NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr is torn over the two Democratic front runners Sens. Clinton and Obama. This according to a weekly newsletter from Politics and Prose, an independent bookstore in Washington, D.C.
As taken from the January 30 e-mail newsletter (emphasis mine; h/t Carter Wood):
Dan Schorr has published COME TO THINK OF IT, a book of his commentaries from his years at NPR, and last week he spoke about his life and work to 300 people who assembled to pay tribute to the newsman. Explaining how he came to NPR, Schorr said that he left CBS two decades ago, "not on good terms with William Paley," and later he left CNN after several years, "not on good terms with Ted Turner." He observed that the media is slipping, offering less and less news because of an unwillingness to devote time and money to journalism. Investigative stories are more expensive to produce than simply following the headlines. NPR asked him to do commentary that gets behind the news.
Dan said he thinks the duty of journalists is to find out what they need to know and what "they" don't want you to know. Asked about the meaning of this year's primaries, he said that covering the election has become the great spectator sport. For him, it's a matter of balancing his admiration for Hillary Clinton with his respect for an inspirational leader. All that America needs cannot be wrapped into one person. Either of the two leading Democratic candidates will be good. Underneath the political campaign, Dan believes a realignment is going on-just as there was in 1980. He said that there is a tremendous resiliency in our country. One member of the audience said to Dan, "I have admired you for years; you have to live forever." Dan responded, "I'm working on it."
Photo of Schorr via NPR.org
—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters
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OMG, is Schorr still
January 30, 2008 - 18:01 ET by Chris NormanFirst reaction: OMG, is Schorr still alive???!!!
Second reaction: The old pop song's lyrics, "Torn between two lovers, feelin' like a fool. Lovin' both of you, I know, is breakin' all the rules..." (Hillary's rules, that is...)
A True Old Timer
January 30, 2008 - 19:03 ET by Del DolemonteHe was born in 1916.
I think Schorr is a great
January 30, 2008 - 17:59 ET by SMGalbraithI think Schorr is a great patriot and a great American. I think his types are sorely needed in today's journalism where embarassments like Olbermann are in vogue. The "Jon-Stewart-look-at-me-I'm-so-clever-and-about-an-inch-deep" types.
But he's mostly full of it.
Do you remember his
January 30, 2008 - 18:02 ET by Chris NormanDo you remember his commentaries on CBS Evening News? Even as a kid I knew he was very, very liberal.
Chris... I remember and
January 30, 2008 - 18:05 ET by bigtimerChris...
I remember and agree with your sentiments...
I could not stand him even when I was young...he was so blatant.
Just throwing in my two cents...
Hey, I can always use the
January 30, 2008 - 18:11 ET by Chris NormanHey, I can always use the two cents, BT. :)
Schorr managed to make the rest of the CBS News staff look fairly moderate in comparison. Of course, that was in the days when we took what we could get because we thought no one else realized how liberal biased the network news was - know what I mean?
When I was younger
January 30, 2008 - 18:20 ET by c5thenI used to think that Schorr was the Soviet rebuttal to the eavning news.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
LOL. No, actually that would
January 30, 2008 - 18:44 ET by Chris NormanLOL. No, actually that would have been that pompous guy who CBS used to interview all the time with the glasses and the whispy beard. I tried looking up his name but couldn't find it. I think his first name was George. He was American, but defended the Soviets and criticized Reagan all the time - big surprise there, huh? Darn, I wish I could remember his name...
Chris
January 30, 2008 - 18:50 ET by Cool ArrowIt wasn't Richard C. Hottelett, was it?
Maybe he was just UN.
Thanks, but no, he wasn't
January 30, 2008 - 20:08 ET by Chris NormanThanks, but no, he wasn't the one. I can still picture this professor/"analyst" being interviewed on CBS during a summit (remember those?), praising Gorbachev and tearing into Ronald Reagan, in insufferably condescending tones, like the pompous ass he was.
Then there was that other, even creepier, guy on PBS who was a Soviet Communist, educated here, who was the spokesman here for the USSR. It was always weird hearing someone refer to the Soviets as "we", who spoke with an American accent - not much different than some of my professors in college, actually... :)
George Hatch?
January 30, 2008 - 20:37 ET by Del DolemonteOne of Schorr's contemporaries at CBS News was a guy named George Hatch. Could that be him?
As for the Russky, that would be Vladimir Posner of Radio Moscow's North American Service. I used to listen to him on the shortwave wireless in the 1970s.
Vlad was later rewarded by Ted Koppel, who gave him a prime time gig on Nightline, and he also was in bed, philosophically, with noted leftist babbler Phil Donahue.
Del, Not the first one, but
January 30, 2008 - 21:34 ET by Chris NormanDel,
Not the first one, but ding ding ding on the second! Thanks! "Vlad" Posner - what a creep! He gave me the absolute willies. His American accent, his businessman look - and then mouthing off Soviet communism was eerie. However, I'm still going nuts trying to remember the name of that professor who was a Soviet analyst on CBS...
GOT IT!
January 30, 2008 - 21:58 ET by Chris NormanNot George SomethingorOther, at all, but: Stephen F. Cohen. A professor of Soviet Studies at Princeton. He's married to that left wing nut job editor of The Nation, Katrina vanden Heuvel. Does that tell you something about how neutral he would have been in interviews? His Wikipedia bio says he "advised" George H W Bush during the crackup of the Soviet Union. If so, that explains a lot...
Liberals I suppose are torn
January 30, 2008 - 18:02 ET by Lame CherryThis is a psychological choice for liberals as Hillary represents the plantation big house liberals feel guilty about living in but lust after.
Obama represents all their do gooder guilt they employ to make up for all their pathological hatred toward themselves for being born.
I await NPR to demand counselling for all Democrats using Medicare in tax payers paying for all as this decision will bring guilt or hatred in Democrats.........what to do? Do the right thing in marrying the sexy Obama or do the wrong thing in not marrying mommy Hillary.
The Oedipus Rex Complex 2008 with dillusions of grandeur and self hatred.
Daniel Shore are you listening..........and what does it say about Shore in being torn in his decision........vote for the black guy of hope.......or vote for the white woman who will toss a white lamp at your head but will make you rich.
All of the above is what is going on in liberals minds.......we must have medicare psychiatric counselling for them.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS
Schorr-All You Need to Know
January 30, 2008 - 19:00 ET by Del DolemonteFrom Schorr's fawning wiki entry:
"CBS executives were not amused when Schorr reported--incorrectly-- that Barry Goldwater was said to "travel to Germany to join-up with the right-wing there," and visit "Hitler's one-time stomping ground" in Berchtesgaden, immediately after he became the Republican nomination for president. For obvious reasons, this did not fare well with Goldwater, who demanded an apology for the "CBS conspiracy" against his campaign for president"
Doesn't add up
January 30, 2008 - 19:05 ET by ThisnThatLet's see, NPR + Schorr = Unbiased and deserving of our taxes?
Something's wrong with my math, apparantly. It simply does not compute.
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One member of the audience
January 30, 2008 - 19:57 ET by TEOne member of the audience said to Dan, "I have admired you for years; you have to live forever."
Lord, please protect us from such blithering, blithering idiots.
WHO...Oh, the old guy that
January 30, 2008 - 19:58 ET by docbWHO...Oh, the old guy that tried to connect Goldwater with Nazi Germany...Why would one care!
Schorr WAS the Soviet rebuttal.
January 31, 2008 - 02:04 ET by sherlock1I used to think that Schorr was the Soviet rebuttal to the eavning news.
Bingo! Schorr was turned during his stint in Moscow early in his career. Money, honey, who knows how? Nothing can be proved of course, but the telltale signs are there, including faked "getting thrown out" by the KGB. Yeah, that exaplins why he's never had a bad word to say about a communist in the 40+ years since.