remembered fondly by all. The sad thing to me, is caught up in his enthusiasm for his work and social contributions, he neglected to take the time to protect his own health and life. His income allowed him access to “the best healthcare system in the world”… yet it didn’t provide him the relief from killer stress, fats and carbos, and lack of adequate rest that were part of his demanding schedule. His employers and his best friends “noticed” and weakly tried to get him on a healthier track. Like other “almost” successes..those efforts failed. In mourning Tim, all readers should reinforce their own healthy priority systems and that of their loved ones. That would perhaps be the greatest tribute to this fine human, and one I suspect he’d support.

    Posted by spyglass10
    June 14th, 2008 at 10:43 am

  11. It’s just a coincidence because I did this the day before Tim died, but I made a doctor’s appt. for a thorough checkup. There are some on-going problems here that I have put off for too long. I’ll probably be sorry that I waited all this time to do so, but this is still a positive thing in the end.

    And I’m going to listen to the doctor as hard as I can.

    Posted by Epiphany
    June 14th, 2008 at 10:52 am

  12. Epiphany, it’s great that you scheduled a check-up. I know that there’s some x-ray type procedure that they do to take a look at your heart and brain, I think. I hear it advertised on the radio often.

    I wonder what caused Tim’s heart attack? This is just so tragic. I feel so bad for his family, especially his dad and his son… this is Father’s Day weekend, and fatherhood was so important to him.

    This sucks.

    Posted by Cheryl Carroll
    June 14th, 2008 at 11:29 am

  13. These tributes to Tim are so sad b/c they’re so true. You could tell he was a nice guy just by looking at him, it was all in his face.

    Posted by Cheryl Carroll
    June 14th, 2008 at 12:48 pm

  14. I wonder what caused Tim’s heart attack?
    ——————-

    He had coronary artery disease, and I’m sure that his weight was an issue. Those two factors coupled with his schedule and lack of rest this week are what I am guessing led to it.

    Posted by Michael
    June 14th, 2008 at 12:58 pm

  15. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uISxhF74s3U

    Bill O’Reilly is getting more and more shameless with each passing day. This is from just a week or two before Russert’s death. I realize that Bill couldn’t have seen Tim’s death coming, but watching this video, especially now, really pisses me off. Tim Russert was probably the most “fair and balanced” guy on television, not like this nitwit O’Reilly who spews right-wing vile every night and claims to be an “Independent traditionalist” and a “journalist”. It seems like all this lowlife does anymore is bitch and moan about NBC News.

    Posted by Michael
    June 14th, 2008 at 7:34 pm

  16. Tim Russert was the best.He was well prepared in every interview.He will be greatly missed.

    Posted by Bob the union man
    June 14th, 2008 at 8:05 pm

  17. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJkU1e-_r3w

    Here’s that “free pass” that O’Reilly claims that Russert gave Obama.

    Posted by Michael
    June 14th, 2008 at 8:27 pm

  18. Who the hell watches O’Reilly? He lies constantly. How is that fair and balanced. Isn’t he just a litlle paranoid with NBC? We all know he’s mad at Olbermann for calling him out all the time. Just be a man Bill and focus your bullshit to the person you’re mad at. Goddam coward…

    Posted by FuRyUs
    June 14th, 2008 at 8:37 pm

  19. Oh boy. I shouldn’t have watched that video. Shouldn’t have… but I did.

    He is OBSESSED with NBC. Well in actuality he’s really obsessed with MSNBC. Yes he hates Keith Olbermann. O’Reilly can dish it out but he can’t take it. Olbermann has a big ego too but no one compares with O’Reilly. I don’t watch him too much anymore but in the past I have seen him do and say so many shameless things that it boggles the mind.

    I think he’s just a poisonous piece of shit.

    And frankly I pretty much feel that way about most of the people on Fox News. So I don’t watch it too much anymore. It’s one thing to be informed and hear what the other side has to say; it’s quite another thing though to be a complete masochist.

    Posted by Epiphany
    June 14th, 2008 at 8:46 pm

  20. The way you can tell that Bill is just plain obcessed is that even Bernie Goldberg is defending Russert. I mean, it’s incredible that O’Reilly’s viewers take him seriously when he accuses a guy like Russert of bias–a guy who has a reputation for being one of the most fair interviewers and political analysts on television! I think it’s pretty clear that Russert’s only offense in Bill’s mind is that he works for NBC. You can tell when he said “YES!” when Goldberg asked BillO if he thought everybody at NBC should quit.

    And, Epiphany, I hate to say this on Alan’s website but you’re right about Fox. Sure, the MSM can do a better job of giving conservatives a prominent voice, but Fox just takes the slightly left slant of the rest of the media and turns the dial to the far right! Alan is really the only liberal on Fox who gets his own venue, and even then it’s late night radio. I know that Murdoch will try to tell us that Greta Van Susstren in a liberal, but her show has almost nothing to do with political commentary, and even when it does she is very moderate.

    And don’t even get me started about the way that they bring on people like Susan Estrich to bring a “liberal” perspective. All she ever does is talk about how ashamed she is to be a Democrat and freely admit that she voted for President Bush in 2004.

    Posted by Michael
    June 14th, 2008 at 10:08 pm

  21. I do have to say that I agree with Alan that Democrats are not helping things by refusing to appear on Fox, though. All that does is give the right-wing commentators a chance to bash anybody who’s “not willing to answer tough questions” and make Fox even more sterile of liberal voices than it already is. That’s why I have to laugh at the people who call Alan a sellout for working at Fox. I think it shows that he has character and grit to work at a place day-after-day where he is vastly outnumbered by conservatives, both in his audience and among his co-workers.

    Posted by Michael
    June 14th, 2008 at 10:14 pm

  22. Fox News Channel is the Toilet of Television. Except Alan, of course. I don’t know how he does it…

    Posted by FuRyUs
    June 14th, 2008 at 10:23 pm

  23. I think CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, and CBS are the collective Toilet of Television. Except for the conservatives who work for them, of course. I don’t know how they do it…

    Posted by flap
    June 15th, 2008 at 5:48 am

  24. ^ That was a joke, by the way.

    Posted by flap
    June 15th, 2008 at 5:49 am

  25. ha

    Posted by FuRyUs
    June 15th, 2008 at 12:25 pm

  26. Pfff, all the Fox News hatred. It’s honestly not as conservative as you all portray it to be. It leans conservative, and in comparison to the left leaning stations it makes it look more conservative than it really is.

    Olbermann has as big of an ego as anyone. He’s a hack, I’m sorry to say. Nothing personal against him.

    Posted by flap
    June 15th, 2008 at 4:45 pm

  27. Oh, and Russert embodied the idea of Fair & Balanced. There are very few people in the media who are liked by both sides. Bob Schieffer, to me, is another one of those people.

    Posted by flap
    June 15th, 2008 at 4:49 pm

  28. Mr. Russert was one of the best at what he did and will be truely missed. A very sad time indeed for his family, co-workers, and friends.

    Posted by From A Republican
    June 15th, 2008 at 5:30 pm

  29. Tim Russert is “in the tank” with the rest of the people who want to destroy the fabric of this country over at ms/nbc ! I know I should not be SHOUTING but I am a spin doctor who can talk to the deaf.

    Dont you people know I AM THE WAY !!! and now the ratings are all mine!!!!!

    Posted by no spin doctor
    June 16th, 2008 at 4:57 pm

  30. Hannity DID a GREAT JOB in a tribute to Tim Russert on fridays H & C thank him and K.P. for me alen.

    Posted by scarecrow & the tin man
    June 16th, 2008 at 5:26 pm

  31. http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2008/06/13/1/an-appreciation-of-tim-russert

    Posted by Michael
    June 17th, 2008 at 12:55 am