Thousands Join Bush In Mourning Russert

President, Friends, Colleagues And Strangers Pay Respects To Late TV Broadcast Journalist

(AP)  Thousands of friends, colleagues and strangers joined President Bush and his wife, Laura, in paying respects on Tuesday to Tim Russert.

Several hundred people were in line more than an hour before the early afternoon start of the wake at St. Albans School, an elite private boys school on the grounds of Washington National Cathedral in Northwest Washington. Many had never met the host of the Sunday-morning talk show "Meet the Press."

But some felt like they knew him, nonetheless.

"It's just like a family member that's gone," said Mary Jo Quinn, who had traveled from Russert's hometown of Buffalo, N.Y., to the Washington area for a wedding over the weekend. She and her husband extended their trip so they could attend the wake.

Russert, who was also the Washington bureau chief for NBC News, died Friday of a heart attack at the age of 58. His son, Luke, is a graduate of the school where the wake was held.

Russert was a political insider who was known for conducting tough interviews of Washington's most powerful politicians, yet he evoked an everyman quality that showed his blue-collar roots.

He often talked of growing up in Buffalo, home to his beloved Bills of the National Football League. He wrote two best-selling books, including the much-loved "Big Russ and Me" about his relationship with his father.

"He walked with kings but he never forgot his roots," said Quinn, who was standing in line with a Buffalo Bills T-shirt draped over her shoulders. "He put Buffalo on the map. He made Buffalo a cool place."

Bush, accompanied by the first lady, was one of the first people to enter the closed-casket wake, which was scheduled to last seven hours. The president stayed about 20 minutes while the growing crowd outside waited patiently on a pleasant, sunny day.

The crowd was a mix of people in suits and dresses interspersed with a few wearing jeans and shorts - a wake for someone who had touched a wide variety of people.

Joe McGuire said he coached Luke Russert in youth baseball, while Tim Russert was an assistant coach.

McGuire said the proud dad was a big baseball fan and he will remember Russert "laughing, smiling and having a great time."

Rep. Louise Slaughter, a Democrat whose district includes part of the Buffalo area, said the loss is keenly felt in Russert's hometown. Slaughter said she was reminded of Russert's popularity by the wide variety of people in line at the wake.

"There were some from Syracuse, there were nuns from Springfield, Ill., and they all came out and stood in the sun to pay their respects," Slaughter said. "It was just remarkable."

A private funeral was scheduled for Wednesday morning, to be followed by an invitation-only memorial service at Washington's Kennedy Center in the afternoon.

[tuppman]

George Bush doesn''t give a *** about anybody but George Bush. Why do uou write such garbage?

[blackyowe]

This was such a shock. We were so proud of you Tim here in Western, NY. You were one in a million and the best of the best. Good Bye!

[jegibbons]

Tim Russert Rest in Peace. The Left has lost its moderate public voice.
Manical hatred for the current president gains us nothing. Realistically even a President Obama will not put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

[liberalme]

AS TIME GO ON, MOST OF YOU PEOPLES LOOK AT WHAT BUSH DOING IN THE PAST OF NOTHING BUT FAILURE. REMEMBER, THIS EVENT IS NOT ABOUT BUSH BUT IT IS A STORY OF A TRUE AMERICAN HERO WHO SHOW WHAT LIFE BRING WITHOUT A GRAIN OF SALT. TIM RUSSERT IS A TRUE STATEMAN WHO EXPLAINS TO US ABOUT REAL GOVERMENT WORLD IN HIS CULTURE SO WE CAN GET A BETTER POINT OF VIEW. NOW I FEEL LOST AS HE IS TAKING FROM US AS THE ELECTION IS NEAR AND WHO CAN WE DECIDE ON WITHOUT TIM. LAST 17 YRS OF TAKING BETTER CHOICE BUT WHO WILL BE THE NEXT STATEMAN TO STANDUP FOR US? TIM RUSSERT THANK YOU FOR BEING IN OUR LIFE WHILE GOD PERMITTED.

Posted by chiababy1

I couldn''t agree more--but just the fact that Bush is there irks me to no end.

Bush is probably wondering if all these people will be at his funeral---no sorry, they''ll all be wearing turbans.

[chiababy11]

AS TIME GO ON, MOST OF YOU PEOPLES LOOK AT WHAT BUSH DOING IN THE PAST OF NOTHING BUT FAILURE. REMEMBER, THIS EVENT IS NOT ABOUT BUSH BUT IT IS A STORY OF A TRUE AMERICAN HERO WHO SHOW WHAT LIFE BRING WITHOUT A GRAIN OF SALT. TIM RUSSERT IS A TRUE STATEMAN WHO EXPLAINS TO US ABOUT REAL GOVERMENT WORLD IN HIS CULTURE SO WE CAN GET A BETTER POINT OF VIEW. NOW I FEEL LOST AS HE IS TAKING FROM US AS THE ELECTION IS NEAR AND WHO CAN WE DECIDE ON WITHOUT TIM. LAST 17 YRS OF TAKING BETTER CHOICE BUT WHO WILL BE THE NEXT STATEMAN TO STANDUP FOR US? TIM RUSSERT THANK YOU FOR BEING IN OUR LIFE WHILE GOD PERMITTED.

[liberalme]

Oh itsnt it nice that President Bush was there. That means Tim will go to heaven because Bush only goes to funerals of people that go to heaven because he is so holy.

Posted by faith_in_w at

It''s a sin to mention Bush with ANY other honest, decent, loyal American.

[ajaxtheleast]

Found a way to get "thousands to join" him!!

"I''M BACK! Gonna order me 4,000 Tees, put on
my dems-will-end-the-war face, show up
mourning each dead troop sporting the
appropriate Tee, raise my numbers
up above 30! I''M BACK!"

Heck, 4,000? This should get me to where
they forget all of this nonsense about
some simple regime change.

[faith_in_w]

Oh itsnt it nice that President Bush was there. That means Tim will go to heaven because Bush only goes to funerals of people that go to heaven because he is so holy.

[luvny-2009]

Who care that bush was there and why his pic. He went cause he had to. My prayer are with Tim''s family may he rest in peace.

[jodyrae4]

The look on the Headmasters face is grief..have a little respect

[hp32970c]

The Polls show McCain Ahead.
Posted by demslie

Don''t know what polls you are looking at. McCain is not ahead....

[demslie]

What is a "Bush Hater"?? I hate the man''''s actions although I do NOT know him personally. HE''''s a LIAR and has put this nation through so much it never had to go through. He has distroyed our Constitution and ignored the rule of law. As for what I intend to do when the PATHETIC piece of Human Trash is gone?? Have a PARTY, then start demanding that he be brought to justice. Oh! No! The fight doesn''''t stop when he leaves office... it doesn''''t stop until JUSTICE is done. Sieg Heil Bush

Posted by MCVet

MCVet with his Endless Hate Rage and Anger at anything American is the most "PATHETIC piece of Human Trash" on CBS (Communist Broadcast System). MCVet like so many Hate Filled Democrats think that their Hate and Endless Name Calling will somehow translate into Votes For Democrats. The Polls show McCain Ahead. Sorry MCVet. Come November you will have to slither back under the slime Rock you came out from.

[mcvet]

You Bush haters are ridiculous! What are you going to do with all that hate come November. Oh yeah, you turn on your own...Hillary found that out.good grief!
RIP Tim Russert



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Posted by jodyrae4 at 06:51 AM : Jun 18, 2008
+ report abuse

What is a "Bush Hater"?? I hate the man''s actions although I do NOT know him personally. HE''s a LIAR and has put this nation through so much it never had to go through. He has distroyed our Constitution and ignored the rule of law. As for what I intend to do when the PATHETIC piece of Human Trash is gone?? Have a PARTY, then start demanding that he be brought to justice. Oh! No! The fight doesn''t stop when he leaves office... it doesn''t stop until JUSTICE is done. Sieg Heil Bush

[harpoot]

Just looking at the Shrub and his Stepford wife make me want to puke. No wonder the head master looks like he got a sudden attack of explosive diarrhea.

[jodyrae4]

You Bush haters are ridiculous! What are you going to do with all that hate come November. Oh yeah, you turn on your own...Hillary found that out.good grief!
RIP Tim Russert

[messiahx4eve]

The guy in the picture beside bush has a "get this idiot monkey-looking prick & his drunken doped up *** too away from me" look.

[mtracy9]

CBS News once again caught sucking up to Bush. Note the headline that puts Bush at the center of the mourning.

[andor3]

RIP Tim, you will be missed but there is something good about going at the top of your game doing what you love.

But why is Bush featured in the headline? He is so lame and irrelevant it was either drop by the funeral or sit around the white house in his robe playing solitaire again.

[oneworldusa]

Mr. Russert was a very loved man. It is evident by the tributes from his colleagues, as well as so many ''regular'' citizens. He wasn''t afraid to love and share with the world his love for his father and his son. RIP Tim. You have inspired a nation.

[tbweb]

For years I loyally watched Tim Russert every Sunday hosting Meet The Press and I also watched Tims other show The Tim Russert Show every Saturday which was just as good. The quality I enjoyed the most about Tim Russert was his sense of fairness, probably because fairness is a strong quality in myself. People all the time say "life isn''t fair" or you should not expect people to be fair or play fair and maybe thats true, but fair people are the cream of the crop and stick out as a result of their fairness. R.I.P. Tim Russert, you made Buffalo proud and its nice a piece of Highway may be named after you. I always see a piece of American infrastructure and comment "they dont make stuff like that no more" and in this case the same can be said for Mr. Tim Russert!