Posted on 06/06/2004 12:25:13 AM PDT by My Dog Likes Me
Essay by Dan Rather, read at the very end of a CBS News special report, on the evening of June 5, 2004.
--- "President Reagan led the West in a decisive hour of a long battle for the survival of Western culture, Western ideas and ideals.
He was a son of the West. Born in the American Mid-West, he grew to full manhood and died in its far West. All of his life, he favored the West Wind.
He dressed the part, acted it, spoke it, and lived it. The Reagan presidency began on the front steps of the Capitol. His inaugural ceremony the first in history facing West, toward the Mall and its monuments.
His letter of November 5, 1994, announcing his Alzheimers, poignant, yet devoid of self-pity, tells us he was once again looking West. But, Ronald Wilson Reagan also could not resist one more look back over his shoulder.
He now makes his final ride, confident in the knowledge that, as he wrote, "For America, there will always be a bright dawn ahead."
May we share his optimism. And may his steed hold steady as he completes his journey. We will think of him always, when the West Wind blows." -----
Rather is mentally unbalanced. I wouldn't be surprised to see him choking up during reports on tax policy or literacy programs.
There is an aspect of truth in what you reference, but in my opinion the spin in the major network's news delivery is almost exclusively anti-American. Fox may report the same negative stories, but the delivery from them is matter of fact, perhaps even expressing lamentations if those facts ran against conservatism. Rather's delivery for instance, would deliver that fact, but would also attach a negative connotation regarding U.S. policy, almost exclusively anti-conservative in it's scope.
The negative story does attract more attention. I do believe that FoxNews reports too little good news, but I do not see them in the same light at all.
When it comes to the evening network news, these men do not share our values. It's as if they were working for the old Pravda. I used to listen to English broadcast versions of Pravda. I used to listen to English versions of Cuban and other anti-Ameircan stations over shortwave radio. Our network evening news is an exact reproduction of what they used to do. I'll bet Radio Cuba and the network news today could be written by the same dopes.
I'll bet you remember Sam Donaldson's performances. I agree with your comments. Take a look at the Woodward and Berstein performances regarding Nixon v Clinton. Those two actually went on camera to state that Clinton's actions were very tame in relation to Nixon's. I actually try not to think of these two men. Two bigger propagandists this world has never seen!
I also suggest why are the commentator shows mostly about grinding the axe about the lack of positive stories rather than presenting positive stories. My guess is there's more audience reaction to grinding the axe than there's desire for positive stories, even among the faithful. Even Rush, Hannity, Medved, Michael Reagan, Hugh Hewitt, and on and on feature little if anything that's positive. It's most likely complaining about the lack of positive news. But then again, they present little if any themselves.
I hope you are wrong. Putting the tongue into the back of the cheek and slowly sliding it forward along the inside of the cheek is the actor's trick to keep from laughing. It really works.
I fullheartedly agree.
He wouldn't dream of missing this opportunity to get on camera and pull a Walter Cronkite moment.
Genuine tears? From Rather? Puhleeze.
Can you direct me to a post where someone said Rather taped his comments months ago? What kind of bizarre crap are you trying to project onto your "fellow Freepers"?
I agree. Now we'll see how GWB's outreach to the likes of Teddy K--that drove many a freeper 'round the bend--was indeed a wise move. The actual history of President Bush's interaction and words with and about his democrat foes belies this dem revision. Like Reagan's legacy, the truth about GWB's will rise above the partisan spin machine.
Not that we mustn't work to counter the lies, but we are witnessing how the cream rises to the top. The curdled musings of the likes of Lautenberg et al shall not win the day.
I saw him do the thing with his mouth at the end and it was very odd.
It's called fighting off tears! You guys -- all of you pissing on Rather -- just kill me. This was a beautiful moment. In seeking to diminish Rather, you just diminish yourselves.
Actually, I had always thought Iran-Contra was a clever strategy.
I saw him stick his tongue into his cheek. It was a very weird thing to see. I took it as Rather saying in his own little way that he was reading the words but "wink wink".
I don't like Rather, never have. But I was very very pleased with what he reading. Words that were written a long time ago by someone at CBS for the day Reagan died. You don't think they just slapped together their presentation on Reagan? It was designed long ago. I was impressed until his tongue in cheek thing.
Dan Rather has been a slug on TV for many years. And what? Do you think he's some great friend of Reagan? Friend of the family? Such that he's going to cry on camera? Have you even been in a TV studio? Been around broadcasting professionals? I have. They don't just start bawling. Not unless they want to. And the only time they do is to make themselves look better in some way.
I was making an observation about Dan Rather. I don't have to "diminish" Dan Rather. He does that well enough on his own. He's been such an ass in so many ways for such a long time if he did indeed get honestly choked up over Reagan's death so what?
I caught a glimpse of Cronkite on Larry King last night and turned him off. Maybe they'd been on a while -- long enough to say everything laudatory they could think of. But Cronkite was whining about Grenada and Iran/contra, so I gave him the hook and went on to Fox.
If Reagan had provided anything substantive, balance of power wise to Iran, I would have disagreed with you. Facts being what they are, you're right on target as far as I am concerned. I do not see this as a violation of the Boland ammendment. Frankly I think it really tweaks the communist sympathizers in this nation that they didn't think of this loophole.
I don't like the ends justifies the means arguement aspects of what I'm going to say here, but the fact is, Reagan is responsible for rescuing Nicaragua and El Salvador from the grasp of communism. The fact that Reagan would have to execute an end-run on Congress to do this say's volumes.
In no small measure, Congress tried to use the same tactics on Reagan that they used on Nixon, defunding. Boy how they squealed when it didn't work. Most excellent Garth!
Tom Brokaw also remembered Reagan very favorably. It was as the media are now confessing what they refused to acknowlege while he lived... Reagan won the cold war, his economic policies worked, and the world was better off for our strength. God Bless this special man of liberty.
Ronald Reagan was sooo beloved by the people of The USA and the world it is probable very hard for the three stooges to say any thing bad about him without getting tons of critizism.
Dear God, Where you been DoughtyOne? Ever heard of FoxNew? You can truly be Free-at-last of the three socialist idiots. Your fingers need not ever go to those commie stations.
Join us where most freepers hang out... FoxNEWS and all the foxy ladies and men. :-)
Relief is only a flip of the switch away. We promise to relieve you of headaches, heartaches, socialists enmasse, and we will actually put a smile on your face, now and then. We might actually get you shaking your head "YES" as you listen to Brit Hume, and other conservatives. :-)
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