Obama, McCain hug at Russert funeral.

Tim Russert’s private funeral service at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington’s Georgetown on Wednesday morning literally brought together the Democratic and Republican presumptive presidential nominees, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Az.). They sat together at the request of the Russert family and at the conclusion of the funeral I was told by someone who was there, the two men hugged.

I was honored to be invited to the memorial service for Russert in the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall on Wednesday afternoon. The details of the wonderful speeches by Tom Brokaw, Betsy Fischer, Sister Lucille Socciarelli, Al Hunt, Mario Cuomo, Mike Barnicle, Maria Shriver, Brian Williams, Doris Kearns Goodwin and Luke Russert are the subject of many stories elsewhere. Here’s more.

Sitting in the service off to a side, I realized what a special event I was at by the people who I took in with one glance. Enough newsmakers for years of “Meet the Press.”

Just a bit in front of my sightline was Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, sitting next to former President Bill Clinton, who was next to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) who was next to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who served in the Clinton White House.

Source: blogs.suntimes.com via politisite