I was sad this morning when you announced that it would be your last day as a Today Show co-host. I had heard all the rumors about you being reassigned, but I kept hoping it wasn't true. I was really saddened to hear your comments and especially to hear you apologize. You should not feel like you failed in any way and you definitely have no need to apologize. That is simply not the case.
The Today Show has always been my choice for morning television, so I have watched you in all the roles you've had in your 15 years on the show. You have been great in all of them, but it's your coverage of big stories about humanity that outshine all the others. No one covers real news with more heart than you.
Shame on NBC for not sending you off in grand style. Where was the video montage of your 15 years of service to the Today Show? Interviews like those with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and President Mahmod Ahmadinejad of Iran and your trips to Sudan and Myanmar are unequaled in broadcast journalism. And watching you climb Mount Kilimanjaro and trek to the South Pole were so inspiring for me and for women everywhere. NBC should have definitely showcased your work this morning.
I'm looking forward to watching you do hard news again. In my opinion, your talent and skills were often not fully utilized on morning television. Yes, you clearly can interview anyone including rock stars and movie stars. And, by the way, you really rocked some awesome fashions during this gig on Today. But your real strength is your ability to talk with and, when necessary, confront powerful world leaders without backing down. You look them right in the eye, ask the tough questions that need to be asked, and hold them accountable until you get an answer. And you do it with grace and aplomb.
You have been and will continue to be a wonderful role model for little girls with big dreams. I hope my granddaughters, who are 1 and 3 years old, will be able to look at your career and know that they can grow up to be anything they want.
You have a heart for providing real insight on meaningful stories. So, while I'm sorry I won't be seeing you every morning, I can't wait to see where you go from here. As we say in Texas, "Go get 'em, Annie."
