PEOPLE MAGAZINE:
In a statement detailing autopsy results, Dr. Michael Newman said his famous patient had passed a stress test on April 29 and had even worked out on a treadmill the morning of his death.
"Russert, age 58, was known to have asymptomatic coronary
artery disease (atherosclerosis), which resulted in hardening of his coronary arteries," Newman said. "The autopsy revealed an enlarged heart and significant
atherosclerosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery with (a) fresh clot which caused a heart attack resulting in a fatal ventricular arrhythmia."
Russert's stress test on April 29 was "normal," Newman said. "At a high level of exercise he had no symptoms," Newman said, adding that his blood pressure and cholesterol were "well-controlled."
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20206807,00.html
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President Bush
On Saturday morning, President Bush said he was privileged to have been interviewed by Russert.
"America lost a really fine citizen yesterday when Tim Russert passed away. I've had the privilege of being interviewed by Tim Russert. I found him to be a hard working, thorough decent man. And Tim Russert, you know, loved his country, he loved his family, he loved his job a lot."
http://www.necn.com/Boston/Nation/Bush-comments-on-loss-of-Tim-Russert/1...
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Senator Obama
Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama said he was "grief-stricken" over the news when he spoke to reporters on his plane just before he left Columbus, Ohio.
Obama said he had known Russert since Obama's speech to the Democratic National Convention in 2004 in Boston.
"I considered him not only a journalist but a friend," Obama said. "There wasn't a better interviewer on television, a more thoughtful analysts about politics." He was "one of the finest men I know," said Obama. "I am grief-stricken with loss and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family."
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=93685&provider=top
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The Clintons
Former President Clinton and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton released the following statement about Russert's death:
"We were stunned and deeply saddened to hear of the passing today of Tim Russert. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Maureen, his son Luke, his father who we all have come to know as Big Russ, his extended family and all of his many friends and colleagues at NBC who have suffered a tremendous loss. Always true to his proud Buffalo roots, Tim had a love of public service and a dedication to journalism that rightfully earned him the respect and admiration of not only his colleagues but also those of us who had the privilege to go toe to toe with him. In seeking answers to tough questions, he helped inform the American people and make our democracy stronger. We join his friends, fans and loved ones in mourning his loss and celebrating his remarkable contribution to our nation. "
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=93685&provider=top
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Judy Woodruff
"He was made for Washington because he lived and breathed politics," said Judy Woodruff, a former NBC correspondent now with PBS. But more than that, she said, he was remarkably empathetic. "When our son was sick about 10 years ago, he was right there, calling, coming over, bringing him back gifts from trips."
Russert's Doctor
Russert's internist, Michael Newman, told MSNBC that an autopsy showed the journalist had an enlarged heart and that cholesterol plaque ruptured an artery, causing coronary thrombosis. He said Russert had been diagnosed earlier with coronary artery disease but that it was controlled with medication and exercise and Russert had performed well on a stress test in late April.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_9582417?source=most_viewed