Losing Tim Russert was the sort of blow that makes you take pause. The man was 58 years old and at the top of his game, and it showed each week he hosted Meet the Press. I don’t know if or how his death darkened your day, but in the week or so since his passing I have bemoaned this loss with friends, colleagues in the media business, and absolute strangers: in airports, at Starbucks, everywhere.
Last Sunday I tuned in to watch the special edition of the program, and now I tip my hat to Tom Brokaw for volunteering to man Russert’s post through the election season. Thanks to our hour-long interview last year, I wasn’t the least bit surprised. — Eric O’Keefe