Dan "Edward R. Murrow" Rather is now in an official urinating contest with Les "Golden Gut" Moonves. He just told told David Asman on that Fox News show Neil Cavuto usually anchors ("Your World") that Les is screwing up the network news biz and not - I repeat not - Katie Couric. That line about Katie "tarting" up the news? Pshaw! said Dan. I quote in full: "This isn't about Katie Couric. Nothing to do with her gender and anyone who reads what I...said knows that's true." [Insta-translation: Les doesn't know how to read, so he couldn't read what I said.]
But - persisted Asman - "tarted up?" Come on, Dan! You've basically suggested Katie's turned the "CBS Evening News" into a Turkish whore house and all Les did was say you were being "sexist." What's the deal, big guy?
Said Dan: "I was asked my opinion [on that other show over there on that network in the New Jersey swamps]...It does not have to do with gender. [Les] is trying to change the subject..I find it insulting, disappointing, a better word, that Les Moonves would try to mask the real point, the real point was, plenty of women have made it in news...Les Moonves knows that." [Insta-translation: Maybe Les doesn't know that.]
Dan then swung into his standard Edward R.Murrow-spinning-in-grave-speech, how these charlatans have come in and put Paris Hilton on TV, and that they're not covering hard news any more and how...zzzzz
In any event, I woke up after a few seconds and Dan, quoting Bogey, said "we'll always have Paris," and then I think I turned off the TV.
Don't get me wrong - OK, get me wrong - but I like Dan Rather. I know Dan Rather. I think Dan Rather even used to anchor the "CBS Evening News" so maybe he has a valid opinion on this subject. But isn't this the same Dan who forced Walter Cronkite out of CBS? The same Dan who (along with news oracle Van Gordon Sauter) once touted "moments journalism" - tearjerking stuff designed to make millions of bluehairs reach for the hankies? And who presided over "Evening News" when (that other oracle) Larry Tisch fired hundreds of people, many of them hard news veterans?
Love ya Dan, but you did your share of tarting in the "good old days," too.