Dan Rather's Carry-On Baggage (More on Rather s new Farce show.)

WaPo ^ | Lisa de Moraes

[MindBender26]

Former CBS newsman Dan Rather says he'll have complete editorial control over the content of the weekly newsmagazine he will kick off for Mark Cuban's HDNet in October.

Rather, 74, said he was relieved to be moving from news "defined by the economics of the corporation presenting the news" to "independent journalism." Rather acknowledged he comes to HDNet with "baggage." "Yes, I have baggage -- I have the baggage of being a graduate of the journalism school of South Vietnam," he said.

He also acknowledged he was "biased -- I have a very strong bias toward independent journalism."

Cuban said he was thrilled to have Rather on board: "Now that he is finally released from the ratings-driven and limited-depth confines of broadcast television, I am excited about the impact Dan can have on the future of news."

[MindBender26]

Translations follow:

Former CBS newsman Dan Rather says he'll have complete editorial control over the content of the weekly newsmagazine he will kick off for Mark Cuban's HDNet in October.

(They are hoping he will say something stupid to make headlines and draw viewers to channel no one watches.)

Rather, 74, said he was relieved to be moving from news "defined by the economics of the corporation presenting the news" to "independent journalism." Rather acknowledged he comes to HDNet with "baggage." "Yes, I have baggage -- I have the baggage of being a graduate of the journalism school of South Vietnam," he said.

(and Adolph Hiter once got a ticket for jaywalking.)

He also acknowledged he was "biased -- I have a very strong bias toward independent journalism."

(Psycotics think they are sane the the world crazy.)

"Some of what you describe as 'baggage,' " he told one critic, "comes from people who have the following view: Their view is, 'You report the news the way I want it reported or I'm going to make you pay a price and hang a sign around your necksaying you're a bomb-toting Bolshevik or something.' "

(It was all the fault of disloyal officers.")

Dallas Mavericks owner Cuban, who sat nodding during most of Rather's comments and even applauded him once, has his own equally colorful reputation as a rabble-rouser; he's been fined for bad behavior courtside during games. This, he suggested, makes him the perfect employer for Rather.

(Seriosly, all Cuban wants is ratings. He cares nothing about reality. Howard Beale 101))

Cuban said he was thrilled to have Rather on board: "Now that he is finally released from the ratings-driven and limited-depth confines of broadcast television, I am excited about the impact Dan can have on the future of news."

(My ratings will go up, because viewers want to see what old Crazy Dan will do tonight.)

Rather choked up several times during the more than hour-long Q&A session, when talking about his legacy and specifically about his role model, Edward R. Murrow.

(Still crazy after all these years.......)

[digger48]

Yes, I have baggage -- I have the baggage of being a graduate of the journalism school of South Vietnam," he said.

I think I'm gonna puke on that one

[D-Chivas]

In six months, Rather will be doing something else.

[wideawake]

In other words, he believes he's done nothing wrong.

The nosediving ratings and blatant lying were everyone else's fault, because as far as Rather is concerned, he was a dogged truthteller and a delightfully engaging personality up until the very end.

I hope they give him as free a rein as he claims in this new program - it will be amusing to watch because he has learned absolutely nothing.

[altura]

I was ready to forgive Cuban for the Mavericks' appalling collapse (and his behavior), but this is just too much ...

hiring that pathetic old never-was hack.

Couldn't he just go smugly into that good night?

Guess not.

[MindBender26]

One of these days, someone is going to publically ask him why serving Marines in RVN stated that Rather asked "Why didn't you shoot Morley Safer?"

Also, why did Dan get kicked out of USMC before he completed boot camp?

[Wolverine]

Rather acknowledged he comes to HDNet with "baggage." "Yes, I have baggage -- I have the baggage of being a graduate of the journalism school of South Vietnam,"

 

Yes, I made my career on the backs of bloody and dying American soldiers.... and I got paid very well for my bias...

                                                                                                           

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[NonValueAdded]

OMG, he's morphed into Kerry!

[Polyxene]

"Yes, I have baggage -- I have the baggage of being a graduate of the journalism school of South Vietnam," he said."

I think I'm gonna puke on that one --

Junky industrial waste puke!! I cannot believe he said this -- BTW -- what the heck does it mean?? The man is certifiable!

[Polyxene]

What is "HDNet"??? Never heard of it!

[winner3000]

And people still think that the ultra-rich are Republican! Must be the biggest lie ever perpetrated, very close to the "Democrats help black people" lie.

[valjax]

Dan needs to retire and hope that we all forget about the last five...wait make that twenty five years of his career.

[Arrowhead1952]

He also acknowledged he was "biased -- I have a very strong bias toward independent LIBERAL journalism."

May as well admit it dan, you are a flaming liberal.

[Ghengis]

This reminds me of a friend who was dumped by her boyfriend because she slept with quite a few other guys. She went on and on about how; he treated her unfairly, he was a jerk, he wouldn't let her have any other friends, blah, blah, blah. She shut up when I pointed out that she was a slut.

Unfortunately Dan the Newsman doesn't have that much common sense.

[steve-b]

He also acknowledged he was "biased -- I have a very strong bias toward independent journalism."

Yes, but your definition of that concept includes independence from the bounds of truth and logic.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Its something like Channel 420 on Dish.

[Polyxene]

Thanks, Eric! We have cable, so I guess we will just have to miss ol' Demento Dan's pithy news analyses!!

[oh8eleven]

Also, why did Dan get kicked out of USMC before he completed boot camp?

Expert: Dan Rather Exaggerates Military Record
[snip]
Burkett added that Rather is greatly exaggerating his record. First, Burkett says, Rather "misspoke" when he claimed he signed up for the Marines twice. He didn't.

And Burkett is flabbergasted that Rather continues to proudly describe himself as a "Marine."

"What he did, he signed up for the military twice, not the Marines," Burkett said after thoroughly reviewing Rather,s military records.

But Burkett notes that Rather "never got through Marine recruit training because he couldn't do the physical activity."

Rather 'Unfit'

As Burkett explains in "Stolen Valor," Rather "was discharged less than four months later on May 11, 1954 for being medically unfit." As a boy, Rather had suffered from rheumatic fever.

"This is like a guy who flunks out of Harvard running around saying he went to Harvard," Burkett said.

Burkett also believes that, far from being a gung-ho military enlistee, Rather's record shows he deftly avoiding entering the military during the Korean War.

[bray]

I have the baggage of being a graduate of the journalism school of South Vietnam," he said

Ahhh the Glory Days of our Monopoly!

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters