[Virginia]

Was this a joke? Did he smile when he said it?

[SWake]

He was uh-ing and ah-ing so much, I couldn't tell if he may have chuckled in the middle of the quote, but he seemed to be serious. I recorded the hour, so I've run it back and written what I heard him say.

Cronkite: I'm a little inclined to think that Karl Rove the a uh the political manager at the White House who is a very clever man ah he probably set up ah up heh bin Laden to this thing. The advantage to the Republican side is to get rid of as a principal subject of the of the campaigns might now get rid of the whole problem of the Al QaQaa dump the uh explosive dump. Uh right now that the last couple of days is uh uh I think upsets the uh Republican campaign.

King then asks when Cronkite thinks the election will be wrapped up. Cronkite thinks it will not be decided until spring (!).

King: Whose to blame for this?

Cronkite: Who is to blame is the intensity of this campaign plus the uh the fact that we have a uh purpose to this in the 60 uh in the last campaign in what year was that now?

King: 2000.

Cronkite: 2000, thank you.

I kid you not...