Employee of CBS's Rather Has Anthrax

By Stephen M. Silverman

10/18/2001 at 02:44 PM EDT

To quote America's World War II president, Franklin D. Roosevelt -- and, now, Dan Rather -- we have nothing to fear but fear itself. An employee in the CBS anchor's New York office has the skin form of anthrax and is expected to fully recover, officials said Thursday. It's the third confirmed case in Manhattan and is the same, less lethal type of infection contracted by an aide to NBC anchor Tom Brokaw and the infant son of an ABC producer. "Our biggest problem today is not anthrax," Rather, 69, said at an afternoon press conference. "Our biggest problem is fear." Then, sounding more like America's current leader, George W. Bush, Rather added, "We are resolute. We will not flinch . . . We will put out a first-class evening news broadcast this evening." Rather said that he has not been tested for anthrax exposure and has "no plans at this moment to be tested." ABC spokesman Todd Polkes told the Associated Press that because the NBC and CBS news anchors had apparently been targeted, "extra precautions are being taken" with mail addressed to ABC News anchor Peter Jennings. Six infected people in the U.S. have been found among the thousands of people tested so far, including New Jersey postal workers who may have handled letters sent to Brokaw and U.S.