Tim Russert was a television journalist who moderated NBC’s Meet the Press for more than 16 years, the longest-running stint in the show’s history. He was a senior vice president at NBC News, served as the Washington bureau chief, and hosted a CNBC/MSNBC weekend interview program. His coverage of the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections was well respected, as he correctly predicted that the Electoral College outcome would hinge on the states of Florida and Ohio, respectively. Prior to hosting Meet the Press, he worked as special counsel and chief of staff to U.S. Senator Daniel Moynihan from New York and later became the counsel to New York Governor Mario Cuomo. Time magazine included Russert in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2008