"The Education of Dan Rather"- Peggy Noonan captures Rather's rise, arrogance and dastardly fall

Life is complicated, people are complicated, and most of us are a jumble of virtues, flaws and contradictions. I like to try to understand the past, try to put it together in a way that makes sense to me. This can involve judging not only your own actions and decisions but those of others, which can be hard. I have a friend who once said in the middle of a conversation, "Don't understand me too quickly." Don't categorize me; don't decide you broke the code. Sit back and watch; it's more interesting than you may know.

Which gets me to Dan Rather, who was once my boss, and who of course has announced his retirement from the anchor chair at CBS News. Everyone I know is asking me what I think of it. I think a lot of things.

I'm going to use the past tense in speaking of him because I'm speaking of his career, and speaking of when I knew him in the past.

My first thought: It is a hard world. We all know this in the abstract, but it can take you aback in the particular. In public life the entire body of your work--an entire career of almost 50 years--can now essentially be summed up and dismissed by the last headline on your career, which in this case is "Rather Retires Under Cloud After Forged Documents Story." If Dan had retired of his own volition a year ago, that would not be the headline. "Long Career Reflected Stunning Rise of U.S. Media" would be more like it.

For three years, from 1981 through 1984, I wrote his daily radio commentary, a four-minute essay with a one-minute spot that went out to all the CBS affiliates and network-owned stations.

Somehow, dear old Peggy,sees nothing wrong with this picture. She (and others before and after her stint) ghost writes for Blather, he signs his name under her writing, and based on it he, not the nameless ghostwrites develops a reputation as a journalist, why, a genius of sorts. Pathetic panegyric by a member of the establishment mafia.

If you cut out the bullcrap you'd say that this so-called journalist is/was nothing more than a lucky simpleton with deep voice, good looks and confident manner, no different only luckier than any news reader on any local station in this country. News reader, Peggy, that's what the Brits call them.

Rather reported from a open-air desk set with his back to a collapsed California two-stack freeway,

I remember that incident. Even drove over it a few times (like hoop-de-doos if you went over 60). Hadn't seen Rather reporting but it certainly doesn't surprise.

It's almost as though these 'reporters' need something to comiserate (sp?) over as though without which, they'd have no viewers. Knowing this, they conspire to set America on a course that will ultimately lead to a wreck-on-the-highway to which they'll be the first to report the gruesome details. All for the sake of an audience and ratings.

I watch their 'shows' not for entertainment, but to augment my belief that such un-American activities go mostly un-noticed by the average citizen. I can only imagine how they'd attempt to criminalize my father and his fellow B-17 pilots during WWII for their bombing of military bases, fuel depots, railroads, and bridges over Germany. I've seen black-and-whites taken from the bombadier's camera and it wasn't pretty. I've also held in my hands, photos that never made it to the 'press'. They were taken of Nazis hung after the Nuerenburg trials. Each was lain atop a casket (pine box) wearing full-length 'wool coats'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">wool coats'(looked kinda green/black) and had unmistakable corpusol(sp?) damage to their faces caused by the rope. Some more than others. Goerhing was a name I remembered. But there were many.

The Big Three news outlets are being sawed-off at the knees by the internet and cable networks, and for that we can be thankful. We've suffered enough under their agenda driven propaganda for decades. If it's bad news that attracts audiences, then it's bad news they'll present. And if going against the grain of everything American is what's necessary to create bad news, they'll promote it.

Give me the news, screw your agenda, that's all I ask. Oh, and while they're at it, why not read up on those things that make this country exceptional and the envy of the rest of the world? Things like individual liberty, limited government, and creating an enviornment that rewards self-achievement.

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