A "TRANSFORMATIVE JOURNALIST" -- AND BRUCE FAN -- PASSES ON
I'm still shocked by the news of Tim Russert's death yesterday; as a Sunday morning is about to dawn without the esteemed Meet the Press moderator there to be part of the day, I feel like a word here is in order. Well known to be a huge Springsteen fan (along with his NBC compatriot Brian Williams), Russert told Jon Friedman in a 2007 interview that his "dream 'get'" for an interview was none other than Bruce:

"I'm very intrigued by him," Russert said. "He has a real understanding of the political dialogue, of faith and life in urban America."

Russert already has a connection to "the Boss." "I booked concerts for John Carroll [University] in Cleveland," Russert recalled. "We paid $2,500 to book him on a Tuesday night in February 1974."

Aside from the indelible mental snapshot of seeing a brilliant performer 18 months before he made it big, Russert cherishes the memory for a more practical reason: "I made enough money to pay for my second year of law school."

He said he told Springsteen the story once when he ran into him at a New York City restaurant. Springsteen laughed and said, "That sounds like one of my songs."... 

I asked Russert if he had reached out to Springsteen to request an interview. He shook his head, as if he was unworthy of the meeting. It was reassuring to see that even Tim "No Surrender" Russert, the scourge of Washington, could act a little overwhelmed by someone.

Also check out this New York Times blog entry about Bruce's September 2007 Today show performance, when Russert remarked, "I'm just an opening act for the Boss today," and Bruce gave a shout-out to the newsman's haircut.

Russert was married to Maureen Orth, author of the famous 1975 Newsweek cover story on Springsteen, "Making of a Rock Star." Our sympathies are with her and their familiy.

Yesterday, Tom Brokaw called Russert "one of the premiere political analyists and journalists of his time." Walter Cronkite wrote: "a giant in our field -- a standard-bearer of journalistic integrity and ethics." Carl Bernstein: "Tim Russert was a transformative journalist." And yet -- maybe just from knowing how "Born to Run" got his heart pumping, too -- he also felt like one of us. Tim, you'll be missed.
-June 14, 2008

sundays just arent the same. 

About a year ago, there was a Springsteen article in Goldmine magazine. And they were talking about Bruce in Cleveland in '74. Very interesting that Tim booked that gig. Small world.

Here is Tribute from this morning..

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lR3zlj4z-b8

Zack wrote on Jun 15^th, 2008 at 4:10pm:


coming from you this comment doesn't surprise me.

but let me just say one thing...maybe my remark was a bit harsh and i apologize  to anyone who i may have offended, but tv reporter personalities bother the shit out of me..often times i stare at the tele with a loaded shotgun and just want to blow the thing to pieces and then put it thru a wood chipper. 
99% of tv is all garbage.

gimmekeef wrote on Jun 15^th, 2008 at 5:08pm:


brilliant ....can i have 46 candles on that please

PartyDoll MEG wrote on Jun 15^th, 2008 at 4:22pm:


Thanks Meggy.

Very moving.

LJ.

I heard on GMA today, that a defibulator wasn't used on TR.   Dr. Mehmet Oz said that  if it was used on TR, his chances to survive would have been better.   

Just to show that FOTP isn't the only classless tool on the web: "Isn't there any other news to talk about?
Like floods, inflation, iraq, and more.
Don't you think it affects a little more people than a reporter on sunday?

Who cares, thousands of people died over the weekend and who elevated russert to "God" status.
He was an out of shape nantucket conservative, who never dug down to the truth."

That was posted on the page from you tube that MEG linked above.

And on a totally classless note. Is it too soon for a Russert joke? Here goes anyway. Courtesy of a local shock jock.

What's the difference between Tim Russert and gas prices?...Russert went down this weekend.......

Loved the poem Maria Shriver read yesterday at the service.
For those of you that have lost loved ones, as I have, I find it very comforting.
Here it is:

________________________________________________________________________________
_____

The Little Ship

I stood watching as the little ship sailed out to sea. The setting sun tinted his white sails with a golden light, and as he disappeared from sight a voice at my side whispered, "He is gone".

But the sea was a narrow one. On the farther shore a little band of friends had gathered to watch and wait in happy expectation. Suddenly they caught sight of the tiny sail and, at the very moment when my companion had whispered, "He is gone" a glad shout went up in joyous welcome, "Here he comes!"

________________________________________________________________________________
______

peace
LJ.