Dan Rather comes with lots of baggage as far as myself and many others are concerned.

The former CBS News anchor was so relentless in his pursuit to make George Bush and his son look bad, it actually made HIM look bad in the process.

So-called “fair” journalism, where a reporter looks at both sides of a story, is long buried and this guy is one of its pall bearers.

Rather has been back on television for a few years now, literally working for a maverick in the industry: Dallas Mavs owner Mark Cuban, who also owns the cable/satellite channel HDNet.

The channel boasts some programs with educational bents and beautiful scenery to shows about drinking and partying in its evening hours.

It’s a mish-mash of worthy and worthless programming with an hour news program from Rather mixed in the early evening.

I have to give him credit, Rather has delved into topics like poverty and homelessness in a meaty way, and most recently did a piece on the Wall Street protestors.

He focused on a woman who is a driving force of the “movement”, if it is that … hmmmmm … and interviewed her to flesh out the reasons for her pain and anger.

You may not agree with what she’s doing, and I don’t, as I never believed that money earned by other people belongs in any way to me, but I cried “with” her and for her.

Is she, like Rather so many times through the years, misguided?

Absolutely in my opinion, but it’s still right to care about her and her eight-year-old daughter’s plight.

Similarly, I have to “forgive” Dan Rather for unfairly attacking people who I think were good, decent people.

I’ll also admit his show is worth a peek now and then.