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NBC’s Luke Russert stepping out of his father’s shadow

avatar by Published Oct. 31, 2011 1:00 pm Updated Oct. 31, 2011 1:47 pm

The Buffalo News (via Playbook)
Jerry Zremski profiled NBC reporter Luke Russert, still best-known — but not for much longer, perhaps — as the son of legendary NBC political reporter Tim Russert.

The moment that boosted the 26-year-old Russert into the big-leagues: When he stood up to Rep. Anthony Weiner this past May. Here’s their exchange, as recounted by Zremski:

“But that’s not a picture of you?” the reporter asked.

“You know, I can’t say with certitude. My system was hacked, pictures can be manipulated, pictures can be dropped in and inserted….”

Despite detractors who claimed he was hired only because of his father, Russert has proven himself time and time again, Zremski writes.

“He’ll ask anybody anything,” said Jake Sherman, a close friend and colleague at Politico.

That’s a lesson he learned from his dad:

“The thing [my father] always used to say to me was learn as much as you can about the person and take the other side, which serves you quite well,” Russert said.

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  • http://twitter.com/StCyrlyMe2 Reda StCyr

    Plenty of folks can prove themselves if they were only given a chance This notion Luke has proven himself to be good at his job is true but don’t act like he would have been able to even do what he’s doing if not for dear old Dad
    That’s the problem in America today It’s never what you know but always who you know
    Ask Chelsey Clinton!

  • http://twitter.com/StCyrlyMe2 Reda StCyr

    Plenty of folks can prove themselves if they were only given a chance This notion Luke has proven himself to be good at his job is true but don’t act like he would have been able to even do what he’s doing if not for dear old Dad
    That’s the problem in America today It’s never what you know but always who you know
    Ask Chelsey Clinton!

  • m b

    his father was a fool and phony posing as a journalist that kept the secrets of the villagers as one of the paid off 
    enablers…

    given the source of the praise it just rings as phony log rolling…

  • Jay Schiavone

    This is a shameless puff-piece of unusual perfidy.  This kid is emblematic of just about all that is wrong with journalism today.  It’s probably worth recalling that Ll’l Luke’s dad was a “journalist” only is the loosest sense of the word: he began his career as a political operative, and never did any investigative work.  His mom is a celebrity “journalist.”  Young Russert is an amalgam of the worst characteristics of his parents.  The story that boosted him into the big leagues, as you put, is an example of the all that is wanton and trivial in today’s political reporting.  Luke Russert’s strong suit is his canny ability to regurgitate DC conventional wisdom, something all too common in his field. “He’ll ask anybody anything,” from Politico (natch) might suggest someone who is simply bombastic and oblivious.  Is he able to ask someone with useful information a pertinent question?  He has demonstrated no such ability.

  • http://www.jt10000.com John Forrest Tomlinson

    “‘The thing [my father] always used to say to me was learn as much as you can about the person and take the other side, which serves you quite well,’ Russert said.”

    “Take the other side?” Did Tim Russert ever actually do that? Maybe early in his career he did (I don’t know), but for the last few years his show was an outlet for people to come on an lie, and Russert to glare at them to make it look like he was asking hard questions, while giving them an outlet to deceive the public.