Washington Post columnist David Broder dies at 81

Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist David Broder, widely regarded as the dean of the Washington press corps, died Wednesday of complications from diabetes. He was 81.

The Washington Post described Broder as "one of the most respected writers on national politics" during his more than four decades with the newspaper.

Remarkably, Broder covered every presidential election since 1956, and despite health problems, continued to report from the campaign trail in 2008.

President Obama, in a statement, called Broder "a true giant of journalism" who "built a well-deserved reputation as the most respected and incisive political commentator of his generation."

In addition to news articles and columns spanning more than a half century, Broder was also one of the most recognized political commentators on television. He's been the most frequent guest NBC's "Meet the Press," racking up over 400 appearances.

On Wednesday, several of Broder's colleagues in the press corps were quick to note his lasting legacy of political reporting.

"David Broder was the best political reporter of his or any other generation," wrote the Post's Dan Balz. "He defined the beat as it had not been defined before. He spent a lifetime instructing succeeding generations of reporters—never by dictate but always by example."

"It's a loss for the Washington Post, obviously," said Post reporter Chris Cillizza on MSNBC. "It's a loss for journalism more broadly."

Andrea Mitchell, on MSNBC shortly after news broke, said that a speech Broder gave in 1968 inspired her to cover politics "just like the guys did." She's not the only NBC political reporter influenced by the late columnist.

NBC's Chuck Todd said Broder didn't take sides politically throughout his career and still "believed in the best of what the political system had to offer so, and in that sense, that's why he served as inspiration to myself."

Indeed, Broder was seen as a fair arbiter on Capitol Hill and his writing expressed strong belief in the political system. (His critics contend he cared too much for procedural matters or subscribed to Washington conventional wisdom.) Although Broder didn't indulge in fiery partisan rhetoric, he could become animated when it came to discussing leaders he felt were obstructing the political process.

The last time I spoke to Broder, he was involved in a spat with former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Broder didn't like the way Reid ran the Senate, and in a 2009 interview, the late columnist rattled off several past Senate leaders--both Republican and Democratic--who he respected more than Reid.

"Maybe I have an idealized view of what a Senate leader ought to be," Broder said. "But I've seen the Senate when a leader could lift it to those heights."

(Photo of Broder with CNBC's Erin Burnett on NBC's "Meet the Press" on August 10, 2008: Alex Wong/Getty Images for Meet the Press)