Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Roger Mudd, longtime network TV newsman, dies at 93
1011Now ^ | 3/9/21 | Ed Payne

Posted on 03/09/2021 2:46:53 PM PST by Borges

Roger Mudd, the longtime political correspondent and anchor for NBC and CBS who once stumped Sen. Edward Kennedy by simply asking why he wanted to be president, has died. He was 93.

CBS News says Mudd died Tuesday of complications of kidney failure at his home in McLean, Virginia.

During more than 30 years on network television, starting with CBS in 1961, Mudd covered Congress, elections and political conventions and was a frequent anchor and contributor to various specials. His career coincided with the flowering of television news, the pre-cable, pre-Internet days when the big three networks and their powerhouse ranks of reporters were the main source of news for millions of Americans.

(Excerpt) Read more at 1011now.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: chatforum; liberalmedia; mudd; rogermudd; rogermuddobit
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-88 next last
To: AnotherUnixGeek

They were lying then too. Hopefully he made peace with his maker before he went. If not, rest in hell.


41 posted on 03/09/2021 3:44:44 PM PST by Varda
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Eric in the Ozarks

But Ted, to his credit, torpedoed Carter’s 1980 re-election chances.


42 posted on 03/09/2021 3:44:46 PM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: circlecity

Mudd was a pretty decent reporter.

I liked the guy.


43 posted on 03/09/2021 3:44:57 PM PST by DoughtyOne (The Republican Party is dead. Long live the Founders Party.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Borges

My brother and I used to audio record skits growing up about Roger Mudball.


44 posted on 03/09/2021 3:55:24 PM PST by NWFree (Socialism is legalized plunder)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Borges

I knew Roger.
He was a good man.
Would see him often at the International Safeway in McLean


45 posted on 03/09/2021 3:56:02 PM PST by nandrew
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lightman

Cool...did not know that!


46 posted on 03/09/2021 4:02:49 PM PST by gr8eman (Elder Non-Binary Sibling is Watching You!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: mware

Remember him too!


47 posted on 03/09/2021 4:04:32 PM PST by gr8eman (Elder Non-Binary Sibling is Watching You!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: DoughtyOne

Good for you.


48 posted on 03/09/2021 4:05:35 PM PST by circlecity
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: gr8eman

Did some quick checking...cousin of some degree, not lineal descendant.


49 posted on 03/09/2021 4:11:38 PM PST by lightman (uick)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

+1 for the Primus reference. :)


50 posted on 03/09/2021 4:14:26 PM PST by Mr. Jeeves ([CTRL]-[GALT]-[DELETE])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: DoughtyOne
He sure was. I remember him fondly.

You really can see the decency in his face. I wouldn't be surprised if he quit the news business when he saw it fast becoming the ugly propaganda business.


51 posted on 03/09/2021 4:15:12 PM PST by JennysCool ( "It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled." ― Mark Twain )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

Roger Mudd's finest moment was torpedoing Wilbur Mills:

Wilbur Mills was a powerful Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from the State of Arkansas.

Wilbur Daigh Mills was born on 24 May 1909 in Kensett, White County, Arkansas. Mills attended public schools and later graduated from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. He obtained his law degree from Harvard University and was admitted to the bar in 1933.

Mills served in the House of Representatives from 1939 to 1977 and served as the chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, a post he held longer than any other in American history. Mills was often termed "the most powerful man in Washington" during his tenure.

Mills served as County Judge of White County, Arkansas during the depression years and began a county-funded program to pay medical bill, prescription drugs, and hospital treatment for the poor.

His accomplishments in Congress included playing a large role in the creation of the Medicare program. Mills initially opposed the program but eventually shepherded it through Congress. Mills was also acknowledged as the primary tax expert in the Congress and a voice for the Tax Reform Act of 1969. Mills favored a conservative fiscal policy and a balanced budget but also supported various liberal programs.

Mills ran for President of the United States in the 1972 Democratic primaries.

But Mills is best known for being disgraced by scandal after a drunken incident on October 7, 1974. Mills was caught cheating on his wife. He chased after and won the heart of a stripper named Anabell Battistella, who was also known as "Fanne Foxe, the Argentine Firecracker." Poor Mills. In the 1970's, voters did not care for promiscuous behavior on the part of adulterous womanizing politicians. When Mills, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, got drunk and drove his car into the Washington Tidal Basin while in the company of Ms. Foxe, well, it caused a real scandal. It was OK for politicians to act like cats in heat, as long as they did not get caught on camera. Indeed, one of Wilbur Mills problems was that his questioning had been caught on camera. Mills, so used to lying like a politician, panicked when he could not lie his way out of the situation. Mills's initial, glib comment on his behavior was, "Don't go out with foreigners who drink Champagne." Later, his more sober explanation was, "I drank booze, and I mixed the drinks with some highly addictive drugs." He eventually revised his explanation like a true politician: "I now believe that the fatigue and pressure built up by years of dedicated work for my constituents and for the whole nation had an impact on me far beyond what I suspected," Mills said. The Washington press corp was generally very liberal and tolerant of adultery. Reporter Nancy Dickerson never reported until after he died, that a drunken Wilbur Mills took her to see stripper Fanne Foxe perform and declared, "I own her." Liberal and tolerant, unless there was a good picture available.

Roger Mudd, who used to work at CBS News, said of it, "The best thing about this story is, it can only get worse."

Mills was questioned by Washington, D.C. Police at 2am and found to be intoxicated. His face was bloody from a scuffle with Fox. When police approached the car, Foxe leapt from the car and into the Tidal Basin. While his office denied that he had a drinking problem, Jack Anderson reported that - 'if his staff said, "He can't speak with you now, he's on the floor", it was never clear if Mills was on the floor of the House or the floor of his office.' - In the '74 election a month after the scandal, Mills had a challenger, who used the slogan, "If you like liquor, sex and thrills, cast your vote for Wilbur Mills". Mills won anyway, but with only 59% in a heavily Democrat district. Within weeks, Mills appeared on a Boston stage carousing with Foxe, apparently intoxicated. Faced with an uprising among House Democrats, Mills was forced to resign as Ways and Means chairman, and in 1976 he announced he would not seek another term, ending his 38-year House career.

52 posted on 03/09/2021 4:16:06 PM PST by Henchster (Free Republic - the BEST site on the web!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Borges

What’s next? You’re going to tell me Jessica Savitch has been hiding out this whole time?


53 posted on 03/09/2021 4:19:31 PM PST by NohSpinZone (First thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dilbert San Diego
I wonder if the episode, ,”Mudd’s Women”, could be made today.

Ha! Not a chance.

54 posted on 03/09/2021 4:42:18 PM PST by TChad (The MSM, having nuked its own credibility, is now bombing the rubble.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Dilbert San Diego
I wonder if the episode, ,”Mudd’s Women”, could be made today.

One of my junior high school teachers had a bit part in that episode. He played one of the miners who were fighting over the women.

55 posted on 03/09/2021 4:46:29 PM PST by fidelis (Zonie and USAF Cold Warrior)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Borges

Mudds women..... Star Trek


56 posted on 03/09/2021 4:48:30 PM PST by Moleman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Borges

Roger Mudd comes from a famous Southern Maryland Catholic family that included a great Patriot Dr Mudd who gave medical aid to a great Southern warrior John Wilkes Booth.


57 posted on 03/09/2021 4:53:14 PM PST by Southern Sam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: circlecity

Actually, it was good for everyone to have a guy that would deliver
unbiased news at a time when it was a lot less rare than it is today.

It’s in this climate that it stands out so much, and is appreciated
so much more.


58 posted on 03/09/2021 5:03:34 PM PST by DoughtyOne (The Republican Party is dead. Long live the Founders Party.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: JennysCool

Thanks for the note of agreement.

Maybe he did see it coming. Who could have seen that it would
get this bad though?


59 posted on 03/09/2021 5:06:08 PM PST by DoughtyOne (The Republican Party is dead. Long live the Founders Party.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: circlecity

ROFLMAO
You’re pathetic and you don’t even know it.


60 posted on 03/09/2021 5:07:04 PM PST by Artemis Webb (Be kind to each other, unless the other guy is a dumbass.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-88 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson