When the Anchor Drops (Dan Rather BITTER ALERT)

Washington Post ^ | 6/27/06 | Art Buchwald

[beyond the sea]

Goodbye to Dan Rather. He was a good man and served CBS for 44 years with distinction.

Television is a tough business. When it's time to go, you go . And if you don't go the way they want you to, they get very upset. They tell the world you weren't a very good anchorman to start with and you stuttered a lot. Also, you weren't very sincere on the air.

CBS, like other television networks, has a tremendous public relations staff. It's bigger than the news staff. The job of the PR department is to portray the network in a very good light and, when someone's number is up, show how he or she was very bad at reading news copy.

[mkjessup]

Q - What's the difference between Art Buchwald and Dan Rather?

A - Buchwald is dying (so they say) and Rather is already DEAD! (professionally that is) ;)

[beyond the sea]

I asked him if Katie Couric could do as good a job. He said, "CBS thinks she will." "The question was: Do you think she could?" Dan said, "In time, I think she will. It took her 15 years to make the 'Today' show a hit. I'm sure it will take her longer than that to beat Charlie Gibson and Brian Williams."

After fifteen years will Katie's cheerleader outfit still fit?

[beyond the sea]

Q - What's the difference between Art Buchwald and Dan Rather?

Art is a funny and decent man. Rather is really not.

[Volunteer]

Dan -

Bye bye.

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

[ClearCase_guy]

Buchwald stopped Hemodialysis in Feb and seems to have expected to die shortly after. But, last I heard, his kidneys have started working, and he is not (strictly speaking) "dying". Quite interesting.

[beyond the sea]

"Memo Real; Nobody Lied" --- chiseled on his tombstone.

[weegee]

"He was a good man".

Hardly. Is anything else in this article worth reading? The opening was laughable.

[beyond the sea]

But, last I heard, his kidneys have started working, and he is not (strictly speaking) "dying". Quite interesting.

Good news. I always respected Art as the liberal that he was.

Back in the early 80's I'd see him wandering down the main drag in Edgartown very early on August mornings on Martha's Vineyard. He'd always already have something in his mouth to munch on. He was/is a great little fellow!!! I hope he sticks around a long time.

[reagan_fanatic]

When it's time to go, you go . And if you don't go the way they want you to, they get very upset. They tell the world you weren't a very good anchorman to start with and you stuttered a lot. Also, you weren't very sincere on the air.

And you lied a lot.

[gusopol3]

try the last sentence.

[Plutarch]

Dan Rather is 74 years old. Did he ever hear of a retirement party? A lot more graceful than being expelled from CBS by the pressure of a large wingtip on his chest, until his clutch on the door jam weakens and ultimately fails.

[RedMonqey]

"Rather said, "We were the great ones. Mike and I will go down in history with Walter Cronkite and Maury Povich."

What? Forget to add Connie Chung?

[weegee]

I'd be smiling wider if he was sentenced for his dealings with the DNC to broadcast forged government documents in an attempt to throw a Presidential election.

[KC_Conspirator]

I like what Donald Trump said about Dan Rather; that he was an unfair man and his ratings continued to slip as time went on - good riddance.

[beyond the sea]

When I called back to CBS, they said the last they'd seen of Dan Rather, he was flying down outside the 30th-floor window of the CBS building.

[Eastbound]

Here lies the remains of Ol' Anchor Dan
Who tried to torpedo a much better man
He called in his staff and came up with a plan
The timing was perfect to launch such a scam

"Fire One!", he shouted, and the tubes opened wide
And out charged the missile with Ol' Dan astride
But fate unexplained turned the missile around
And skewered Ol' Dan, who now rests in ^{th_{is mound.}}

[BFM]

In the TV business, you have to be right 100 percent of the time. If you're not, people will start picking on you.

I guess in Art Buchwald's world it's just too much to ask that reporters actually report the truth and that getting the facts straight is just a touch and go deal with him.

Earth to Art... he had NO FACTS... none... zip... zowie! Exactly what part of "no supporting facts" are you having trouble with, Art?

Hello, Art... the man had an agenda. Hello, hello, hello!!

[Restorer]

Later on, when it turned out what Dan reported about the president's National Guard service couldn't be substantiated, everyone jumped on him.

Well, I guess you could put it that way.

Personally, I'd say he got jumped on for airing obviously forged documents in an attempt to give the story credibility. He could have reported exactly the same story without the docs and wouldn't have gotten in trouble at all.

[Snickersnee]

Q - What's the difference between Art Buchwald and Dan Rather?

A.: Buchwald graduated from Parris Island (and kept going all the way thru VJ-day to boot.)