Posted on 06/06/2004 12:25:13 AM PDT by My Dog Likes Me
Essay by Dan Rather, read at the very end of a CBS News special report, on the evening of June 5, 2004.
--- "President Reagan led the West in a decisive hour of a long battle for the survival of Western culture, Western ideas and ideals.
He was a son of the West. Born in the American Mid-West, he grew to full manhood and died in its far West. All of his life, he favored the West Wind.
He dressed the part, acted it, spoke it, and lived it. The Reagan presidency began on the front steps of the Capitol. His inaugural ceremony the first in history facing West, toward the Mall and its monuments.
His letter of November 5, 1994, announcing his Alzheimers, poignant, yet devoid of self-pity, tells us he was once again looking West. But, Ronald Wilson Reagan also could not resist one more look back over his shoulder.
He now makes his final ride, confident in the knowledge that, as he wrote, "For America, there will always be a bright dawn ahead."
May we share his optimism. And may his steed hold steady as he completes his journey. We will think of him always, when the West Wind blows." -----
Too bad Rather didn't just simply choke. And, what perfect irony that President Reagan, in death, gets a near-solid week of news coverage from even those in the MSM that despise everything he stood for. The weasels of network news will feel like choking themselves before this week is out. Coverage of Reagan's death and the accompanying retrospective is likely to relight the torch of Americans feeling good about America all over again, and that is NOT good news for phoney wannabes such as John Effin' Kerry.
Well, you could always add "Courage" from that phase of his self-immortalization project.
I have always found that I can pull a line from "Gone With The Wind" to cover virtually any situation that arises in life. When I saw Peter Jennings eulogizing Ronald Reagan, it struck me as so hypocritical, I told my wife, "Reminds me of Scarlet saying of Melanie after she died, 'You know I loved her really,' and Rhett replying that no, I don't know that, but at least it's to your credit that you finally appreciate her at the end.
You've got that right and that's all I will say because it only gets worse when I talk about Rather.
You know for as much as the media disliked him, the ones I saw last night had wonderful reflections of him. Actually Matthews was probable the best. I think he really liked the guy.
Peggy Noonan and others say Rather is a decent guy in private. I despise his politics, but it is likely that Rather DID feel quite strongly about Reagan's passing.
I think Reagan's courage (both Ronald and Nancy!) in facing this horrible disease has caused a lot of liberals to re-think the personal animosity they felt for the Reagans during the 80s. I've met a number of liberals over the past few years who have said, "I used to think Nancy was a bitch, but she's been a great example to all of us in recent years"
Of course, the Reagan's weren't the ones who changed, but people whose political bias caused them to hate the Reagans have recognized their decency on a human level.
<< Rather is simply searching for his "Cronkite" moment. You know, something that the future news anchors can play over and over again when Rather is being remembered, like Cronkite announcing JFK's death.
.... Rather cries alot. I think he may be depressed or something. He looks like he could be. [Armchair psychiatry] -- At any rate, when he does cry, I think it's all about him. >>
Yep.
A Cronkite-like KKKli'too/Castro/Hussayn hugging phony.
I read your transcript and watched it as well. At the end did you catch the bit about "we mourn his presidency...........and death." I was pissed when I heard that.
You'll hear this all week.
Rather and Reagan: A Pattern of Bias at the Eyemark Network
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1148443/posts
This is just a brief abberation. Rather will back to undermining the ideals Regan fought for the day after the funeral.
*ping*
It's always been all about him. He was Geraldo before there was a Geraldo.
(They Call Me Rather!)
Clinton's real scandal was he traded our nations security and nukular secrets for some campaign contributions, and conducted a war to distract from personal problems. It was never "just about sex."
Words are empty unless they are full and sincere. I think you give too easily a bow to Rather's sincerity in this instance. You see, I recall every smirk and nuance, every way of saying something about Reagan while he was president, that invited his audience to take a diminshed view of the president. His attempt to poison America about Ronald Reagan failed. Now, as a constant grasper after the crowd's approval, Rather mouths words with tears and heaviness which, if he has no other skill, he has perfected in delivery regardless of the inner bile at the success and acclaim of a man Rather despised and only wished the worst.
Sorry, WE WERE THERE. We know Dan Rather.
All the ideals Rather hates....
I heard that interview. I was like WTF? I really couldn't understand what point the Laut was trying to make. It was obviously to bash W, but he couldn't seem to get the concepts to come together, and he just kept stretching and stretching.
I would have bought the lie about Rather being a conscientious liberal until the notorious "interview" (stroking session) he had with Saddam before the war. He's no better than Peter Arnett in my book.
And everyone is remembering what a nice guy Ronnie could be. Nobody seems to remember how STERN he could be too. He INFURIATED the left in much the same way that Bush does. For Pete's sake if CBS had any respect for him they would not have made that STOOPID Reagan biopic with James Brolin.
Reagan was a tough guy and he stared down the whole liberal/socialist/progressive/communist world and they never forgave him for it.
Ugh. Last night Bill Schneider said that conservatives had better not try to appropriate President Reagan's death and use it for political gain, and then he made an ugly face. Then CNN ran a clip of the Wellstone Funerally.
That would be Rather I'm talking about.
For some reason Fox seems determined that there should be one of those "flower piles" at the funeral home like the commies get when they die. It's not happening. But they keep saying things like "the makeshift memorial is starting to grow." I'm not sure what that means.
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