Tim Russert

It was such a shock to learn on this past Friday afternoon that Tim Russert had died suddenly of a heart attack. How will we navigate this Presidential election year without Russert? So many times my pals and I will compare notes Sunday and say, "Did you see Russert? Did you see Richardson implode on Russert?" Regardless of the guest, Russert was asking the tough questions that needed to be asked. He was asking the questions that we wanted to ask. In a way, he seemed to speak for all of us, right, left or center. His passing leaves a big hole.

More than the probing interrogator who prodded our democratic process, Russert allowed us to know that he had a big heart. His book about his Dad, "Big Russ" was a wonderful testiment to the power of our fathers to shape our lives and create the foundation of values that carry us into the world. Not all of us have had the good fortune to be the children of a solid and loving father. And, few can speak easily and with genuine emotion about the power of the love between parent and child.

This morning Russert's son, Luke, appeared for the first time to talk about his father. It is evocative and testament to the notion that the apple does not fall far from the tree.