Tim Russert of NBC News has died at the age of 58, the network says.

Tribute to Tim Russert

If the president or a former president died, would we have seen greater coverage than that which was afforded the untimely death of NBC bureau chief and moderator of "Meet the Press," Tim Russert?

Not only did NBC and MSNBC devote hours of coverage on Friday, June 13, the day he passed, but the "Today" show came on and whereas Lester Holt usually anchors that program, Matt Lauer, Tom Brokaw, and Al Roker provided non-stop coverage. The only non-Russert program consisted of Natalie Morales doing approximately five minutes of news each hour, centering on the devastating Iowa floods.

That is understandable for NBC. Tim Russert was the NBC political star.

He had more credibility than the other political news reporters combined. What struck me as more remarkable was the extensive coverage given to Russert’s death by ABC, CBS and by FOX, which devoted over half its morning show "Fox & Friends" to its competitor.

I met Russert once. I agreed with him on most points. He made you feel important. My son and daughter-in-law gave me Russert’s book, "Big Russ and Me," a few years ago. An interesting aspect of the coverage was the amount of time Russert devoted to his family. He celebrated his parents, his wife of 25 years, and his only son, Luke. Russert recently returned from Rome, celebrating Luke’s graduation from Boston College. Luke and his mother were in Rome when given the shocking news.

The reason, I believe, why Russert received so much adulation was because in a city of sin, this man was virtuous. A practicing Catholic, he took the Gospel seriously. He had a great passion for the less fortunate and helped any way he could. He participated in hundreds of charitable events and raised millions.

Russert avoided most of the social scene in Washington. Instead he spent time with his family. He was an avid sports fan and when he had spare time, he and Luke could be found at a game.

His own father passed along virtuous behavior to Tim and his three sisters. He was teaching Luke the same virtues. When Ronald Reagan died he received the same kind of outpouring of sentiment and for the same reason. It is interesting how the media glorifies sin and actively promotes evil. Yet when someone virtuous dies, as with Russert, Reagan and Charlton Heston, it cannot help but acknowledge that the people respect someone who tries to be decent.

Russert’s father told Tim to never forget where he came from, and he never did. The flags are at half staff in Buffalo, N.Y., for that very reason. He and I had one thing in common and that is our blue-collar roots. Tim’s father drove a garbage truck. My father shoveled coal into huge boilers on the night shift at a Catholic hospital. Like Big Russ, my father was virtuous and both worked a second job to help their family.

Russert worked very hard. Jack Welsh, former president of General Electric (GE), became Russert’s friend. He revealed that Russert was the only talent at NBC who had no agent.

He wanted to run "Meet the Press" as he saw fit. Through hard work he single-handedly revived Sunday morning talk-shows. Bob Schieffer of CBS, who went head to head with Russert for 18 years, believed his program was better because he had to compete with Russert.

The public loved "Meet the Press" because Russert came across as genuine. He literally taught people politics. Big Russ told him, “Forget all those Washington types. Pretend you are talking to me.” He did. Ordinary people could understand the political process because of him.

It is believed that we never will see anyone like Russert again. That will only be true if this is the end of virtue.

He was an avid mentor of our youth, including young reporters. If one could forego the social scene, learn to work hard, be devoted to his or her family and practice the virtues, then we again may see someone similar to Russert. If what follows is the usual cynical non-believing, unfair newsman, figuring out how one can cheat on his spouse and avoid spending time with his family, then the ethos of Washington will have triumphed.

I hope and pray that will not happen.

Meanwhile, let us all pray for the repose of the soul of Tim Russert. May he rest in a place where there is no grief and pain but only life everlasting.

Memory eternal!

Paul M. Weyrich is chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation.