At 89, Walter Cronkite belongs to a very exclusive club: "American Masters" subjects who've lived to tell the tale themselves.

So when PBS brought him in for a press luncheon today, the former CBS News anchor clearly came prepared to talk about the good old days, only to find himself in a roomful of people who still consider him relevant enough to seek his opinion on everything from Katie Couric's journalistic chops -- he thinks she's got 'em -- to the Iraq war.

Let's just say it cut into his anecdote time a bit.

Most of us in the room grew up watching Walter Cronkite on television and nearly all of us call him Mr. Cronkite (a courtesy I also try to extend to the lowliest WB actor, often to the consternation of people flustered by being called "Mr." or "Ms." by a woman who might just be old enough to be their mother).

So I had to laugh when the Associated Press' David Bauder leaned over to point out that Cronkite, like nearly every other reporter in the room, was wearing a name tag.

Issued by PBS, it read "Walter" in large letters, with the Cronkite in a smaller font.

"As if there's anyone in the world who doesn't know who he is," he said.