Dan Rather appeared on CNN's Larry King Live October 18, 2001. See full transcript at CNN.com

CALLER: The question I have is about the possibility of whoever is sending the anthrax through the mail, could it -- I'm thinking of the possible extremists right here in United States who think of the media as ultra-liberal. Has anything like that come across?
KING: Does that enter realm of possibility: that American wackos or Timothy McVeigh types could be just jumping on this?
RATHER: It's certainly a possibility. I know--beware of certitude--but I know that one of the working theories of the FBI is that it could be something like that. We just have to know more. But the straight answer to your question, ma'am, is that, certainly, that is a possibility. And it is being actively investigated, along with the possibility of some kind of direct or indirect links to the same terrorist cells that did the horrible things of September 11.

Dan Rather appeared as a guest on CNN's Reliable Sources Sept. 22, 2001. See full transcript at CNN.com

HOWARD KURTZ: In the current environment, this rally around the president environment, does it seem to you, Dan Rather, that there was a danger at least that journalists would be reluctant to criticize the Bush administration and the Pentagon for fear of a public backlash?
DAN RATHER: I think that's probably true, but I think what is more important -- and let me again just speak for myself -- that particularly in the early stages -- and I would continue to say these are the early stages -- that it is less a fear of backlash. Listen, I've had backlash -- man, have I ever had it -- and a lot of times justified.
I'm not afraid of backlash. What I want to do, I want to fulfill my role as a decent human member of the community and a decent and patriotic American. And therefore, I am willing to give the government, the president and the military the benefit of any doubt here in the beginning. I'm going to fulfill my role as a journalist, and that is ask the questions, when necessary ask the tough questions. But I have no excuse for, particularly when there is a national crisis such as this, as saying -- you know, the president says do your job, whatever you are and whomever you are, Mr. and Mrs. America.
I'm going to do my job as a journalist, but at the same time I will give them the benefit of the doubt, whenever possible in this kind of crisis, emergency situation. Not because I am concerned about any backlash. I'm not. But because I want to be a patriotic American without apology.
KURTZ: Well, speaking of patriotic Americans, there is a bubbling controversy in the business, as you probably know, about whether journalists on the air should wear these little lapel flags. And NBC's Tim Russert did it on "Meet the Press," ABC News has barred its people from doing that.
Does it seem to you that journalists who show the flag are being patriotic, or are they somehow kind of turning it to cheerleaders for team USA?
RATHER: It's an individual decision. I have no argument with anyone who does it. I don't intend to do it myself, but I understand those who do it. I want to make it explicitly clear that--
KURTZ: Why would you not do it, why would you not wear a flag yourself?
RATHER: It doesn't feel right to me. I have the flag burned in my heart, and I have ever since infancy. And I just don't feel the need to do it. It just doesn't feel right to me. And I try to be--particularly in times such as these--and I have tried to be in touch with my inner self, my true inner self, and I tried to listen. And my inner self says you don't need to do that. But I have absolutely no argument with anyone else who feels differently.
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