Dangerous Dan Thoughts and musings on the world

It appears that Carson Daly concept of karma has caught up with Dan Rather. In his farewell statement, Rather takes a jab at CBS for forcing him into retirement by sidelining him with the promise of occasional stories that have not come:

I leave CBS News with tremendous memories. But I leave now most of all with the desire to once again do regular, meaningful reporting. My departure before the term of my contract represents CBS’s final acknowledgement, after a protracted struggle, that they had not lived up to their obligation to allow me to do substantive work there. As for their offers of a future with only an office but no assignments, it just isn’t in me to sit around doing nothing. So I will do the work I love elsewhere, and I look forward to sharing details about that soon.

Why is this poetic justice? Because it was Rather who forced Walter Cronkite into the same sort of retirement some 25 years ago. Rather threatened to leave CBS unless he got the anchor gig, so CBS sent Cronkite to the bench. Uncle Walt never got the specials or investigative reports CBS promised him as anchor emeritus because Rather didn’t want Cronkite interfering with his rising star and he strong armed the network into putting Cronkite out to pasture, permanently and practically-speaking.

And now it’s come full-circle. Rather is getting the very same treatment he forced upon Cronkite (not that I care much for Cronkite either). To add to the delicious irony, it is again Rather’s own actions that are bringing about his comeuppance. Instead of some new hot shot nipping at his heels, it was Rather’s own ambition and hubris that did him in. Ya gotta like it.