Rather makes good?
The segment on 60 Minutes II that just aired was EXCELLENT. I don't know if it's Dan Rather trying to regain some of his lost credibility, but speaking as a Marine who was over there, tonight's 60 Minutes hit the mark EXACTLY.
The Marine unit featured in the segment, preparing for Sunday's elections, were portrayed in a positive light, in a way that didn't conflict with my own experiences, and with a surprising amount of candor. When a Marine told Rather, "I'm just tired of the crap, (slight pause) sir." He almost barked out the "sir" as an afterthought to disguise the frustration clearly evident in his tone. Rather replied, "No no. Give it to me straight. Tell me what you think." The Marine went on to briefly explain that Americans at home were getting only the negative stories from the media and to stress his belief that, "We're winning."
While never shying away from the tension that truly does exist among our forces in Iraq, never hesitating to explain the very real danger that faces our Marines, the piece still managed to convey the optimism, the competence, the winning attitude that pervaded my own unit during my time in Iraq.
Bravo, CBS. Why couldn't you broadcast segments such as this one before? (Rhetorical question, of course...)
The Marine unit featured in the segment, preparing for Sunday's elections, were portrayed in a positive light, in a way that didn't conflict with my own experiences, and with a surprising amount of candor. When a Marine told Rather, "I'm just tired of the crap, (slight pause) sir." He almost barked out the "sir" as an afterthought to disguise the frustration clearly evident in his tone. Rather replied, "No no. Give it to me straight. Tell me what you think." The Marine went on to briefly explain that Americans at home were getting only the negative stories from the media and to stress his belief that, "We're winning."
While never shying away from the tension that truly does exist among our forces in Iraq, never hesitating to explain the very real danger that faces our Marines, the piece still managed to convey the optimism, the competence, the winning attitude that pervaded my own unit during my time in Iraq.
Bravo, CBS. Why couldn't you broadcast segments such as this one before? (Rhetorical question, of course...)