"I'm an independent journalist," he claimed, in quotes picked up by the Washington Post.

Rather pledged that he wouldn't give in to his critics, who he said were themselves guilty of "bias."

The embattled newsman denied reports that he would step down as anchor of the "CBS Evening News" anytime soon, vowing to "not to give up the fight" to clear his name.

"NBC Nightly News" anchorman Tom Brokaw, a fellow panelist, offered supportive words for his colleague and attacked Rather's critics on the Internet for waging "a kind of political jihad against Dan Rather and CBS News that is quite outrageous."

"When it comes to fraudulence, forgeries and claims that cannot be supported, that's where you see an enormous harm being done to the country," he complained.

Brokaw singled out the Media Research Center's L. Brent Bozell, who the network newsman said was "doing as much damage as he can, and I choose that word carefully, to the credibility of the news divisions."

Also on hand to defend Rather was "ABC World News Tonight" anchorman Peter Jennings, who explained why anchormen like his CBS colleague sometimes seemed to take the side of the enemy in their news coverage.

"[It's] not a natural instinct for those of us in the establishment media to cheer the country on," Jennings said.

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