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Desert Local News - Desert Local News Print at Home Edition 11 March 26 - Index

8 DLNews meets Dan rather
Desert Local News Meets CBS
News Legend Dan Rather
By Leslie Andrews
INDIAN WELLS: Dan Rather, a
legendary news anchor, came to the
Annenburg Center in Rancho Mirage
as part of their speaker series. Desert
Local News sits down with Rather
and talks with him in an exclusive
interview.
First, Rather is no stranger to the
Coachella Valley. “My wife and I vacationed
here back in the 1980’s, and
once again in the early 1990’s,” he
says. “I love it here.”
Rather has been a reporter with
CBS News since the 1950s. In the
1960’s, he covered major events,
like the assassination of President
John F. Kennedy. A decade later, he
covered the Watergate Scandal of
President Richard Nixon. And from
1981 to 2005, he served as lead anchor
for the CBS Evening News
before retiring. He says, “It many
ways, this has been one of the better
times of my life. I work for HDNET,
and I have a passion for covering the
news and it’s a great time for me. My
best work is still ahead of me. I do a
weekly program and I’m still able to
engage in my passion.”
When asked about Katie Couric,
his successor at the network news
desk, Rather had this to say about
her. “She (Couric) is a very nice
person, an accomplished television
performer, an excellent interviewer,
and it seems like she’s doing her job.
It seems like she’s been there a long
time. I wish her well.”
The election is one event that
Rather continues to follow until this
day. Though he doesn’t endorse any
particular candidate for the presidency,
he respects all three frontrunner
candidates. “This will be the
most wide open race since 1928,” he
stated. “The race is shaded in Barack
Obama’s favor because he holds the
delegates lead.” During his speech,
he added that Hilary Clinton has
slowed down Obama’s momentum.
“This has become a billion dollar
campaign so far,” Rather added, remarking
much time and money has
been spent in this race.
On the subject of the Iraq war,
Rather commented that it has been
unpopular among most Americans.
“More than half a trillion dollars
has been spent on the war,” he mentioned.
Rather also stated that the
war has so far benefited China and
Russia. “We are reaping the effects
of the war,” he added. The removal
of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has
strengthened these other nations in
many ways. Yet, he believes the war
will have an edge on voters in the upcoming
election, as well as the state
of the U.S. economy. Rather adds,
“I’m an optimist. I see hope for our
nation’s future.”
Young Rather grew up in Houston,
Texas during the Great Depression.
Going to college was a goal
for him, encouraged by his mother.
Rather graduated from Sam Houston
State University and got mentored
into journalism, although he
wanted to get a football scholarship
to become an athlete. He tried to become
a print journalist, but with the
challenges of spelling, he was led towards
broadcast news.
Rather spoke about his interviews
of world leaders, including his experience
with the Dali Lama in Tibet.
“The Dali Lama presented me with
a watch that read ‘be optimistic’,
but to me, it meant ‘Be American, ‘”
he said. Although he may not agree
with some of their politics, Rather
mentioned that one must respect
their points of view when it comes to
speaking to important people. “Anytime
you interview a president of the
United States, you must always respect
him,” he specifically said. “Every
interview with a president has
been an honor.”
Finally, Rather had this to say to
aspiring journalists or anybody interested
in a media career: “Don’t take
advice. Learn to write. Writing is the
bedrock of the craft. If you dedicate
yourself to the craft, you will get a
good job and you will learn to think
well. I don’t guarantee that you will
be wealthy, but it will bring you great
satisfaction throughout your career.”
Fun Fact: Dan Rather’s birthday
falls on Halloween. As a child, his
mother would combine his birthday
party with a Halloween theme.