Rather to leave CBS Evening News

[moe.ron]

Bill Maher on Larry King discussing Dan Rather:

KING: Going to miss Dan Rather?

MAHER: Yes and no. I mean, I defended him on my show when he got into trouble with those memos, and I said it was -- you know, sounded kind of crazy, but on the other hand, those old school guys, you know, we need them. On the other hand, he infuriates me constantly, Dan Rather.

KING: Why?

MAHER: Because he's very conformist. He assumes that we all agree with a certain point of view, and that's not what a newsman should do. He did it last night. There was that story about this admittedly horrible videogame that came out of the Kennedy assassination.

Let the viewer decide if it's horrible. Don't introduce the story, as he did, by saying "a new low in bad taste." He's giving an opinion there. Just present the facts. Let the viewer decide. The viewer can see whether it's a new low in bad taste.

He does it all the time. Why are gas prices unreasonably high? I don't agree that they're unreasonably high. I think we should have gas prices like they do in most of the world, $4 or $5 a gallon. I think the world would be a much better place. We would use less gas, have less pollution, be sending less money to the people who wind up financing terrorism...

KING: So you think he is an opinionated newscaster?

MAHER: Very much so. Even that thing he does at the end of the first segment, which is -- but first, and he gives tribute to some fallen heroes. I agree these people who fight for us in Iraq are our heroes. And I agree they deserve tribute. But not on a newscast. I'm watching that for news. That is not news.