A onetime campaign manager, Shields became one of Washington’s most respected political commentators, both as a syndicated columnist and as a genial liberal counterpart to several conservative sparring partners on the PBS NewsHour. He was 85.
Syndicated columnist Mark Shields, a regular analyst on the PBS NewsHour for the past 33 years, is stepping down from his weekly television perch this Friday. His semi-retirement — he will still appear on the program occasionally — comes during a period of transition in Washington and on television.
