Rathergate . . .

The Washington Times ^ | September 18, 2004 | Larry Elder

[neverdem]

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The Washington Times
www.washingtontimes.com

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Rathergate . . .

By Larry Elder
Published September 18, 2004

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Dan Rather, in a breathless "60 Minutes" piece, said he obtained documents showing then-Lt. George W. Bush didn't report for a physical, and his commanding officer accused him of failing to meet National Guard standards.

    Mr. Rather also interviewed former Texas House Speaker and Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes, who says he used his influence to get Mr. Bush into the Texas Air National Guard (TexANG).

    But a funny thing happened on the way to the expose. Mr. Barnes' daughter -- after saying she loves her father -- called him a liar and said Mr. Barnes told her the opposite only a few years ago. Indeed, during the 2000 presidential campaign, Mr. Barnes dismissed accusations Mr. Bush received favoritism. Daughter Amy says Mr. Barnes is writing a book and spoke out against Mr. Bush to generate publicity.

    Mr. Barnes, it turns out, is a vice-chairman to the campaign of . . . John Kerry. But suppose Swift Boat Veterans for Truth co-founder John O'Neill served as a Bush campaign vice-chairman? For mainstream media, that would have meant "case closed." Indeed, the mainstream media virtually ignored the Swift Boaters' accusations until Mr. Kerry's counterassault.

    Yet less than two months before the election, a man working for the Kerry campaign makes an accusation he earlier denied -- and boom: A one-on-one with Dan Rather on "60 Minutes."

    CBS' "60 Minutes" says it obtained documents from TexANG Col. Jerry Killian's personal files. But Killian died in 1984, conveniently unavailable to comment.

[Paleo Conservative]

Ra^thergate

[SlowBoat407]

These are sad days for the industry that once held the promise of keeping a free people informed.

[grey_whiskers]

As my elementary school son said, quoting Reagan:

"Mr. Rather, tear down this wall!"

Of course, he always was precocious--
at age 2, he saw Rush Limbaugh on TV, and said

"That is Rush Limbaugh. He will tell the Democrats!"

[bayourod]

Marcel Matley better have a day job because he's finished as a handwriting expert. Imagine what a defense attorney would do to him on cross examination. "Are you the same Marcel Matley who authenticated the TexANG documents for CBS?"

[VadeRetro]

Mr. Barnes, it turns out, is a vice-chairman to the campaign of . . . John Kerry.

I've seen this before, but don't think Dan Rather mentioned it. Yet I DO know he supposedly filters out data from partisan political operatives.

[Socratic]

Even Eleanor Clifts latest whine uses the term "Rathergate." This MUST be the way it is forever remembered. Memogate will not do. It must go down in broadcasting and political history as "Rathergate." (I "Rather" prefer it way - I'm not quite sure why). ;-}

[sevry]

Simple - to the point.

[nopardons]

And NOT going away!

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

The Blogocalypse continues...

Gee, who would have thought that Rather and the collection of Fifth Columnists, Trotskyites, Leninists, One Worlders, socialists, wacko liberals, and Malthusian secular humanists at CBS would have been brought down by one guy in pajamas using one of AlGore's inventions?[IRONY of IRONIES!]

Marx said that history repeats itself with the second time around as "farce." Considering that the liberal wackos behind Kerry have been using the rather absurd Dukakis Playbook (for some odd reason), this would seem to qualify. Couldn't have happened to a better bunch of people. Almost proves there is a God.

"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

- Lord Acton

[tvn]

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 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

[neverdem]

WOW!!!

[VRWCer]

Of course, he always was precocious-- at age 2, he saw Rush Limbaugh on TV, and said "That is Rush Limbaugh. He will tell the Democrats!"

Good job! Isn't it great to see our little budding Republicans? My 7 and 10 year olds know who the good guys are, too. Does a mom proud.

[twntaipan]

And Rather didn't fess up that Barnes has been a personal friend for 30 years (this comes from the Wash comPost article published today).

[The Bat Lady]

Even Eleanor Clifts latest whine uses the term "Rathergate." This MUST be the way it is forever remembered. Memogate will not do. It must go down in broadcasting and political history as "Rathergate." (I "Rather" prefer it way - I'm not quite sure why). ;-}

IT CAN'T BE KNOWN AS MEMOGATE.... that is the one where the dems left their memos on a Dem/Rep computer and a republican staffer found the DEMS talking about stoping the judges before this case and Miguel Estrada because he wasn't hispanic enough... etc.

So MEMOGATE is already taken.

Sorry when you have too many scandels, it gets harder to make up names for them.... I would RATHERGATE too!

[freestyle]

You figure it out.

[patriciamary]

I hope he is fired!Question What ever happened to the Sandy Berger story is it dead??

[wolicy_ponk]

[Truth Table]

Thanks for the ping

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

John Kerry:

"Did I miss anything?"