Now outspoken, Cronkite rips Bush's record

The Miami Herald ^ | 11/19/2004 | Glenn Garvin

[GeneD]

No longer the just-the-facts newsman, retired CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite, 88, blasted the Bush administration during a charity appearance on Fisher Island.

What America needs right now, legendary TV anchor Walter Cronkite said Thursday, is a new election -- and, he warned a laughing press conference full of reporters, he wasn't kidding.

''That's not entirely a joke,'' Cronkite said solemnly, arguing that the Bush administration has spent itself into ruin while embroiling the country in a war that will eventually make public revulsion to the war in Vietnam look ``like peanuts.''

''I think you journalists today have a great four years ahead of you,'' Cronkite observed dryly. ``It's going to be a great story to cover.''

Cronkite -- in South Florida on a promotional visit for the Fisher Island Philanthropic Fund, a children's charity -- spent 30 years at CBS News, including 18 as anchor of the network's evening newscast, before retiring in 1982.

His retirement has mostly been a quiet one. But during the past year, Cronkite -- who turned 88 earlier this month -- has made some startling departures from his old just-the-facts anchorman's demeanor. He proclaimed that most journalists are liberals and praised them for it, and accused Republican political operative Karl Rove of orchestrating the release of a new Osama bin Laden tape last month to help President Bush win reelection.

On Thursday, he whacked away at the Bush administration even harder, accusing it of destroying the nation's infrastructure and wrecking its education system to the point that American democracy itself is in danger.

''You want to get down to the nub of how this democracy is going to defend itself,'' Cronkite said. ``We've got to have an intelligent electorate and we're not going to have it because our education system is in a shambles right now.''

The most immediate problem, Cronkite warned, is Iraq.

''We have a war that is tearing us apart,'' he said. But, he added, the administration's deficit spending is a close second, creating ``a debt that will have to be paid by our great-grandchildren, and maybe beyond that.

''In the meantime, we do not have the money to do the things that we ought to -- have to -- do here at home,'' Cronkite said.

Cronkite said the news media have generally done a good job covering the problems, including during the presidential election. But he backed away from a question about the troubles at his old network, where an independent panel is investigating a report by Cronkite's replacement, Dan Rather, that raised questions about President's Bush's Vietnam-era service in the National Guard.

''I'm not going to comment on the Dan Rather matter until the investigators come up with their report,'' said Cronkite. ``I've had great difficulty keeping my lips buttoned, but so far I've made it.''

[1Old Pro]

Why the surprise that Cronkite is opening his yap and spouting left wing ideals....he's been doing this continuously.

[tkathy]

I'd like to see Guiliani rip this decayed old dinosaur.

[Crawdad]

Dog track time for Walter.

[Tribune7]

Thank God for the Internet

[bubman]

Get lost Cronkite, no one pays attention to you no more. Who the hell do you think you are you self-righteous pompous ass?? Go find another war to screw up!!!

[Arkie2]

What America needs right now, legendary TV anchor Walter Cronkite said Thursday, is a new election

What Cronkite means by this of course is that Bush should be removed from office. That will be the next tactic of the left and has been predicted by Rush. The left isn't going to spend the next several years reassesing their position, they're going to spend it trying to discredit Bush. If you thought the debate was bitter before you ain't seen nothing yet.

[Trippin]

Remind me again; why do we care?

[Armedanddangerous]

Hasn't He been dead for a while? Or does it just look like it?

[Dr. Thorne]

Brain dead.

[Retief]

Not content with being part of the reason for the US losing the Vietnam war, now Walter Cronkite wants to help the US lose the war against the Islamofacists. Someone ship the old leftist off to North Korea or Cuba, and send Jimmy Carter and Dan Rather with him.

[WoodstockCat]

what a worthless pile of human debris...die already.

[michaelbfree]

``We've got to have an intelligent electorate and we're not going to have it because our education system is in a shambles right now.''

And who is responsible for that Walter? Bush you say? I would say the decline began in about 1967, when democrats controlled everything and the liberally controlled monstrosity called the NEA started taking over our schools and curriculum. It is liberals that have ruined education Walter, let's lay the blame where it belongs you curmudgeonaly old fool

[AD from SpringBay]

The Passion of the Press

Orderly: Mr. Cronkite, would you care for the Drool bucket?

WC: unintelligible

Orderly: No? Then perhaps a new undergarment?

WC: unintelligible

Orderly: I see. Well sir, it is time for the meds.

WC: unintelligible

Orderly: Now now, I insist. Your family would think aweful poorly of me should I neglect that.

WC: Bush sucks.

Orderly: Quick, stop the presses! Call Reuters! Shall I get The Dan on the line??

WC: unintelligible

[Diogenesis]

FLASHBACK

Dan Rather [trolling again on the frequency of murder, mayhem and terror]: "Mr. President, if only you knew how
much I and others at CBS support you and Castro rather than our unelected (sic) Bush."

Terrorist-Murderer Saddam: "Mr, Rather, it is absolutely remarkable that you media girly men
will repeatedly betray the USA, your President, and even the free American people during war
and for so very little. You and Mr. Cronkite are truly amazing.
Do you realize, Mr. Rather, that for millions and millions of Iraqis and my captives
I had to gang rape each man's children and his wife,
and then burn them in nitric acid, and mutilate them by cutting off at least an ear,
and then force them to watch me push their children through a paper shredder.
Mr. Rather, I used to have to remove testicles and arms before we have every seen such betrayal.
But you and CBS, grovel to me ...... ..... for ..... for nothing.
Thank you, Mr. Rather.
Thank you. We, terrorists, al Qaeda, and Baathists worldwide,
are very very very very lucky to have you and Walter licking at our feet, Mr. Rather."

[68 grunt]

Johnson, McNamara, Rusk and Cronkite - they've a whole lot of blood on their hands. May they burn in hell!

[EternalVigilance]

Brilliant!

[paudio]

The more he opens his mouth, the happier I am. It simply shreds the myth of about him.

[Mr. K]

where was this blohard during 40 years of democrap deficit spending and 4 trillion in dept?

I have some strong issues with Bush's spending but if not for 9/11 we would have still been running surplusses.

The tax cuts are going to take hold and then next 4 years will boom just like when Reagan was president.

Liberals cant learn anything from history, can they. They still back communists...

[stainlessbanner]

Slam the President of the United States = OK
Slam Dan Rather for the "Rathergate" scandal = NOT OK

Cronkite has lost it.