About a week before my chance to meet Tim Russert, Colin McEnroe, undoubtedly one of the coolest journalists in CT, writes this absolutely brutal examination of Russert's methods.

The whole article is worth reading, but here's the best part:

In his own trial testimony, Russert explained his own unique approach to the concept of "off the record" conversations with public officials. Russert said public officials do not have to ask to go off the record with him. They are always presumptively off the record. Then, if he wants to get them on the record, he revisits the point and asks them to go public.

...

But Russert's policy is one of his own invention, and it's the kind of policy you'd have if you prized your cozy relationship with powerful people more highly than you prized your role as a reporter.

Russert's off-the-record policy is the opposite of journalism. It's really that simple.