Although the network is smack in the middle of an exciting political year, NBC has decided against making rush decisions on its empty posts.

After Tim Russert’s passing last Friday, Tom Brokaw assumed the role of guest host on Meet the Press. Now the current anchor of Nightly News, Brian Williams, will have his turn this weekend. (He was only asked to do the job this Thursday.)

For now, it appears temporary substitutions are something we’ll have to get used to for the weeks to come. (The situation feels similar to when Roger Ebert first began his medical absence from Ebert & Roeper.)

The network knows Russert’s shoes - on the set and in the Washington bureau - will be hard to fill and it’s not a decision anyone wants to take lightly. As NBC News’ president (Steve Capus) put it, “Tim left us as he was at the top of his game. It took someone with Tim’s enormous skills and qualities as a human being to juggle all those things and do so brilliantly.”