It is a cliché that T.V. personalities can become like members of your family; Tim Russert was one of those people. He was the host of Meet The Press since I was 7 years and when it came to political interviews no one else was close. If you wanted to be a player in national or even world politics, one of the rights of passage was to be grilled by Russert. He was the most prepared interviewer on T.V. and though by most accounts he was personally a liberal, he was always tough but fair with everyone he interviewed. He was an irreplaceable force on the political landscape and in many ways more important than the people he interviewed. This presidential election and politics in general will not be the same without him. In addition to all of his political accomplishments, Russert was by all accounts a good charitable man who cared deeply for his family. My condolences go out to his family.