Amazingly that statement was not Madison Avenue hype when it came to Walter Cronkite. Today if someone said that about Katie Couric or Brian Williams it would be a stretch. A trusted voice in America, sure. THE trusted person in America? Not so much.

Walter Cronkite really was above the rest and it wasn't by accident. He was what his PR said he was; professional, fair, intelligent, balanced, objective, respected. Trusted.

A reader of my blog, pointed out that Tim Russert may have come closest to filling Cronkite's shoes. One was taken from us in the prime of life, the other in it's fullness and yet there are similarities. Western New Yorkers take pride in Tim Russert, not just because he was born and bred here, but because what you saw was what you got and what you got was a class act.

Both were hard working professional who respected the responsibilities of the fourth estate, delivering the news and by doing so keeping our government accountable. And somehow they appeared to keep their egos in line by remembering their roots and their humanity.

Cronkite and Russert helped define professionalism, not just for journalists, but for professionals of all stripes. Can you imagine Walter Cronkite loudly interrupting a guest the way Bill O'Reilly does? Or Tim Russert lecture viewers with a condescending smirk the way Keith Olbermann does? No way. They were both straight up guys who treated you like grown ups and believed that the unpolished facts were all you needed to develop your own opinion.

Like so pitifully few in television journalism today, they earned our respect and trust and rarely let us down.

To me Cronkite was of my father's generation. Russert was of mine.

Russert probably watched Cronkite as a kid. Didn't we all? Those of us born in the late 40's and 50's, yes, I'm talking about baby boomers here, we all grew up with Cronkite in our living rooms, as dependable as bed time at 8 and baths on Saturdays. I imagine Russert did too.

Back in the day, television united us no matter where we lived. The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show, watching Roger and Hammerstein's Cinderella (the one with Leslie Ann Warren) or the first episode of Roots. I grew up in Kansas. You may have grown up in Manhattan, Virginia, California or South Buffalo, it doesn't matter. If you're of a certain age, we have these common memories, the sounds of them, the sights, the emotions.

One of my earliest memories is watching President Kennedy speak about the missile standoff with Cuba. I don't know how old I was. I just remember sitting on the floor between the TV and where my parents sat. They looked like solemn giants. I had no idea what was going on -- just that it was serious. A year later it was Kennedy's assassination, the funeral and tears. Throughout all of it was Walter Cronkite's comforting voice. His dispassion was not perceived as unfeeling. I don't know how he pulled it off. Training? Character? Belief in the principle of objectivity in reporting? He was all that rolled into one with a good dose of hard work and compassion.

Tim Russert, did well living up to these principles, but being from a different era and more interviewer than straight on reporter, he could sometimes revel a bit too much in the gotcha-aren't I clever' moment. But we're not all perfect. Not even Cronkite, although it's harder for me to see his faults through the haze of nostalgia.

You've got to hand it to both of them. They worked as hard as three people, believed in what they did as a public service and obviously loved their jobs. When you see the clips of Cronkite reporting on the moon landing laughing like a kid, or Tim Russert holding up his white board with that twinkle in his eyes, they were both clearly saying

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world."

Listener-Commentator Elvira Aletta is a clinical psychologist in Amherst. Look for her blog at ewnblog.com. © Copyright 2010, WBFO