There have to be other lawyers in Washington besides Robert B. Barnett, but lately it would seem that Barnett is getting all the work.

As the presidential primaries dragged to a close, Republicans and Democrats alike agreed that there was at least one winner, Chuck Todd of NBC News and MSNBC.

The network that gave Tim Russert his start in life was called “The Seminar” by those who graduated from it.

The tributes to Timothy J. Russert, the host of NBC’s Meet the Press who died Friday, have been heartfelt, moving and bipartisan. Often, too, they have contained surprises.

Tim Russert, the host of “Meet the Press,” whose tough grilling of politicians became a gold standard for American journalism, died today of an apparent heart attack. He was 58.

Two seasons have collided - the endless season of the presidential campaign and the shorter season of the baseball playoffs.

This means that presidential candidates have been showing up at the playoffs, most especially Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani, who was there front and center to see his beloved New York Yankees exit the playoffs in the first round.

These sporting appearances make sense. The politicos get a little TV airtime away from the coffee shops of New Hampshire and Iowa. And they associate themselves with a game that’s American as apple pie and steroids. (OK. They don’t stress the steroids.)

But there can be risks to rooting for a team, as it inevitably means rooting against another team. Giuliani have picked up some votes in New York, but the inhabitants of Red Sox Nation might not be able to forgive his connection to, in their opinions, an evil empire.