TIM RUSSERT, 1950-2008
June 13, 2008 -Tim Russert, who died today at 58, took over one of TV news' top spots in 1991 when he was named moderator of "Meet the Press." Under his leadership, the program became the most watched Sunday morning interview program, according to his bio on MSNBC.com. Russert also wrote two books, "Big Russ and Me" in 2004 and "Wisdom of Our Fathers" in 2006, both of which were New York Times No. 1 bestsellers. "Big Russ and Me" is about his relationship with his father and "Wisdom of Our Fathers" is about letters he received from "Big Russ" readers about relationships with their fathers. Before joining NBC News in 1984, Russert, an attorney, was a counselor in the New York governor's office and a special counsel in the US Senate before that, according to MSNBC.com. At NBC in April 1985, he negotiated and arranged an appearance by Pope John Paul II, a US TV first. His bio notes that TV Guide said his use of the white dry eraser board on election night 2000 was one of the 100 Most Memorable TV Moments. The Washington Post credited him with first using "red state" and "blue state" to discuss the differences between the Republican and Democratic voters. He scored an Emmy for his part in the coverage of President Reagan's funeral. Russert also was political analyst for "NBC Nightly News" and the "Today" show. He anchored "The Tim Russert Show," which aired weekly on MSNBC. He also was a senior vice president and Washington bureau chief of NBC News. He was married to Maureen Orth, Vanity Fair magazine writer. The couple's son is named Luke.