Newsman Tim Russert dies at 58
Memories from Wolf Blitzer
CNN
(these guys became familiar to me through years of late late night, and early morning television - everything on delayed broadcast downunder - as I struggled through years of illness and associated insomnia.)
It was back in April when Pope Benedict XVI came to Washington. The Rev. David O'Connell, the president of The Catholic University of America, was hosting the pope for a large meeting with bishops.  In April, Tim Russert, right, was a guest of Pope Benedict XVI,
along with Wolf Blitzer, at left in blue tie. Before that meeting, the Vatican said O'Connell could invite 10 guests to a small session with Benedict. Tim Russert and I were the only journalists on that special guest list. We were both thrilled, but Tim, a devout Catholic with deep roots in the Church, was very excited. While we were waiting for the pope to arrive, he was like a little boy. He had his rosaries in his hand, ready for the pope to bless them. This was not the Tim Russert whom we all saw and admired as he grilled presidents, prime ministers, kings and mere politicians. When the pope finally approached him, he could barely utter a word. This was a special moment, and he knew it. For those of us who knew him for a long time, we certainly could appreciate what he was enjoying. His roots in Buffalo, New York, were deep and very humble. His dad, "Big Russ," was a sanitation worker who had often worked two shifts to make ends meet. Russert knew where he was coming from, and as a result never complained about his own hard work for NBC News More PhotosLabels: Tim Russert |
