A Fallen Hero (of Mine)

If you have no interest in politics or journalism, this will bore you. If you have the tiniest inkling of curiosity about the machinery of government or political candidates or what's going on in the Senate ... we all lost an ally yesterday.

As a news junkie, I often struggle to understand what I'm reading or hearing. "Meet the Press" is must-see TV for me. If I have other plans, I TIVO it.

About 3pm yesterday, I heard that Tim Russert had collapsed and died. I cried. I felt like I lost a friend and mentor. More than that, I lost a hero. I knew he was a great family man. I knew he was a superb journalist. I had no idea of the sense of loss I would experience. I did not know this man personally. But he sure knew me. He knew what questions to ask to get to the heart of the matter. He knew what this middle-aged, Midwestern woman wanted to know and that was usually his next question. He knew how to take the polls and the stats, reduce them to something real, and make me understand.

His dad advised him years ago, and I'm paraphrasing, "Don't talk the lingo. Don't try to sound smart. Talk to me."

I've watched far more of the coverage than any normal person would do. As a self-diagnosed, mildly autistic person, I like to see things over and over.

Like me, he had nicknames for everyone. It was clear this man was adored. Everyone from the President of the United States to movers and shakers in Washington to fellow journalists have paid tribute. I hope he knows how much this Midwestern woman admired him too.