Capital Gains and Games

I only met Tim Russert once, but I came away impressed in a town where chance meetings with celebrities often yield the opposite result.

We happened to be in line together at the Catholic University gym one Saturday morning years ago for Little League tryouts for his son, Luke, and my stepson, Morgan.  My first thought was to give him a moment's peace, but other dads came up and talked to him, so I got involved too.  I don't remember what we talked about, but it wasn't about politics or issues.  He was ordinary -- without any of the usual Washington affectations of poorly hidden power.  I do remember how happy he was and how happy he was to be there with his son.  Luke obviously felt great that his dad was there for him.  I've met too many other Washington celebrity sons who rarely saw their dads and who fell into trouble at school and with drugs -- one even committed suicide.

This weekend, when I first heard the news about Tim Russert's untimely death, my first thought was to feel bad for Luke to lose his dad so young, but then I thought how fortunate he was to have such a happy and loving dad.