Andy Rooney - a Man of His Words

Anyone who has watched "60 Minutes" on Sunday evening, all the way through, knows who Andy Rooney is. If not by his name, then surely by his face. He's the one who looks like a wizened old owl, that gives his commentary at the end of every "60 Minutes show.

Mr. Rooney may look old, because he is getting up there in years. Born in 1919, Andy Rooney has been through a few decades of news. Since he began at "60 Minutes, back in 1978, Andy has always looked the same; broken in. He has the look and feel of a journalist, who has, "been there, done that". And, he has, been there and done that.

I have always liked Mr. Rooney's cantankerous, no nonsense style of reporting. He is never at a loss to express his opinion, as Andy sees it. I have always thought, this man gets away with murder. Any other news agency would have fired him years ago, for being as outspoken as he is. Whoever it falls to, that has the position at CBS, of censoring Andy Rooney, must have an alligator skin.

A few short years ago, Mr. Rooney was on the Imus Show on MSNBC, and drew some criticism for some comments, considered racist. It wasn't the first time Rooney was in a controversial soup over his comments. Imus himself got into some very hot water over the same issue.

There have been times Mr. Rooney has offered public, on the air, apologies for insulting one group, or another. Yet, when he does apologize, it is never given as a retraction of his belief. If Andy Rooney is sorry, at all; he's only sorry you cannot see his point of view.

The Army drafted young Andy just in time for World War II, in 1941. The "Stars and Stripes" picked him up as a reporter to cover the European Theater. This shaped him into a seasoned reporter, in short time. Rooney was one of the first journalists to see the German concentration camps and write about them.

After the war years, Rooney found himself as a different kind of writer, for Arthur Godfrey's show "Talent Scouts", for CBS. Andy and CBS became close friends. He has been with CBS since 1941.

Rooney is best known as the "last word" on the "60 Minutes show. Andy started out being a producer for Harry Reasoner on "60 Minutes", then for several years as a correspondent, before they offered him his own segment in 1978, "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney", at the end of the show.

This is the Rooney most of us are familiar with seeing. Andy offering up his brand of satire on commonplace, ordinary issues. It was Andy's segment on "bottled water", not long ago, that had me questioning my own love affair with the bottled water industry.

Andy Rooney is at an age where he gets quoted a lot. I think he enjoys this. He is also bright enough to have quotes that challenge us to look at things a little deeper.

About his segment on "60 Minutes", "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney", he is often asked, where he gets his ideas from. Andy has this to say, "I don't pick subjects, as much as they pick me."

Rooney's off the cuff, candor is what the CBS newsroom will remember about him the best.

Last year, when CBS decided to bring Katie Couric over, Imus asked Rooney, on the air, what he thought about it. Rooney offered up, he didn't think the news team was very pleased about it and neither was he.

I think Andy Rooney has earned the right to speak his mind, as long, as he isn't being malicious. Rooney has been a reporter and writer for almost 70 years. He holds three Emmy's for his essays. Rooney was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Emmy, four years ago. Andy was also presented with the Ernie Pyle Lifetime Achievement Award.

Rooney's wife died in 2004. Marguerite had been married to Andy for 62 years. He has four children, two of whom work over at ABC. Emily Rooney has her own talk show, in Boston. Brian, Andy's son, is a news correspondent with ABC.

Also a noted author, Andy Rooney has 14 books published since 1981. His latest book "Out of My Mind", is a collection of his essays over the last few years. Some are hilarious, others are caustic and still others are absurdly; Andy Rooney. There are essays in here about everything, for everybody.

You can still see Andy Rooney doing his segment, "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney" at the end of "60 Minutes, on CBS, every Sunday Evening.