The American Spectator

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Chris Mark /p>

Many thanks to George Neumayr for having given us a fascinating review of Dan Rather.

Found especially interesting is this statement: "Rather's career arc looks complete: he has gone from nipping at the heels of Richard Nixon for a third-rate burglary to serving as the Democrats' copy boy for what looks like a third-rate forgery."

In attempting to determine cause for Rather's rather virulent hatred of Bush 43, it might be well to recall an event near the apogee of Rather's trajectory. It occurred during the campaign of 1988 that pitted Bush 41 against Dukakis. During what Rather clearly intended to be a newsmaker interview that would hole Bush at the waterline, Rather rather haughtily began to question Bush about his alleged role in Iran-Contra. A clearly stunned Rather suddenly found himself classically Bush-whacked instead.

G.H.W. Bush turned the tables by asking the oh so superior news reader if would want the public to judge Rather as unprofessional on the basis of the single incident in which he left in anger during one of his televised performances, leaving the TV equivalent of dead air. Rather reacted furiously and the well scripted effort to put a dagger in Bush was left in a shambles with both men shouting at each other at the top of their voices.

It is my surmise that Rather was stung to the core -- obvious to one and all as the result of his gross professional mis-judgment -- and swore revenge on Bush 41. His malign attempt to play gotcha with the son of Bush 41 seems all of a piece with the mean spirited, petty nature of this grandly self-inflated "news" anchor whose ego balloon was so rapidly punctured 16 years ago to the joy of many such as myself.

p>It is further my surmise that CBS may find some pretext for accepting Rather's resignation -- with all sorts of going away, nostalgic hoopla to sugar coat the dismissal -- if President Bush wins re-election. In that case perhaps Kerry and Rather can go on a world sports celebrity tour together to showcase their unique talents: neither needs any external movement of air to go wind surfing on a mill pond. They might even seek commercial gas turbine wind farm endorsements to tout their concern for the environment and the joys of living "off the grid". br> -- Thomas E. Stuart br> Kapa'au, Hawaii /p> p> I find myself in total agreement with Mr. Neumayr once again. I would add only this: It seems to me that the real arrogance here in the Dan Rather never-never land is Mr. Rather's contention that it is not incumbent upon him to prove the veracity of his presentation, but, rather, it is the responsibility of the public to prove him wrong. I guess this would change the old journalistic jeremiad, "Get it first, Get it right" to "Make it up, Get it our." I long ago made my peace with the network media's penchant for slanting the new; however, I draw a hard and fast line when they decide that slanting is not enough. Now they are actually creating it out of whole cloth. br> -- Joseph Baum

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