and finally tonight it is with an incredibly heavy heart that we share this news our beloved friend and longtime Chief political correspondent Michael Aaron has died Michael dedicated his life to journalism and the pursuit of the truth spending four decades covering this state for public television he interviewed every New Jersey governor state supreme court Chief Justice and legislative leader during that time not to mention a few memorable presidential interviews anyone who had the honor of sitting with him was equally intimidated by his sharp questions and drawn in by his warmth charm and generosity in 2009 then Governor Corzine dubbed Michael Dean of the State House Press Corps he certainly is Michael could masterfully moderate debates break National political news or serve as a mentor to the youngest in the news room no job was too small for a man whose Legacy is so large earlier today just before our interview with Charlie Stile we were processing this news in real time together we thought we'd share some of that conversation and our memories hey Chaz saan hey pal how you doing I'm sorry I just heard some bad news I know that's why I needed a minute before coming on and I'm so sorry that's not a problem it's not a problem at all I had a feeling that was for your loss you guys were longtime friends we were yeah he's a mentor for all of us um well I was going to wait to tell you until after so that I could keep it together um but yes it's a it's a sad day well we will try to do this and talk about the US Senate race because that's what Michael would want absolutely he would be uh there with a notepad Linda Linda told me that um right up until the end he still would from 5 o'l until bed have his lineup of all of his you know news shows and then she would usually go and get ready for bed and he would say all right well now I have to turn on Fox to see what they're doing so um he still had his lineup every night you know current to the very last moment on every piece of news out there so isn't that fitting he he was also a great link to the old newsrooms of the past I don't remember um I think it was the first Menendez trial I go to the courthouse and we're all there with tape gadgets and everything he comes in there with a notepad and Pen like uh it was something off the front page you know old like a character yeah just yeah you needed you needed a fedora and a little press a real Sho leather reporter he was part of that tradition even though he was television I know well those were his roots still he was old school um but was not afraid to learn all the new technology I remember teaching him Twitter and how to do Facebook lives and he was like this is really cool you know he wasn't he could have he could have easily have said I yeah I'm not going to learn that or I don't want to do that but he never did he embraced it all so that was the cool thing about him um the thing I'm most indebted to him about though when I was starting out at the state house I didn't even to quote alio series I didn't know where the bathroom was and I wrote a couple you know stories for the Trenton Times about things are going on there was I don't think they were Earth shatter but then he calls me up to be on a show and I thought I was like asked to walk that I walked to down the the hallways of the pantheon to talk to the great Michael Aaron I was so afraid and it turns out he was such a gentle I know he was he knew I was nervous but he just gave me a wide birth and was very easygoing gave me the space to make a couple bumbles never once made me feel like I I had crashed and burned I'm I I'll never forget that I'll never forget that about him and I it was a real to generosity he was very humble the the first time I ever went to the state house was with him and Zack thinkink and Bo name yep and um that was when I realized and I knew Michael was a big deal I was I think I was like maybe 22 so it was you know like my first job and I knew he was a big deal but then you know like the trumpets start playing for him and the red carpets are rolled out and it was truly like everybody there was like Michael Michael like you were with royalty and I was like oh okay I get it yeah no he's a really big deal this is probably like 2008 or something like that um but yeah and he thought nothing of bringing me along I was like hey can I go with you today and he was like sure you know come along kid um he was very he was very generous that way and so unpretentious about it and he also he just understood everybody was every story is a new story and it's like you have to reset button and so you are on the same level as a rookie coming in covering that same story so he didn't he never so he understood that there was no sneering down at and anybody because we're all the same starting line you you have that clip so I'm sure you'll find that clip of him interviewing Bill Clint yes even people who agree with you and like what you're doing think that you change your positions too much I dis that I disagree with that I disagree with that I disagree with that I think that is press propaganda from people like you I def name me one American president while in office who ever took on the NRA when's the last time we lowered the deficit three times in a row who else ever tried to raise taxes as president to balance the budget name me one you can't that's just pure press propaganda with all du respect people do say that well if you tell them that enough they might there is an article I urge you to read it sir there's an article in the Washington monthly this week comparing my first two years to Harry Truman by a historian not a press person who says Clinton has taken on more tough battles W more been more consistent fought harder what's the difference the Press coverage good luck I hope you'll give the people in New Jersey a fair hearing I showed my family that one uh when I I that was one that's just a New Jersey Hall of Fame class you Al you know someday you should have a little display with Michael Aaron in the New Jersey Hall of Fame and that on a video and one of those video stands where it's played on a loop that would be that would I would tend busloads of school kid see it that's American history right there American history it's more than just New Jersey history my heart goes out to all of you guys in there thanks Chaz