Once a month, Tim Russert, managing editor and moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press," reads an interview he conducted with Vice President Dick Cheney the Sunday before the country went to war in Iraq.

Russert asked him if there would be a protracted insurrection from Iraqis opposed to an occupation. The vice president said no, the U.S. would be viewed as a liberator. Russert asked about the projections for the number of troops necessary, and Cheney said they were wildly exaggerated.

Today, Russert fields questions about the war in Iraq more than any other, he told an audience Sunday night at the Fred Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.

"I think we are at a critical juncture," Russert said, adding later, "More and more, I see the patience ending with the public."

Russert, who took over the "Meet the Press" position in 1991, said Democrats and Republicans need to find common ground when it comes to Iraq and must find a "common solution in their best interest and our best interest as well."

Russert's speech marked the culmination of the 2006-07 Distinguished Speakers Series at the Civic Arts Plaza. Previous speakers this season included retired Army Gen. Tommy Franks and actor Robert Redford.

"I find him interesting," Judy McLaughlin of Simi Valley said of Russert, who is the author of two New York Times best sellers, before the speech. "He's pleasant. He gets to the point. He doesn't play with the people he interviews. He asks his questions and gives them time to answer."

At a reception for Russert earlier in the evening, Patricia Jones, president and executive director of the Alliance for the Arts, the official nonprofit fundraising arm of the Civic Arts Plaza, said she found that Russert resonates with her and the American public.

"I don't like junk. I like real journalism," Jones said.

Russert's show has become the most-watched Sunday morning interview program in the country, according to NBC.

Taking questions from those at the reception, Russert addressed the situation involving Don Imus, the national radio talk show host who was fired last week after making racial comments about members of the Rutgers University women's basketball team. Russert, along with many politicians and prominent journalists, had appeared on Imus' show.

Russert said he believed that the situation would have a lasting impact beyond radio shows and cable news.

He reiterated a point he had made earlier in the day on "Meet the Press," questioning whether it was appropriate for rappers and hip-hop performers who use the same language to raise money and be courted by some of the same politicians who have condemned Imus.

"I think we could all learn from it," Russert said.

He was greeted with extended applause when he stepped to the podium in the theater. With three quick anecdotes, he elicited hearty laughter from the crowd before taking on the issue of Iraq.

His speech extended past the deadline for this edition.

Fast facts

- Author of two New York Times best-sellers.

- Credited by the Washington Post with coining the phrases "red state" and "blue state."

- Inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame.

- Married to Maureen Orth, a writer for Vanity Fair. Father of one son, Luke.

Source: MSNBC.com