Replies

Sun Nov 06 09:21:49 2005
My father, mike wallacE. I would talk to him about his career and his life and his new book. It's called "between you and me." Well, since then I have reconsidered the idea at least a dozen times, and so has he, but this week the wallaces sat down for a formal interview. I get emails from time to time saying to me you're just like your father. And they don't mean it as a compliment.

[ Laughter ]

>> What does that mean?

>> They say go to cbS. Go to one of the big networks. Go to the mainstream media as if that were a foreign land. Do you understand why some people feel such disaffection dis affection disaffection for the mainstream media?

>> They think we're wild-eyed comies, liberals. Yes?

>> That's what they thinK. And how do you plead?

>> I think it's damn foolishness.

>> Really?

>> Look, you know as well as i, reporters are in the business because they want to be -- first of all, they're patriots just as much as any conservative, even a liberal reporter is a patrioT. Wants the best for this country. And people, you know, your fair and balanced friends at fox, don't fully understand that. And i can't believe that this is going on. This is not like a dinner table conversation.

>> I understand. All right. But you say and you have been saying it all week that dan rather should have resigned when his producer and his executive producer were fired over the bush national guard story with the fake memoS.

>> Right, righT.

>> Wrong.

>> Who does the research for and with you?

>> I have a teaM.

>> Right. And he has a team. Now, if your team, if your team were fired because of something that happened in a broadcast that you anchored, would you not think about, look, if you get the money, you get the attention, you get the kudos, and what do they get? They're paid a lot less. They're not on the air. They work like the dickenS. You're unpleasant to work for.

[ Laughter ] So -- so, you know, i simply asked rather in a very pleasant, civilized conversation in the bathroom. There was no shouting, as has been suggesteD. Come on, we're friendS.

>> Let's talk about the story itself. Some people, the people that have questions about the mainstream media, say rather and his team were so quick to believe the fake memos because they are so quick, as are a lot of people in the mainstream media, to believe the worst about george W. Bush.

>> Are you serious? You believe that they -- somebody on purpose failed to authenticate those memos? I mean, come on.

>> I think --

>> Do you buy into the fact that --

>> Now, this is feeling familiaR. I think they were quicker to believe it and, therefore, sloppier about checking it out than they would have been about john kerry.

>> I don't believe that for a moment.

>> All right. Let's talk about the book.

>> YeS.

>> Because what's amazing is all the people you have interviewed over the yearS. In the case of the middle east, everyone from begin to anwar sadat to the ayatollah khamenei. I want to show you clipS.

>> Do you forgive me, no similarity of purpose between the begin of 30 years ago and the yasser arafat of today? He calls you, his words, not mine, a lunatic.

>> When you say forgive me to a middle east leader, does that mean you're about to drop the hammer?

>> Frequently, frequently, that's exactly right. But i've got to tell you, begin, when i compared him, do you not see the difference between or the similarity between him and yasser arafat, i thought he was going to hit me. I mean, really. We got his attentioN.

>> Someone once said about you that mike wallace has an underdeveloped sense of other people's privacy, and as your son, I'm here to testify it is absolutely true.

>> Really?

>> YeS.

>> What have i revealed about you that upset you?

>> No, but i want to show you something. A few clips from interviews that you have done with celebrities over the years. Take a look.

>> You really believe in extraterrestrials? Have they come visit you on the porch?

>> Now you're being unpleasant, wallace, is what you're saying.

>> Yes, this is what I'm a little afraid of. You don't have to be that unpleasanT. It doesn't become you.

>> I stopped doing jokes immediately when people found out he was an alcoholic.

>> Of course, it takes one to know onE.

>> True. You're cruel.

>> Why do you do that?

>> Why do i do what?

>> Why do you sit there and say takes one to know one?

>> He's a drunK.

>> Why do you say to barbra streisand on national television, you know what your mother says, you don't have time for anyone.

>> These are interesting questions. Why are you asking? Because they're interesting questions. And what you do is or what I've succeeded in doing over a period of time is to get the attention of the person that I'm interviewing. I'm about to interview you, as a matter of fact. The -- look, i've --

>> Do you never say to yourself I'm going to embarrass them? I'm going to hurt his feelings?

>> No, no. I don't have subpoena powers. They know who i am when they come on. They know the kind of questions that i asked all my -- actually, I didn't start really asking questions until i was 38 years old. But -- and i had to do certain things. I remember before -- before you -- we lost your brother. I used to do all kinds of --

>> Commercials, cigarette commercials. Sent me to college.

>> That's correct. And I used to say i've got to raise the kids. Therefore, i'll do whatever I have to do. And after we lost peter, i said i can't hide behind that anymore, and what I'm going to do is in the memory of your brother, your older brother, peter, I'm going to do something that i am proud of doing and that he would be proud to have me do.

>> As you look over the whole career, all the places you've gone, all the people you've met, what do you make of of it? I mean, what do you make of myron leon wallace from brookline, massachusetts, having had this extraordinary journey?

>> It is extraordinarY. It is just -- i -- sometimes i can't believe it. Can you imagine talking to eleanor roosevelt back in 1957? This extraordinary woman, the eyes and ears and legs of her husband, franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1958, margaret saenger, the mother of birth control. You wouldn't be able to do what you do if it weren't for margaret saengeR.

>> Since i have more kids, i didn't do it often enough. I want to ask you a question, dad, in the book, and i didn't realize you asked it, you asked thomas hart benton, the great artist, in 1973, and I'm asking you, do you hate getting old?

>> Well, i tell you what. I had my hearing aids fixed today so that i could probably hear you.

>> Good.

>> I can't see as well. I used to be able to play tennis. I now have -- this has stopped me from smoking -- a pacemaker. Have for the last 15 yearS. Yeah, i don't like getting old.

>> And you don't retire because --

>> Because I love -- it is not work what i do. I love what i do. When I get up in the morning and I think i am going to have the opportunity to -- i wasn't that happy about waking up this morning.

>> I felt the same way.

[ Laughter ] Finally, you've been shamelessly pitching this week that you would like to do an interview with president bush.

>> Yeah.

>> Well, i have another idea for a target for your next interview. And the question is, what would you like to ask this fellow?

>> October 30.

>> Your grandson. What would you like to ask him?

>> He's a good looking kid, isn't he?

>> Yes. He takes after his mother.

>> That's right, he does.

>> Look at this guy. You've never seen this tape.

>> No, I haven'T. He moves around. That's a nice surprise. Bless yoU.

>> Well, it's a great book. It is a great life. I couldn't be prouder of both. And I love you.

>> I love you. And i'm proud of you.

>> After that, i had to remind myself there's no crying in sunday morning talk shows. Coming up,...