Tim Russert could dig through the worms

Thomas Sowell:

Only with Tim Russert's sudden death at the age of 58 has his true stature as a landmark journalist become as widely recognized as it has long deserved to be.

To ask who will replace him as host of "Meet the Press" is to confront the reality that there is no one comparable on the horizon. Those of us who have followed "Meet the Press" since the long ago days of Lawrence Spivak know that Russert was the best of some very good hosts.

What made Tim Russert special was not some trademark catchword or contrived persona. What you saw was what you got-- a down to earth guy who came on the air having thoroughly researched the subject and having a keen insight into politics and politicians.

He didn't flaunt his knowledge. He was one of the few very smart people who seemed to feel no need to impress others that he was smart. But, if you knew the subject that he was talking about, you realized that he had really done his homework.

There was something else that set Tim Russert apart from many other journalists, whether print journalists or broadcast journalists: His agenda was bringing out the facts.

He didn't let the politicians he interviewed get away with slippery statements and inconsistent positions. But it was not "gotcha" journalism. It was not trying to filter or slant information to promote some political or ideological agenda.

...

There is much more.

A journalism professor told the story of a biology professor who always gave the same one question final exam. It was "Discuss all you know about worms." One year he crossed the students up and changed it to "Discuss al you know about elephants." As the students started scratching their heads and trying to come up with something one student began furiously writing in his blue book. His paper began, "An elephant is a large animal with big floppy ears and a trunk. The trunk is shaped like a worm. Worms...."

That is the way many politicians answer questions they find uncomfortable. They have their canned answer no matter what they are asked. Russert had a way of cutting through that in a respectful manner. Forcing politicians to face the truth is a worthy objective. I haven't seen anyone else at NBC with that talent. Brit Hume at Fox has that approach, but he already has a good job.