Dan Rather is an optimist

I just went to the CBS News website and watched a clip of Dan Rather's defense of the memos that were the basis of his Air National Guard story. I must say the man is an optimist. He's an optimist if he honestly thinks we, his viewers, are stupid enough to believe his spin job:

We presented a story about the President of the United States. The story was based on documents that are forged. If the documents are forged I (Rather) would like to be the first to break that story (too late, Flash. . .it's broken). If the documents (which were the basis for the story) are false, the story is still true. . .because the White House has not said it's not. I (Rather) think the viewers
understand. . .

Forgive my paraphrase. I could not find a transcript.

I, for one, understand. I begin to doubt if Mr. Rather understands. Listen to yourself, Dan! You'd never accept that kind of tripe from someone you were interviewing! It's not acceptable from you. You are an optimist to think it might be. . .