NBC's Tim Russert: Dead of apparent Heart Attack

Tim Russert was by far my favorite political commentator. I was watching the U.S. Open when NBC broke in with a special report and Tom Brokaw announced he has lost a colleague. When he said it was Tim Russert my jaw dropped and my eyes watered a little. I couldn't believe it, he was so young. So many elections left to see.


This election will not be the same without him.

One of the few genuine reporters that were left.... not many left. if he came back from a trip from italy it is possible that the he formed a blood clot that can cause heart attacks\strokes..

Originally posted by wang_ke_~

You were pretty damn quick to that photoshop!

R.I.P.
Tim Dog!

Russert was one of the few in the mainstream media that gave each side of an issue an equal chance to make their case and was capable of separating any biases he may have had from his work. In other words, he was a good, honest journalist, something we have far too few of in this day and age. May he rest in peace.

[edit on 13-6-2008 by vor78]

reply to post by Frankenchrist


Lol... thanks. I loved that guy so much so, I'm speechless and still trying to process that he's gone now.

more later...

reply to post by SonicInfinity


Your comments on page one are disgusting. Have some respect and show a bit of dignity to an honorable and good man.

This is a huge loss to American politics and the profession of Journalism. Tim Russert was an icon of fact and fairness in a world of lies and injustice.
I feel so horrible for his family - especially his dad.

I'm devasted by the loss because his dedication to truth and pride in America helped turn me into the political junkie and passionate American I am today. When I vote in November, I'll be thinking of him. Especially on election night.

Damn this really sucks, he seemed to be one of the last few journalists in the public eye who still had integrity and fight left in him.

But to be completely honest guys, something just doesn't smell right here. I know we're at a "conspiracy theory" website, but I don't know this time for some reason this one just does not sit right with me. Especially when you hear people in the "black" or "above top secret" realms always say "If I die of a heart attack cd's/mail with 'everything' on it will be sent out because it's no coincidence". Now we have one of the most hard-question-asking pundits suddenly drop dead of a heart attack after crossing just about everyone in charge right now. All I know is if Olbermann suddenly gets in a car crash or something we'd better not hear any one cry "coincidence" on that...I hear it costs millions to do that, I'm sure they could have swallowed the cost up in various "marketing" expenses.

I don't have much to say that hasn't been said here in this thread already - but I'm glad to hear that so many people feel as I do. I'm heartbroken to hear of his death. He was definately one of the most respected men in his field and it, and the world, are worse off for the loss. :/

Wow...I am shocked and sad. He seemed really legit and honest.
Im very sorry for his family's loss and ours.

reply to post by kosmicjack


I find your comments extremely rude, implying that I don't respect the man. The fact that I said I was saddened by his death should have been obvious enough to show that. Just because I'm the type of person that doesn't get extremely emotional does NOT mean that I did not RESPECT the guy. I had a tremendous amount of respect for the work he has done. Without him, the news will never be the same.

If you are so blind by your own emotions and are offended by my reserved comments, then you better stay the HELL away from 4chan. You haven't seen ANYTHING offensive until you've seen multiple necrophilia pictures of Tim Russert. I've had to block myself from that site for the time being, because I'm afraid if I go back, I might do something I will regret.

[edit on 6/13/2008 by SonicInfinity]

Though I didn't agree with everything Tim has done he surely was one of the better journalists to grace us.

My initial gut instinct though was that what did he know, who did he cross the wrong way. It's a shame that I even have to feel this way but I put absolutly nothing past out government anymore.

Hopefully this wasn't another message sent by the establishment to other journalist.

RIP

I've watched Meet the Press with Tim Russert now for about four years with a cup of coffee and my day's work to plan. He absolutely encouraged my addiction to politics and foreign affairs, and to this day i have not forgiven him.

I don't know what to do with this void in my heart. I feel kind of silly because while i've never met him, i do feel as though i've known him. The way he talks about everything, with complete naked honesty and innocence. He was like a kid at Disneyworld, every time I ever saw him talk. It was his enthusiasm for politics that drew me in, and now he has left us all.

I'm a bit ashamed of you few who think this was some kind of conspiracy. As someone who has seen him on camera (and with makeup) for the last four years, he has been looking worse very recently, within the last six months. The job brings a great deal of stress, and i'm positive he wasn't the healthiest eater in the world. Everyone has their day and this extraordinarily busy man had his.

I believe the ambulance arrived for Tim around 1.35PM eastern time, and news broke at approximately 3:30PM eastern. Two medical units arrived, one took about fifteen minutes and the other took just three, which is a great response time.

The reason they can only give a probable cause of death is because there hasn't been time for a formal autopsy. They can assume why he died, and they can be 99% sure. But they're not going to give us an official cause of death until an autopsy is performed.

It's a very sad day. I'm not concerned about Ron Paul's Campaign for Freedom and whether or not this will interfere. If this is the year, then this is the year. I think the revolution is here!

I met Russert in passing, while being introduce to Senator Moynahan. I didn't know his name at the time. Ruusert never knew my name, either. I was just an intern. I never suspected what was in his future. He ws just another staffer to me. Years later, I noticed him again when he took over "Meet the Press."

People like him give journalism a good name. It's too bad that people like him are so rare.

On a more positive note, I'd like to think he proved the "rightness" of asking the hard questions, as we are challenged to do here on ATS.

he was a good guy

but he also was a VERY pro-obama media giant
which is a big alliance, even among conservatives, perhaps mostly
that was a massive alliance, and yes it was an alliance

also he either doens't understand earmarks or him insulting Ron Paul like that was fixed by someone up the corporate ladder.

it was a stupid attempt and i think most people agrees with that

for these reasons, i wasn't a fan

Just saw this on TV.

All I will say is that in the current sociopolitical climate in the US his death needs to be thoroughly investigated. He has declawed many a pundit and I am sure the PTB do not like him.

But I can accept the heart attack story, and statistically it's probable that a top tier journalist die of natural causes every now and again, and I don't remember the last one. So no reason to be afraid and the press should continue business as normal. His body type was the typical high risk profile for cardiac disease. Still, investigate it with an open mind.

The good all die young, with our luck O'Reilly will be spewing bile till he's 90.

Originally posted by SonicInfinity
reply to post by kosmicjack

 

You haven't seen ANYTHING offensive until you've seen multiple necrophilia pictures of Tim Russert.
[edit on 6/13/2008 by SonicInfinity]

What the hell is wrong with you!? What the hell is wrong with ATS!?

Get a grip people and show some decorum! Are you all so sick and jaded that you can't let people mourn a good and decent man without rumors and salaciousness!?

Is THIS what we can expect from ATS!? F - this place if that's what it's about.


[edit on 13/6/2008 by kosmicjack]

McClellan just announced he would be willing to testify before congressional committee investigating the Valerie Plame outing. Tim Russert was a key player in the Valerie Plame outing and testified to investigator Fitzgerald. Heart attack my ass ... "Scooter Libby, chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney, told special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald that Russert was the first to tell him of the identity of Central Intelligence Agency officer Valerie Plame. Russert testified previously and again in United States v. I. Lewis Libby that he did not tell Libby of Mrs. Wilson's CIA identity. Russert testified again in the trial on Wednesday, February 7, 2007. During the trial, another witness, former Cheney communications director Cathie Martin, testified that she "suggested we put the vice president on Meet the Press," hosted by Russert on NBC, and that it was "a tactic we often used....It's our best format."

While I respect Tim Russert and respect those of you who are fans of his, I am not. He used his blue collar street cred to pedal propaganda for a huge paycheck. Don't get me wrong I am not happy he has passed I am just one who felt he never went far enough and had so many chances to do so chances that very rare and should not be missed.
My opinion is that he felt guilty. In any case RIP Tim Russert.

reply to post by Leo Strauss



Then by all means go start another damn thread and discuss, Show some damn respect.

While it really sucks a person like him passed away, I agree with several others - no cover up or anything. Those reporters dont always eat the best, they get little sleep, and are always on the go, be it physically or mentally.

I highly doubt this was a plot to kill him. Some people just need to face the fact that not EVERYTHING is conspericy related. People do just up & die out of the blue, ya know... Was John Ritter's death actually a murder plot?

I was watching a woman on CNN (an anchor person) right before Larry King came on. She told a story about how her newborn sone recieved a letter from Tim welcoming him into the world. She was visiabaly about ready to cry for her friend.

R.I.P.

I can agree that the probability of a murder here is not sky high, but it's just common sense to investigate the death of any high profile public person regardless, lest not murder become commonplace.