Dan Rather Leaving CBS

Dan Rather Leaving CBS

"Finishing details are being worked out for me to leave CBS News after 44 years," Mr. Rather said in a TelevisionWeek interview.

There's been much speculation about Dan Rather in cyberspace. The decidedly right-leaning NY Post had their snarky Page Six say:

Don't blame Katie Couric for the way CBS is treating Dan Rather, who's off the air and negotiating his severance from the network. "Katie had nothing to do with it," said one network insider. "This decision was made long before she got there." Some viewers with long memories assumed Rather, 74, was getting exactly what he gave to legendary Walter Cronkite in 1981 when he deposed Cronkite and took his anchor chair. Cronkite, known as the most trusted man in America, was eager to continue reporting for CBS News, but Rather kept him off the air. "Don't blame Katie," said our source. "They [CBS execs] just want to get rid of him." It was confirmed yesterday that CBS will not offer a new deal to Rather, whose contract expires at the end of the year. Earlier this week, Rather told The Philadelphia Inquirer he's not ready to retire: "My position is I want to work. Maybe it's my hubris, but I still think there are things I can contribute." But not at CBS

The truth would most likely be posted on CBS, so I went to check. Dan says he's leaving CBS. He said, "If it had it worked out for me to be an important contributor to CBS, I would have liked that...The work has not turned out what I hoped it would be.."

You can read between the lines.

David Blum talks about Rather's departure at the Huffington Post.

Bloomberg News Launches New Political Show

Bloomberg News Launches New Political Show

From ABC's Political Note:

Bloomberg News will launch a new weekend television show from Washington this Saturday, June 17: "Political Capital with Al Hunt." It will feature analysis of the top political, economic and international stories from Bloomberg reporters in Washington and around the world; "Simon Says" — a political debriefing from Roger Simon, Bloomberg's chief political reporter; an interview with a prominent newsmaker Sen. Obama this week, and a "Last Word" debate between Robert Novak and Margaret Carlson or Michelle Cottle.

Those in the know have been reading the text version of "Simon Says" for years — it is sort of a cross between Erma Bombeck, Richard Daley, and Jeff Zeleny's e-mail traffic.

Bloomberg television, of course, is carried in about half the cable homes around the country and also early mornings on the E! network which can be seen on virtually every cable system. More than 25 million additional homes can get Bloomberg on satellite. Because the key to Bloomberg is ametorization, "Political Capital" will air numerous times on Saturday and Sunday, starting at 6:30am (EST) and including 7:30 and 10:30pm on Saturday and Sunday mornings and afternoon.

Thank You, Reps Murtha, Skelton, Pelosi

"The American people are not naive. They know a failed policy when they see one. Iraq is a failed policy. It's time to redeploy."

- Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa) (link to story below)

Thank You, Reps Murtha, Skelton, Pelosi

We can see how you are bringing sanity and appeals for truth and reconciliation to the debate on the House floor over Iraq. When I saw little Patrick McHenry from North Carolina, who'd never seen a battlefield in his life, shaking his fists and spewing every sanctimonious Rove-flavored talking point he could remember while supporting this vacuous resolution on Iraq, I could clearly see how empty their arguments have become. I regret that they hold majority status in the House. They've abdicated a serious responsibility by drawing party lines around a meaningless "stay-the-course" slogan that is at the core of this resolution.

You are right, House Democrats. Stay strong. The Republicans in our House are acting as partisans in unison with a Pentagon-propanganda sheet by their sides. They are dividing the people of this country with their tactics. This time, however, because of your strong voices, the dividing line created by the meaningless rhetoric of this GOP resolution leaves many, many more Americans on the side of truth and reality, regardless of the outcome of this resolution.

I respect all of you House Democrats for standing up.

God bless you all.
May truth continue to prevail in the hearts of the American people after this divisive resolution vote has long passed.

_____________

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH by John Murtha

See the USA Today rebuttal that twists the truth to the extent that, if their opinion held water with reasonable peoople, it would mean that Democrats who ask for a real debate and responsiblity for oversight on the failed policy of the Bush administration in Iraq would not be honoring our troops. The opposite is true, most Americans know that, and we can only hope and pray that these misguided writers of the Fourth Estate learn that - soon. It's obvious that people with common sense and a patriotic spirit still have much to fear from misleading journalists - the same ones who followed along with the majority (with no objectivity) and contributed to the misleading wave that resulted in our nation going to a totally unnecessary war.

When will they learn?

Thank God for the Fifth Estate - the bloggers and writers of the alternative press.