CBS News celebrates career of Bill Plante, retiring after 52 years

WASHINGTON -- After 52 years at CBS News, senior White House correspondent Bill Plante has called it a career.

And what a career it has been. Plante covered every major story of the past half-century, from the Civil Rights Movement to the election of the first black president.

He also did four tours reporting from Vietnam during the war, and was there for the fall of Saigon.

He covered the administrations of four presidents. While Ronald Reagan was in office, Plante both grilled the president on the Iran Contra scandal, and sampled wine with him.

And like that fine wine, he just seemed to get better with time.

CBS News toasts to Bill Plante, friend and colleague. He will be missed.