Walter Cronkite RIP

[J. Raymond Carroll]

Privately owned by the Forbes family, Ruth Paine visited her inlaws at Naushon Island in the summer of 1963, before returning home by way of Philadelphia, Ohio and New Orleans, where she picked up Marina, the daughter and the rifle and drove them to Texas while Oswald went to Mexico.

I Bet you cannot prove that Ruth Paine picked up the rifle and drove it to Texas.

[J. Raymond Carroll]

I wasn't aware that Cronkite ever stated publicly that Oswald couldn't have done it alone. Certainly, that contradicts his every action while working for CBS News (and also his particpation in a disinfo piece on PBS' "Nova" series).

In that particular interview(it was a man-in-the-street interview with Cronkite following release of the movie JFK) Cronkite appeared for just a brief comment. He did not mention Oswald by name, but said he "had never believed that ONE MAN could have carried out the assassination alone"

I saw the interview on the local CBS news (Channel 2) in New York, and the interviewer asked no follow-up questions. THat statement by Cronkite differs significantly from what he said in various CBS programs and on Nova.

It is so long ago now that I cannot remember whether I videotaped the program, and I may have it on tape somewhere in a box in my garage. If so, I will probably find it one day and upload it to the internet, but don't hold your breath while that happens. If anyone is seriously interested, it should be possible to obtain a copy from Channel 2 News.

[David Andrews]

In that particular interview(it was a man-in-the-street interview with Cronkite following release of the movie JFK) Cronkite appeared for just a brief comment. He did not mention Oswald by name, but said he "had never believed that ONE MAN could have carried out the assassination alone"

I recall the Cronkite-in-the-street comment also - I think it was after a premier showing of JFK. I recall that Cronkite cited LBJ's alleged "suspicion" that it was a conspiracy, using it as an imprimatur to speak dissentingly at last.

The place to see this clip may be in an E! (the Entertainment Network) retrospective of Cronkite's career. (They cover such red-carpet events.) I'm pretty sure E! ran a retrospective post mortem, and they may repeat it during this year. The clip may also be on YouTube by now.

Edited July 30, 2009 by David Andrews