Unless you've been on a deserted island, I imagine you know that Tim Russert died a few days ago.
I didn't watch his 'Meet The Press' show often, but when I did I was always impressed with how well he did interviewing a wide mix of guests. The discussions about him, following the news that he had died, seemed to center on the words in the lead-in to this Blog.
He was so good at what he did because he was normal and fair and always well-prepared. These thoughts were repeated regularly during the past week. They speak volumes about this man who was born and raised in Buffalo, NY; whose dad was a garbage collector; and, who had a strong faith. He kept his personal politics in check because he knew it was important that he present an impartial image. Those who talked about being on his show mentioned that he was something of an 'equal opportunity' inquisitioner. He was tough on everybody without regard to their politics.
It struck me that the very words being used to describe his uniqueness were also telling in that they were the antithesis of the usual fare we're fed by the 'talking heads'. Tim Russert stood out amongst his peers because he was normal and fair and well-prepared. And the words being used were being used by those very same 'talking heads'. They were not, of course, aware that they were casting stones at themselves at the very same time they were lauding their former counter-part.
I suspect that we can all learn from the likes of a Tim Russert. I know I can. He loved his family. He never forgot his roots. He never forgot his faith. He was always prepared when he went to work. He gave every day his very best. He remembered his friends and apparently had no enemies, certainly in his mind anyway. He told people he loved them. He was himself, not someone he thought he was supposed to be in order to fit into the world that he'd become part of after leaving his roots in Buffalo.
I hope I can remember Tim Russert for a good long time to come. I probably will somewhat regularly as I see the antithesis on my television screen.
