'...And that's the way it is'

Cronkite went to Vietnam as the Tet offensive began, covered it from there, and then came back to the United States and put together a documentary. CBS News management decided the time was right for the anchorman to editorialize on the air about the war. "I was surprised. I wouldn't have expected that the boss would do that. But, by gosh, I was pleased to be able to do it."

But only in an "extraordinary situation." "There is a point at which it seems to me if an individual reporter has gained a reputation of being honest, fair as can be, and helps the American people in trying to make a decision on a major issue, I think we ought to take that opportunity," he said.

While he was credited with helping to turn the tide of public opinion against the war, Cronkite does "not believe for one minute" he had anything to do with Lyndon Johnson bowing out of the 1968 presidential race. "Two days after my piece, he announced he was not going to run for re-election. But to my mind, there was no doubt that he had already made that decision. My piece just kind of was a another bullet in his rear end. He was ready to go anyway."

Cronkite had known LBJ for years, having met the future president while covering the Texas legislature as a young UPI reporter. When Johnson was president, he used to call Cronkite's secretary in the middle of newscasts and demand to speak to him immediately. "She'd have to put up with this shouting until actually I was off the air. And then he'd get through to me and demand some kind of retraction of a story we'd just done." Which didn't happen.

Cronkite sees parallels between Vietnam and the current situation in Iraq, saying, "I think we missed one of the great opportunities" in the wake of the hurricanes that struck the United States last year to "retire with honor" by withdrawing troops from that country while continuing to help them rebuild. "We're going to have to leave it with them some day, and it is my belief that we should get out now."

He's still under contract to CBS — he calls himself "a loyal CBSer." How long that will last, "I don't know, exactly," he said, crossing his fingers and smiling. It's a year-to-year contract, which has been renewed annually on his Nov. 4 birthday. "I got through that last November 4th, so I guess I'll be there at least another year. You never can tell what might come up."

He still has an office at CBS headquarters and a small staff. "I do quite a lot of writing and occasionally offer a little piece to CBS, but mostly more in print these days than in the past."

He thinks CBS can recover from the scandal over its reporting practices — the scandal that helped bring down his successor, Dan Rather. "I don't think those things live forever with the public. They're more likely to live with us journalists than the public itself. . . . My answer is, basically, I just don't know, but I hope for the best there."

Any discussion of journalism is filled with Cronkite's references to "fairness," "honesty" and "accuracy" — things he believes any news anchor must keep at the forefront of his or her thoughts at all times. "Stick with principles of good journalism, regardless whatever pressure you may be under for one reason or another. The job is far too important for you . . . to permit others to dictate how good journalism should be employed. And that is necessary if we are to retain the importance of network journalism on the air."

And, maybe, don't retire too soon. "I enjoyed it immensely," Cronkite said. "I came in at 9 in the morning and left at 7 or 8 at night, and it was a wonderful job."

If you watch

What: "American Masters: Walter Cronkite: Witness to History"

When: Wednesday, 8 p.m.

Channel: KUED-Ch. 7

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com