The Speech Of Her Life

Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News chief Washington correspondent and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.

She showed a grace all too rare in modern politics, and she set the right example for the young people who worked so hard for her.

The Clintons have not had much practice at losing, and until yesterday that showed in a not-altogether-flattering way. But yesterday that changed.

Hillary Clinton offered no excuses. Instead, she said the race was over, that the time had come to unite behind her opponent for whom she said she would work her heart out.

She told her followers that she had not run to be the first woman president, but had been a woman running for President, and that the next time a woman runs it will no longer be so remarkable.

As the father of two daughters and three granddaughters, I believe she's right about that.

She lost this race, but she had advanced the cause of women everywhere.

In life, we lose more than we win, and sometimes it is losing - not winning - that brings out our best.

Yesterday, Hillary Clinton showed us her best.

(AP Photo)

When terrorists broke into the 1972 Olympics and killed 11 Israeli athletes, McKay's boss Roone Arledge left him on the air to anchor the coverage rather than hand off the mike to someone from the news department because, Arledge said, "There is just a steadiness there."

He was a model for all of us, including his son, Sean McManus, who went on to become president of CBS News and Sports. Our thoughts are with his family.