John Mashek, who has died at age 77, set himself apart from the journalistic pack by taking a deep and deliberative approach to the White House beat at U.S. News & World Report. I first encountered him as a student at the University of Texas at Austin, where John gave talks that, with dry humor, illustrated the practical dilemmas of reporting on national stories.  I later dealt with him in a professional capacity in Washington, D.C.  I wasn’t always pleased with John’s reporting, but I always came away knowing that he was fair and one of the best.