Tim Russert: Easy Like A Sunday Morning

Tim Russert was the Managing Editor and Moderator of "Meet the Press" and political analyst for "NBC Nightly News" and the "TODAY" program. He anchored "The Tim Russert Show," a weekly interview program on MSNBC. Russert also served as senior vice president and Washington bureau chief of NBC News.

He died Friday, June 13 at the Washington D.C. bureau. He was 58.

His two books-Big Russ and Me in 2004 and Wisdom of Our Fathers in 2006-were both New York Times #1 bestsellers.

Russert took over the helm of "Meet the Press" in December 1991. Since then, MTP has become the most watched Sunday morning interview program in America and the most quoted news program in the world. Now in its 60th year, "Meet the Press" is the longest-running program in the history of television. Russert has interviewed every major figure on the American political scene.

Russert joined NBC News in 1984. In April 1985, he supervised the live broadcasts of the Today program from Rome, negotiating and arranging an appearance by Pope John Paul II, a first for American television. In 1986 and 1987 Russert led NBC News weeklong broadcasts from South America, Australia and China.

Washingtonian Magazine dubbed Tim Russert the best and most influential journalist in Washington, D. C. describing "Meet the Press" as “the most interesting and important hour on television.”

I have had only two journalist/reporter/commentator "TV heroes" in my life. One was not even American. His name was Alistair Cooke. The other was Tim Russert. Both men reflected a fundamental decency that I feel can never be faked. I have four Sunday routines; an omlette, listening to the CD of the soundtrack to Princess Diana's funeral, working on my lesson plans for the coming week, and watching "Meet The Press" over my laptop, something I've done every week since I got the device nearly three years again. Sometimes I just listen, but I never miss it. I will miss Tim Russert tough. I will miss his tough but fair questions. My Sunday will never be quite the same. Find out more about him and his life at: www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Russert

Research info gathered at: www.msnbc.msn.com

Now, here's one of my poems that is tough but fair too:

"Imitation Bowling Shirts" Sonnet

Cry me a story the river begins. Gospel music peeled off

to drip-dry in plaid. A windowsill parade. A choral

recital that clings like bats to a ceiling. Harp

geysers. Fire hose sulfur. A whole bottle

inside a genie. A nail of beds. A floor

squeezer. Breath that likes to

invade unsuspecting

nostrils.

Tambourine trees.

Piano pincers. A rain

slicker with sex appeal.

Backseat stove. Boats on a

steam. A refrigerator after midnight

curfew. Drapes in a phone booth. A whole

truck stop tucked under her wig. Marquee

trial. Fickle orange soda. Bowling shirts especially

designed to fondle. Telescopes substituting for cigars.

Lightening in a spoon. Mummy ice cubes. Yellow ribbons

tied around bubbles. Spit on a boil. Vinegar or

vulgarity. Nuts or napalm. Or maybe pest

control for honeymooners.


Poem first published at: http://www.sundress.net/wickedalice
Visit my ezine: http://www.concelebratory.blogspot.com/
and music blog: http://www.medleymakersant.blogspot.com/
Poem Copyright 2008 by Maurice Oliver. All Rights Reserved.