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Dan Rather Chokes Up as He Recites John Denver Lyrics
MRC ^ | Wednesday July 23, 2003 | BrentBaker

Posted on 07/23/2003 5:56:10 AM PDT by fight_truth_decay

John Denver’s lyrics nearly moved Dan Rather to tears. Shortly after ex-POW Jessica Lynch addressed the media inside a tent in Wirt County, West Virginia, a homecoming covered live by all the networks on Tuesday afternoon, Rather displayed both his middle American, homespun patriotic values of paying tribute to those felled in war as well as the goofiness and excessive emotionalism which fuels ridicule of him.

At about 2:50pm EDT, Rather reminded his viewers that, in the incident in which Lynch landed in enemy hands, “eleven U.S. soldiers were killed,” and so he asked that viewers “pause for a moment to absorb that and to remember them.”

But then he overshadowed his tribute by choking up as he read lines from a John Denver song. “Almost heaven West Virginia. Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River,” Rather recited as his voice choked. Then he barely got out these words as his voice broke up, his eyes teared-up and his lips quivered: “And today those country roads took PFC Jessica Lynch home."

Hey, she didn’t die. She’s alive, yet Rather was very near all-out weeping.

A complete rundown of Rather’s words when he wrapped up the July 22 CBS News Special Report from the anchor desk Manhattan, as taken down by MRC analyst Brian Boyd: "Two things we want to do quickly before returning you to our regular programming. One is to emphasize, as we mentioned coming on, that at the time Jessica Lynch was taken prisoner along with five other U.S. soldiers, eleven U.S. soldiers were killed. Pause for a moment to absorb that and to remember them.”

After two seconds, Rather continued: “And then while keeping in mind that Jessica Lynch said that she was quote, 'glad to be home' today and one can believe it, come to mind the songs, the song written by John Denver, 'Take Me Home Country Roads.’”

He began to choke up as he recited these lyrics, but recovered by the end: “Goes: 'Almost heaven West Virginia. Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River, life is old there, older than the trees, younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze. Country roads, take me home.'”

But then he experienced a relapse, barely getting these words out as his voice broke up, wetness appeared in his eyes and his lips quivered: “And today those country roads took PFC Jessica Lynch home."

This is a fresh Rather moment which is sure to become a classic, and so on Wednesday morning the MRC’s Tim Jones and Mez Djouadi will post a RealPlayer clip of the sequence laid out above. Check the posted version of this CyberAlert for the video.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; US: West Virginia
KEYWORDS: cbs; jessicalynch; johndenver; rather; ratingslow
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This is why Rather was REALLY crying !

CBS news chief stumped by newscast ratings dip

By LYNN ELBER
AP Television Writer
Wednesday, July 23

LOS ANGELES --
Network executives are trying to figure out why so few people are tuning in to the CBS Evening News.

CBS News President Andrew Heyward told a Monday meeting of the Television Critics Association that he's at a loss to say why the broadcast anchored by veteran newsman Dan Rather attracted its smallest average audience in at least 10 years earlier this month.

See: Story

Check the posted version of this CyberAlert for the video.

The video is not up yet as of this posting..check back.

1 posted on 07/23/2003 5:56:10 AM PDT by fight_truth_decay
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To: fight_truth_decay
Dan Blather lost his edge years ago...if he ever had one.
2 posted on 07/23/2003 6:01:16 AM PDT by sarasota
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To: fight_truth_decay
Looks like the Dan has mastered the art of crying on cue - yet another thing he learned from his favorite president. I'm guessing that he choked himself up by thinking about how Saddam's adorable little boys are now banging their 144 Helen Thomases.
3 posted on 07/23/2003 6:01:22 AM PDT by CFC__VRWC (Hippies. They want to save the earth, but all they do is smoke dope and smell bad.)
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To: fight_truth_decay
What a cornball.
4 posted on 07/23/2003 6:05:00 AM PDT by veronica (http://www.petitiononline.com/KN50711/petition.html - Confirm Daniel Pipes to USIP ......sign this!)
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To: fight_truth_decay
"And that's the way it is. I'm an idiot."


5 posted on 07/23/2003 6:07:46 AM PDT by TheGrimReaper (o)(o)
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To: fight_truth_decay
"Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye"
6 posted on 07/23/2003 6:08:08 AM PDT by Semper Paratus
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Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: sarasota
Dan is one brick short of a load-- that's his problem. His emotionalism is one of his stranger personality characteristics. He wasn't that way, as I recall, back when he was "the heir to Walter Cronkite." You're absolutely right-- he has no edge.
8 posted on 07/23/2003 6:08:39 AM PDT by Clara Lou
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To: GOPJ; Pharmboy; reformed_democrat; RatherBiased.com; nopardons; Tamsey; Miss Marple; SwatTeam; ...

This is the nascent Mainstream Media Shenanigans ping list. Please freepmail me to be added or dropped.
Please note this will likely become a high-volume list.
Also feel free to ping me if you come across a thread you would think worthy of the ping list. I can't catch them all!


9 posted on 07/23/2003 6:08:43 AM PDT by Timesink
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To: fight_truth_decay
I guess "Thank God, I'm A Country Boy!" didn't fit the occasion? Faaar out...
10 posted on 07/23/2003 6:09:25 AM PDT by Hatteras (The Thundering Herd Of Turtles ROCK!)
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To: CFC__VRWC
Totally agree. Rather is a pompous Anti-American windbag that is only trying to boost his sagging ratings and poor showing.

Given his penchant for this kind of crap, he only succeeds in cheapening the moment.

But, I can think of a song for Dan that is probably more appropriate.

"Hit the road, Jack...and don'tcha come back no more, no more, no more...Hit the road, Jack"

11 posted on 07/23/2003 6:09:48 AM PDT by el_texicano
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To: fight_truth_decay
Maybe he's crying because "Country Roads" reminds him of a very special West Virginia weekend spent with his true love...


12 posted on 07/23/2003 6:12:25 AM PDT by EllaMinnow
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To: Clara Lou
Cronkite cried when Kennedy was pronounced dead. Rather cries when he plays an old John Denver tune in "tribute" to Jessica. Time to hang up the microphone Danny boy.
13 posted on 07/23/2003 6:12:58 AM PDT by sarasota
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To: fight_truth_decay
I think Rather's gradual sink in the ratings have everything to do with the fact that the Democratic party is tanking, and it shows in Rather's somber attitude.

Even when just wanting to hear the news, people are subliminally affected by the enthusiasm or lack thereof. While the Fox set seems like a party, the lib media sets are funereal.

14 posted on 07/23/2003 6:13:00 AM PDT by wayoverontheright
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To: fight_truth_decay
It's just such a shame the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River are nowhere near Palestine, W.Va., but otherwise, it was a beautiful moment! *snif*!
15 posted on 07/23/2003 6:13:40 AM PDT by mountaineer
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To: veronica
What a cornball.

No doubt. I wonder if it's possible to choke to death on smarminess.

16 posted on 07/23/2003 6:14:10 AM PDT by nerdwithamachinegun (All generalizations are wrong.)
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To: fight_truth_decay
Was that what it was? I thought he had just forgotten the words ;)
17 posted on 07/23/2003 6:15:55 AM PDT by msdrby (Go Navy!)
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To: fight_truth_decay
Perhaps Dan dropping is acid again. LSD can cause bring about intense emotional swings and hallucinations.
18 posted on 07/23/2003 6:15:57 AM PDT by csvset
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Comment #19 Removed by Moderator

To: fight_truth_decay
He must have been thinking of the country roads in Cuba and got all choked up remembering his leg humping of Fidel.
20 posted on 07/23/2003 6:17:34 AM PDT by MissAmericanPie
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