WASHINGTON – Remember Sam Donaldson?

The boisterous newsman, off ABC’s radar since he and co-anchor Cokie Roberts were ditched from “This Week” in September ‘02, found new life on the network last week, thanks to Ronald Reagan.

ABC’s White House correspondent during both Reagan terms, Donaldson, 70, racked up major face time as he shared remembrances of the former president, who died June 5 at 93.

Donaldson made the rounds, from “This Week,” to “World News Tonight” to “Good Morning America.” He hadn’t appeared on his own network since last June, after the death of David Brinkley.

How did it feel to be in demand again?

“How did Lazarus feel?” says Donaldson, who underwent successful cancer surgery in 1995. “Once again, Reagan lifted me up, as he always did when he was president and I was covering him.

“I was delighted to be part of the remembrance. But let’s face it, that was last week. This week, I’m back to my present-day status. I’m still here, but not in the capacities I used to be.”

Since Donaldson’s daily, three-hour ABC Radio show got the hook last month, he’s not sure about his new duties at ABC TV, his network address since 1967.

“They don’t know what they want me to do. It’s like the interim government of Iraq – we’re going to turn over sovereignty, but we don’t know to whom.”

Donaldson has 18 months remaining on his contract. He’ll be at both political conventions this summer, but his role isn’t clear.

“ABC says, “You’re going to the conventions for us,”‘ Donaldson booms. “I say, “What am I going to do?’ They say, “We’ll get back to you.’

“I love politics and I love politicians, of all stripes. I want to do politics, but what do I do? I don’t have a beat, and I won’t step on the feet of people who do.

“Clearly, I think I know a little bit about politics, but our chief political commentator is named George Stephanopoulos, and it would not do for me to be seen in competition with him, would it, now?”

Donaldson says he’ll do pieces for Peter Jennings’ “World News Tonight” and Ted Koppel’s “Nightline,” among others. He’s not sweating the details, he insists.

“They still pay me. They’ve got to find SOMETHING for me to do. I can’t see them going to (Disney) stockholders and saying, “Yes, we’re paying this bozo all this money, but we’ve got nothing for him to do.’

“Am I utilized enough? Look, it’s in the Bible. There is a time for all seasons. … I’ve had a great run. It’s not over yet.”

On the radio side, his show was canceled after three years because he “doesn’t fit the mold” of conservative talkers. (Donaldson labels himself a moderate, “with some liberal tendencies.”)

“Do I look like Rush Limbaugh? Or Sean Hannity? Or Michael Reagan? Talk radio is conservative. Program directors believe the only way to succeed is to follow that pattern. … They’re not going to take a chance on anything else.

“If I can get two shekels together, I may buy a radio station and do talk forever.”

—

—

(c) 2004, The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer’s World Wide Web site, at http://www.philly.com/

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

AP-NY-06-14-04 1921EDT