Dan Rather takes his last spin in the anchor chair tonight. Some of his old colleagues have been saying that should have happened years ago.

An excerpt from the CTV.ca story:

... In contrast to the unashamedly fond farewells given retiring NBC anchor Tom Brokaw last year, Rather's tributes have been clouded by the controversy over his ill-advised story on U.S. President George Bush's military service.

CBS Evening News executive producer Jim Murphy acknowledges that Rather's departure comes amid a still-contentious debate.

"It is a particularly trying time for CBS News and the CBS Evening News," Murphy told The Associated Press.

"We would just like to do our jobs well and have our work graded on the strength of the newscast. This sideshow that is going on with the media who want to have fun picking on Dan ... It's not good and it's not fun for us."

But in the days leading up to Rather's farewell, some of his most senior colleagues did little to quell the arguments.

Renewing speculation he's still bitter about losing his job as CBS Evening News anchor to Rather in 1981, Walter Cronkite told CNN's Wolf Blitzer his successor "did a fine job," but would have done well to bow out earlier.

In fact, Cronkite suggested, Rather's temporary replacement, 68-year-old Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer, should have been given the job years ago.

"He is, to my mind, the man who, quite frankly, although Dan did a fine job, I would like to have seen him there a long time ago.

In the NYT: Tributes and sniping on Dan Rather's final day