WP: Dan Rather, leaving by the high road

[sabra]

<<SNIP>>
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7136209/?GT1=6305

Dan Rather, leaving by the high road

Anchor wraps up 24 years at 'CBS Evening News' with final telecast

WASHINGTON - Emptying out his cubbyhole office in the CBS News building on West 57th Street in New York, wading through stacks and boxes of memorabilia accumulated over the years, Dan Rather came upon a piece of framed embroidery made and sent to him a couple decades ago by a nun who was, one might say, among the faithful -- a regular and loyal viewer.

"Be thou a soul to fullness grown," says one of her meticulously embroidered mottos. "Arise to gain thy dreams." Rather's voice warms. "Pretty nice, huh?" he says. Among the other embroidered words of wisdom: "Today's trials were meant to make you strong."

With a few parting words and possibly -- but unlikely -- a few parting shots, Dan Rather will make his last appearance tonight as anchor of "The CBS Evening News," 24 years to the day since his first telecast as anchor and a full year sooner than he planned. As virtually all of our world knows, Rather agreed to step down in the wake of a scandal involving a discredited "60 Minutes Wednesday" story on George W. Bush's supposed preferential treatment while in the National Guard.

The case, which resulted in four of the top people in CBS News being told to leave, has caused a tremendous schism within the organization, ruining Rather's exit not only by moving it up a year but also by hanging a dark cloud over it. Rather, who's had many trials and certainly seems a soul to fullness grown, is told it's a shame he couldn't be leaving on a high note.



"Now I'm guilty of a lot of things, and I've made a lot of mistakes -- but I haven't made that mistake -- of running, backing away," Dan Rather says."

</SNIP>>

[Blue_Tires]

1. nice to see one story

that isn't openly gloating his leaving, or filled with backhanded insults

[Sandpiper]

2. Dan got Roved

Should have been more careful.

[sabra]

3. Not just Dan, but CBS...

[DeepModem Mom]

5. He got Roved, while walking the high road -- a road that Rove...

himself, to my knowledge, has set foot on not once in his nefarious life.

Be proud, Dan -- farewell, and Godspeed!

[Memekiller]

4. When has the high road ever been rewarded by the public?

I can't think of an instance in the past ten years. I can think of a trillion instances of getting in the gutter that has paid off for people.

[w4rma]

14. We need to defend those who take the high roads, much better than now (nt)

[DeepModem Mom]

6. Note that this article was written by WP TV critic, Tom Shales...

who writes with courage.

[sabra]

7. Some good quotes

<<SNIP>>
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7136209/page/4/

Without mentioning the current Bush administration and the attitudes toward the press it encourages, Rather says, "I confess that I am concerned that we may be reaching the point where too many members of the press fear being labeled unpatriotic or partisan if they challenge the actions or decisions of political leaders of any persuasion.

"What the country doesn't need, particularly just now, is a press that's docile -- never mind obsequious or intimidated. I don't agree with those who say, 'Dan, it's already happened,' but I do recognize there's some danger."

<</SNIP>>

[Sandpiper]

8. Dan, it's already happened

The U.S. media is thoroughly housebroken, and pees wherever and whenever it's told to by this Administration.

[SpiralHawk]

11. MegaDittoes, piper. It has Totally Happened

Snap out of it Dan-o. This is no time to be reticent.

Will the Blogoverse span the vast and staticy gulf between decepto-spin and truth? Time will tell. I'm betting on the angels in this one.

[Sandpiper]

12. MegaDittoes?

Ewwww!

I feel dirty now. ;-)

[SpiralHawk]

17. Hey, piper, I'm just "framing the debate"

and claiming new usage of loaded language, and stuff like that. So the new "megadittoes" is not as icky as it might seem at first blush. At least i hope not.

Maybe I should upgrade the expression to "Gigadittoes."

That's it ! A whole new DU rhetorical gambit with Gigadittoes

As for Rush, Negadittoes.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

9. How about taking up where Bill Moyers left off

on NOW?

[moof]

10. Good Riddence JUDAS

[saracat]

13. Dan Rather is a hero. Liberals who won't defend the few decent news persons

ought to be ashamed. Dan took a risk for the truth, and it was the truth. He was punished for truth telling. Those documents were never proven false even by the investigation. We ought to be congratulating him not condemning him!

[moof]

15. Dan is one of THEM, & has been ever since Dallas

Wake Up and smell the coffee.

[wuushew]

23. But if "them" includes the precursors to today's neocons...

then going to and reporting from Vietnam did nothing to advance that group's goals by helping turn the public against perpetual war.

[Jensen]

18. Totally Agree.....

Rove and his boys spinned it to false documents BUT I truly beleive that * was AWOL.
Dan Rather will have the last laugh someday!

[nolabels]

16. I think he has been living the pampered life a little long myself

Just heard him on a interview a year old or so. The guy judgment seems a little myopic. He thinks we should have been mobilizing like it was WWII for the rouse that was 9/11. Maybe if he would have done some real investigations of 9/11 he might know better (or maybe not).

I like to say it is a Goodbye :hi:

[dbt]

19. The GLARING OMISSION from every Rather piece:

The content of the memos concerning bu$hler's National Guard service was never disproved. I'm sure somebody will point that out to us all on TV just any minute now...

:argh:
dbt

[Catchawave]

20. Bingo!

However the corporate controlled MSM doesn't want us to think about that, do they?

I am vexed.

[malaise]

21. People will always remember Rather's last word

on air - courage - profound brother, profound.

[Catchawave]

22. "Courage"

Great last word....think about it DUers :)

[Catchawave]

24. Courage :::sigh:::

...thanks

:yourock:

[98geoduck]

26. I sensed a bit of a subliminal message in that last statement.

but, I'm sure that many will picture "courage" by thinking about * with the megaphone at Ground Zero and landing on a deck of a carrier with his flight suit pulled up like a thong.

[robbedvoter]

25. Not only NOT DISPROVED but clearly proved

At least two direct witnesses and other documents they couldn't challenge.

[candy331]

27. Courage, a quality that has been lost in the fear mongering unleashed

on the people today. Sad, Sad.