CBS fought very hard on this because it believed and believes that there's a principle at stake here. The principle is that Dan Rather doesn't work for the police, and that people that speak to Dan Rather understand that he's a journalist and not a police agent.
“I think the main thing we can do, whether you agree or not, I don't think that's the real issue, the real issue is this November and there's an election.”
“The law has no compassion. And justice is administered without compassion.”