Obama, Others Remember Walter Cronkite

WASHINGTON, D.C. - News of the death of legendary CBS News anchorman Walter Cronkite spread quickly Friday.  As word spread that he had passed, many who knew and loved Cronkite both personally and professionally expressed their sentiments. 

One of the first to do so was President Barack Obama, who issued a statement saying that Cronkite set the standard by which all other news anchors have been judged.

"For decades, Walter Cronkite was the most trusted voice in America. His rich baritone reached millions of living rooms every night, and in an industry of icons, Walter set the standard by which all others have been judged. He was there through wars and riots, marches and milestones, calmly telling us what we needed to know. And through it all, he never lost the integrity he gained growing up in the heartland. But Walter was always more than just an anchor. He was someone we could trust to guide us through the most important issues of the day; a voice of certainty in an uncertain world. He was family. He invited us to believe in him, and he never let us down. This country has lost an icon and a dear friend, and he will be truly missed."

FOX 5's Bob Barnard spoke with Cronkite's CBS colleage Roger Mudd, who spoke about the death of his friend.  To hear the full telephone interview with Mudd, click on the video to the left.

Morley Safer, a longtime "60 Minutes" correspondent, called Cronkite "the father of television news."

"The trust that viewers placed in him was based on the recognition of his fairness, honesty and strict objectivity ... and of course his long experience as a shoe-leather reporter covering everything from local politics to World War II and its aftermath in the Soviet Union," Safer said. "He was a giant of journalism and privately one of the funniest, happiest men I've ever known."

"He was a great broadcaster and a gentleman whose experience, honesty, professionalism and style defined the role of anchor and commentator," CBS Corp. chief executive Leslie Moonves said in a statement.

"It is impossible to imagine CBS News, journalism or indeed America without Walter Cronkite," CBS News president Sean McManus said in a statement. "More than just the best and most trusted anchor in history, he guided America through our crises, tragedies and also our victories and greatest moments."

"He was the most trusted man in America and he was a reporter. Imagine. Who could we say that about today?" said Jeff Fager, executive producer of "60 Minutes," who began working at CBS News the year Cronkite stepped down from the anchor job.

Dan Rather, who replaced Cronkite at the anchor desk, called Cronkite "a giant of the journalistic craft."

"Walter loved reporting and delivering the news, and he was superb at both," Rather said. "He deserves recognition and remembrance, too, for the way he solidly backed his correspondents and producers, defending them vigorously in coverage of difficult stories such as the Vietnam War and the Watergate crimes."

Couric said Friday on CNN that everyone at the network was aware of Cronkite's deteriorating health.

"We were all worried about when this day would come," she said. "He was so revered and beloved here. ... He was a personification of integrity and decency and humanity."

"I'm saddened to learn of the passing of Walter Cronkite, one of the most influential newsmen of our time," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. "I will never forget our memorable visit together to Hanoi on the 10th anniversary of the fall of Saigon."

House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio said Cronkite "was a giant in his field and a welcome guest in American families' homes for decades. From the Kennedy assassination to the moon landing and beyond, he was always there to inform and educate us, with the high standards and rigorous commitment to the truth that Edward R. Murrow set at CBS News."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called Cronkite "One of the most iconic news reporters of the 20th century. He will be forever memorialized as a pioneer in broadcast news, and remembered fondly by legions of Americans as one of the most trusted men in America," he said.