WASHINGTON - Tim Russert, host of NBC's "Meet the Press" and its Washington bureau chief collapsed and died at work Friday after suffering an apparent heart attack. He was 58



Russert, of Buffalo, N.Y., took the helm of the Sunday news show in December 1991 and turned it into the most widely watched program of its type in the nation. His signature trait there was an unrelenting style of questioning, sparing none of the politicians, business giants and even sports figures who appeared on his show.

Washingtonian magazine once dubbed Russert the best journalist in town, and described "Meet the Press" as "the most interesting and important hour on television.

He also wrote best-selling books, "Big Russ and Me," in 2004, and "Wisdom of our Fathers," in 2006.

This year, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Russert also was a senior vice president at NBC.

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Nicole

Oh wow! I wonder who is gonna replace him on Meet the Press.

I LOVE Tim Russert! My whole family is saddened by this news. He was a wonderful reporter and had a fantastic sense of humor. He was as good an interviewee as he was an interviewer. He will be greatly missed!

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Mary

wow.

he was one of my favorites.

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I'm the kind of woman when my feet hit the floor in each morning, the devil says "Oh crap, she's up."

So sad. I thought Tim was fascinating - I truly could never see any bias when he was interviewing, or even just discussing the ramifications of any political event.

This is a real loss.

Mine too.
I looked forward to watching Meet the Press every Sunday morning.

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@@@
l/ l/ l/
Dont go through life,
GROW through life

Real eyes...realize...real lies.

Wow, I couldn't believe it when I heard it. He's too young! I, too, admired him. I thought he was one of the rare newspeople who could deliver without being bias. I enjoyed watching him during the debates, too. A very smart man who will be missed.

It's so sad. I really admired him.

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"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? " ~Epicurus

Such a tragedy for his family and it's so clear when you see the guys on NBC and MSNBC that they're crushed. It's clear Keith Olberman has been crying . . . Andrea Mitchell looks shell-shocked.

Such a great loss.

Tim Russert was a professional and a gentleman. I watched Meet the pPress regularly, but loved when he moderated one of the debates. I m saddened, and reminded of my own loss around this time last year. I am so sorry for his family..

Yeah, DD's friend's dad had a heart attack yesterday and died. He was only 52

I'm dumbfounded by the news....I am surely going to miss him. I loved watching his interviews, he always asked the hard questions that most journalist wouldn't. It is a shame that he died before November, he seemed so passionate about the possibilities of the upcoming elections.

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Chicago Bears!!!!
We are the Bears Shufflin' Crew
Shufflin' on down, doin' it for you.
We're so bad we know we're good.
Blowin' your mind like we knew we would.
You know we're just struttin' for fun
Struttin' our stuff for everyone.
We're not here to start no trouble.
We're just here to do the Super Bowl Shuffle.

Some people may not know that he was a great supporter of Catholic education. He had an award that he gave to the best teacher in the Archdiocese of Washington. It was named after him and his favorite teacher who was a nun. One of the teachers in my school received the award a few years ago. He wrote a personal letter to her.

He was a gentleman in every way...He was the only interviewer who I truly believe didnt show any bias....I really enjoyed watching him during the debates also....I feel so bad for his family.....I lost my cousin on Easter Sunday of a sudden heart attack...he was only 50.....so young and so sudden...I will remember his family in my prayers...Sherri

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"It isn't that liberals are ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so."
- Ronald Reagan