Dan Rather
Biography and Quotes

Liberal Hall of Shame
The Top 1000 Liberals in America

“The President calls the tax cut necessary. Democrats call it a campaign for the wealthy. So far, it’s a problematic sell for the President. In a CBS News/New York Times poll out tonight, less than half the respondents thought the Bush tax cut would actually help the economy.” –

CBS Evening News - May 13, 2003
*Rather failed to report that the poll he cited showed twice as many said tax cuts would help the economy (41 percent) than said new tax cuts would hurt (19 percent).

Bill O'Reilly: "I want to ask you flat out, do you think President Clinton's an honest man?"

Dan Rather: "Yes, I think he's an honest man."

O'Reilly: "Do you, really?" Rather: "I do."

O'Reilly: "Even though he lied to Jim Lehrer's face about the Lewinsky case?"

Rather: "Who among us has not lied about something?"

O'Reilly: "Well, I didn't lie to anybody's face on national television. I don't think you have, have you?"

Rather: "I don't think I ever have. I hope I never have. But, look, it's one thing --"

O'Reilly: "How can you say he's an honest guy then?"

Rather: "Well, because I think he is. I think at core he's an honest person. I know that you have a different view. I know that you consider it sort of astonishing anybody would say so, but I think you can be an honest person and lie about any number of things."

The O'Reilly Factor," May 15, 2001

"It’s an obscene comparison, and I’m not sure I like it, but there was a time, in South Africa, where people would put flaming tires around peoples’ necks if they dissented. And in some ways, the fear is that you’ll be necklaced here, you’ll have the flaming tire of lack of patriotism put around your neck. Now it’s that fear that keeps journalists from asking the toughest of the tough questions and to continue to bore in on the tough questions so often. And again, I’m humbled to say, I do not except myself from this criticism."

Dan Rather on the BBC’s Newsnight program, May 16, 2002