your dressing room and now that i have your hair products -- >> what is all this telling us about the network morning wars? what's the impact of matt lauer reupping at "today?" keith olbermann and current tv filing scorching suits against each other just days after his firing. in the court of public opinion, keith takes his case to david letterman. >> i screwed up. i screwed up really big on this. >> but is he. >> the media endorsing mitt romney wroosh. >> nothing will stop him from being the man. the race is effectively over. the only person that doesn't seem to understand that is rick santorum and newt gingrich. >> and, of course, the pundits are never wrong. i'm howard kurtz, and this is "reliable sources. >> we'll get to all that, but, first, breaking news this morning. we learned within the last 90 minutes that mike wallace has died. mike wallace, the legendary, and i don't use that word lightly -- legendary talk show host, correspondent for "60 minutes" really a giant in the broadcast news industry, he was 93 years old. his son, chris, of course, is the host of "fox news sunday." mike wallace has died. he has been ill for a while, but still somehow the news coming as a shock. so i'm going to turn to our panel here. let me introduce everybody. david zurich sitting over here. the television and media critic for "the baltimore sun." in los angeles sharon waxman, the founder and editor in chief of the rap.com. and marissa guthrie, senior reporter for "the hollywood reporter." let me start with you. it's hard to overstate wallace's importance because his career lasted so long, and he did so many different things. >> yeah. you know, mike wallace is one of the people when you think back born in 1918, that's before radio really. that's how long he has been there. he is one of the true pioneers of american television. you know, we take all of these things about television being for granted in the living room, and it's people like him who not only make television the medium it is, but made television journalism a force it is in american life. he is a part of of the cbs news, and i think back to that era. look, he was not a great journalist when he came to cbs news. >> he was a talk show host. >> all of that is wonderful about him. he brought all those skills there. he worked with great journalists, and he found a great producer in don hewitt, and the two of them, their mentor and his tormentor is the way he once referred. he is my mentor and tormentor. it's absolutely true. mike wallace really is how you can't overstate what a giant this guy was. >> i have to say he was controversial. he did a lot of controversial stories. his techniques were sometimes controversial. he was also remarkable that he continued to work even after several announcements that he was retiring, coming back. you know, well into his late 1980s. >> yeah. that was kind of amazing. i mean, we all can track our lives as journalists a bit against the career of mike wallace, and he just never seemed to age. he never seemed to flag. i do think that is why it's so sad for those of us who grew up kind of aspiring to do great journalism because mike wallace was always there, and that kind of stamina, i mean, i met him and got to know him when he was in his 80s, and he was going strong, so, i mean, there's also, like, a whole generation of journalists who were producers for executive producers for him who learned from him and who went out into the world and have done great journalism on television since then. the important thing, i think, especially on this show to mention is that this is the kind of journalism that television so rarely does. it's what "60 minutes" established as this enormously credible and enormously important and enormously profitable center of journalism on television. it's unparalleled, as you know, on television. there's no show that comes close to it. mike wallace really epit mized that show. >> mike wallace began his career in the 1950s as a talk show host and a program called "night beat" that he was there in 1968 when cbs created what was the first news magazine show "60 minutes" and really along with morley safer and ed bradley really became the face of that program. >> i think that his death sort of reminds us how rare these brands are in tv news. i mean, "60 minutes" has been on for more than 60 years, and as sharon said, they continue to do amazing journal wrichl, utsz a reminder how hard it is to launch brands like that now. his passing and the passing of andy rooney too earlier is just -- it's an end of an era. he had some trouble remembering things from long ago. his voice was very strong that unmistakably strong voice. he once interviewed for me for "of 0 minutes," and he was a pit bull, as you might imagine, and he was on this program once, and a couple of times, actually, and i pressed him about why are you still doing this? he was probably, you know, 82 at the time. why are you still getting on and off airplanes. he made it pretty clear -- he joked around about it, but this is what he did. he didn't want to give it up, and he really had this passion for journalism. at the same time, david, more than anything else particularly in the early decade or two of "60 minutes" he became known for the confrontational ambush interview in which he or others would go up to some bad guy, somebody who wouldn't talk to the program and confront him on the street. that later fell out of favor, and even wallace, you know, i think moved away from that at a certain point. >> he was the architype. it created this notion of, you know, you see all the phony versions of it. we're the i-team. like any arky type, it loses its energy. when they did it, it was powerful, and it was, howie, always, you mentioned -- you just said this. he stood for a tenacious kind of journalism, and he also an accountable kind of journalism. i remember interviewing him a while ago about the malcolm x interview. you know, we went at it. he stood in there and he defended it. he made a great argument for within the context of that period, the interview he did. i really -- this is really a guy you have to admire. >> i once reported, though, where he had gone too far and conducted a hidden camera interview with another reporter who thought she was just providing some background information to "60 minutes" he was reprimanded by cbs for that, and he called my a bad name, but he did it in a good-natured way. sharon waxman, some thoughts about the impact of this man's career. it's hard to avoid the use of super latives because did he it for so long, and he did high impact stories and interviewed everybody from presidents to he once asked ayatollah whether he was crazy. >> good question. >> he interviewed ayatollah and it gives you a sense of his longevity and his ability to sustain, you know, that -- those really hard-hitting interviews. i mean, his mental strength, i mean, really all the way through until he retired was something that was really remarkable. i'll just recall -- the first time i met him in person, he was stripped to -- he was bare to his shorts and walked in glowing. it was on a summer day. the east coast on martha's vineregard. i was at someone's house, and he came in, and he immediately started peppering me with questions. who was i? where was i at? where did i come from? he was just a natural intufr, and he had this dazzling smile. he was late in his 1980s. he was just a remarkable person. >> force of nature. final thought, marissa guthrie? >> i this i that, you know, the ambush interview -- i mean, he did later if his career kind of distance himself from those, but i think it also underscores how few interviewers can actually get to the heart of a question, the heart of a matter, and really ask the difficult, tough questions and not give up after one follow-up, but really kind of keep going in there and hammering and hammering, and mike epit mized that, and it's rare now. >> he certainly did. mike wallace, dead at 93. remarkable man. remarkable career. we have just learned about thshg as i say. when we come back, sarah palin, katie couric, and the morning show wars. all energy development comes with some risk, but proven technologies allow natural gas producers to supply affordable, cleaner energy, while protecting our environment. across america, these technologies protect air - by monitoring air quality and reducing emissions... ...protect water - through conservation and self-contained recycling systems... ... and protect land - by reducing our footprint and respecting wildlife. america's natural gas... domestic, abundant, clean energy to power our lives... that's smarter power today. nature valley trail mix bars are made with real ingredients you can see. like whole roasted nuts, chewy granola, and real fruit. nature valley trail mix bars. 100% natural. 100% delicious. the calcium they take because they don't take it with food. switch to citracal maximum plus d. it's the only calcium supplement that can be taken with or without food. that's why my doctor recommends citracal maximum. it's all about absorption. and then treats day after day... well, shoot, that's like checking on your burgers after they're burnt! 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[ male announcer ] one pill a day. 24 hours. zero heartburn. zoirchlgts if you are just joining us, mike balance yas has died at 93. joining us by phone is a cbs news white house correspondent who has worked for the network almost as long as wallace. bill plant. thank you for calling in. some reflection. >> good morning, howie. >> some reflection on mike wallace. >> sorry to hear about this. it's a loss for cbs and for the industry. >> what -- when you think about mike's career, what do you think about, bill is this. >> the first time i heard mike on the radio was when i was a kid, and he was doing a show from the nightclub in chicago with his then wife. when i came to cbs, he was doing no the morning news show. he was a tough interviewer, one of his big interviews on his show from parliament with a mob boss whose name i can't remember. and mike was so tough on this guy that everybody thought that mike was going to -- >> was he kind of an inspirational figure for those who worked with those that are younger for cbs? >> there was nobody that did better interviews or tougher interviews than mike. he was also a very tough colleague. he would ask you questions about your work, and sort of demand to know what you were doing, why and where you got the stuff and whether there was not something better, and he wasn't even involved with the story. he was just doing this naturally. >> and he had sharp elbows when it came to trying to get a good story against some of his competitors. >> absolutely. >> he didn't want to get in the way of mike. >> bill plant, thank you so much for joining us for a brief remembrance of wallace. he was on tv so long, you saw him smoking there when that was weedily acceptable. let's turn now to the morning show wars. we showed you a little earlier sarah palin doing the co-hosting on "the "today" show." katie couric with her week at "good morning america." sharon waxman, was this a savvy move by the "today" show to let sarah palin be co-host for "today," or did it hurt their brand? >> it was a safy move. she's so watchable. you have to hope that she's going to say something that's going to be tweet-worthy and buzz-worthy and get you attention. you know, the "today" show has got to worry a little bit. "good morning america" has been gaining on them. they've had dominance in that morning position for so many years that i think it was the right thing to do. more sarah palin, i say. >> do you think it was something of a letdown. she didn't come on until the 8:00 hour. she participated in a few segments, but, boy, the level of publicity and hype that surrounded this was incredible. >> i think that sarah palin isn't quite as white hot as she was, you know, a couple of years ago during right after the election, but, you know, she still is very charismatic. she still is going to draw some interest, and she certainly helped to, you know, promote the "today" show on a week where "gma" was pulling out all the stops and, you know, katie's guest turn was, you know, major news. top trending topic on twitter. i think that she helped people -- she helped the "today" show remind everyone, you know, that they're still formidable during a week when they really needed that. >> i'm going to tee it up for you. i'm sorry to interrupt you. >> okay. go ahead. >> i want to play a little bit -- i want to play a little bit of sarah palin's star turn on nbc's "today." >> oh, jeez, matt. nicest lady in the world. she stopped me. asked me where i was headed. she said 30 rock. honey, i told you tina fey is here. >> if you were advising mitt romney, would you say go out and get someone who is battle-tested on a national level? >> i would say it doesn't matter if that person has national level experience or not. they're going to get clobbered by the lame stream media who does not like the conservative message. >> i don't know how much weight you gained during your pregnancies, but would you have -- how would you have felt had someone criticized you for gaining too much weight? >> i would have wanted to purchg punch them in the neck because it's none of anybody else's business how much weight i gained. >> i am gagging. please. stop it. >> you filed a piece from vacation. >> yes, i was. for once i agreed with john stewart. he spent nine and a half minutes attacking this. i did file from vacation. here's what it is. howie, a couple of things. when you saw that thing where the person she met on the street and said -- that's so phony. it's such a lie. it's such a filthy lie. she's such hi hypocrite. cease so inauthentic. >> sarah palin. >> new york but -- no, no, no, here's why i would respectfully disagree with sharon. i don't think it was a good move. it showed how frightened they are by the move that "gma" is making on them, number one. i also think the fact that "gma" and abc said we could throw couric out here occasionally and scared them and rattled them. bringing sarah palin on that show, even if it got you a little ratings bump for the day she was on and it deflected some attention from katie couric, was another case of "today" cheapening the journalistic brand of nbc news which runs that show. sarah palin is incredibly -- if you have a new show, you don't want sarah palin on there. don't forget, this is -- let's get a new news woman on there. >> wow. >> i can't -- i couldn't disagree more. >> go ahead. >> i couldn't disagree more. are you actually trying to argue that the "today" show should try to protect its journalistic brand in the era of fox news and msnbc? >> yes, sharon, i would. yeah. >> absolutely. okay. we lost that -- the ora of that journalistic credibility back when mike wallace used to -- was in his heyday, honestly. the news is not about journalistic purity anymore, and the "today" show really is not the showcase for great journalism. let's be honest. >> all right. >> i have a piece on the morning show wars coming out in newsweek tomorrow, and i talk to former today show bryant gumble who said he was embarrassed to see sarah palin on his former program. i do have to say katie spent the week, you know, at "gma" as we all noted to help gma and the ratings. it was a reminder that she's really, really good, and the other big news is that even though there was a great tease that ryan seacrest, might succeed matt lauer because his contract was up at the end of the year, and i thought that was basically a horrible idea. matt lauer then now resigning for as much as $25 million a year. he will be around for at least a couple more years. the significance of that. >> oh, my goodness. it's hugely significant. i mean, matt is the "today" show, and i think that this -- they obviously need him more than ever right now because "gma" is gaining. he has -- matt has this ability to do interviews with sarah palin, interviews with vladimir putin and interviews with nicki minaj and feel comfortable and easy and natural, doing all those different kinds of interviews, and that's so important in morning television. >> all right. let me great a brael break here. keith olbermann's war against current tv with a stack of embarrassing emails. how did this divorce get so vicious? thank you so much, i appreciate it, i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money ? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. >> he took to david letterman's couch to discuss the unhappy demise of "countdown." >> i screwed up. i screw youed up really big on had. it's my fault that it didn't succeed. i didn't think the whole thing through. if you have a chandelier, you should have a house to put it in. >> i think you're being contrite to almost a fault hire because sdsh my inference is they got you over there and they didn't know what to do. >> "friday current tv filed an equally blistering kousht suit against olbermann, and you have been -- anyone have the upper hand here? >> well, it will come down to if current can prove that keith had unauthorized absences. i mean, one of the things that everyone always says about keith is that he actually knows his contract better than the lawyers. so if he is out there pounding the table, as joel hyatt put it, he probably knows that he can pound the table. will he get $70 million out of current? that would probably bankrupt current. there probably will be some sort of settlement here. >> okay. i want to read a couple of the internal emails that have come out in this litigation. we put the first one up on the table. this is altman writing to the current ceo joel hyatt after a frukz snafu. giver me the name so i know which one of them to kill with my bare hands. after another production difficulty, olbermann rights to joel hyatt, can you assassinate please. this does paint a picture of olbermann who had his bitter break-up with msnbc as a bit difficult to work with. >> yeah. the story of keith olbermann is it's always about keith olbermann, and so at a certain point -- and i think we've hit that point -- we're tired of hearing keith olbermann talk about keith olbermann or other people talk about keith olbermann. you are there to entertain us with a fantastic news reporter, and this is at least the third time where a relationship with his bosses has ended badly. at some point you got to say, well, hmm, maybe it's not the bosses every single time. not that i'm trying to defend the establishment. just -- i think he is just worn out his welcome with the audience. just judging by the comments on our stories, there's, you know, very few people defending keith olbermann, and this huge massive readership saying can you just go away with this stuff? we've had enough of it. >> let me put up one more e-mail in which keith olbermann is writing to david boreman, former executive at cnn after boreman questioned the purchase of a $5,000 desk for countdown. we can only conclude here that you have now moved from unjust fewable i guessotism and outright sabatage of this program. >> i couldn't agree with sharon more about this. olbermann is really a nasty kind of arrested adolescent, and, when he left -- when he came over there, i said his audience of a million viewers is not going to go with him, and it's not current's fault. it's his fault. he never had that kind of loyalty. he only brought an audience of about 177,000 with him, and that is when he started going psycho, when he realized that he was going to be embarrassed by this. you know, now we have mike wallace's death. let me say two things. mike wallace