I’m a little behind the eight ball on this one because this is the first I’ve been able to get to a computer and do some blogging. So most of you will already know that Meet the Press moderator Tim Russert has passed away at 58.

This is an awful tragedy and a great loss to the media world. Tim seemed to me a principled, honest man — and one of the few journalists that worked in the mainstream media that I can say was a fair and balanced journalist.

David Brody writes poignantly:

Tim Russert was a principled, fair, honest and decent man.

He gave me an opportunity of a lifetime to be a regular panelist on Meet the Press in the last year — and for that, I am forever grateful. The fact that he decided to make this correspondent a regular says more about Tim Russert than it does about me. What it says is that Tim Russert is always looking for a wide range of analysis from all across the political spectrum.

The one thing you could always count on from Tim Russert is that he was fair. NBC News lost a political heavyweight and a dear family member today. The political world lost one of the most respected names in the business.

My best memories of Tim Russert were when the show was over.

If you thought the round table discussions on the air were interesting, you should have heard what talked about off the air. He had a knack for telling great stories about his beloved father Big Russ and all of the political heavyweights he had met in his life. I sat on the Meet the Press roundtable and soaked it all in like a sponge. To be in his company was an honor and privilege.

Hot Air has the video of Tom Brokaw announcing Tim’s passing:

Rush Limbaugh had some high praise for Tim:

“It’s just a shame,” Limbaugh told your Radio Equalizer just moments ago. “Tim was a regular guy with that perpetual smile he wore naturally all the time. He loved life and got everything he could out of it.

“He was the closest thing there was at any of the networks to an objective journalist.

“Whether it was at dinner here in Florida while his son was taking golf lessons, or on the set of Meet The Press, Tim was always the same with me: genuine. He never condescended to anyone and was the consummate professional. He will be hard to replace,” Limbaugh added.

I know how hard it is to lose a family member. My heart goes out to his father, his wife, and his son, as well as all those who have had the privilege of knowing and loving him personally. My thoughts and prayers will be with them.

Tim Russert, R.I.P.