Rather: Bush Story Didn't Affect Decision

[Khephra]

NEW YORK (AP) -- Dan Rather's remaining months spent on-air as leader of CBS News may be spent trying to ensure that his 42-year career there isn't defined by the network's report on President Bush's National Guard service.

Rather, 73, announced Tuesday he would step down in March as the anchor of the ``CBS Evening News'' after nearly a quarter-century in the job, and become a correspondent for both editions of ``60 Minutes.''

He said his decision had nothing to do with the independent investigation into the September National Guard story and took pains to separate the events by saying he and CBS management had periodically discussed his stepping down since 1999.

``I'd like to put some space between this decision and whatever the panel comes through with,'' Rather said in an interview.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-TV-Rather.html

[charlyvi]

1. Yeah. Sure. Okay.

And I'm the next Powerball winner.

[Ima]

3. He'd Rather not admit it.

[stevegrogan]

2. We Need This Guy

Rather is a committed democrat. I once had a ham salad lunch with his daughter, and she assured me he is on our side. I wish he could stick around. We need Dan Rather.

[BOSSHOG]

10. Wow, my ham sandwich once had lunch

with rush limbaugh's daughter and she swore he was totally committed to destroying the constitution of the United States. Some in this country wish rush would stick around. We need this guy.

[clydefrand]

4. I do hope he will continue to pursue the Bush AWOL/privilige

story. And I think he will. He looks like a man who NEEDS REVENGE! He'll go out on top after all, I predict!

[Liberty Belle]

6. He's a Texan, too...

So he probably knows just where to dig to find more dirt on Bush.

FYI, I sent CBS NEWS an e-mail tonight informing them how disgusted I was by their demotion of the only trustworthy news anchor left on network TV. "Look forward to losing viewers in droves," I added, "since viewers who don't wish to be brain-washed by right-wing propaganda will now turn off CBS News and log onto the Internet for in-depth, unbiased political news."

[drunkdriver-in-chief]

5. CBS could have easily defused memogate but didn't

All they had to do was point out that bush himself had used phony documents ( the uranium letters between niger and iraq) to get congressional approval for the invasion!!!! Ten times worse than what rather did and yet CBS never made the analogy. I still think CBS set up danny to be axed.

[annabanana]

7. They keep making it sound as if he's GOING somewhere.....

Leaving the anchor chair will actually give him more freedom to work on stories he's interested in for 60 Minutes. Since he'll no longer be the official "face" of CBS, he should be given a little more leeway. He's a straight shooter. I'm going to tell him to go have some fun for himself;

[email protected]

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Of course the * AWOL story didn't affect his decision.

I would guess that he had thought about stepping down long before this 'scandal'. For pete's sake, he's 73 years old!!

[Cha]

9. I believe Dan Rather..if he

says the bush AWOL story had nothing to do with his retirement then that's it.

One DUer pointed out that Dan has integrity and that may have something to do with his retiring from CBS.

I hope he writes a book.

The fascists are pushing the story that he quit because he knew he was wrong. Bullshit~

[OneMoreDemocrat]

11. I agree with you completely.............

it seemed to me that Rather had become increasingly uncomfortable with the state of 'journalism' of late and it doesn't surprise me at all that he would rather just get out of it then to become what everyone else seems to be becoming.

There was a panel on C-span with him, Jennings and Brokaw a few weeks ago, and he just seemed defeated somehow, like, as he was listening to the other two babble on and on about how they were 'responsible journalists' and how much credibility they had, he could no longer put up the same empty facade that they seemed to want to do.

[dbt]

12. I need convincing that Viacom's recent settlement with the FCC

over the Janet Jack$on "wardrobe malfunction" (in which the Radio division was thrown to the sharks while TV admitted no wrongdoing) did not somehow involve Rather stepping down.

The WhiteHaus has hated him since he got up in Nixxon's face back in '74, don't cha know. And how many of those last thirty years has the Presidency (upon which there truly is a cancer) been infested by Publicans?

:evilgrin:
dbt

[bobbieinok]

13. didn't Palast have an interview with him ?.... Rather said no

reporter could tell the truth in the US....they would be 'necklaced' (reference to method of killing in So Africa)