"Early Show" Anchors Have Answers

In the "Ask It Early" series, we opened the field for questions from our viewers about our anchors.

"Early Show" co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez was asked by Maxx from Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., "What is your greatest accomplishment outside work not including children?"

Rodriguez said the she would have said her children right off the bat, if not for the final condition. Hoever, she said her successful marriage is that accomplishment.

"Maintaining a successful marriage in this crazy business is not easy when you first start, you move around a lot, you work grueling hours," she said. "So I didn't get married until I was 32. And even when I finally did get married, it wasn't easy because my husband and I have always, and still do work, opposite schedules. I'm leaving for work and he's sleeping. He's getting home from work and I'm exhausted getting ready for bed. So the secret is weekends are sacred. He doesn't go golfing, I don't go shopping. We spend 24/7 together on the weekends."

Another viewer, Shannon from Louisiana, asked "Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith, "When did you know that the news interest was just 'in you,' and when did you decide to make it your life's work?"

Smith said he was first bitten by the journalism bug when he got the opportunity to meet Chicago Mayor Richard Daly, and he asked him about a Mike Royco, a columnist in the Chicago Daily New who wrote a book about Daly.

Smith said, referring to his conversation with Daly, "I said, 'What do you think of Mike, and he said, 'Who's he?'...I think that might have been my first real sort of news experience. And maybe that was the thing that really bit me."

"Early Show" news anchor Russ Mitchell got a question from Mary Sue, of Apopka, Fla.

She asked, "Name one well-known person who you were most excited to interview and what made that interview on great. And a second part of that question, what exciting assignment or interview would you like 'The Early Show' to send you on in the future, and why do you want that assignment?"

Mitchell said he's been very lucky to interview presidents, dictators, good guys, bad guys, and movie stars.

"But for me," Mitchell said, "my favorite interview was with Maya Angelou, and the debate was over Imus and what words can we use, who can use them, what's appropriate. She was elegant, she was charming, she was everything I expected her to be. And throughout the entire interview, she kept calling me Mr. Russell Mitchell, and finally at the end, I said, 'My mother calls me Russell when she's angry with me, are you angry with me?' And she said, 'Oh, no. I'm Southern. I call everybody by their entire name.'

As for the second part of Mary Sue's question, Mitchell said he did a story on Amelia Earhart and the search for her in the Marshall Islands in Japan. Mitchell said he would be glad to go back.