“I was deeply saddened to hear today that NBC News’ Washington Bureau Chief Tim Russert had passed away.   Tim Russert was a consummate professional.  Every Sunday, millions of viewers counted on Tim to cut through the clutter, to ask tough questions with even-handed fairness, and to elicit answers from key officials on the important issues that confront our nation.   His death is an enormous loss for American journalism and for the civil, yet direct, discourse that is so important to our democracy.  Today, my thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Maureen, and his son, Luke, and his family and many, many friends across the nation.”