Washington - Tim Russert, a journalist for NBC television and one of the most admired in the profession, died of a heart attack Friday. Russert, the chief of the network's Washington bureau, collapsed while at the work, NBC announced. He was 58.
"The shockwaves cannot be fully expressed. Tim was our friend, our leader, our cheerleader, my mentor," veteran Washington correspondent Andrea Mitchell said.
Russert hosted the venerable Sunday show "Meet the Press," the longest running television show in the United States that focused mostly on politics.
News of Russert's death spread quickly in Washington. All of the major news network jumped to live coverage.
Russert was born in Buffalo, New York on May 7 1950. After college he worked in the US Senate before moving into journalism.
He became Washington bureau chief in 1988 and host of Meet the Press in 1991.
Russert was known for his tough but polite questioning of guests that ranged to current and former presidents, as well as the latest field of White House candidates.
