Shut up, Dan

"The press is a watchdog. Not an attack dog. Not a lapdog. A watchdog. Now, a watchdog can't be right all the time. He doesn't bark only when he sees or smells something that's dangerous. A good watchdog barks at things that are suspicious."

-Dan Rather in Esquire

"Look, when a President of the United States, any President, Republican or Democrat, says these are the facts, there is heavy prejudice, including my own, to give him the benefit of any doubt, and for that I do not apologize."

-Dan Rather in a panel discussion

"George Bush is the President, he makes the decisions and you know as just one American, wherever he wants me to line up, just tell me where, and he’ll make the call..."

--Dan Rather on The Late Show with David Letterman

Dan? Shut up, go away, and leave us alone. You and the rest of the network news anchormen had a chance to be "watchdogs" when, as Eric Alterman wrote:

a President of the United States was able to mislead the people of the United States based on what, even then, were demonstrably false arguments.

But you thought it would be better for your ratings to cry crocodile tears and swear allegiance to George Bush. You abdicated the responsibility of the press to not give anyone the benefit of the doubt, no matter how powerful they are.

You are, finally, no better than John Kerry, and I don't know how much more damning I can be. Shut up. Go away. And leave us alone.