Tim Russert and I were the same age. Astounding. He collapsed yesterday of a heart attack at age 58. He will be mourned forever. What is so astounding to me is that he is my generation - I say that because I rarely learn that anyone of note came out of that particular era fraught with so much turmoil and insanity. I don't know for sure but it's possible that he graduated from high school in 1968 like we did and it's certain that he was involved in, aware of, and affected by all those events that so rocked our world and changed the way we view our country, our place in society, our patriotism and our need to speak out and our understanding of the truth vs. what we are told is the truth. Perhaps that is what made Russert so special. I don't know. I respected him, sometimes disliking his questions because he was equally demanding of both sides and that occaisionally would provoke the ire of those of us who wish to see the other side's feet held to the fire but not our own. Tim didn't make his own views part of his agenda, but simply sought the truth despite the spin that his guests wanted to put on events.

Tim Russert is gone. I woke up this morning wondering if they will continue Meet the Press since it had become so much his own "mark" - it's sure to be the most watched for a while as they rerun the best of the 20  years that Russert held this spot on Sunday mornings. Some of you might wonder if I even know what I'm talking about since I truly haven't watched TV in years, but frankly if I watched it at all Meet the Press was one of those shows I did watch. And when Russert said anything it was usually all over DailyKos which I do read daily. So even though my TV is almost never on, I do realize that there has been a huge impact on the political world and that this man will be missed not only by the journalistic community but by the public who came to trust him to get at the truth like no one else could do.

9:22:07 AM