RNC, DNC remember Russert as a "giant of American journalism" who had bipartisan respect

The heads of both the Republican and Democratic parties have chimed in on the shocking and untimely death of Tim Russert, moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press." Russert, the network's Washington bureau chief, died at work today of an apparent heart attack. He was 58.

Republican National Committee Chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan:

"On behalf of the members and staff of the Republican Party, I extend our thoughts and prayers to the family and colleagues of Tim Russert. His sudden death is a loss that will be felt throughout the journalism and political worlds. His reputation for fairness, accuracy and hard work earned him bipartisan respect. He will be missed."

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean:

"Today we lost one of the true giants of American journalism and a tremendous public servant. Tim Russert will be remembered for many things. A committed family man, devout Catholic, devout sports fan, author, mentor. A tough interviewer, Tim delivered the news with authority, in a plain-spoken way that made the great issues of our day accessible to everyone. His love of politics and our country came through in his relentless pursuit of the truth and in the quality of his work as a journalist. On this sad day, our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones."