Dan Rather

“Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic.”

“darn pennies” on the simple joys of life. Never mind that almost every reputable economist has called this tax bill a sham of handouts for the rich at the expense of the vast majority of Ame...”

“From the streets of Cairo and the Arab Spring, to Occupy Wall Street, from the busy political calendar to the aftermath of the tsunami in Japan, social media was not only sharing the news bu...”

“If I didn't have a front-row seat on history, it was at least a seat on the aisle.”

“Don't taunt the alligator until after you've crossed the creek.”

“Well, first of all, I don't want to debate the word conservative, but by my definition, a conservative is someone who wants to conserve the Constitution of the United States and the American...”

“Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow.”

“I don't pretend to be a digital savant or even a digital apprentice.”

“As someone who's been covering presidential campaigns since the 1950s, I have no delusions about political reporting. Candidates bargaining access to get the kind of news coverage they want...”

“The press is a watchdog. Not an attack dog. Not a lapdog. A watchdog. Now, a watchdog can't be right all the time. He doesn't bark only when he sees or smells something that's dangerous. A g...”

“I don't back down. I don't cave when the pressure gets too great from these partisan political ideological forces.”

“A college degree is the key to realizing the American dream, well worth the financial sacrifice because it is supposed to open the door to a world of opportunity.”

“Covering the civil-rights movement was a mind- and eye-opener for me. Houston was a segregated society, as was Texas as a whole - some of it by law, a lot of it by fear and tradition. But th...”

“I respect and empathize with reporters and editors who must compete in today's environment. And I know full well that when I've been covering campaigns, which I still do, I've made my mistak...”

“This much we know: Journalism is not a precise science. It's, on its best day, is a crude art. We make mistakes; I make mistakes. With more than 50 years as a journalist, I have at least had...”

“Journalists should denounce government by public opinion polls.”

“If all difficulties were known at the outset of a long journey, most of us would never start out at all.”

“Performing doesn't turn me on. It's an egomaniac business, filled with prima donnas - including this one.”

“And for whatever reason I've loved the news since I can remember. I loved it when I was in elementary school.”

“A free and truly independent press - fiercely independent when necessary - is the red beating heart of freedom and democracy.”