NBC NEWS ICON TIM RUSSERT DEAD AT 58

Tim Russert

NBC news icon Tim Russert, who questioned hundreds of the powerful and influential in America, as moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press," died suddenly today while at work in Washington. The network's Washington bureau chief was only 58. In addition to his weekly program, Russert appeared on the network's other news shows, was moderator for numerous political debates and wrote two best-selling books.The network first announced that Russert died of a heart attack, but spokeswoman Jenny Tartikoff later said, "We do not know the cause yet."President Bush, informed of Russert's death while at dinner in Paris, issued a statement of sorrow that praised the NBC newsman as "an institution in both news and politics for more than two decades. Tim was a tough and hardworking newsman. He was always well-informed and thorough in his interviews. And he was as gregarious off the set as he was prepared on it."NBC interrupted its regular programming with news of Russert's death, and in the ensuing moments, familiar faces such as Tom Brokaw, Andrea Mitchell and Brian Williams took turns mourning his loss.

Editors Note: The few times I met Tim around NYC, he was always a pleasant guy and had a fun sense of humor. When you joked on something that someone only in the media would get, he would crack up. He got it. We will miss him dearly in the media business and our condolences go out to his wife Maureen Orth, a writer for Vanity Fair magazine and his son Luke.