Andy Rooney Has War Guilt

newsmax.com ^ | Monday, April 28, 2003 | Carl Limbacher

[ThreePuttinDude]

Monday, April 28, 2003
Andy Rooney Has War Guilt

Andy Rooney says he was wrong about his views on going to war with Iraq - sort of, that is.

"I felt chastened," the cranky "60 Minutes" commentator told the Associated Press. "I had to think that I was a little wrong. There's no question that it's better without him in there, without Saddam Hussein."

"A little wrong"? Earlier this month he was less wishy-washy about President Bush's decision to launch Operation Iraqi Freedom. He said April 10, "And I must say that fortunately he's president and I'm not."

In reciting his mild new mea culpa, Rooney defended his right to speak his mind, even when proven wrong.

Rooney, who faced combat in World War II as a front-line correspondent for Stars & Stripes, upset some viewers with anti-war remarks, which he says he does not regret.

AP recalled that on CBS April 6 Rooney declared he couldn't remember any more unpleasant times.

"I hate everything about this war except that we're winning it," he said. "You can't even be critical, either, without sounding unpatriotic."

He went on to mock the idea of the war being fought by a coalition and said "the only real good news will be when this terrible time in American history is over."

A week earlier, Rooney said: "We didn't shock them and we didn't awe them in Baghdad. The phrase makes us look like foolish braggarts. The president ought to fire whoever wrote that for him." He said that because the U.S. had failed to find Osama bin Laden the administration was transferring the blame to Saddam Hussein.

The remarks, said Rooney - a self-described liberal - provoked thousands of viewers to write him, apparently in protest. "Only a handful were 'I'm never going to watch "60 Minutes" again' letters," he said. "The worst I got were 'I've always liked what you said and watch you every week, but I was disappointed.' I get that kind, which is most influential to me. Those that just condemn me, I throw away."

The 84-year-old curmudgeon sloughed off those complaints. "I'm in a position of feeling secure enough so that I can say what I think is right, and if so many people think it's wrong that I get fired, well, I've got enough to eat."

Rooney recalled coming under the influence of a pacifist professor before World War II and briefly considered becoming a conscientious objector then. "It has embarrassed me ever since," he said.

"It made me nervous about my opposition to this war," he said. "If I had been so wrong then, might I not be wrong again?"

Gary Bauer, former contender for the GOP presidential nomination, told AP, "I found the commentaries irritating." But he was impressed that Rooney was semi-willing to admit he was wrong.

"I often disagree with him, but I admire the fact that he's a plain talker," he said. "I think more of that will help the debate. I just hope that when we take on the next part of the axis of evil, he'll be on our side."

[ThreePuttinDude]

"Andy Rooney says he was wrong about his views on going to war with Iraq - sort of, that is."

Has Andy been on the right side of much lately??

[annyokie]

Didja ever wonder why Andy Rooney has such an annoying voice?

[b4its2late]

He's basically as useless now as he's ever been. Time for him to retire.

[Paleo Conservative]

Has Andy been on the right side of much lately??

He thought WWII was not justified till he saw the liberated concentration camps. If he had had his way, we would have never found out about those camps.

[KC_Conspirator]

Sort of? Andy Rooney is wrong, wrong, wrong. So wrong that he should be discredited for a decade. His comments were made because he hates Bush more than he loves his country.

[anniegetyourgun]

Didja ever notice how dumb-as-a-rock Andy really is?

[Sloth]

Didja ever notice how Andy's Rooney's job could be done just as effectively by a sea turtle with bushy eyebrows?

[anniegetyourgun]

Flush the toilet so the turtle go down.....

[Desecrated]

"Gary Bauer, former contender for the GOP presidential nomination, told AP..."

Well! Now that Gary Bauer has weighed in on the issue, we can all get on with our lives.

[weegee]

I saw the earlier article on this (days ago). Has Mr. Rooney apologized to his audience on SeeBS's 60 Minutes yet or would that be too public a place to eat crow?

[MEG33]

He needs to stick to subjects like child proof lids that only a child can open!

[microgood]

There seems to be a pattern with these liberal journalists when they get real old (Cronkite and Helen Thomas are other examples) in that they get a sort of Alzheimer's disease for journalists, where they can only fixate on one object of hate at a time (Bush) and that is all they have left.

[annyokie]

Didja ever notice that Andy is dumber than a sack of hammers?

[narby]

We didn't shock them and we didn't awe them in Baghdad. The phrase makes us look like foolish braggarts.

Didja ever think that maybe we were trying to pursuade their leaders to cave early, or perhaps help us out so that it might not last as long?

I've got to think that it might have worked a bit too. The fact that 95% of their soldiers ran home might be a clue.

[ido_now]

"Have you ever noticed...."

Andy Rooney is a jerk!

[PackerBoy]

I stopped listening to him 15 years ago.

[Eala]

I stopped listening to him 15 years ago.

I have watched "60 Minutes" since the late 60s, through thick and thin. But when they put the Clinton--Dole thing on recently they went over the top, and the first few seconds of that "point-counterpoint" was the last I've watched of "60 Minutes."

[PGalt]

Looney Rooney...pandering to the inept, indecisive, incoherent and incapable audience that watches him. Retire and eat your applesauce and peas you babbling fool.

[Mr. Lucky]

What kind of hammers?

[annyokie]

Ball peen hammers, of course. It takes talent to use a claw hammer.