20-Sep-2004: Judgment Day for CBS

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

CBS: "We were deceived"

America: "No, you were part of the deception."

[The Duke]

CBS: "We were decieved."

Yeah, you and me both, pal.

I wonder when Jfern will be apologizing for his efforts to aid the deceptive attack on President Bush.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

CBS: "We were decieved."

Yeah, you and me both, pal.

I wonder when Jfern will be apologizing for his efforts to aid the deceptive attack on President Bush.

Where are the real documents, then?
The military did a whitewash on Bush's documents in 1997 or so.
His secretary verified that the content of these documents was accurate.

But ignore that all, the WH released these documents.
Another WH intelligence failure.

[J-Mann]

The format really is the heart of the story, regardless of CBS attempts to steer us otherwise.  They're trying to get us to believe a story that was presented with false evidence.  If they continue to pursue Bush's Guard records, it's very obvious that they're trying to cover their own mistake.  They should drop it: we're all tired of hearing about 1968-1972.  

Here's why I focus on the format: If an archaeologist told me that he'd found the lost histories of the Emperor Claudius, I'd be tremendously excited. If he presented me with those histories, and they were scribbled on the back of a child's menu from Sirloin Stockade, I would instantly lose faith in the content of what was written. The format would have told me that the content was junk. Likewise, the forged format of the CBS documents precludes us from focusing on any potential content.

Besides, questions about Bush's service have been floating around for years now.  Don't you think we've all made up our minds to either support or oppose him already?  Dan Rather-biased digging up an old story isn't going to change my vote.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

The format really is the heart of the story, regardless of CBS attempts to steer us otherwise.  They're trying to get us to believe a story that was presented with false evidence.  If they continue to pursue Bush's Guard records, it's very obvious that they're trying to cover their own mistake.  They should drop it: we're all tired of hearing about 1968-1972.  

Here's why I focus on the format: If an archaeologist told me that he'd found the lost histories of the Emperor Claudius, I'd be tremendously excited. If he presented me with those histories, and they were scribbled on the back of a child's menu from Sirloin Stockade, I would instantly lose faith in the content of what was written. The format would have told me that the content was junk. Likewise, the forged format of the CBS documents precludes us from focusing on any potential content.

Besides, questions about Bush's service have been floating around for years now.  Don't you think we've all made up our minds to either support or oppose him already?  Dan Rather-biased digging up an old story isn't going to change my vote.

But what if Claudius' secretary said the information was accurate? i

[J-Mann]

The format really is the heart of the story, regardless of CBS attempts to steer us otherwise.  They're trying to get us to believe a story that was presented with false evidence.  If they continue to pursue Bush's Guard records, it's very obvious that they're trying to cover their own mistake.  They should drop it: we're all tired of hearing about 1968-1972.  

Here's why I focus on the format: If an archaeologist told me that he'd found the lost histories of the Emperor Claudius, I'd be tremendously excited. If he presented me with those histories, and they were scribbled on the back of a child's menu from Sirloin Stockade, I would instantly lose faith in the content of what was written. The format would have told me that the content was junk. Likewise, the forged format of the CBS documents precludes us from focusing on any potential content.

Besides, questions about Bush's service have been floating around for years now.  Don't you think we've all made up our minds to either support or oppose him already?  Dan Rather-biased digging up an old story isn't going to change my vote.

But what if Claudius' secretary said the information was accurate? i

If she wasn't senile by now, I'd think about it...

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

But what if Claudius' secretary said the information was accurate? i

That is what is known as hearsay.  And there is other hearsay which contradicts the secretary's account.

Without the authenticity of the documents, there is nothing new to this story.  

The only “news” is that someone, with contacts to the Kerry Campaign, committed a felony by forging government documents.  That forgery was used  by a major network in an attempt to bring down the office of the President of the United States during a time of war.  

[J-Mann]

The only “news” is that someone, with contacts to the Kerry Campaign, committed a felony by forging government documents.  That forgery was used  by a major network in an attempt to bring down the office of the President of the United States during a time of war.  

Exactly.  Bush's service in the Guard isn't a new story, nor was it all that damning, anyway.  If it's proven that CBS was a knowing contributor to attempts to influence an election, THAT's a big story.

And anyway, Claudius didn't have a secretary...

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

But what if Claudius' secretary said the information was accurate? i

That is what is known as hearsay.  And there is other hearsay which contradicts the secretary's account.

Without the authenticity of the documents, there is nothing new to this story.  

The only “news” is that someone, with contacts to the Kerry Campaign, committed a felony by forging government documents.  That forgery was used  by a major network in an attempt to bring down the office of the President of the United States during a time of war.  

Who cares about felonies? The Bush adminstration committed treason with Valarie Plame.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Who cares about felonies? The Bush adminstration committed treason with Valarie Plame.

Changing the subject so soon, are we?

[Citizen James]

The format really is the heart of the story, regardless of CBS attempts to steer us otherwise.  They're trying to get us to believe a story that was presented with false evidence.  If they continue to pursue Bush's Guard records, it's very obvious that they're trying to cover their own mistake.  They should drop it: we're all tired of hearing about 1968-1972.  

Here's why I focus on the format: If an archaeologist told me that he'd found the lost histories of the Emperor Claudius, I'd be tremendously excited. If he presented me with those histories, and they were scribbled on the back of a child's menu from Sirloin Stockade, I would instantly lose faith in the content of what was written. The format would have told me that the content was junk. Likewise, the forged format of the CBS documents precludes us from focusing on any potential content.

Besides, questions about Bush's service have been floating around for years now.  Don't you think we've all made up our minds to either support or oppose him already?  Dan Rather-biased digging up an old story isn't going to change my vote.

Nonetheless, the crayon scrawlings  on the menu being fake don't mean that Claudious did not exist, nor that his aledged deeds did not happen.

I find it particularly amusing that the people who are generalizing this to all democrats seem to be the same ones who continue to back up the discredited swift boat stories.   This was one network, hungry for ratings like most of them are, who crossed the journalistic line of checking your sources properly in their rush to get a 'scoop'. - not a massive conspiracy.  And as mentioned before, it is little secret that bush pulled strings to enter the guard, pulled strings to get transfered, was grounded, and pulled strings to leave early.

Not that it has much bearing on matters of concern today.  If anything this subject being a topic of conversation helps bush tremendously as it takes the focus off the hear and now and all the problems we currently face (the economy, the quagmire in Iraq, etc.)

[Nym90]

Good point. CBS cares about ratings; nothing else. They are a business, and they want to make money. What is so complicated about that?

Apparently this is the number one issue in this campaign...forget about everything else. Let's avoid talking about the real issues, and spend the whole damn campaign talking about Vietnam. Since there aren't any, you know, substantive issues or anything else to talk about....

I'm sorry, but this whole campaign makes me sick. I thought 1988 was the stupidest campaign I had ever seen, but this one takes the cake thus far by a mile.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Good point. CBS cares about ratings; nothing else. They are a business, and they want to make money. What is so complicated about that?

And what better way for a network to make money than to have its whole news staff implicated in forging federal documents in an attempt to bring down a sitting president.

---

Apparently this is the number one issue in this campaign...forget about everything else. Let's avoid talking about the real issues, and spend the whole damn campaign talking about Vietnam. Since there aren't any, you know, substantive issues or anything else to talk about....

I do believe that an attempt on the presidency during a time of war is a pretty "substantive issue", wouldn't you agree?

Or would you rather Americans discuss Kerry’s 20 year voting record while in the Senate, allowing Americans to judge if that voting record is the kind of leadership needed to solve this country’s problems?

[Nym90]

Yes, CBS definitely made an error in thinking they could get away with it. My point, however, is that they only care about ratings, not advancing an agenda.

Kerry's Senate voting record, as well as of course President Bush's record in office, is certainly more pertinent than anything that happened during the Vietnam era, and should be an issue.

Even more important are the plans that the candidates have for the future. The voters care about what the candidates will do more than what they have done.

[NHPolitico]

Will this be enough for Bandit?

Bill Burkett is a loon. Knox wasn't Killian's personal secretary, she was merely a secretary who typed for him and a few others.  Killian's wife and son (who did serve with his Dad) dispute her allegation, and interviews from Knox suggest she's a Deaniac Kool-aid drinker-- hardly a reputable source for hearsay. Mapes and Rather and Howard must all be forced to resign. Burkett should be sent back to the mental hospital where he got treatment from his nervous breakdown.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

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.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

I guess after a week and a half of no one on the planet being able to reproduce these documents on a 1974 era typewriter.....it finally hit Dan like a ton of bricks.

To Dan,

I forgive you for being stupid.  In turn, please forgive me for never watching your news network again. (CLICK...)

[ATFFL]

WIll CBS out the source now?  Is there an obligation to protect a source who, quite frankly, screwed you?  Who will fall on their sword at CBS?  Or will they try and create a new story by blaming the Kerry camp somehow?

I be tthe producer falls on her sword and Rather retires within a year.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Oh yeah!  I almost forgot about "Part 2: The Source"

....but "Part 1: Dan Gets Canned" was so funny, I need at least a 12 hour break.

[MODU]

WIll CBS out the source now?  Is there an obligation to protect a source who, quite frankly, screwed you?  Who will fall on their sword at CBS?  Or will they try and create a new story by blaming the Kerry camp somehow?

I be tthe producer falls on her sword and Rather retires within a year.

They did, by interviewing Burkett over the weekend.  

"Burkett, a retired National Guard lieutenant colonel, also admits that he deliberately misled the CBS News producer working on the report, giving her a false account of the documents' origins to protect a promise of confidentiality to the actual source," network spokeswoman Kelli Edwards said in the statement.

[NHPolitico]

WIll CBS out the source now?  Is there an obligation to protect a source who, quite frankly, screwed you?  Who will fall on their sword at CBS?  Or will they try and create a new story by blaming the Kerry camp somehow?

I be tthe producer falls on her sword and Rather retires within a year.

They did, by interviewing Burkett over the weekend.  

"Burkett, a retired National Guard lieutenant colonel, also admits that he deliberately misled the CBS News producer working on the report, giving her a false account of the documents' origins to protect a promise of confidentiality to the actual source," network spokeswoman Kelli Edwards said in the statement.

Burkett got the memos. It's not clear he created them. That's the source that must be uncovered.

[NHPolitico]

There are dozens of people at minimum who require apologies. Rather and CBS should start now. Apologize to President Bush, to Laura, to the Bush family, to GHWB and his family, to the Killian family, the Staudt family, Joe Allbaugh, Karen Hughes, and many more.