Media, political elite honor Russert

Memorial service offers final farewell

By WILLIAM TRIPLETT

Capping five days of seemingly nonstop coverage of the death of NBC's Tim Russert, members of the media and political elite - and at least one bona fide rock star - turned out in force for a final farewell to the "Meet the Press" moderator, who died last Friday of a heart attack.

As the roughly 90-minute memorial service came to an end, Bruce Springsteen appeared via videotape from Europe, where his band is currently on tour. Springsteen dedicated a solo acoustic rendition of "Thunder Road" to Russert, who was a huge fan and who tried repeatedly but unsuccessfully to get Springsteen on "Meet the Press."

The service comprised testimonials from 10 speakers - former "NBC Nightly News" anchor Tom Brokaw;"MTP" exec producer Betsy Fischer; Sister Lucille Socciarelli, who taught Russert in school; Bloomberg D.C. bureau chief Al Hunt; former New York governor Mario Cuomo; columnist Mike Barnicle; former NBC personality Maria Shriver; current "Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams; historian Doris Kearns Goodwin; and Russert's 22-year-old son, Luke.

Among the mourners: former presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton and her husband, the former president; former Fed chief Alan Greenspan and his wife, NBC correspondent Andrea Mitchell; CBS News anchor Katie Couric; NBC Universal topper Jeff Zucker; Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein; former Clinton administration secretary of state Madeleine Albright; Sen. Joe Lieberman; George Stevens Jr.; and former "Nightline" anchor Ted Koppel.

Though the several hundred in attendance mainly wore black and sat quietly before the service began, the mood quickly lightened when Brokaw, speaking first, set the tone:

"I want you to know at the outset that this is a celebration," he said. "And we're going to do it Irish style. There'll be some tears, some laughs, and the occasional truth."

Brokaw even made sport of the question that's been on everyone's mind:

"As Tim would look out on this gathering, he would say, 'It's wild! Wild!" My family, my closest friends from near and far, the powerful, the ordinary, and the largest contingent of all in this room, those who think that they should be his successor on 'Meet the Press.'"

Laughter erupted throughout the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, where the service was held. The other speakers shared similar memories and observations.