Asked by the San Francisco Chronicle about any concern over “an out-of-state moderator” who might not “[press] the candidates hard enough to fully answer questions that mattered most to Californians”, the semi-retired Brokaw replied:

Do you think that after all the years I was a White House correspondent, that I was the anchor of Nightly News, that I was the anchor of the Today show and that I filled in on Meet the Press for Tim [Russert] and then [was its interim host], that suddenly, since I’ve been living in Montana, that I’ve become a patsy of some kind?

That would have more legitimacy as an inquiry, I think, if I had been doing game shows. I haven’t. Tell your pals that they don’t have to worry.

After all, Brokaw joked, “I’m just an old guy out here working for a handout from time to time.”

Brokaw also told the Chronicle he’s working on his next book, but did not divulge the subject matter.

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