CBS goes oogedy-boogedy Kathleen Parker Dan Rather's defense of his dubious report on President George W. Bush's Air National Guard service - a report largely based on documents he now concedes may have been fakes - suggests that the CBS newsman has entered the spirit world. Forgeries, schmorgeries, we've got "fundamental truths" here. As in, Rather stands by the "fundamental truth" of his story, notwithstanding the inconvenient fact that the evidence for that truth may have been false.... ...The first rule of journalism is: Get it right. The second is: Own up to a mistake when you make one. As one who has made a few, including falling for an Internet hoax, journalistic schadenfreude is not my game. It's embarrassing and painful to trip in front of so many, but Rather's hubris seems to be what's clouding this particular issue. It doesn't matter what anyone believes about Bush's guard service, or what anyone perceives to be true. Questionable documents mean you have no story. Yet CBS ignored several of its own experts who say they raised doubts about the memos before "60 Minutes II" aired. Given the preponderance of evidence at this point, one can only conclude that Dan Rather and CBS knowingly used documents that were not conclusively authentic to bolster a story intended to challenge the character and credibility of a president during an election year. That's the fundamental truth of this story. http://www.townhall.com/columnists/kathleenparker/kp20040918.shtml
Hey Dan-O … Mo Rocca is more sincere and substantive when interviewing a crack prostitute about China’s economy than you’ve been in your latest "work". Your ideological desires have created a dementia, Mr. Rather, that has made us, uhhh, concerned … about your balance, both journalistic and emotional. http://www.townhall.com/columnists/douggiles/dg20040918.shtml The perils of Dan-nial Jonah Goldberg When people are in deep, deep - China Syndrome deep - denial about their predicament, you can get a really good sense of how they see the world. Denial, after all, is simply the place where your personal interpretation of reality splits off from the objective facts. When Hitler ordered massive counterstrikes using forces that no longer existed, you can be sure his generals understood that the boss had taken leave of this world. At least that's what comes to mind as I listen to Dan Rather rant about a world that can only be seen by CBS employees through the tinted windows of their conference rooms. "I try to look people in the eye and tell them the truth," Rather told the Washington Post's Howard Kurtz in an interview the same day CBS more or less admitted their now famous Bush memos are fakes. "I don't back up. I don't back down. I don't cave when the pressure gets too great from these partisan political ideological forces." He added: "This is not about me... For years, Rather has spun his reporting in such a way that the government is an engine of progress and goodness, and that those who disagree are the very forces good journalism is supposed to combat. Indeed, Rather's thinking has become axiomatic: Good reporting offends conservatives. I am a good reporter. Therefore, anyone who objects to my work is a conservative. And, of course, conservative objections are, by definition, illegitimate objections. After all, liberal media bias is a myth. The fact is, good reporting isn't liberal or conservative - though it can be either. What good reporting does is expose those who would lie for a "higher truth." Which, ironically, is why so much of the criticism of Rather is not really "partisan" at all - it's good reporting. http://www.townhall.com/columnists/opinionalert-popup.html Rathergate Daniel J. Flynn The documents obtained by CBS News’s "60 Minutes" ostensibly showing favoritism for George W. Bush in the Texas Air National Guard appear to everyone but CBS News to be a hoax. Even Democratic Party Chairman Terry McAuliffe now seems to reject the authenticity of the memos, suggesting to an inquiring reporter to "ask Karl Rove" about them. http://www.townhall.com/columnists/GuestColumns/Flynn20040917.shtml
Bush did the same thing with the WMD 'intel' to bolster his story about Saddam. Of course, Rather should resign, but Bush should be praised for doing the same thing.
In case anyone missed it, the Bush admin released more guard documents Friday evening that showed the favoritism. The Bush admin once again released this type of info on a Friday evening, clearly because it is damaging to Bush. And yet again, more records were there in spite of repeated statements made by the Pentagon that there weren't any more. The AP sued the Pentagon for the documents and won.
7 Degrees of Separation... Kevin Bacon to Minnie Driver to Ben Affleck to Kerry to Bill Burkett to Mary Mapes to Dan Rather!
Nothing new here, just the same old Gabino shit. I know you want the news censored since your boy King George has fucked up so bad. Hey Gambino, are you going to blame Dan Rather for the war in Iraq and the deaths and tortures there? "Republicans without Clinton are like ticks without a deer." -James Carville-
What the fuck is up with your personal war on Dan Rather Gabino???? I mean...it's bordering obsessive and creepy at this point. Get over Dan Rather...he's just a guy in a world of over 6 billion people.
Who else are they going to blame? "Republicans without Clinton are like ticks without a deer." -James Carville-
Top Ten Ways You Can Tell Your National Guard Memo is Fake 10. Dan Rather stands by its authenticity. 9. Still has yesterday's Kinko's copying bill stapled to it. 8. Written on Democratic National Committee stationary. 7. Last paragraph reads, "This could really hurt President Bush's chance for reelection." 6. Memo signed, "Space Commander Whack." 5. Disclaimer at the bottom of the page reads, "This is a real National Guard-type memo, not to be confused with that bogus piece of crap we sent to CBS." 4. "Lieutenant" is spelled with two Os. 3. Has a coupon on the other side for a free copy of "Fahrenheit 9/11." 2. Includes the sentence, "I actually did order Lieutenant Bush to take his physical before I ordered him not to." 1. Memo letterhead reads, "I'm John Kerry, and I approved this message."
EXCLUSIVE // Mon Sep 20 2004 11:58:02 ET STATEMENT FROM DAN RATHER: Last week, amid increasing questions about the authenticity of documents used in support of a 60 MINUTES WEDNESDAY story about President Bush's time in the Texas Air National Guard, CBS News vowed to re-examine the documents in question—and their source—vigorously. And we promised that we would let the American public know what this examination turned up, whatever the outcome. Now, after extensive additional interviews, I no longer have the confidence in these documents that would allow us to continue vouching for them journalistically. I find we have been misled on the key question of how our source for the documents came into possession of these papers. That, combined with some of the questions that have been raised in public and in the press, leads me to a point where—if I knew then what I know now—I would not have gone ahead with the story as it was aired, and I certainly would not have used the documents in question. But we did use the documents. We made a mistake in judgment, and for that I am sorry. It was an error that was made, however, in good faith and in the spirit of trying to carry on a CBS News tradition of investigative reporting without fear or favoritism. Please know that nothing is more important to us than people's trust in our ability and our commitment to report fairly and truthfully. Sound ANGRY to you? Shouldn't it? Wouldn't you be angry if someone you trusted deceived you like this? Shouldn't Rather be pledging to find the forger and bring him to justice?
He apologized. Its better than what Rush, or the swiftboat guys have done. Rather truely must be Satan!
Well, John Kerry might be a better person to ask about that one, or McCain. I don't see Bush apologizing about not finding weapons....Has Bush apologized directly to the parentsand family of dead soldiers? To anyone?
Don't you think Oogody Boogody is a great title for this whole episode? It's not my invention, as post #1 makes clear, But Sera Michelle, you so clearly illustrate the oogody boogody in action. Even though there are about a dozen threads already that talk about those questions, you still want to change the subject on this one too. Oogody Boogody! Oogody Boogody! Oogody Boogody!!! I don't think it works anymore. Rather Lied. Rather was Caught. It's gonna be Rather's Legacy. And there ain't no oogody boogody that's gonna change it.
Bush should apologize to the American people for doing the same thing with the WMD intel. Or better yet, let's have a press conference with Bush and Rather together and nail two birds with one stone. I do give some credit to CBS for releasing a statement on a Monday morning, as opposed to the cowardly Friday evening press releases of the Bush administration.
