News By The Stars

My friends at ABC have been taking a lot of heat because they sent movie cute guy Leonardo DiCaprio to interview the President instead of sending Sam Donaldson or Peter Jennings.

I've tried to stay out of it, because it's so unfair to Leonardo. After all, he is cute and an aspiring reporter has to start somewhere -and I predict a great future for him.

I was disappointed that his network says that from now on the roles of journalists will be played by journalists. Frankly, I think people would enjoy seeing movie stars in these jobs.

NBC Nightly News would be a lot better with Tom Hanks instead of Tom Brokaw. Brokaw wrote a great book about World War II but Hanks was in a movie about it, for Pete's sake.

Peter Jennings is awfully debonair, but think if Fred Astaire were still around. No one could wear a pocket hanky like Fred - a suave anchor before his time.

Dan Rather is perfect. Case closed. Wouldn't change a thing there.

But I am torn about where to cast Oscar winner Hillary Swank. Her beautiful smile reminds me so much of Cokie Roberts. Yet when she cuts her hair short like she did in that movie, she's a dead ringer for young George Stephanopoulos.

Glad I'm not a news boss. With those kinds of decisions I wouldn't know what to do.

Well, that's our report. From Face the Nation in Washington, I'm Paul Newman.