"James Hohmann"- David S. Broder, dean of political writers, dies at 81
March 10, 2011 Wednesday March 9, 2011
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/50962.html
David S. Broder, The Washington Post reporter and columnist long known as the dean of American political writers, died Wednesday of complications resulting from diabetes. He was 81.
Despite years of health problems, Broder had continued to write columns for the paper until last month. He died in Arlington, Va., surrounded by family.
He came to The Post in 1966 from The New York Times and soon became one of the paper’s biggest stars. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for his coverage of Watergate.
Broder’s hiring “marked the beginning of the Post’s evolution into a great newspaper,” Post publisher Katharine Weymouth said in an email to staff.
“Whether in the cafeteria or at the National desk, he wanted always to hear what his colleagues were hearing,” said the note, which was also signed by executive editor Marcus Brauchli and editorial page editor Fred Hiatt. “At the same time, he was as generous with the tidbits he had picked up as he was with his praise, suggestions and encouragement. He will be greatly missed; he certainly can never be replaced.”
Broder was legendary for his indefagitable reporting and for identifying and shaping the political narrative - and for the incisive columns he wrote until his death.
“David’s integrity, fairness, wisdom and curiosity served as a model for us all” Weymouth and her colleagues said in their email. “But in the newsroom, just as on his dogged reporting trips around the country, David always behaved as though he had more to learn than to teach.”
In a statement released after his death, Broder’s family reflected on his long career.
“David spent his professional life with political leaders at all levels of society, from precinct captains to Presidents, on Capitol Hill, and in State Houses and City Halls in all fifty states. His greatest admiration and respect were always for the voters themselves, who would answer a knock on their door, let him into their homes, and share their observations on the issues of the day. Their passion for this country and its possibilities mirrored his own. To the countless thousands who, since 1953, inspired his curiosity and informed his reporting, we offer our thanks.”
The family said a memorial service is planned for this spring in Washington.