An affable man with enormous intelligence, dead-on political acumen and warm wit, first reports say that Buffalonian Tim Russert has died of a heart attack. He was 58 years old.
Whether on Meet the Press, his weekly interview program on MSNBC, NBC's The Today Show or Hardball, Russert was the quintessential journalist and always got to the bottom of a story. He asked questions that commonly prompted answers at the top of the collective public mind.
His reminiscences put South Buffalo, Canisius High School and his father on the map when he wrote the compelling memoir, Big Russ and Me. He has since published a compilation of letters, Wisdom of Our Fathers.
In an announcement made on NBC today, Tom Brokaw remembered Russert as a man "who stayed true to his blue-collar Buffalo roots." Perhaps that's why it was always a celebration when Russert returned to Buffalo to speak at an event or attend a function. Buffalo will miss Tim Russert.