Rather talked tough. Posted on 10/03/2004 2:03:03 PM PDT by RatherBiased.com
According to Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post, Dan Rather vowed to "resist any 'smear' campaign against him by the Bush administration or other critics, said Saturday he would not 'give up the fight' and intends to remain in the CBS anchor chair.
Rather talked tough.
"I'm an independent journalist . . . I don't have a political agenda. What I'm trying to do is be an honest broker of information. I'm going to make my mistakes . . . and not give in to those" who are themselves "biased."
Every administration, said Rather, who first drew national attention for asking Richard Nixon a provocative question during Watergate, uses the following tactic against journalists: "We want to instill fear in you, that you won't ask tough questions. You won't do aggressive, bold reporting. If you do that kind of reporting, we're going to make you pay a terrible price for it. If you do try it, stand back because we're going to do our very best to smear you. And any time you're right in something we don't like, we will attack you, the messenger."
So the anchor says presidents try to intimidate him if he asks "tough questions."
In the past, Dan's bogus, partisan claims would go unquestioned. But now all can see just how willing the anchor really is to ask the "tough questions."
President Bill Clinton awarded Dan Rather five interviews. (The first Bush gave him none, the current Bush has given him none so far.)
Because of the Internet, you can read them all here. These are not the transcripts provided by CBS, which have parts cut out. These transcripts are provided by the National Archives.
Here are some of Rather's "tough questions," but you can find many more.
Rather and Connie Chung had just teamed up in 1993. Clinton talked to them both.
CLINTON: I think you two will be great together. I'm excited about it.
RATHER: Thank you, Mr. President, thank you.
CLINTON: Bye-bye. Thank you.
RATHER: Mr. President, if we could be one one-hundredth as great as you and Hillary Rodham Clinton have been together in the White House, we'd take it right now and walk away winners.
At another moment in that same interview, Clinton gave Rather some instructions.
CLINTON: The Travel Office thing, obviously I don't think it was handled as well as it should have been, and so I said so. Now that I've said this, I challenge you to tell the American people that I think that we have a right to run an office with three people instead of seven at taxpayers' expense, the primary job of which is to arrange travel for people who travel with me. And I challenge you to tell the American people that we saved 25 percent on the very first flight that we put out for competitive bid.
So how did Rather respond?
RATHER: Mr. President, we will accept that challenge. And Connie joins the CBS Evening News next Tuesday night; we hope you'll be watching. She'll accept that challenge and meet what you said.
But yesterday, Rather spoke of people trying to tell him how to report the news.
"If you don't report as somebody wants you to report, if you don't reflect news through the prism of their prejudices, they're going to call you biased."
Or if you do report as they instruct, they'll call you a good partisan lapdog.
1993 Interview
1999 Interview
2000 Interview
2000 Interview
2000 Interview
This last statement applies to you Danny Boy.
"I am not a crook" -- Dan Rather, 2004
I think clinton meant by 'good together' he wanted to see them together on film.
Ok, lets start looking for Rathers Blue Suit.
WoW! This guy's head is bigger than I thought it was! Dan Rather your an insignificant fool, who would the President waste his time on you? George Bush could have destroyed your career during his interview with Bill O'Reilly, you should thank your lucky stars!
Hell. Looks like we're gonna have to bring in the bright lights and surround sound heavy metal to crack this filburt.
why would... even...
I am enjoying Dan Rather taking down SeeBS single-handedly. It's nice watching the democrat wing of the media die a slow, agonizing death.
Pass the popcorn.
Dan Rather - Dead Man Walking (gone by Christmas).
Dano your going down over a third rate gorgery.
Dano your going down over a third rate forgery.
Dan is not the first, or even the best anchor SeeBS ever had, but he would not mind being the last anchor SeeBS ever has.
I think Brokaw just called you a terrorist RatherBiased.com
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.