When I saw him the day after the plane and helicopter crash at Reagan I knew exactly why he was in town.
"Lester Holt?"
He turned, looked down at me and smiled, "Yes."
"I'm a big fan," I said.
He thanked me, I smiled, and left him. I have never been able to ask a celebrity for an autograph or picture.
I immediately regretted it, but I also knew he was lost in his own thoughts at that moment. He was standing outside the bodega at DC Union Station. Days later he made news with the announcement of his departure from NBC Nightly News. Suddenly, his quiet introspection, gazing outside an open store, made sense. I believe in that moment his quasi-retirement flooded his thoughts.
There is no way this was his choice. TV lore is ripe with stories of the old dog favored for the younger model (Tom Llamas, in this case). But Lester is a musician at heart, so when the bosses came to him and said numbers were down, he knew just how to play this. A classy exit.
In his decade on the show many of us have experienced significant life shifts. For me this was the double whammy of 2018 - losing my mother unexpectedly but earning a long-sought master's at a British university. Seeing Holt each night was an anchor, only interspersed by my 15 months abroad, when Katty Kaye and Christian Frasier took his place.
I had been crazy about his predecessor, Brian Wiliams, but disappointed by his lapse in journalistic integrity. Holt was the ideal antidote. He interviewed a churlish, infuriating Trump, his successorfrom Scranton, and a host of other leaders, always remaining unflappable. It was fitting we met in DC.
Calm, steady, kind, and in his presence rather sequoia-esque. If Williams seemed schmoozy, Holt was genuine, the grown up boy-next-door.
I'm glad we met, Lester. And I don't need a picture. My memory is seared into my subconscious, much like your tag line, "Take care of yourself and each other." ***Photo: Gage Skidmore, Nov 4, 2019; Lester speaks with attendees at the Annual Cronkite Award Luncheon at the Sheraton Grand Phoenix in Phoenix.
After two outlets I've written for passed on Leavitt, saying it would alienate their readers, I was excited she was to appear on Bill Maher's "Real Time" last night. I had actually first seen the announcement on her Insta, teased as a sky shot of L.A. and then announced with the show line-up. I should have set my alarm, because naturally I fell asleep during NBC's "Newlyweds" (I had been excited to see the crackling chemistry between newly married Téa Leoni and Tim Daly). This meant waiting till it re-aired at 11:55. When Leavitt came out, I thought she looked smart (as in tailored) in her black ensemble. I mused that very likely, Maher enjoyed having a female guest smaller than himself to interview. Then it happened: she charmed him. Or charmed him again. "People hate me for this, but I love the ballroom!" Maher said. "Who doesn't love a ballroom?!" Leavitt enthused with that high-wattage, perfectly timed smile. She said t...
One of the problems with American politics is that by the time we arrive at the little 19th century canvas-tent-booth at the local high school gym, we are left with two choices. Sure, we could opt for that weird unknown candidate who promises not only free healthcare and tuition but breakfast with billionaires on alternate Saturdays. Most of us are sensible enough to vote for one of the two final choices, sometimes a third if an Independent such as Ross Perot has made a significant splash. What's eating me right now is we are pushing up to an election that is likely going to be the lesser of two evils. If Trump gets impeached, that could be interesting, and we would be left with Biden vs. Pence, another uncomfortable mental jump in my opinion. So let me spell out why Democrats must put their time and energy into promoting the right candidate right now: 1. Joe Biden has not said anything very interesting. Every time he leans on his "pal Barack" I squirm. I imagine Preside...
I was tired, cranky, sweating in line at a Stop 'n Shop in a poor part of New Haven to cash in my returned-bottle receipts. Somehow, the talk turned to the recent debate and the impending election. The woman ahead of me, a fiery Black lady of middle age, shot back that she was staying with Joe. "People are afraid of a little age. 81. So what! Look at all the good things he's done. He's not perfect, but who is? I am staying with him. He's a good man." And someone brought up Obama's name. I said you could be sure he'll be more in his ear than ever if he continues. She: "That's just fine. I won't let people try to replace JOE!" I have to say, this Democrat was moved. Her love for him shook me to the core. Until I realized what was really happening. The Black community was so thrilled to finally have a person of color in office that they naturally loved his "this is a big effing deal" sidekick, Uncle Joe. The Barack Obama legacy...
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