Summertime, And The Reporting Ain't Easy
Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News chief Washington correspondent and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.
Am I wrong or has this been one of the worst summers ever? And I love summer.
But this summer it has just been one thing after another - blistering heat, fires, a tornado (in Brooklyn of all places), airlines that never seemed to get anywhere on time, and of course the war.
And then came the nastiest story of recent years, the implosion of Senator Larry Craig's career.
The senator made it official yesterday: He will do his party a favor and just go away.
People think reporters love this stuff. Trust me, not many of us do.
When a story involves sex, no one involved, including those who have to report it, ever comes off looking better; just ask the veterans of the Monica watch. Throw in detailed discussions of bathroom habits and you had the Larry Craig story.
The non-stop pictures of toilets and men's room signs on television almost made me long for the wall-to wall-coverage of Paris Hilton.
I know it's probably just the heat, but here are two things I'm glad to be done with: this summer and this story.
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By Bob Schieffer
Copyright 2009 CBS. All rights reserved. Am I wrong or has this been one of the worst summers ever? And I love summer.
But this summer it has just been one thing after another - blistering heat, fires, a tornado (in Brooklyn of all places), airlines that never seemed to get anywhere on time, and of course the war.
And then came the nastiest story of recent years, the implosion of Senator Larry Craig's career.
The senator made it official yesterday: He will do his party a favor and just go away.
People think reporters love this stuff. Trust me, not many of us do.
When a story involves sex, no one involved, including those who have to report it, ever comes off looking better; just ask the veterans of the Monica watch. Throw in detailed discussions of bathroom habits and you had the Larry Craig story.
The non-stop pictures of toilets and men's room signs on television almost made me long for the wall-to wall-coverage of Paris Hilton.
I know it's probably just the heat, but here are two things I'm glad to be done with: this summer and this story.
By Bob Schieffer
Maybe when that happens it''s time to grit your teeth and plow up the truth no matter how bad it smells.
Then plant something good there and see if it will grow.
:)