Quotes By Dan Rather

One of the most important roles of our journalists is to be watchdogs.

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 tradition and law that no one is above the law.

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

Start-ups like UniversityNow, a network of low-cost, online colleges, allows students to work at their own pace and pay a few hundred dollars a month for a degree.

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 the opportunity to blow more stories, make more mistakes than maybe anybody in television.

Fear rules almost every newsroom in the country.

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

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

An intellectual snob is someone who can listen to the William Tell Overture and not think of The Lone Ranger.

I was really lucky to work at CBS news. I was blessed to be able to live my dream in many ways at CBS news.

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

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

But we cannot rely on memorials and museums alone. We can tell ourselves we will never forget and we likely won't. But we need to make sure that we teach history to those who never had the opportunity to remember in the first place.

There is no doubt that the way journalism worked when I was growing up and getting started has changed forever.

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

Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow.

Once the herd starts moving in one direction, it's very hard to turn it, even slightly.

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 good watchdog barks at things that are suspicious.

Now, I know you expected me to say that, well, I just kick back in the rocking chair, fished a little bit, listened to Willie Nelson tapes and watched old baseball games on the Classic Sports network. And, tell you the truth, I have done that for maybe about five total minutes.

And now the sequence of events in no particular order.

To err is human but to really foul up requires a computer.

I'm proud to say I've never been anybody's lapdog.

A tough lesson in life that one has to learn is that not everybody wishes you well.

I'd much rather wear out than rust out.

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

I think it's important for the public to know, great reporting starts with a publisher who has guts and an editor who has guts.

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

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.

They may have turned this up, whether you had the Paula Jones case or not. But again maybe not, but again that's like if a frog had side pockets he'd probably wear a handgun.

Are the Democrats going to dance the mandate Macarena?