Washington ( CNN ) -- Bruce Morton , a longtime CNN national correspondent , passed away Thursday at his Washington home at the age of 83 . Morton 's broadcast career stretched across 40 years , first at CBS , where he hosted the `` CBS Morning News '' among other things , then at CNN , where he was chief national correspondent before retiring in 2006 . After his last report for CNN , anchor Wolf Blitzer paid tribute to Morton by saying , `` One of our colleagues likes to say that if there were a journalist hall of fame , Bruce Morton certainly would be in it . '' Below is CNN Washington bureau chief and Senior Vice President Sam Feist 's note to the bureau on Morton 's passing : . ... I have sad news to report about a beloved member of the CNN family . Our long-time National Correspondent , Bruce Morton , passed away on Thursday . He was 83 . All of us who worked with Bruce knew him to be a reporter 's reporter ; a man who cared deeply about journalism , politics and people . Bruce could tell a story like no other , as he effortlessly weaved facts , emotion and history into every one of his news stories . A story about a Senate race might be full of references to Lyndon Johnson , Richard Russell , or even Daniel Webster . Bruce understood the importance of historical context . Without exception each of his stories was unique and brilliantly written . Simply put , Bruce was a modern day news poet . Hear Morton remember the legacy of Rosa Parks . Politics was Bruce 's specialty and he keenly understood that the actions of a lawmaker or a candidate could have profound consequences that might ripple across America , across the Globe . He attended virtually every political convention from 1960 through 2004 . He was a CBS News correspondent from 1964-1993 , and a CNN correspondent from 1993-2006 . While at CBS , beyond covering campaigns , he reported on everything from Vietnam to the deaths of MLK and RFK to Watergate . At CNN , Bruce was not only our National Correspondent , but he also delivered a weekly essay `` The Last Word '' on our Sunday program , `` Late Edition . '' That essay , in my opinion , was often the most brilliant two minutes on American television each week . He retired with shelves of Emmy Awards , a Polk Award , and a Peabody Award . Bruce was an original member of the famed `` Boys on the Bus , '' and could share campaign trail war stories with his colleagues and our viewers like nobody else . His daughter , Sarah Morton , told me that working and covering politics for CNN was one of Bruce 's great loves . I have missed Bruce Morton 's voice on our air these last few years . Now I 'll miss his emails and his remarkable blog postings , which he updated often . http : //brucemortonblog.blogspot.com/ . A few days ago , he wrote this about the midterm elections : . We have off-year elections this year . That means elections for the Senate -- a third of its hundred seats up for six year terms and all of the House 's 435 seats , for two year terms . The District of Columbia wo n't vote ; we have no representation in the Congress . In a lot of districts the issues will be local -- a bridge , an allegedly crooked pol . It will be harder , I think , for Republicans to make President Obama 's person or policies be issues because he and they have been moderate . I can remember when public anger was so strong here -- during the Vietnam War or the Nixon impeachment -- when perfect strangers would yell on the street at those of us who covered the news . There 's none of that now . It looks like a clean battle for November , followed by the big shootout two years later . When Bruce retired from CNN in 2006 , Wolf Blitzer ended his Situation Room broadcast by saying , `` Bruce brings something very special to television journalism , a truly unique voice , smart and wry , with a perspective you could only get by covering politics for five decades . '' `` One of our colleagues likes to say that if there were a journalist hall of fame , Bruce Morton would certainly be in it , '' Wolf said . Bruce Morton -- rest in peace dear friend . Your words and wisdom will be missed . Sam . People we 've lost in 2014 .
Bruce Morton 's broadcast career spanned more than 40 years , first at CBS , then CNN . He was the host of " 60 Minutes'from 1968 to 1975 and a regular contributor on other programs such as The Today Show, Good Morning America, 20/20 etc. Morton , 83 , passed away Thursday at his Washington home .