[Taylor]

My wife and I joke that she had an "intellectual crush" on Tim Russert. Earlier this year when Meet the Press broadcast live from the local NBC affiliate in Indianapolis, my wife wanted to go downtown to see it. When asked if she was hoping for a glimpse of Obama or Clinton, she replied, "Why would I want to see them? I'm going for Tim!"

He was surely an unparalleled journalist, refusing to pander, refusing to water anything down, refusing to back down. If a guest avoided his question, he'd reformulate and ask again until he was satisfied. But above all, he made it very clear that while his profession was very important to him, family matters were paramount. Perhaps defining and promoting that delicate balance between family life and professional life, and presumably excelling at both, was his greatest achievement.