Posted on 09/18/2004 12:36:14 PM PDT by NavySEAL F-16
Asked about a controversial CBS report that he received preferential treatment while in the Air National Guard 30 years ago, President George W. Bush said, “Let the truth come out.”
In a telephone interview with The Union Leader yesterday, Bush would not say if he believed the key documents on which CBS based its report were forgeries. He did say, “There are a lot of questions about the documents and they need to be answered.”
Bush added, “I think what needs to happen is people need to take a look at the documents, how they were created, and let the truth come out.”
The President said, as he has in the past, that after flying more than 570 hours in the Guard, he asked permission to work on a political campaign. “I was granted permission by my superiors,” he said. “I did everything they asked me to do and met my requirements and was honorably discharged. I’m proud of my service in the Guard.
“But as for the documents, there are clearly unanswered questions that need to be answered,” Bush said.
Bush was asked if the White House has any evidence that the John Kerry Presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee were involved in the release of the documents.
“I don’t know,” he said.
White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card said in a separate interview in Manchester that he was unaware of any evidence linking the Kerry campaign and the DNC to the CBS documents.
“I can tell you that we’re not even fully cognizant of the evidence around the documents that are already out there,” Card said, “and I’m troubled that competent people are denied the opportunity to analyze the real documents or to discover who actually produced them and gave them to media outlets.
“That is an invitation to talk about the wrong thing,” said Card. “That’s talking about the past and this election should not be about the past and what happened 30 years ago.”
White House press secretary Scott McClellan had charged earlier this week that the Democrats and the Kerry campaign are engaged in “orchestrated attacks” on the President’s service as a Guard member.
McClellan was asked if the Kerry campaign and the Democratic Party were behind the release of these documents. “It’s our position that there are orchestrated attacks going on by the Democrats and Kerry campaign to tear down the President because they are falling behind in the polls,” he said.
The key document purports to be a memorandum by Bush’s National Guard commanding officer, the late Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, saying that he had felt pressure to “sugar coat” Bush’s record because Bush’s father was then chairman of the Republican National Committee.
CBS has acknowledged there are legitimate questions about the documents and says it is looking into them. The network says, however, that the content of the documents is accurate.
Union Leader staff reporter Michael Cousineau contributed to this story.
That's not right, is it?
He's so good at this, and Kerry's so bad at it, that is makes me feel sorry for Kerry - almost to the point of weeping. Then I remember what kind of man Kerry is.
Nevermind...it is correct. (Note: verify BEFORE posting.)
The key document purports to be a memorandum by Bush’s National Guard commanding officer, the late Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, saying that he had felt pressure to “sugar coat” Bush’s record because Bush’s father was then chairman of the Republican National Committee.
That's not right, is it?
No, it's definately not right. 41 was an ambassodor (to the UN?) at this time.
LOL! He's taunting them!
Giving up his seat in the House in 1970, Bush ran once again for the United States Senate. His opponent, Lloyd Bentsen, won easily despite campaign help from President Richard M. Nixon. Nixon rewarded Bush for his Senate campaign efforts with an appointment as Ambassador to the United Nations. In 1973 Nixon named Bush Chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Bush served as ambassador to the United Nations from 1971-1972, was chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1972-1973. (source:http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/P/gb41/about/bush.htm)
See Post #7. Good catch on this, I think a correction needs to be sent to the reporter.
Did we find conflicting bios? Which date is correct?
41 was not named to the RNC chairmanship until 1973.
Post #7 and my info comes from the George H.W. Bush Presidential library bio.
It doesn't show the month. I think the rathero in question was purportedly date August, 73, so it's possible he was chair of the RNC at that time.
He was.
The correct title should be:
Bush on Controversial CBS Documents : 'Let the truth come out'.
That was the question he replied to.
MEDIA ETHICS PROJECT SEEKS FCC RULING AGAINST CBS NEWS FOR RATHERGATE
Media Ethics Project (“MEP”) of New York today petitioned the FCC to sanction CBS News and its parent organization, Viacom, Inc., for its recent broadcast of news reports based on forged documents.
In announcing the FCC filing, MEP Chairman William L. Whitely stated: “Most people familiar with Dan Rather’s reports have seen solid evidence from various credible sources showing the documents to be forged. Yet, day in and day out, CBS has stubbornly continued to maintain that the memos are authentic. This supremely arrogant conduct violates the public trust and FCC rules and policies. Viacom cannot be allowed to flaunt the Commission’s rules in this manner. ”
MEP seeks a ruling by the FCC finding that the deliberate actions of CBS and Viacom maintaining the authenticity of the documents, constitute broadcasting of falsified, faked, distorted or staged news reports in violation of e Commission policies. MEP is asking the FCC to sanction Viacom including imposing fines and ordering forfeiture of one or more broadcast licenses .
Mr. Whitely added that, “This whole episode must be regarded as a remarkable failure of management. It is truly sad that the proud traditions of professionalism of CBS News, the division built by the likes of Morrow, Severeid, Reasoner, Mudd and Cronkite, have been allowed to slowly fade away. In their place is an organization where unprincipled ego, bias, negligence, partisanship and vindictiveness apparently determine the setting of management policy. Such changes are not in the best interest of CBS, the CBS affiliates and CBS shareholders, nor, most certainly, are they in the public interest as well. Staying to this course, the House that Paley Built will likely become the Network that Rather Wrecked.”
MEP has asked that the FCC expedite its consideration of the group’s Petition for Declaratory Ruling against CBS News.
See a full copy of the MEP Petition for Declaratory Ruling at http://mediaethicsproject.blogspot.com/ or www.mediaethics.8k.com
With MEP's filing, the FCC now has a formal Petition to review requesting that CBS be found guilty for violating Commission policy prohibiting the broadcasting of falsified, faked, distorted or staged news reports as contrary to the public interest.
All interested parties will now be able to contact the FCC to request that it take immediate action on the MEDIA ETHICS PROJECT Petition For Declaratory Ruling Against CBS News.
FCC Contact Information:
Chairman Michael K. Powell: Michael.Powell@fcc.gov ---
Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy: Kathleen.Abernathy@fcc.gov --- Commissioner Michael J. Copps: Michael.Copps@fcc.gov ---
Commissioner Kevin J. Martin: KJMWEB@fcc.gov ---
Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein: Jonathan.Adelstein@fcc.gov
You're right & the only name cited in the rathero in question was Staudt. There was no mention of GHW Bush. Inclusion of Bush Sr's job at that time is pure created spin.
That detail may be but everything in that sentence is WRONG.
It doesnt matter what the forged documents say.
They are FORGED DOCUMENTS, provably so to anyone except the LIARS at CBS News. for other journalists to treat this example of fraud as a 'maybe good, maybe not' and to repeat the phony contents as if they matter is an utter travesty.
That's what I thought. Thaanks for clarifying.
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