For nearly 17 years, the spot opposite Tim Russert on NBC's Meet the Press was the hottest seat in politics. Trained as a lawyer, Russert brought a flair of cross-examination to his interviews. Following his sudden death at age 58, TIME revisits Russert's knack for making Washington's coolest customers squirm.
December 16, 2007: Meet the Press
Russert asks Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney to explain why he had said in 1994, "I don't line up with the NRA," but then signed up for a lifetime membership to the National Rifle Association once he started his presidential bid.
