February
28, 2003, 11:10 a.m. Rather
Tame or Rather Tough?
You, too, can
be media critic and earn big bucks!
By Clifford
D. May
arlier
this week, Dan Rather conducted an exclusive interview with Iraqi dictator
Saddam Hussein. Since then, critics from Don Imus to the Washington
Post's Howard Kurtz to the Media Research Center's Brent Bozell to
The Nation's Bruce Shapiro have weighed about whether, on this
occasion, Rather was a bare-knuckled, hard-hitting, truth-seeking reporter
— or a drooling lap puppy.
But you folks
at home don't need to rely on "experts" to discover the answer.
You can judge for yourself how well Mr. Rather performed, the same way good
editors do when evaluating interviews by cub reporters. Below are all of
Rather's questions, every single word he said during the interview (taken
from the CBS News transcript). Mr. Saddam's responses, however, have been
deleted. We reprint; you decide.
Rather:
I want to ask questions in two categories, please. Category one would
be those questions that I think many, if not most, of Americans would
like to have answered about the news of right now. And in category two,
more philosophical questions.
Rather: Mr. President, do you intend to destroy
the Al-Samoud missiles that the United Nations prohibits? Will you destroy
those missiles?
Rather: I want to make sure that I understand,
Mr. President. So, you do not intend to destroy these missiles?
Rather:
Mr. President, I do appreciate your agreeing to spend an hour, because
I want to ask questions in two categories, please.
Rather:
So, you do not intend to destroy these missiles?
Rather: B —
Rather: Yes, please.
Rather: What do you consider to be the core
issues? You said that I had started - and indeed, I started with the news
of the day. But what do you consider to be the core issue, the basic issue?
Rather: Mr. President, do you expect to be
attacked by an American-led invasion?
Rather: Are you afraid of being killed or
captured?
Rather: Mr. President, I have all night.
(LAUGHTER)
Rather: Yes, no, the translation is excellent.
It's superb.
Rather: I understand. Mr. President, Americans
are very much concerned about anyone's connections to Osama bin Laden.
Do you have, have you had, any connections to Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden?
Rather: Mr. President, I believe I can report
accurately that it's a major concern in the minds of the people in the
United States.
Rather: Do you or do you not agree, in principle,
with the attack of 9/11?
Rather: Mr. President, have you been offered
asylum anywhere? And would you, under any circumstances, consider going
into exile to save your people death and destruction?
Rather: Again, I have plenty of time, Mr.
President.
Rather: (UNINTEL)
Rather: Mr. President, you're being very
patient with your time, and I want you to know I consider this a solemn
moment in history, and, if I may, take time to have you speak to the American
people about questions that I know are on their minds. I just want you
to know that I appreciate your patience here.
Rather:
You mentioned, and 'and the Gulf War.' You fought the father, George Bush
the first. He and the forces he led prevailed on the battlefield. Now
you face the son who has an even greater, even more modern, even more
lethal military force aimed directly at your (UNINTEL). Why would you
think that you could prevail this time on the battlefield? Or do you?
Rather: I understand when he calls him Mr.
Bush.
Rather: I understand now.
Rather: Senior?
Rather: Cease fire.
Rather: Please.
Rather: Mr. President, Vice President Cheney,
Vice President Richard Cheney of the United States says that if and when
an American-led Army comes into Iraq, it will be greeted with music. It
will be treated as a Army of liberation. If Americans are not to believe
that, why should they not believe that?
Rather: percent?
Rather: I understand. Mr. President, if it's
necessary for you to forgive me, I hope that you'll forgive me. But I
have a couple of - sort of clean-up questions that I'm not clear about.
Number one. Will the new proposed United Nations resolution, the one that's
just out this week — will this make any difference at all in your
position?
Rather:
So basically, no change in your position.
Rather: And — and I wanted to ask again,
so I'm perfectly clear — you do not intend to destroy your Al Samoud
missiles. The missiles —
Rather: Yeah. Al Samoud missiles. You do
not intend to destroy those.
Rather: I mean, the missiles that Hans Blix
says that he wants a commitment from you that they will be destroyed.
Rather: Mr. President, I know you've been
very patient with your time. Let me go through a short list of additional
things. If — if there is an invasion, will you set fire to the oil
fields? Will you blow the damns? Or your reservoirs of water, to resist
the invasion?
Rather: Mr. President, I hope you will take
this question in the spirit in which it's asked. First of all, I regret
that I do not speak Arabic. Do you speak any — any English at all?
(OVERTALK)
Rather:
That's (UNINTEL) This American Life story.
Rather: Well, would you speak some English
for me? Anything you choose?
Rather: I understand. Mr. President, again,
you've been patient with your time. What is the most important thing you
want the p - American people to understand? What's the most important
thing you want the American people to understand, at this important juncture
of history?
Rather: Are you speaking about a debate?
Rather:
This - this is new. You — you are suggesting, you are saying, that
you are willing, you are suggesting, you're urging a debate with President
Bush? On television?
Rather: Well, that's an interesting (UNINTEL).
Rather: This is not a joke.
Rather: Mr. President, where would this debate
take place, that you imagine — what would be the venue?
Rather: Oh. So, a satellite television debate.
Live.
Rather: Would you be prepared to come to
the United Nations for this debate?
Rather: Well, this surprises me. I want to
make sure I understand.
Rather: A live international debate via satellite
—
Rather: How did this — who — who
would moderate this debate?
Rather: With respect, Mr. President, I have
(UNINTEL) other problems. I've got enough problems already. But I —
Rather: Well — first of all, I want
to be serious that I — I appreciate — your confidence - Mr.
President. I'm pausing because I'm tempted to ask a favor of the president.
[Editor's note: Rather is referring to Saddam Hussein.] He has surprised
me. I wonder for my good health if he could denounce me? (LAUGHTER)
Rather: Yes.
(OFF-MIKE CONVERSATION)
Rather: (LAUGHTER) Well, I - I think this
is -
Rather: I understand. (UNINTEL) I appreciate
your remembering that we met in 1990. And I interviewed you in this great
building. Given the sober moment and the danger at hand, what are the
chances this is the last time you and I will see each other?
Rather: Yes.
Rather: Mr. President, you say that knowing
that (UNINTEL) on your brother is a tremendous armada ready to deliver
destruction and awe.
Rather: I have one last question, Mr. President.
Not so long ago, you were clearly hailed by Arabs from Palestinians to
Jordanians throughout the Arab world as the great Arab Avenger. Are you
still relevant on the Arab street? Or has Osama bin Laden made you what
other Arabs irrelevant? If you can understand the question. Thank you.
Rather: (UNINTEL PHRASE) not agree that Osama
bin Laden is now — (BREAK IN SOUND)
Rather: He does or does not agree that Osama
bin Laden is now - the champion of the Arab streets?
(BREAK IN TAPE)
Rather: So he does or does not agree that
Osama bin Laden is now — the champion of the Arab streets?
Rather: This is not true?
Rather: Is — did the answer finish?
Rather: Mr. President, you've been so patient
with your time. I appreciate you (UNINTEL). And I'm gonna —
Rather: I would like very much to see you
in the future, Mr. President.
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arlier
this week, Dan Rather conducted an exclusive interview with Iraqi dictator
Saddam Hussein. Since then, critics from Don Imus to the Washington
Post's Howard Kurtz to the Media Research Center's Brent Bozell to
The Nation's Bruce Shapiro have weighed about whether, on this
occasion, Rather was a bare-knuckled, hard-hitting, truth-seeking reporter
— or a drooling lap puppy.
