'Thank You, Mr. President'

What do you think about opinion-driven journalism, and the rise of Fox News and people like Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olbermann?
They should be clearly identified as personal opinions of talking heads or reporters. If they reveal their personal opinions, they should say so, and not dogmatically slant the facts for their own ends.

There is a lot of hand-wringing going on over the future of print media. What do you think will happen to newspapers, magazines, and wire services in the digital age?
I certainly think the Internet is here to stay, but we should be wary because anyone can get in on the act, and not everyone is a professional journalist. The slow demise of print journalism is a national tragedy. Who can live without a newspaper? Headline News doesn't do it for me, and I'm sure for many others.

Your parents were Syrian immigrants who couldn't read or write and yet you, in one generation, rose to the top of your field. Who or what do you credit for that? Do you think it would be possible today?
I certainly do think it's possible today. This is the land of great opportunity and freedom. My parents were my role models. Education was everything to them even though they had no formal education. They wanted their children to surpass their lifestyle to help bring about a better role.

Do you have any words of advice for the next president?
Tell the truth. Trust the American people. They are very tolerant. Don't go to war without reasons that can be explained. Too many lives are at stake when a president makes a mistake.

You said that Bush is the worst president in American history. Do you still believe that?
I've seen nothing to retract my statement.

© 2008