Charles Gibson on Elizabeth Vargas Exit

Charles Gibson said that he rejected the idea of co-anchoring World News Tonight with Elizabeth Vargas because "I don't believe in two anchors sitting at the desk next to each other." In an interview with today's (Tuesday) Washington Post, Gibson said, "It never made any sense to me. It never made any sense when Barbara Walters and Harry Reasoner did it or when Connie Chung and Dan Rather did it." He added that after he was named sole anchor of the program, replacing Elizabeth Vargas, he told her that he "felt badly" for what she had gone through. For her part, Vargas said that she realized that with her maternity leave coming up, "I had to leave the show for two months at a crucial time. ... For now, this is the best decision for my family and for my colleagues." ABC News President David Westin told the Post that Vargas's job changed because of co-host Bob Woodruff's injuries in Iraq. "I don't rule out the possibility that Bob and Elizabeth will be co-anchors again," Westin said."