Rita Cosby
I had the opportunity to speak with veteran newscaster Dan Rather Monday, and to see him once again covering current events with the same fervor and passion he showed Americans during his almost half century in journalism. Of course it was great to hear him again chime in on the current political climate after the powerful midterm election results. He candidly told me that if he were a betting man, he would bet against bipartisanship between the new Democratic Congress and the White House. He said, "I think the President wants to work with the Democratic-controlled Congress to get what he wants, and the reverse of that is also true of the Democrats if you had to bet it, you'd have to bet we'll have gridlock." But I was also personally excited to see Dan Rather at our MSNBC Studios on Monday since he was my old boss. In the summer of 1989, I was a bright-eyed, budding journalist who was lucky enough to get an internship for "The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather." I learned on the very first day that the key to success in this business was hard work and a dedication to the craft, and Dan Rather was tireless in his work schedule and chase of a good story. He truly cared about journalism and was always the first one to offer to go to the scene of the story. I vividly remember that he also took time to talk to me, a young intern, who could've been just another face in the crowd, but he treated me with respect and enthusiasm. After the National Guard case and his departure from CBS after nearly 25 years, many wondered where Rather would go. After working with him, I had no doubt he'd have to stick with journalism. He loves this business too much to stay away from it! I was glad to see he's now premiered with his weekly shows on Mark Cuban's HD-net, pushing journalism to the 21st century. For a man who's always done thought-provoking work, he's now making us think about the next level of journalism.
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