P. O. Box 2570
Austin, TX 78768
Phone: (512) 477-9001
Facsimile: (512) 857-0129
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Robin Rather Environmentalist |
Robin Rather has more than 20 years of experience in the high tech field as a senior executive at Mindwave Research, Reality Research, CMP Media (publishers of Information Week and Internet Week), IntelliQuest and International Data Corporation.
Robin also serves as an environmentalist and community activist. She is a Vice President of the Hill Country Conservancy, on the advisory board of Environmental Defense, and Director of Research and Communications for Liveable City. Previously she was elected three times as Chair of the Save our Springs Alliance.
Considers running for Mayor(Austin) http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A34557-2001Apr3
Rather Spoke at Democratic Fundraiser
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 4, 2001; Page A01
Dan Rather, the longest-serving and most outspoken of the major network news anchors, recently served as the star attraction at a Democratic Party fundraiser.
Donors paid as much as $1,000 for a private evening in Austin with the CBS newsman, according to an invitation obtained by The Washington Post. Rather's appearance at the March 21 gathering generated about $20,000 for the Travis County Democratic Party -- and will undoubtedly provide ammunition to critics who have long accused Rather of leaning to the left.
Rather said yesterday that he hadn't realized beforehand that the event was a fundraiser. "I didn't ask the question, and I should have," he said in an interview. "I take full responsibility for it. I'm responsible and I'm accountable."
But the Texas native stopped short of calling his appearance a mistake or saying he would not have attended had he known in advance that he was being used to raise money.
Acknowledging that he didn't want to sound like Al Gore at a Buddhist temple, Rather said: "When I got there, I was very aware that it was a fundraising event. I'm not going to say I had no idea what was going on. . . . If someone wants to fault me for that, I wouldn't blame them."
Rather said he agreed to discuss election coverage at the invitation of an old friend, Austin City Council member Will Wynn, who drew 150 people to the event in his back yard. He was not paid for his appearance. Other hosts included Scott Ozmun, the county Democratic chairman, and Robin Rather, the anchor's daughter and a Texas environmentalist and marketing executive.
The Austin American-Statesman said Robin Rather is considering a run for mayor and has been consulting with another host of the event, David Butts, a campaign adviser to Mayor Kirk Watson. The CBS veteran said he didn't know that his daughter was an official host. (Emphasis mine(end of snip))