Mike Wallace Calls Iranian President an 'Impressive Fellow'

August 10th, 2006 12:50 PM

60 Minutes contributor Mike Wallace engaged in a heart-to-heart with the man who says Israeli should be "wiped off the map" and the holocaust was a "myth."

The Associated Press reports that the elderly correspondent said of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, "He's an impressive fellow, this guy. He really is. He's obviously smart as hell." Wallace also remarked, "I expected more of a firebrand. I don't think he has the slightest doubt about how he feels ... about the American administration and the Zionist state. He comes across as more rational than I had expected."

The two engaged in a heart-to-heart about what Wallace should do with his career.

Wallace said he nearly fell out of his chair when Ahmadinejad told him, "I hear this is your last interview."

Wallace said he replied: "What do you think? Is it a good idea to retire?"

He said the Iranian president told him it was important to keep doing interesting things. And Wallace is already thinking about his next story: he said he's trying for an interview with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.