And, to hear Couric tell it, she just keeps on keeping on as the speculation swirls around her.

"I spend every day really focused on doing the best job I can. ... That's really what I'm focused on and how I can serve the 5 million-plus viewers who watch the 'CBS Evening News' every night," she said.

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Call me cynical and I won't argue with you. It's absolutely true.

But part of the reason that I (and other TV critics) are cynical is that over the years we've heard all sorts of flat denials along the lines of this one ... and, shortly thereafter, what was denied was suddenly confirmed.

· · · · ·

He's my hero: Ranking up there with the odder questions asked of network news types was this one: "I'm wondering if you guys in any way look at 'The Daily Show' and Jon Stewart as some sort of inspirational competition."

"Yes, I'd like to go right on the record," said "Face the Nation" anchor Bob Schieffer. "Jon Stewart is my inspiration. I want to be Jon Stewart when I grow up."

How can you NOT love Bob Schieffer?

"I think Jon Stewart is terrific, and so is Stephen Colbert," said Schieffer. "I think they're doing a great job.

"I look on them as I do the editorial cartoonists on the editorial page of a newspaper. The editorial cartoonist is the one person on a newspaper that has the right to lie because they're dealing with parody. And that's basically what you're seeing with Jon Stewart and Colbert."

Schieffer did address the research indicating that many young viewers get a lot of their news from "The Daily Show."

"I don't think you'd get all the news you need to know if you only looked at the editorial page cartoons every day," he said. "However, I think Jon Stewart and Colbert do a really great job I love both of those broadcasts."

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com