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Tuesday July 12, 2006

Tim Russert Shares The Wisdom Of Our Fathers

Meet The Press Host Examines The Relationships Between Fathers And Their Children In His New Best Seller

Tim Russert on the set of NBC's Meet The Press

By John Mooney

After the publication of his #1 New York Times best seller, BIG RUSS & ME, Tim Russert received nearly 60,000 letters and e-mails from readers. He read all of them. Most of the letters described a father's sacrifice, fortitude and perseverance. Not originally planning to do another book so soon, after reading those letters and e-mails, Russert realized he had no choice; many of the letters were unforgettable and deserved to be read by others. The result is yet another best seller for the NBC Meet The Press host: WISDOM OF OUR FATHERS: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons (Random House; $22.95).

The book is a compelling collection of letters from across the country that address the many aspects of fatherhood. In a time when dysfunctional families get the headlines, WISDOM OF OUR FATHERS celebrates dads and the important roles they play in the lives of their children.

"I knew early on I wanted to present a favorable picture of fathers - not because all fathers are good, which obviously isn't the case, but because there has been so much talk in recent years about bad parents. I was hoping to redress the imbalance," said Russert.

"Most of the fathers you'll read about in this book are not Superdads. They are, by and large, ordinary men with the normal distribution of human flaws and shortcomings, regular dads who try hard and sometimes succeed," Russert continued. "What you will read here are vivid accounts of their best moments."

The 56-year-old broadcast journalist published his first book, BIG RUSS & ME, in May 2004. The memoir celebrated the life lessons that his father taught him while growing up in a predominantly Irish Catholic neighborhood in Buffalo, NY. "Big Russ" was a World War II veteran and a larger-than-life character who held two jobs to make ends meet. He instilled in his son the importance of never taking a short cut to reach a goal, a strong sense of family values and a reverence of his faith.

The first-time author expected that the book would appeal primarily to readers in his hometown. He soon discovered, there were many "Big Russes" out there - good, industrious, patriotic men who had a lot in common with his dad, even if they didn't share his religion or heritage. By writing a book about his father, Russert affirmed not only his own dad's life, but also the lives of many other fathers.

Tim Russert is a graduate of John Carroll University and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Before joining NBC News, he was chief of staff to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan from 1977-82 and later served as counselor to Governor Mario Cuomo from 1983-84.

Russert took over as moderator of NBC's Meet the Press in December 1991. Since then, it has become the most watched and the most frequently quoted news show in America. Now in its 59th year, Meet the Press is also the longest-running program in the history of television. The host has interviewed every major figure on the American political scene. A die-hard fan of the NFL's Buffalo Bills, he usually closes each Sunday morning program during football season with words of encouragement for his favorite team.

Russert's son Luke, his father "Big Russ" and Tim Russert himself in a family photo

In addition to his duties on Meet The Press, Russert serves as NBC's Washington bureau chief and a political analyst for both NBC Nightly News and the Today Show. In 2000, he famously calculated possible Electoral College results on a chalkboard - a simple, yet effective, demonstration for which he credited his father, "Big Russ" - and accurately predicted that the election outcome would hinge on "Florida, Florida, Florida."

Russert lends the same keen insight he conveys as a TV newsman to his writing. Chapters are titled simply: Small Moments, Mr. Mom, Being There, Baseball, Missing Dads, The Survivor, and Father Knows Best. Some snippets:

About time

For about six months I read hundreds of e-mails and letters every day, but I can't recall a single one that said, 'My father gave me every material thing I wanted.' What we remember about our fathers has little or nothing to do with material objects. We remember the time they gave us.

What Rudy Giuliani learned from his father

I was amazed by his response: 'My father used to tell me that in times of crisis, when people are getting very emotional, and they're very upset and they're crying, the most important thing is to be helpful to them, and calm, and to actually become calmer when things around you are getting more and more out of control.' Rudy Giuliani certainly heard his father's voice on the day it mattered most: September 11, 2001.

Unusual, eccentric, and deeply flawed fathers

They include a man who played golf without ever buying a ball, an engineer who operated on the family cat (successfully), and a man who, when complimented on his two fine sons, liked to say, 'They were raised by wolves.'

On Materialism

Most of the sons and daughters in this chapter... grew up in a different era, when kids didn't feel any pressure to own hundred-dollar sneakers, personal computers, cell phones or iPods. What their dads gave them was a feeling of comfort and security, even when money was tight.

Discipline

One man wrote about getting in trouble as a teenager for being part of a group of kids with rifles in their car. The police took them down to the station, and when this man's father came to pick him up, he expected a long lecture. Instead, to his shock and dismay, his father told the police, 'Keep him.' He spent a day clearing brush on a road gang, and was never in trouble again. 'I figured that if my own dad wouldn't bail me out, nobody would, he writes. 'What a great lesson in being responsible for your actions.'

Protector

"Most kids probably have no idea how much their parents think about them, worry about them, and talk about them with each other, and it's probably best that way. Becoming a parent is the greatest moment in your life, but it's the last worry-free day you'll ever have."

"In the spring of 2004, I published a book about my father - about the lessons I have learned from him, the ways he has influenced me, and my enormous love and respect for this steady, hardworking and modest man," writes Russert, who is married to journalist Maureen Orth. "My dad reacted to my book by telling me flat out that he loved me... just a month later, in a very different way, so had my son."

The veteran journalist's son, Luke, now a Boston College student, had gotten a tattoo with the initials TJR, which belong both to Tim Russert and his dad, Big Russ.

"After I read your book," he said, "I wanted you and Grandpa to always be on my side." I collapsed into the chair - speechless - and then sobbed. Luke came over and wrapped his arms around me. Laughing and crying at the same time, I pledged never to complain about Luke's tattoo again. I was honored to be on his side... forever.

WISDOM OF OUR FATHERS is a fitting follow-up to Russert's marvelous first memoir. It's a perfect read for the beach - a book filled with heartfelt, engaging, and humorous memories that readers of BIG RUSS & ME shared with the author. The stories are of ordinary men whose children have recounted their best moments, their advice, tenderness, strength, discipline and occasionally, their eccentricity.