“A college degree is the key to realizing the American dream, well worth the financial sacrifice because it is supposed to open the door to a world of opportunity.”

“A free and truly independent press - fiercely independent when necessary - is the red beating heart of freedom and democracy.”

“A tough lesson in life that one has to learn is that not everybody wishes you well.”

“Always marry a woman from Texas. No matter how tough things get, she's seen tougher.”

“Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic.”

“An intellectual snob is someone who can listen to the William Tell Overture and not think of The Lone Ranger.”

“But we cannot rely on memorials and museums alone. We can tell ourselves we will never forget and we likely won't. But we need to make sure that we teach history to those who never had the opportunity to remember in the first place.”

“Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow.”

“Covering the civil-rights movement was a mind- and eye-opener for me. Houston was a segregated society, as was Texas as a whole - some of it by law, a lot of it by fear and tradition. But there was no violence where I lived, and if there was hate, it was either concealed from me or I just didn't recognize it.”

“Don't taunt the alligator until after you've crossed the creek.”

“From the streets of Cairo and the Arab Spring, to Occupy Wall Street, from the busy political calendar to the aftermath of the tsunami in Japan, social media was not only sharing the news but driving it.”

“I was really lucky to work at CBS news. I was blessed to be able to live my dream in many ways at CBS news.”

“I'd much rather wear out than rust out.”

“If all difficulties were known at the outset of a long journey, most of us would never start out at all.”

“If I didn't have a front-row seat on history, it was at least a seat on the aisle.”

“Never eat spinach just before going on the air.”

“Now, I know you expected me to say that, well, I just kick back in the rocking chair, fished a little bit, listened to Willie Nelson tapes and watched old baseball games on the Classic Sports network. And, tell you the truth, I have done that for maybe about five total minutes.”

“Once the herd starts moving in one direction, it's very hard to turn it, even slightly.”

“Only votes talk, everything else walks.”

“Ratings don't last. Good journalism does.”

“The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called 'truth'.”

“The press is a watchdog. Not an attack dog. Not a lapdog. A watchdog. Now, a watchdog can't be right all the time. He doesn't bark only when he sees or smells something that's dangerous. A good watchdog barks at things that are suspicious.”

“There is no doubt that the way journalism worked when I was growing up and getting started has changed forever.”

“They may have turned this up, whether you had the Paula Jones case or not. But again maybe not, but again that's like if a frog had side pockets he'd probably wear a handgun.”

“This race is hotter than a Times Square Rolex.”

“Those market researchers... are playing games with you and me and with this entire country. Their so-called samples of opinion are no more accurate or reliable than my grandmother's big toe was when it came to predicting the weather.”