Remembering Russert

Tim Russert was so many different things.

He was a big teddy bear of a guy. But he was also a pit bull of an interviewer. He always held people’s feet to the fire, often using their past words with great effect to reveal a flip-flop or hypocrisy. While he was incredibly tenacious, he always did it with great humanity and respect.

He was passionate about the political process and was, in many ways, the navigator-in-chief for so many people. It was because he was so knowledgeable that he made politics accessible to millions.

Tim gave me my first network break. I was a local reporter at WRC in Washington, which shares a building with the NBC Washington bureau. Tim asked me to come to his office one day and told me he admired my work, particularly my coverage of Marion Barry, who was then the mayor of Washington. He liked my “scrappiness,” and asked if I was interested in becoming the deputy Pentagon correspondent. Tim was one of the nicest, most generous colleagues I ever had the pleasure of working with.

I remember when he arranged a visit with the Pope when "The Today Show" was in Rome — and Tim was the one behind-the-scenes making it happen. And I remember he was so full of pride.

He never forgot where he came from. In his heart, he was a kid from Buffalo who made it to the big time — but never got too big for his britches, as my mom would say.

I think he used his dad, Big Russ, to take the temperature of the country. And I remember he used to call him for questions and comments. But Tim really didn’t have to do that because he was the consummate everyman who loved his family, who was so proud of his wife, Maureen, his son, Luke, the Buffalo Bills, and this country.