Goodbye Peter

President Bush said nice things about Peter Jennings today. He died last night. Only 67. Lung cancer, even though he quit smoking 20 years ago.

I had to usher a funeral today, so I spent part of the time recalling my surprise, brief encounter with Peter.

It was over a decade ago, not long after I had spent time in the (1990-91) Gulf War as a Mideast analyst for a local Houston TV station. At the end of a TV newscast, he said something that sounded to me like a freudian slip. So a sent him a light-hearted fax, ribbing him about it.

A few days later the phone rang. My assistant picked it up and a voice said it was "freudian slip" and asked for me. She said "Is that you Peter?"

It was. We had a brief conversation, and laughed about whatever it was.

I was impressed that he would make such a call. I certainly was not a celebrity. We never talked again but he proved to me that he was a great gentlemen on top of being a worldwise newsman.

We shall all miss you Freudian Slip...