This is breaking news and a huge news story around here since he's a Buffalo native. This is an article about it that I got from the local NBC affiliate's website.

http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=58627&catid=141

WEll, that's certainly a surprise. Decent enough fellow, shame it happened like that though.

I just saw that. Wow, what an awful thing to have to tell a family :no:

I'm watching the local news and they said that Tim was just here moving his father, Russ to another facility. No matter what your political views are, this is very sad.
Tim will be missed here. I'm in tears right now watching the news. I never met the guy, but his love of Buffalo came through big time. :cry:

Tim Russert's death saddens his beloved hometown of Buffalo

By CAROLYN THOMPSON | Associated Press Writer
June 13, 2008


BUFFALO, N.Y. - Tim Russert's devotion to Buffalo was no secret. Nor was _ and is _ his hometown's devotion to him.
At Tim Russert Children's Garden, a pretty hideaway in his south Buffalo neighborhood Friday, a bouquet of daisies and red carnations appeared soon after news of Russert's death emerged. It is one of two parks that bear his name.
At Erie Basin Marina stands a 10-foot likeness of Russert, chainsaw-carved from a 125-year-old silver maple felled by a 2006 snowstorm. It's part of a gallery of carvings honoring people who made a mark on the city, like Frank Lloyd Wright and Buffalo-born President Millard Fillmore.
When Russert came home to sign his book, "Big Russ & Me," a 2004 ode to his father that was heavy on his Buffalo childhood, people lined up by the hundreds to have their copies signed and wish the Russerts well.
And, nodding away in 4,000 Buffalo households, are Russert bobblehead dolls, giveaways at a Buffalo Bisons game in the city's minor-league ballpark in 2005. Russert handed a baseball to his son Luke for a ceremonial first pitch that day.

"He was truly our city's greatest ambassador," said Mayor Byron Brown. He ordered city flags immediately lowered to half staff.

Lisa Slisz from the Buffalo School District once e-mailed Russert, telling him City Honors High School had been ranked among the top 10 schools in the nation and asking whether he might drop by while he was in town.

Her cell phone rang as she drove home.

"Hi, this is Tim Russert," he said to Slisz's shock. "He said absolutely, he'd be honored to come."

When he spoke, he reminded the kids how his dad drove a garbage truck, delivering the message that anything is possible _ and he stayed well past the 15 minutes he was expected.

Brown, too, was surprised at Russert's warmth, recalling how he offered to do whatever he could to help Buffalo in a phone call soon after Brown's election in 2005.

"I was struck because I had not known him at all before," said the mayor.

As news of Russert's death at age 58 sunk in, the tributes poured in. It was reported that he was stricken in his Washington, D.C. office Friday afternoon as he was preparing for his Sunday "Meet the Press" broadcast.

"He was a kid from the neighborhood who never forgot his roots and continually made us proud," said U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins, also South Buffalo-born.

"He was, in every way, Mr. Buffalo," said Sen. Charles Schumer, who first met Russert when he was an aide to Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan. "Even when he was interviewing presidents and heads of state, western New Yorkers knew that his blue-collar Buffalo sensibility guided him throughout."

Rep. Thomas Reynolds called Russert his "favorite sparring partner" and a "giant of political journalism."

A statement from Russert's beloved Buffalo Bills said the organization was devastated by Russert's passing.

"So many times he ended his 'Meet the Press' show with his patented 'Go Bills!' that it became part of our Game Day morning rituals," the statement said.

Russert was on the stage with the Bills during a rally following the first of their four Super Bowl losses in 1991. Former Bills running back Thurman Thomas said he remembers the team giving Russert a jersey, a gesture that thrilled both sides.

"One of the people in Buffalo that made it and never forgot where he came from," Thomas said. "Just a down home, good solid person."

"Knowing he was from Buffalo and he was a big Bills fan makes it tough to swallow today," Thomas said.

Buffalo Sabres managing partner Larry Quinn, who went to Canisius High School with Russert and stayed in regular touch, said Russert called to buy Sabres season tickets last year.

"So many people don't acknowledge that they're from here and he never did that," Quinn said.

"Tim Russert was one of the most enjoyable and interesting people to ever hit the New York and national political scene," said Marc Humbert, the former AP political writer in Albany who was covering Mario Cuomo when Russert served as a counselor to the governor. "His life was a testament to his intelligence and good humor. America has lost a fine journalist and a finer man."


http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--russertsbuffalo0613jun13,0,6742398.story

i heard this on the news earlier while at work.. i couldn't believe it. man, i watch his show every sunday.. and always pay attention to what he has to say. crazy it happened like it did. it's is a shock..the rest of this election season will not be the same without him.

RIP

At least he died doing what he loved.

This is such sad news. He will be missed.

It broke my heart to see the photo of his son Luke touching the chair on the set of Meet the Press where his father used to sit.