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Blame Mary! (is CBS leaking damning info to save itself by blaming Mary Mapes/Democrats/Kerry?)
Slate ^ | 9/21/04 | Mickey Kaus

Posted on 09/21/2004 10:06:19 AM PDT by Cableguy

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To: Cableguy
The forged memos were the key to a last ditch effort by the DNC to save the Kerry campaign. Operation Fortunate Son weighed heavily on the 60 Minutes reporting. The timing of Fortunate Son is highly suspicious. At a minimum the DNC was fully briefed on the 60 Minutes piece, if not fully involved with it. If the DNC and CBS were in collusion, and the public finds out about it, this scandal will be bigger than Watergate. Consequently both CBS and the DNC have to make sure this never comes out. The best way to ensure that it doesn't get out is to confess to a lesser crime, that satisfies the curiosity of the MSM. Once the MSM has their pound of flesh (Burkett, Mapes and maybe Rather), they will declare the story has run its course. The MSM that was not involved in this plot might want to see CBS News destroyed, but they do not want to see the DNC go down with CBS. Hence they will latch onto anything and anyone they can blame, that is not the DNC or the Kerry Campaign. The lesser crime, is the story floated today that Burkett initiated contact with the DNC through Mapes. This explains the contact between Burkett and Cleland and Lockhart, without implicating the DNC in the forging of the documents. Then Burkett sues CBS, so the two parties can settle out of court, agreeing to seal all the evidence regarding the matter. This will allow CBS to legally pay its bribe to Burkett for taking the fall and give both parties a legal gag order so they can avoid speaking to the press about the matter.

I can only think of two scenarios which will keep this strategy from working. 1) A prosecutor who starts a criminal investigation, 2) A DNC or CBS insider who blows the whistle on the collusion between CBS and the DNC.
21 posted on 09/21/2004 10:38:32 AM PDT by Pres Raygun
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To: Cableguy

22 posted on 09/21/2004 10:40:54 AM PDT by familyop (Feminism is dead.)
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To: Cableguy

What makes them think she'll put up with this?
Rather is gone in '05 or '06 any way, so if Mapes is gone, the Democrats lose their mouthpiece. Period.


23 posted on 09/21/2004 10:42:52 AM PDT by mabelkitty (Watch for a CBS employee in a trench coat going by DeepWord.....)
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To: blindmoron
"I belive that the freeper theory (which thread I don't rember) that the burkitt's post that the files were being reassmbled, then the originals are being kept, until Bush denies their authencity."

That's an interesting theory, but they have been crucified in the press for two weeks. Rather's credibility has been decimated, CBS has become synonymous with "shoddy reporting" and the story STILL has enough legs to keep going. I think that if they had original documents hidden away until Bush might possibly deny their authenticity (a fool's prayer, to be sure) they are purposely allowing CBS to be annihilated in the press and in public opinion. Besides, even if the "real" memos were "discovered", no one would believe their authenticity, regardless of the origins. People have a low tolerance for BS. They allow the boy to cry wolf ONCE nowadays.

It seems to me, if it is true that the "real" memos are ferreted away in some safe deposit box in rural Texas, that those who are holding on to the originals are burning the barn to save the horses. They would be obliterating a mass media ally. I don't think that anyone anywhere would touch the "real" document story even if they did show up. It would be political poison.

No, I don't believe that there are some secret memos hidden somewhere. This bombshell has exploded, and there is no way to reassemble the bomb.

We shall see, though. November is a little over a month away.

APf
24 posted on 09/21/2004 10:44:58 AM PDT by APFel
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To: Cableguy
DNCs latest sacrificial excuse DNC, Why yes, it definetly quacks like a Mary duck
25 posted on 09/21/2004 10:46:13 AM PDT by SunnySide
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To: APFel

"shoddy reporting"

it is not shoddy reporting. It is blatently partisan, dishonest reporting designed to defeat a sitting president of the united states. This is vey serieser than shoddy.


26 posted on 09/21/2004 10:47:14 AM PDT by epluribus_2
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To: Cableguy

I don't know if this is usually the case with CBS, but I did notice that during Dan's rebuttals on 60 Minutes, they continued to leave the graphic with the picture of a young Bush behind Rather, with the title, "Producer: Mary Mapes" in bold type, so you couldn't miss who they were trying to blame.


27 posted on 09/21/2004 10:48:33 AM PDT by cwb (John Kerry: Still attacking Vietnam Vets after 35 years.)
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To: Pres Raygun
Operation Fortunate Son weighed heavily on the 60 Minutes reporting.

FWIW, found in a search this morning on "Fortunate Son":

Democratic Chairman Terry McAuliffe said the accusations were based on documents uncovered by the Associated Press and Boston Globe, not the disputed memos shown on “60 Minutes.”

Source

But then Terry had to open his mouth to say that...which is a sure clue he just might be lying.

28 posted on 09/21/2004 10:48:37 AM PDT by ravingnutter
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To: kesg
Dan Rather, I got my excuse lined up. Past childhood traumas
29 posted on 09/21/2004 10:48:59 AM PDT by SunnySide
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To: Cableguy

Jeeeez. This just gets better and better.


30 posted on 09/21/2004 10:49:35 AM PDT by Fiddlstix (This Tagline for sale. (Presented by TagLines R US))
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To: Cableguy
Why have Rather and CBS believed they have carte blanche to distort and lie about the truth over the years about the GOP?

Why have they also expected some kind of "diplomatic" immunity when it's obvious they have been conspiring to defraud the American public and affect National Elections since 2000??

This time they are DEAD-TO-RIGHTS.

Federal indictments should be handed down; CBS and the DNC should be investigated....

THOROUGHLY. Then Mapes, Rather, Lockhart, and McAulliffe should be convicted -- IF NOT their Ring-Leader, John Kerry...

Afterall, isn't THIS what the MSM would be clamoring for should the situation been about a "conspiracy between Fox and the RNC"??

31 posted on 09/21/2004 10:51:50 AM PDT by F16Fighter
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To: Cableguy

If CBS is behind the leaking, them perhaps they fear being shut down by the FEC for campaigning illegally. They have not declared themself to be any particular interest group have they? Perhaps the Swift Boat Veterans can show them the proper documents to fill out before they continue their "campaign". How does the FEC look upon this?


32 posted on 09/21/2004 10:56:12 AM PDT by All Blue State
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To: Cableguy

Good grief! Someone ought to sell tickets to this!


33 posted on 09/21/2004 11:16:48 AM PDT by Nathan Jr.
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To: All
While we mean, old "Bushies" are crying for all of the poor Democrats involved (especially the Democrat producer), have a look at the file behind the following link. ...from the same left/liberal chat page linked in the post above,...

"Thursday, September 16, 2004

If, as CBS's defensive press release boasts,

Mary Mapes, the producer of the report and a well-respected, veteran journalist whose credibility has never been questioned, has been following this story for more than five years

and has a vast and detailed knowledge of the issues surrounding Bush's service in the Guard and of the individuals involved in the story [emphasis added"

34 posted on 09/21/2004 11:18:46 AM PDT by familyop (Kerry's losing his media force.)
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To: All

Make sure that all of the manipulators behind Rather continue to be dumped. Rather will slide off of the screen, in time. Meanwhile, he'll be a constant television reminder for all voters with any sanity at all to vote for President Bush.


35 posted on 09/21/2004 11:21:55 AM PDT by familyop (Kerry's losing his media force.)
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To: ravingnutter
I didn't word that sentence correctly. What I intended to get across was that Operation Fortunate Son was launched when it was, so that it would gain credibility from the 60 Minutes piece. As the Democrats love to say, the timing is suspicious. It is interesting though that McAuliffe felt it was necessary to deny any connection to the 60 minutes "memos", even before Rather admitted that CBS could not authenticate them.
36 posted on 09/21/2004 2:26:56 PM PDT by Pres Raygun
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To: Cableguy
Viacom owner of CBS: MTV Running Ad Saying Kids Will Be Drafted!!"








37 posted on 09/21/2004 8:16:57 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative (What did Dan Rather know, and when did he know it?)
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To: Cableguy

I am looking for detailed background information on Mary Mapes and her husband Mark Wrolstad. Anything you can find would be helpful but particular items of interest include:

-- biographical information
-- participation in left wing groups or causes
-- contributions to or affiliation with democratic campaigns
-- attributable quotes
-- known associates

Thanks in advance!


38 posted on 09/26/2004 5:21:45 PM PDT by JCKnox (Need Detailed Information on Mary Mapes and Mark Wrolstad)
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To: JCKnox

Lof of the leg work already has been done by Freepers. If you search the site, I am sure you can come up with most of your questions.

The 2nd best resources I have seen is ratherbiased.com You might want to go through the site. It has bunch of articles linked to it.


39 posted on 09/26/2004 6:41:15 PM PDT by Cableguy
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