http://www.nodnc.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=14&mode=nested&order=1&thold=0
Tuesday, September 28, 2004, just 3 weeks after the widely discredited story by 60 Minutes II using forged memos, CBS is back at it again. This time the claims are carefully crafted in such a way that they could easily be considered political propaganda. Goebbles might have been impressed.
CBS reporter Richard Schlesinger on the CBS Evening News ran a story related to the draft, clearly implying that the Republican administration under President Bush is going to invoke the draft to support military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Dan Rather prompts the segment with:
It's no secret: The all- volunteer U.S. Military, especially the Army, Marines and many reserve units, are stretched thin in Iraq and Afghanistan. So what about bringing back the draft? A lot of Americans are worried about that. Where do the presidential candidates stand?
CBS names Beverly Cocco as a key maternal source in opposition of current congressional draft proposals. Only CBS leaves out crucial information about those congressional draft proposals and about Ms. Beverly Cocco's membership and involvement in "Parents Against the Draft."
After speaking with Ms. Cocco, she has expressed every parent's legitimate concern--, parents don't want their children forced into any war against their will, even a war they might agree with.
Ms. Cocco noted she was aware the congressional legislation on the draft was introduced and sponsored by democrats, "they're all democrats, all 14 democrats co-sponsored" the House legislation. When asked if CBS was aware of this, she noted "they know, they know, they had more information than me." She also noted that the interview lasted for a few hours and that she made it clear on several occasions that at the time of the interview, her vote, and the votes of her house were in favor of Bush.
Ms. Cocco went on to note that she had been getting very disturbing, hate-filled, and threatening e-mails. Most of these were related to the CBS spin on the story. Whether Ms. Cocco is republican or not is irrelevant, what is relevant is that she had made it clear, on repeated occasions to CBS, that she was a one issue voter and that the democrat support for the bills all but ensured her and her house's vote for Bush.
This story is important, not because of what Ms. Cocco's positions are, but because of how CBS does its news gathering and reporting. After the Rathergate episode it has become painfully obvious that CBS routinely uses "errors of ommission" in their reporting, such as not reporting that ALL of the draft bills were submitted by, and sponsored by, you guessed it, democrats. Further, by not noting clearly that Ms. Cocco's position in this story was as a one issue voter, unless something changed, she couldn't support a democrat because they sponsored the legislation and Republicans do not support it.
What CBS does can no longer be called News but, Rather propaganda. When consdering the Rathergate affair, it appears that the "gold standard" of CBS News reporting included:
1. Killian's family (his widow and son) had their objections ignored
2. CBS do*****ent experts were misrepresented and concerns dismissed
3. Hodges was misled
4. Killian's secretary was not interviewed until after the story, and then it was never noted that she had changed her previous position
5. Staudt, who had his character attacked in one memo, was never contacted
6. George Bush's National Guard roomate, who had the most accurate first hand knowledge and agreed to speak to CBS, was turned down because he was "too pro-Bush"
It would appear that CBS is no longer interested in news, but has become the political media wing of the democratic party. I for one would Rather know the truth, all of it, not the dissected peices that fit an anti-Bush political agenda.
It is especially unforatunate that every story CBS News runs now needs to be checked, double-checked, and verified again by outside sources. The controversy and scandals in CBS continue. Even when they try to be "fair" they just can't seem to report the facts when those facts might implicate the democrats they support.
How hard would it have been in this story to report that the controversy around the draft was centered on a discredited e-mail rumor? And how hard would it have been to report that the draft bills, S89 and HR163, were introduced by, and supported EXCLUSIVELY by democrats? Even Jacob Levich, a "progressive" left-winger, who notes he "is a founding member of People Against the Draft," (Beverly Cocco's organization) recognizes, with significant support from Kerry Campaign do*****entation, that it is almost certain that Kerry will introduce the draft. For the record, Mr. Levich's peice makes a case that either Presidential candidate would introduce the draft, however, only do*****ented proof is offered for the Kerry campaign as a proponent of draft legislation.
I read your post just before it was pulled. Thanks for posting it over here.
Given the bed she's made to sleep in, she's not a Republican. This writer is trying to cover her a##.