Russert gone too soon!

In these short few hours following the news of the untimely death of someone I consider a "political TV legend", Tim Russert, I am still in bit of a shock. When I found out, shortly after 3:45 pm Eastern Time, I was sitting back and having a cold one with my sister and her friends. We all just sat there amazed at the story unfolding in front of us. Now, I wasn't a huge fan of Russert, but, with anyone that has had as much of an impact on political views in this country as anyone in the business, I considered him a person of great professional status and respected him even more. The impact he has had on others is immeasurable.

Sometimes, in moments like this I like to reflect on another's life and in what ways they may have impacted my life. At first, I couldn't really think of a single event, story or even an interview he gave that caught my eye. But I knew there was something about him that I admired and couldn't figure out why. Then, it hit me as I drove home listening to Sean Hannity talk about his colleague and friend. It was there on the radio. It was an interview that Russert did on Hannity's show about three years ago. It was shortly after his book, Big Russ and Me, came out and they talked about the book and his life growing up with "Big Russ". The sincerity that Russert had at the time in the interview with Hannity, whom, they had disagreed on many occasions politically, struck me as a quality like no other. He wasn't demeaning nor was he making the interview about him. It was about his dad. Pure sincerity about the man that raised him and that he admired more than anyone. They seemed to share stories about their fathers that was like two friends sitting having coffee and just talking. for a moment it wasn't a radio interview...it was life.

Kindness and sincerity go a long way in life and maybe that is why Tim Russert went far in his short lived life. He had both qualities and it showed in various ways. His interviews that he gave on a weekly basis were not brutal but more friendly to the viewer. I hope that someday many other political pundits and players in the rat race receive some of his qualities. Until then, Rest in Peace Little Russ and God Bless.

As always with me, God Bless America and all those that have and still do protect it.