John L. Perry
Monday, Sept. 20, 2004

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  John Kerry was already sinking in the Mekong Delta when you lurched in to rescue him, but wound up pushing his head even farther under.

So, please, don’t do the right thing and resign.

Stay right in there in front of the old CBS naked eye, night after night after excruciatingly embarrassing night, reminding whoever is still bothering to tune you in anymore of the wretched botch you’ve made of things for Kerry.

Thank-You Note Is in the Mail

George W. Bush owes you big.

You haven’t had this much influence in years. Now you’ve at last made yourself felt again. Not exactly as you intended, but that’s show biz.

And that’s the biz you’re in. Journalism? What was that?

A number of years ago, Dan Rather gave this writer the following advice, hand-printed on a 3 x 5 card, on how to cope with the news media:

“In dealing with the press do yourself a favor. Stick with one of three responses: (a) ‘I know and I can tell you,’ (b) ‘I know and I can’t tell you’ or (c) ‘I don’t know.’”

‘… Not as I Do’

Too bad, Dan, now that you know what it feels like to be on the answering end of questions, that you forgot your own advice.

Or failed to add a Fourth Commandment: (d) “Don’t fake it in the first place.”

Here’s a scoop for you, but don’t tell anyone where you got it: (a) You just self-destructed, (b) You cost the holders of Columbia Broadcasting Company shares a fortune in cold, hard, train-ridin’ cash (if you’ll pardon a Texas-ism) and (c) You just helped reelect the president of the United States.

‘Call Me Irreplaceable … ’

Don’t let those girlie-men at Black Rock hornswoggle you into resigning, Dan. And if they fire you, fire back.

After all, you’re the one who made them what they are today – toast (Texas toast, that is, son).

John L. Perry, a prize-winning newspaper editor and writer who served on White House staffs of two presidents, is a regular columnist for NewsMax.com.

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