Announcement of Mark Shields' retirement from PBS Newshour's Friday Political Commentary Desk

What a sad day for those of us who have listened to his wit and wisdom for all these years. Somehow it seems to be more than thirty-three years. Every Friday evening watching the Newshour for the exchange of sharp political insight and witty remarks between Mark and David Gergen, Paul Gigot, and now the equally incomparable David Brooks, has been a weekly must. For anyone who prides himself on being politically attuned, there has been no better set of commentators. And among this select group, Mark has always been the standout--witty comments, encyclopedic knowledge of past and current political issues and figures, and wise, thoughtful remarks that put all of these other "pundits" to shame. Thank you for such wonderful work, enlightening our minds and bringing leavening humor to our perceptions of American democracy in action. A new star added to the PBS galaxy: Robin MacNeil, Jim Lehrer, Gwen Ifill, et al.