Bookraft

Tim Russert died unexpectedly yesterday of a heart attack at age 58 while working on the next Meet the Press show for NBC. Washington was stunned. No doubt because Tim Russert was one of the best at what he did - interview top Washington politicians in a largely non-partisan but well informed way, every Sunday 52 weeks a year. So many political figures knew and interacted for better or for worse with Tim Russert.

The fact that his death came unexpectedly contributed to the shock. But perhaps even more so came the realization that one of TV's few political real news crusaders and truthsayers was gone. And its a media field that John Stewart and Stephen Colbert regularly make a mockery of and much money on - the new TV News World of Infotainment and/or Political Partisanship.