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I think that Dan Rather is giving Katie Couric way too much credit. U.S. news coverage has been consistently getting dumber and more "sexsational" for decades. Katie Couric is hardly more vacuous than the other entertainment anchors that pose as television journalists these days.

Dan Rather should have looked in the mirror before casting his bitter stone. He is being dishonest with himself if he believes he hasn't contributed to dumbing down the news. Presenting partisan stories whose facts haven't been adequately checked dumbs down the news. Presenting stories that are so dull that viewers switch to other, tarter networks dumbs down the news.

Dan Rather is a bitter old man who destroyed his own career and legacy with sloppy, unethical behavior. He is jealous of Katie Couric's popularity. He was never popular, so he took great pride in the respect he earned through his journalistic integrity. And then, he threw that respect away. Leaving him with nothing but rage.

He is too proud to direct that rage at himself, and so he targets his successor. Perhaps what makes him most mad is that he realizes that Katie may have a better chance than he ever had of smartening up the news. Dan Rather delivered serious journalism, but since few were watching, it made little impact on people's expectations of the news. In contrast, Katie will be able to tackle serious stories with a style that allows viewers to relate to the human element. Perhaps stories about health care that present statistics along with real people's stories. Maybe stories about world events that get viewers to realize how other cultures are both different and similar to our own.

Katie's delivers news with more humanity than Dan "Rather Boring and Cranky" could ever muster. Her popularity will enable her to investigate increasingly complex issues while also increasing the number of CBS viewers. And since more people will be watching, she will contribute to smartening up the news.

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