Peter Jennings: A Giant Dies

Over the past two decades or so it was my privilege to talk with Peter Jennings. We spoke by phone a handful of times, occasionally exchanged emails and encontered one another at meetings in New York City once or twice. I also remember fondly his visit to West Point in the 1980s.
He worked very hard to get stories right. Several times we spent 30 or 40 minutes on the phone discussing the intricacies of Lebanese politics. The same evening on the World News he would enlighten his viewers, spurning cliches and easy assumptions. His detailed knowledge of the Middle East was impressive, and it showed in his on-screen appearances. He was an authoritative presence on the screen and the country was better off for it.
I learned of his death early this morning. I was in a hotel near Washington. As I walked the corridor at 7am sentries proclaimed from every doorstep "Peter Jennings dies..."
I worry that with this giant gone (and his was a towering presence physically and otherwise), one worries that reinforcements of midgets are all that remain.
The remarkable outpouring of grief that marks his premature death is nothing less than what he earned.

George Bush, President of the United States, meets the occasion with a banal expression of boilerplate grief that is absent of a single qualitative remark about Jenning's contribution.

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH CONCERNING THE DEATH OF ABC NEWS ANCHOR PETER JENNINGSTEXAS STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE, WACO, TEXAS11:44 A.M. EDT, MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 2005

PRESIDENT BUSH: Laura and I were saddened to learn about the death of Peter
Jennings. Peter -- Peter Jennings had a long and distinguished career as a news
journalist. He covered many important events, events that helped define the
world as we know it today.
A lot of Americans relied upon Peter Jennings for
their news. He became a -- a part of the life of a lot of our fellow citizens,
and he will be missed. May God bless his soul. ...