Bidding Farewell to Dan Rather

March 9, 2004 — -- A word about Dan Rather, who is winding up his last night as the anchor of the "CBS Evening News."

You've surely heard about that. Dan -- more than any other newsman in America, I think -- has always made news, as well as covered it, though that was not necessarily his intention.

We have competed against each other for a long time. And in a general sense, as he gives up being an editor and goes back to full-time reporting, we still will.

He is one tough competitor. A couple of years ago, I heard that Dan had actually taken a nap one afternoon when we were all in Iraq. Thank goodness, I thought; we don't have to go 100 miles an hour for a little while to stay ahead of him. We weren't always ahead of him, either.

Dan's long record at CBS has taken him through fascinating times and memorable places -- all those hurricanes he loves, through Vietnam and the Washington years with President Nixon.

When Dan and CBS recently fell short in their reporting on President Bush's military record during Vietnam, we were bound to find fault, but took no pleasure in the pain that it caused our competitors.

For many of us, being a reporter turned out to be a calling. It is identity for Dan.

He would be the first to reflect -- as all serious reporters do -- that this opportunity to work on behalf of the public interest has been an unusual privilege.

Dan and I are also friends. It goes without saying that we wish him nothing but the best.