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Rather Deserves Respect (LOL)
The Hollywoodreporter.com ^ | Nov. 30, 2004 | Ray Richmond

Posted on 11/30/2004 10:01:51 AM PST by Roberts

Rather deserves respect

By Ray Richmond There was a telling moment in a telephone interview I conducted with Dan Rather a little more than a year ago in conjunction with the 75th anniversary of CBS.

"I'm not a large part of the legacy (of CBS)," Rather offered. "But whatever part of it that I am and have been, I'm very proud of. At the same time, I'm humbled by the fact that I know that I'm undeserving. I know that I'm still working to be worthy of it."

Anyone who knew Rather will tell you this wasn't false modesty. He meant it. And so on the eve of the longtime "CBS Evening News" anchorman's announced departure from the chair he's occupied for nearly 24 years, it's unfortunate that the man who succeeded a legend named Walter Cronkite will leave with a taint firmly etched beside his name.

In the wake of the fiasco that found Rather initially defending the veracity of apparently forged documents used in a September "60 Minutes" report on President Bush's stint in the Texas Air National Guard in the early 1970s, Rather has been on borrowed time. That CBS News allowed Rather to exit the "Evening News" anchor chair on his own terms is appropriate.

It was a given that Rather had long since devolved into something of a jokey caricature, what with his homespun wisdom, his pomp-rich demeanor, his windbag-y tendencies and his overall weirdness.

Of course, the guy has always been a little bit out there. There was his decision to sign off his newscast with the word "Courage" for no apparent reason three times during a single week in 1985 as well as the bizarre 1986 incident in which Rather was roughed up by attackers who reportedly asked, "Kenneth, what is the frequency?" -- a line later immortalized in an R.E.M. tune.

It also didn't take much to prompt certain peculiarities to exit Rather's lips, such as during my interview with him last year.

Describing his love of CBS and CBS News, Rather observed in the interview last year: "In my mind and the minds of the people I work with, this is a magical, mystical kingdom -- our version of Camelot. And we feel we are working at a kind of roundtable of King Arthur proportions. Now, it may be that this kingdom exists only in our minds. But that makes it no less real for those of us who live it every day."

And then there was this: "Ed Murrow's ghost is here. I've seen him and talked to him on the third floor of this building many times late at night. And I can tell you that he's watching over us."

If Rather has been spending too much time of late yakking with the ghost of Murrow and too little confirming the veracity of his sources, maybe we need to cut the dude a little slack. He's earned the right to be eccentric by continuing the quest to be a real journalist when he didn't have to.

We forget that long before he became a right-wing punching bag, he was a true pioneer as an anchor who insisted on continuing to go out, get his hands dirty and report. There have been no ivory towers for Rather, who famously placed himself in harm's way in war zones and the path of hurricanes. And it wasn't just for the photo op.

When Rather assumed the anchor desk from Cronkite in March of 1981, Ronald Reagan had just begun his first term as president, and people still looked to the nightly network newscasts as almost public trusts. In the age of 24-hour cable news, they've been reduced to mere afterthoughts.

But as Rather prepares his final hurrah as the face of CBS News in March, we need to remember that this guy is a towering figure in the TV news pantheon and a man who's earned far more respect than he's getting.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bushhasser; crankycronkite; danrather; electionfraud; goebbelswouldbeproud; howtostealanelection; kneepadbrigade; leftistmccarthyism; lyingliar; mediabias; ratherbetrayedusa; ratherbiased; rathergate; waltercronkite; zogbyism
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"Ed Murrow's ghost is here. I've seen him and talked to him on the third floor of this building many times late at night.

Kenneth needs to retire.

1 posted on 11/30/2004 10:01:51 AM PST by Roberts
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To: Roberts
He's getting as much as he deserves.
2 posted on 11/30/2004 10:03:14 AM PST by atomicpossum (I am the Cat that walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.)
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To: Roberts

"But as Rather prepares his final hurrah as the face of CBS News in March, we need to remember that this guy is a towering figure in the TV news pantheon and a man who's earned far more respect than he's getting."


Lets ask Richard Nixon how he feels about that.


3 posted on 11/30/2004 10:04:06 AM PST by cripplecreek (I come swinging the olive branch of peace.)
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To: Roberts

I don't think Otis Redding had Dan Rather in mind when he wrote "Respect".


4 posted on 11/30/2004 10:05:05 AM PST by Reagan Man ("America has spoken")
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To: Roberts

Rather deserves nothing but our complete disdain and disgust. Same goes for all elitist liberals wherever they may be found.


5 posted on 11/30/2004 10:05:43 AM PST by el_texicano (Liberals are the real Mind-Numbed Robots - No Brains, No Guts, No Character...Just hate)
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To: Reagan Man
Of course, the guy has always been a little bit out there. There was his decision to sign off his newscast with the word "Courage" for no apparent reason three times during a single week in 1985 as well as the bizarre 1986 incident in which Rather was roughed up by attackers who reportedly asked, "Kenneth, what is the frequency?" -- a line later immortalized in an R.E.M. tune. A little bit out there? This guy is a kook with a national camera and microphone.
6 posted on 11/30/2004 10:06:57 AM PST by Roberts
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To: Roberts

blather needs a kick in the butt and don't let the door hit you on the way out, see yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


7 posted on 11/30/2004 10:08:28 AM PST by rockabyebaby (What goes around, comes around!)
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To: Roberts
Lemme see now. How 'bout we pick through this for an appropriate sound bite.

...I know that I'm undeserving.

...That should do it. Straight from the mouth of Dan Rather, master of the selective quote.

(Turnabout is fair play, Mr. Rather.)

8 posted on 11/30/2004 10:08:36 AM PST by EternalHope (Boycott everything French forever. Including their vassal nations.)
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To: Roberts
Rather deserves respect

How about Bush? He doesn't deserve any? Rather reported blatently untrue statements aimed at demeaning the President and destroying his reputation. It's almost like a doctor getting drunk before an operation -- although in that case the doctor is just being irresponsible not malicious.

9 posted on 11/30/2004 10:08:47 AM PST by Tribune7
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To: Roberts

I love that quote. If Ed Murrow's ghost was on the third floor of the CBS building, it would had punched Rather's lights out far better than the 'Kenneth' clowns.


10 posted on 11/30/2004 10:09:33 AM PST by xJones
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To: cripplecreek
Lets ask Richard Nixon how he feels about that.

Certainly a nominee for the "gets less respect than he deserves" award.

11 posted on 11/30/2004 10:09:44 AM PST by TChris (You keep using that word. I don't think it means what yHello, I'm a TAGLINE vir)
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To: Timesink; martin_fierro; reformed_democrat; Loyalist; =Intervention=; PianoMan; GOPJ; ...
In the wake of the fiasco that found Rather initially defending the veracity of apparently forged documents used in a September "60 Minutes" report on President Bush's stint in the Texas Air National Guard in the early 1970s, Rather has been on borrowed time. That CBS News allowed Rather to exit the "Evening News" anchor chair on his own terms is appropriate.

Actually it is indicative of why we should continue to boycott Viacom (SeeBS, Paramount, Infinity Radio, MTV, Nickelodeon, TV Land, et al...). They made an error in judgement in permitting that partisan hack to try to smear President Bush (and FReepers) during the waning days of the election. The woman who interrupted CSI to report on Arafat's death (truthful reporting, if ill timed) was shown the door.

12 posted on 11/30/2004 10:11:58 AM PST by weegee (WE FOUGHT ZOGBYISM November 2, 2004 - 60 Million Voters versus 60 Minutes - BUSH WINS!!!)
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To: TChris

Tome Brokaw made some comment about Not judging Rather based on one event in his career. It just displays the blatant double standard of these people.


13 posted on 11/30/2004 10:12:30 AM PST by cripplecreek (I come swinging the olive branch of peace.)
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To: TChris
" I'm humbled by the fact that I know that I'm undeserving. I know that I'm still working to be worthy of it." Anyone who knew Rather will tell you this wasn't false modesty. He meant it"

For once, Rather was right.

14 posted on 11/30/2004 10:14:24 AM PST by YaYa123 (@Unworthy.com)
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To: cripplecreek

As I said a few days ago, there are 2 things I hate about Brokaw...........his face.


15 posted on 11/30/2004 10:14:52 AM PST by Texas Songwriter (Texas Songwriter)
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To: Roberts
When Rather assumed the anchor desk from Cronkite in March of 1981, Ronald Reagan had just begun his first term as president, and people still looked to the nightly network newscasts as almost public trusts. In the age of 24-hour cable news, they've been reduced to mere afterthoughts.

The mainstream media (broadcast and print) has done a lot to betray that trust, especially in the past few years what with CBS, NBC, The New York Times, USA Today, The LA Times, The Boston Globe, and the Daily Mirror ALL running their own hoaxed news items. What other papers/networks have we not caught in the act?

16 posted on 11/30/2004 10:15:56 AM PST by weegee (WE FOUGHT ZOGBYISM November 2, 2004 - 60 Million Voters versus 60 Minutes - BUSH WINS!!!)
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To: Roberts
"I'm not a large part of the legacy (of CBS),"

Nonsense Dan, you are a huge part of the CBS Legacy. The legacy of falling ratings and viewership over the last 5 or 6 (or more) years. Don't sell yourelf short there, big fella!
17 posted on 11/30/2004 10:16:06 AM PST by stm
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To: cripplecreek
Brokaw: Rather Victim Of 'Political Jihad' By Internet Reporters

Boo frickin' hoo.

18 posted on 11/30/2004 10:20:03 AM PST by weegee (WE FOUGHT ZOGBYISM November 2, 2004 - 60 Million Voters versus 60 Minutes - BUSH WINS!!!)
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To: Roberts

I give people like Dan Rather, Kitty Kelly and Michael Moore the same respect hey give my country, my party and my president.


19 posted on 11/30/2004 10:20:27 AM PST by trubluolyguy (Pajamajadeen?!!? Hell with that, Freep nude!)
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To: Roberts
Ray, here is the respect that the lying RATher deserves:


20 posted on 11/30/2004 10:20:35 AM PST by Grampa Dave (Writers of hate GW/Christians/ Republicans Articles = GIM/GAY INFECTED MEDIOTS!)
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