<p>I am in awe of the composure and maturity of his son.</p>
<p>My eyes watered up several times as I listened to the various speeches.</p>
<p>The guitar soloist was awesome - what an arrangement.</p>
<p>And then there was Bruce.</p>
<p>After hearing all the stories, I wish he had been my friend.</p>
<p>my father always said that no one person was indispensable. His exact words are “they got along without you before, they’ll get along after you’re gone”. </p>
<p>I believe it will take 3 or 4 people to do all the things Mr Russert had on his plate. Not many people are willing or able to take on all that he did. I’ll miss his insight.</p>
<p>Teriwtt,
I cried off and on during the service…Brian Williams on his heart, Maria Shriver on the last thing she needed, another brother…Tom Brokaw and his favorite comment “what a great country”…that the guitar soloist is his brother-in-law is amazing… Doris talking about their friendship… </p>
<p>I was raised a Catholic, and am Irish… I don’t actively practice the “religion” but I try to live what I learned from this faith and saw others live… I think it has always been one of the greater mysteries to me to understand how others use faith as a justification to hurt… cause it was not what I learned…</p>
<p>I kind of feel like he was my friend… he talked to me from the big screen, (kind of like the way that Jon Stewart does)… Tim was a genuine person who lived his values… my life is better because I listened to Tim Russert… I think Maria Shriver did the best of all the speakers…God knows that she has experienced much loss…and is still standing… </p>
<p>I hope his next role in the afterlife is to help guide our country back to a position of honest leadership. To me, the outpouring of emotion is due to the leadership vacumn his death leaves us with…</p>
<p>I also was impressed with everyone that spoke particularly his son. His father must be beaming in heaven because he “nailed it.” What a true tribute to his father that he loved so much. I particularly enjoyed Maria Shrivers speech which was filled with humorous stories from her relationship with Russert…he truly did live life to the fullest and embrace those in his life. May we all learn something from this man whose life was cut too short. he was the public’s journalist …and enjoyed every minute of his day.</p>
<p>Maria Shriver’s daughter did NOT get in to Boston College- wow! And, for the whole country to now know this, ouch, but other than that, she was outstanding. Only saw the last few speakers, and it was so moving. </p>
<p>Was Russ Sr present in the audience ?</p>
<p>PS…Maria Shriver even mentioned Tim offering to help her daughter get into BC…he “knew” people in Boston…he “knew” people in the Catholic Church… and her reply of “thank you, cause I know no one in Boston or in the church” and how in spite of his “help”, it turned out her daughter didn’t get in…she got waitlisted… is going to USC as a result…and how her daughter Katherine will be mad that she mentioned it… she even said “I’m sorry Katherine!”</p>
<p>I think it is so funny that the whole college app thing made it into his memorial service. How much we all advocate for our kids…our friends kids etc etc etc</p>
<p>I couldn’t be home to watch the service; is there a chance that it will be on TV again sometime, maybe MSNBC? I’d like to see it.</p>
<p>Big Russ was not present at the memorial service…Tom Brokaw mentioned that in his talk.</p>
<p>What an absolutely beautiful celebration of Tim Russert’s life. It was a wonderful combination of sad and humerous. Just perfect. I particularly enjoyed Brokaw and Mike Barnicle. Al Hunt was good too. So was Mario Cuomo. Heck, they all were good.</p>
<p>Videos of some of the speakers are up on the MSNBC site. They had problems with the audio–very frustrating–so some parts of the speeches are missing.</p>
<p>The Westport Baptist Church people–the religious extremists who protest at funerals of Iraqi war dead because they believe God hates America for accepting homosexuality–were protesting near the Kennedy Center this afternoon at the time of his memorial service. I’ve heard of them but never seen them, and it was a very upsetting sight.</p>
<p>MSNBC will rebroadcast the memorial at 11 p.m. Eastern time.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information on the rebroadcast. I was only able to get bits and pieces of the liver broadcast. Thank goodness for TIVO.</p>
<p>someone used the words “Russert was a force of nature”
Then the last song played "Somewhere over the rainbow’
and, then the “double rainbow” exactly when the service ended.</p>
<p>Just too much…</p>
<p>The last song played “Somewhere over the rainbow” reminded me of the end of the tribute concert to George Harrison that Eric Clapton put on a couple of years ago. They had a musician playing a ukulele, the haunting song then was “I’ll see you in my dreams” … </p>
<p>I too was glad to see the double rainbow… so Irish isn’t it??? Do you think Tim had any say in the Celtics SLAMDUNK 17th championship on the 17th? I like to think so…</p>
<p>If anyone finds a Youtube link for the performance by his brother-in-law, please let me know how to search for it.</p>
<p>I loved the story about how he tried to avoid the speeding ticket in Montana!</p>
<p>Does anyone know what his son’s degree was in from BC? He has the knack… just wondering if he sees himself following in his father’s footsteps. He has an amazing command of the camera and ability to communicate.</p>
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<p>They’re also praising God for all the flooding and destruction in Iowa because Iowa gave them a hard time about protesting there.</p>
<p>I rarely use words that are meant to be provocative, but they are Losers with a capital L. That being said, I do believe everyone has good in them somewhere - it’s just too bad they have never shown theirs.</p>
<p>There have been some heated debates on this website in regards to people’s illnesses/deaths and how it makes us feel. Like I said, I detest the WBC, but would never wish any physical harm on them.</p>
<p>This all being said, does anyone ever remember Russert doing any sort of interviews/stories on them?</p>
<p>I think the church you are referring to is the Westboro Baptist Church (not Westport) and its leader Fred Phelps. I’m from the midwest and see them at theater performances, funerals, etc. Turns my stomach.</p>
<p>If anyone ever finds a link to the entire memorial service, please post it. I did not see it and regret that.</p>
<p>DH and I actually stayed up to watch the rebroadcast and glad we did. I was planning to watch it live at 4pm, but was at the ER with S who had been in a motor vehicle accident (he was the passenger & he’s OK) We all wished the TV in his cubicle carried MSNBC so we could’ve watched it there while we waited for all his tests to be run.</p>
<p>Youtube has videos of most of memorial service (BIL’s guitar solo, Bruce, Luke, etc.) Just search Tim Russert Memorial, Luke Russert, etc.</p>
<p>Was Bruce actually there, or did he perform from Europe?</p>
<p>I’ve always thought that I want a DJ at my visitation, playing all my favorite songs. I just read in the cnn.com coverage that as the crowds entered the building, they were playing songs from Tim’s iPod, including Free Bird. Now that so many people have assembled their own personal playlists with iPods, I hope more people do that!</p>