Wrong From The Beginning (Even In 1963, Dan Rather Was A Poor Excuse For A Newsman.)

The Weekly Standard ^ | March 5, 2005 | Philip Chalk

[MisterRepublican]

When CBS announced that it will smile through the pain of Dan Rather's dying credibility with an hour-long retirement tribute in early March, the network released an image of a young Rather posing in front of the Texas School Book Depository, looking gravely into the distance. While a little nostalgia was understandable--what, no photo of Rather huddled over a fax machine last October?--CBS still managed to remind those who knew the anchor during his salad days in Texas how tendentious and unprincipled he was even then.

Eddie Barker, for one, remembers. The news director for CBS's radio and TV affiliates in Dallas at the time of President Kennedy's November 22, 1963, assassination, Barker is widely credited with first reporting on the air that the president was dead, having received word through a doctor acquaintance directly from the hospital ER. Rather, then based in Dallas as a reporter for CBS's national news broadcast and working out of Barker's newsroom, later took credit for the scoop, Barker says. The error is repeated in historical accounts often enough to annoy the now-retired Barker, though he says the falsehood was later acknowledged by Rather.

It was a different lie--one delivered on national news, and at the expense of children--that caused Rather trouble at the time. As reporters from around the world descended on the Texas city, Rather went on the air with a local Methodist minister who made a stunning claim: Children at Dallas's University Park Elementary School had cheered when told of the president's death.

[happyathome]

Besides, most of Kennedy's political opponents in 1963 thought he was too weak on Communism, not too provocative.

[leadpenny]

Arkie, I believe you. I was a young GI in Munich when we got the news and I saw young soldiers like myself almost come to blows in the barracks. Feelings were running high and it was the first time I knew of anyone having political feelings about any president. Many young people of the day reflected what their parents felt about Kennedy.

As for folks who question your veracity on this thread, they can kiss off.

[ishabibble]

I was in the 4th grade on that day, too. It was a Catholic school, predominately Irish first generation students. Sister John Vainney RSM, aka Godzilla, wept like a child when she told our class that the President was dead. Most of the nuns in that school were never the same after JFK died. I've often thought that one day had the most profound impact on the structure of the religious communities.

Very sad, since many kids today would greatly benefit from the old time ways of the ironically named Sisters of Mercy. Certainly, the 8 yr. old who was arrested and handcuffed in his classroom yesterday (earlier thread).
An old fashioned nun would have just given him a "cuff" that he would never forget. End of story.

[sweet_diane]

I have a problem with children cheering anyones death, much less the sitting President of the United States.

[NautiNurse]

WHEN CBS ANNOUNCED THAT IT will smile through the pain of Dan Rather's dying credibility with an hour-long retirement tribute in early March

CBS must surely be pained. Reference to the retirement tribute is not easily located on the CBS website.

Apparently, it will be narrated by Ra^ther himself. Dan is least likely to say anything negative about his career.

[Shooter 2.5]

We had one kid who told everyone he was killed with a machine gun and then he made the machine gun noises. He had a big grin on his face. We were about 12 at the time. The kid was always a little idiot so he was ignored.

I don't remember anyone else making stupid comments. I do remember one teacher was a little red in the face possibly from crying but I don't remember anything except a lot of silence.

[Slump Tester]

"Many people don't realize that a large group of Americans thought that Kennedy was a war-mongering, loose cannon who was goading the Commies into starting a nuclear war; or, at least, so inept that war would result from his actions."

We just thought he was a worthless pussy with lying drunks for brothers, and a bootlegger for a father.

[RaceBannon]

I was in Hong Kong when I heard Reagan was shot, no one told us, we had to hear it from the Chinese people.

[NautiNurse]

Many young people of the day reflected what their parents felt about Kennedy.

This is a likely explanation for the children's behavior. The parents would then be plagued with a case of "be careful what you wish for."

[ActionNewsBill]

Actually, children did cheer at the announcement. I was 12 at the time and our principle called all the students at our school to the auditorium to make the announcement. Quite a few of the children cheered the news. It's one of those things you never forget, like where you were and what you were doing on 9-11

Actually, at least one FReeper did as well.

I was walking back to my next college class, after having spent most of the afternoon down town, when someone screamed at me : " THEY'VE SHOT THE PRESIDENT ". I yelled back : " SOMEONE SHOT PRESIDENT xxx ? " ( The president of the college )" NO ", PRESIDENT KENNEDY !"

" GOOD ! " , I replied and walked on, a smile on my face, amidst a sea of tearful ones.

Posted by nopardons to onyx On News/Activism 11/17/2003 8:52:43 PM PST #140 of 168

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

You're right. Nixon was always thought of as the uber anticommunist. Kennedy was suspect. The Bay of Pigs debacle followed by the successful Cuban missile blockade sent a mixed message to some.

However when one looks back and contrasts JFK with the current crop of Dims he looks almost Reaganesque.

[demlosers]

Many young people of the day reflected what their parents felt about Kennedy.

On second thought, many little turds are parrots of their parents.

I remember hearing in my childhood that my daddy says this or that, so it had to be the absolute truth. No amount of reason would change their minds. I always caught my father making some bs storyline, then again, he was a Democrat.

[Arkie2]

Thanks. If there are doubters about my story here it's really not my problem. I'm just reporting what happened in my school. I'm sure it happened in a lot of other places too as you say it happened in your barracks. I'm not even sure how many children cheered. It wasn't the majority but enough to make the memory stick in my mind.

[Theresawithanh]

I don't remember any kids cheering, but I do remember the look on the face of my fourth-grade teacher when she told us. We all just sort of sat in stunned silence, until one girl in our class started laughing hysterically. We all looked at her like she was crazy, and her laughing just sort of trailed off. It was pretty surreal.

I think we were all too young to realize the importance of what had happened.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

I read the Ken Auletta piece in The New Yorker magazine (story not available at their website) and came away from it thinking that Dan Rather is really a pathetic piece of work. He's one of those guys chasing the myth of Ed Murrow, and despite all the cash he's getting (~$7M)he can't seem to give it up - holding on to hope that 60 Minutes II will not get pulled - so he'll have something to do.

The famous Nixon interchange with Rather answering Nixon's question "Dan are you running for something?" with "No Mr. President are you?" was only tolerable because the entire country had doubts about Mr. Nixon's veracity at that moment. But when you think about it - it was an absurd confrontation. Nixon wasn't running for anything - he was in the middle of he is second term. Rather was just saying, politely by stating "Mr. President", that he felt he was, egoistically, on the same ground as Richard Nixon. Despite all his faults, Nixon was never as base as Dan Rather.

I think Auletta's piece is excellent, and leaves you with an uncomfortable feeling about Rather - portraying awkward moments with his show's producers who don't even look away from their computer screens when conversing with Rather, like he was this embarrassing old fart who feels he's still a crusading reporter (answering the phone "Rather here...This is Dan Rather"). I think there will be a lot of people inside CBS who will be glad when Wednesday is over.

I say good riddance.

[G Larry]

Seems to me that the bias of the parents may have been picked up by the kids.
Then, with the typical cruelty of kids, they responded that way.

[international american]

Man, that is truly sick!!!!

[iopscusa]

History shows that Kennedy was so inept that war could result from his in-actions. The Bay of Pigs and resulting Cuban/Soviet missile crisis and Vietnam are 2 examples. That also holds for all the DemoRat Presidents that followed JFK; Johnson, Carter, BillyBoy, and most of the ones preceding also.

[Ronaldus Magnus]

Seems to me that the bias of the parents may have been picked up by the kids.

As well as the bias of their publicly funded teachers.