CBS’ Bob Schieffer has already announced that he will leave “Face the Nation” — the Sunday talk show he has anchored since 1991 — once the new president is inaugurated in 2009. But that doesn’t mean that he’s started to get lazy.
Schieffer’s been palling around with the country band Honky Tonk Confidential, and they’ve been everywhere lately. They played last month at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. He picked up a Spotlight Award at February’s Wammie awards. He and HTC played recently at the Radio & TV News Directors Foundation Dinner. And they’ll soon head to Forth Worth, Texas, to perform at Schieffer’s alma matter, Texas Christian University.
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Now, Schieffer’s a member of the Country Music Association and has the certificate — thanking him for “his
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tremendous support of country music” — proudly hanging on his wall. “I’m excited,” said Schieffer. “I’ll get to vote on the Country Music Awards and I take these kinds of responsibilities very seriously.”
The newsman’s new distinction, however, doesn’t buy him any favors with the Secret Service. We hear that Schieffer caused a minor ruckus during the recent Gridiron Dinner: The anchorman, dressed as a Texas sheriff, was approached by a Secret Service agent after it was learned that President Bush would appear on stage and was told “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to take your gun.”
“But it’s plastic!” remarked Schieffer.
“We’ll just feel better if you hand it over,” said the agent.
Ever the cowboy, Schieffer — dressed in Stetson hat, yellow neckerchief, vintage Western shirt and vest and a sheriff’s badge — not only gave up the gun, but took off the holster, too.
“I don’t want to look like a sheriff without his sidearm,” he was overheard saying.
His other big moment that night? Chatting with soon-to-be-disgraced New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer. “He looked as if he didn’t have a care in the world,” said Schieffer, reporting he called the Gridiron performance “the best show ever.”
“Best show ever?” Given the Gridiron’s famously average-at-best performances, that just clearly proves just how divorced from reality the governor has been lately.
