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Rather Files $70 Million Lawsuit Against CBS
New York Times ^ | September 19, 2007 | JACQUES STEINBERG

Posted on 09/19/2007 12:30:52 PM PDT by abb

Dan Rather, whose career at CBS News ground to an inglorious end 15 months ago over his role in an unsubstantiated report questioning President Bush’s Vietnam-era National Guard service, filed a $70 million lawsuit this afternoon against the network, its corporate parent and three of his former superiors.

Mr. Rather, 75, asserts that the network violated his contract by giving him insufficient airtime on “60 Minutes” after forcing him to step down as anchor of the “CBS Evening News” in March 2005. He also contends that the network committed fraud by commissioning a “biased” and incomplete investigation of the flawed Guard broadcast and, in the process, “seriously damaged his reputation.” As plaintiffs, the suit names CBS and its chief executive, Leslie Moonves; Viacom and its chief executive, Sumner Redstone; and Andrew Heyward, the former president of CBS News.

In the suit, filed this afternoon in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, Mr. Rather charges that CBS and its executives made him “a scapegoat” in an attempt “to pacify the White House,” though the formal complaint presents virtually no direct evidence to that effect. To buttress this claim, Mr. Rather quotes the executive who oversaw his regular segment on CBS Radio, telling Mr. Rather in November 2004 that he was losing that slot, effective immediately, because of “pressure from ‘the right wing.’ ”

He also continues to take vehement issue with the appointment by CBS of Richard Thornburgh, an attorney general in the administration of the elder President Bush, as one of the two outside panelists given the job of reviewing how the disputed broadcast had been prepared.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Business/Economy; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: buckhead; cbs; cbsnews; crybaby; danrather; fakebutaccurate; freeperbh; howtostealanelection; katiehasbetterlegs; lawsuit; loser; lyingliar; rather; ratherbiased; rathergate; tang; television; tempertantrum
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This just in...
1 posted on 09/19/2007 12:30:56 PM PDT by abb
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To: 04-Bravo; aimhigh; andyandval; Arizona Carolyn; backhoe; Bahbah; bert; bilhosty; Caipirabob; ...

ping


2 posted on 09/19/2007 12:32:33 PM PDT by abb (The Dinosaur Media: A One-Way Medium in a Two-Way World)
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To: abb

Courage.


3 posted on 09/19/2007 12:32:36 PM PDT by fanfan ("We don't start fights my friends, but we finish them, and never leave until our work is done."PMSH)
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To: Buckhead

CBS to call buckhead as an expert witness as to just how big a moron Dan is.


4 posted on 09/19/2007 12:33:10 PM PDT by dirtboy (Chertoff needs to move out of DC, not move to Justice.)
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To: abb

Dan Rather,,,,,,,,,,,bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, the gift that keeps on giving, oh man oh man, what a buffoon


5 posted on 09/19/2007 12:33:34 PM PDT by rockabyebaby (HEY JORGE, SHUT UP AND BUILD THE BLEEPING FENCE, ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.)
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To: abb

He seriously damaged his own reputation, is he hoping everyone has forgotten the details by now?


6 posted on 09/19/2007 12:33:38 PM PDT by Teflonic
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To: dirtboy

LOL


7 posted on 09/19/2007 12:34:14 PM PDT by Reagan Man (FUHGETTABOUTIT Rudy....... Conservatives don't vote for liberals!)
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To: abb

15 months ago? Is that right?


8 posted on 09/19/2007 12:34:18 PM PDT by FourtySeven (47)
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To: fanfan

You beat me to it.


9 posted on 09/19/2007 12:34:19 PM PDT by rottndog (Government is a necessary evil, but as with all evils, the less of it the better.)
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To: abb

10 posted on 09/19/2007 12:34:30 PM PDT by meowmeow (In Loving Memory of Our Dear Viking Kitty (1987-2006))
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To: Teflonic; Buckhead; abb

What’s the frequency of these kinds of lawsuits, does anyone know?


11 posted on 09/19/2007 12:35:03 PM PDT by freedomdefender
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To: All

They should all countersue and leave Dan in rags....what a scumbag


12 posted on 09/19/2007 12:35:30 PM PDT by Alright_on_the_LeftCoast
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To: abb

Go get ‘em, Dan. What a major leage *ssclown.


13 posted on 09/19/2007 12:35:37 PM PDT by doug from upland (Stopping Hillary should be a FreeRepublic Manhattan Project)
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To: abb

Dan has offically lost it...

I thought he left on his own? Planning to retire anyway? Now he says the FORCED him out? Which is the fake but accurate report Gunga Dan?

Whats the frequency kenneth?


14 posted on 09/19/2007 12:35:44 PM PDT by Mr. K (Some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help)
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To: dirtboy

"And this damn black eye won't come off!"


15 posted on 09/19/2007 12:35:45 PM PDT by COBOL2Java (The Democrat Party: radical Islam's last hope)
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To: abb

Dan has offically lost it...

I thought he left on his own? Planning to retire anyway? Now he says they FORCED him out? Which is the fake but accurate report Gunga Dan?

Whats the frequency kenneth?


16 posted on 09/19/2007 12:35:59 PM PDT by Mr. K (Some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help)
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To: abb
I guess he still doesn't have "the frequency" yet, but that knowledge may have disappeared with "Kenneth".


17 posted on 09/19/2007 12:37:04 PM PDT by capt. norm (Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for.)
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To: abb
Rather Files $70 Million Lawsuit Against CBS

Why not an even $100 million or even a $1 Billion?

It's great fun watching liberals in a cat fight.

18 posted on 09/19/2007 12:37:05 PM PDT by RJL
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To: abb

while cbs is looking for the cash they can search for his relevance some too.


19 posted on 09/19/2007 12:37:37 PM PDT by racnpartsales4u ("His sex organs took the heaviest blow," an unidentified nurse told the newspaper.)
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To: abb

Please Lord, may this go to trial during the election season.


20 posted on 09/19/2007 12:38:07 PM PDT by pbear8 (Padre Pio please pray for Tony Snow)
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To: abb

Dan, you were suppose to save and invest your money!


21 posted on 09/19/2007 12:39:27 PM PDT by TexasCajun
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To: abb

CBS and Dan Rather, They deserve each other.


22 posted on 09/19/2007 12:39:28 PM PDT by ontap (Just another backstabbing conservative)
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To: abb

Evil fighting evil.


23 posted on 09/19/2007 12:40:04 PM PDT by jveritas (God bless our brave troops and President Bush)
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To: abb

CBS should certainly pay a high price for keeping Rather on as many years as they did. The defrauded public, not Rather, should be the ones compensated.


24 posted on 09/19/2007 12:40:08 PM PDT by FreePaul
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To: abb

It must have been really bad being proved a phony and losing his job......but to be replaced by Katie Couric, that’s gotta’ really sting!


25 posted on 09/19/2007 12:40:10 PM PDT by capt. norm (Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for.)
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To: abb
“pressure from ‘the right wing.’ ”

Heaven forbid reporting the truth have anything to do with it.
26 posted on 09/19/2007 12:40:23 PM PDT by BJClinton (Don't taze me, bro!)
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To: abb

Figures if Imus can get 20 million for being fired he should get 70.


27 posted on 09/19/2007 12:40:49 PM PDT by AU72
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To: abb

Oh, if he gets that money he’ll run away with it like a hobo with a sweet potato pie. I mean, his case is as thin as turnip soup. And his reputation for truthfulness and reliability would give an aspirin a headache. But I’d still like to beat Dan Rather like a rented mule for trying to destroy a sitting President of the United States with forged documents.

Oh, and his hokey sayings were not clever or good.


28 posted on 09/19/2007 12:41:01 PM PDT by Greg F (Duncan Hunter is a good man.)
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To: All

Thornburgh was kind (which was a huge disappointment).

Truly, the guy has lost touch with all sense of reality.


29 posted on 09/19/2007 12:41:11 PM PDT by Madeleine Ward
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To: abb

I hope the court carefully checks any memos that he submits.


30 posted on 09/19/2007 12:42:03 PM PDT by SmithL (I don't do Barf Alerts, you're old enough to read and decide for yourself)
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To: Greg F

“Tighter than rusted lug nuts on a ‘55 Ford.”


31 posted on 09/19/2007 12:42:23 PM PDT by abb (The Dinosaur Media: A One-Way Medium in a Two-Way World)
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To: Teflonic
Egads! I have to be on the same side as Redstone, Moonves, and Heyward?

IIRC, it was the "talent" and staff of "60 Minutes" that didn't want Cap'n Dan's Kinko's rep to be duplicated on their show.

I'm sure he got paid for not "helping" CBS recover from his Stalinesque smear attempt.

32 posted on 09/19/2007 12:42:31 PM PDT by Calvin Locke
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To: abb
Mr. Rather, 75, asserts that the network violated his contract by giving him insufficient airtime on “60 Minutes” after forcing him to step down as anchor of the “CBS Evening News” in March 2005.

Wait. He's finally ADMITTING that it was forced?! BWAAHAHAHAHAAA!!
33 posted on 09/19/2007 12:42:43 PM PDT by RandallFlagg (Satisfaction was my sin)
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To: freedomdefender
What’s the frequency of these kinds of lawsuits, does anyone know?

"Kenneth" knows the frequency of all Dan Rather lawsuits.

34 posted on 09/19/2007 12:42:54 PM PDT by angkor ("California, Is nice to the homeless, California, Supercool to the homeless..." South Park 11.07)
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To: abb

35 posted on 09/19/2007 12:43:30 PM PDT by dfwgator (The University of Florida - Still Championship U)
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To: abb

36 posted on 09/19/2007 12:44:15 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative
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To: RandallFlagg

LOL


37 posted on 09/19/2007 12:44:18 PM PDT by Greg F (Duncan Hunter is a good man.)
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To: abb

Maybe he could team up with O.J. and be searching for his credibility while O.J. looks for Nicole’s phantom murderer.


38 posted on 09/19/2007 12:44:37 PM PDT by capt. norm (Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for.)
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To: racnpartsales4u

If they’re looking for cash, maybe they should start with William Jefferson’s freezer!


39 posted on 09/19/2007 12:44:39 PM PDT by seanmerc
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To: Greg F
Oh, and his hokey sayings were not clever or good.

Yeah, but yours are a hoot! Bet he feels beat down like a football at batting practice.

40 posted on 09/19/2007 12:45:18 PM PDT by pgyanke (Duncan Hunter 08--You want to elect a conservative? Then support a conservative!)
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To: abb

Dan, GO AWAY! If you really want to further your left wing views just go ahead and JOIN the Hillary campaign.


41 posted on 09/19/2007 12:46:00 PM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: abb

This is one of those fights where it’s hard to decide which side to be on. Rather is a lying scumbag; CBS is a bunch of stupid buffoons. Hmmmmmm


42 posted on 09/19/2007 12:47:35 PM PDT by hsalaw
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To: All

This is not good. This will be in the news all next year during the campaign, trumpeting anti Bush charges and charges of right wing influence on the media.


43 posted on 09/19/2007 12:47:50 PM PDT by Owen
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To: abb

Who do we cheer for here?

It’s kind of like me as a Longhorn fan having to choose between the Sooners and Aggy when they play each other.


44 posted on 09/19/2007 12:48:11 PM PDT by The South Texan (The Drive By Media is America's worst enemy and American people don't know it.)
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To: Greg F

Not as good as yours — but here’s a couple I thought of:
Payback’s a b!tch
What goes around, comes around


45 posted on 09/19/2007 12:49:10 PM PDT by Polyxene (For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel - Martin Luther)
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To: Owen
This will be in the news all next year during the campaign, trumpeting anti Bush charges and charges of right wing influence on the media.

Disagree. There couldn't be a more clear example of left wing bias than Rathergate. And they're not running against Bush.

46 posted on 09/19/2007 12:50:35 PM PDT by Uncledave
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To: abb

Will Mr. Rather be submitting a Fake but Accurate deposition?


47 posted on 09/19/2007 12:51:00 PM PDT by sono (Don't Tase Me, Bro!)
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To: RandallFlagg

While this adds nothing to this thread or to his suit, I never tire of reading it:

Dave Eberhart, NewsMax.com
Monday, Jan. 31, 2005
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Matthew Sheffield of RatherBiased.com told the capacity audience the critical story of how “Rathergate” emerged as a scandal:
“The fall of Dan Rather began on September 8, 2004 with a posting on a forum at FreeRepublic.com - discussing the documents presented on CBS that allegedly showed that President Bush had evaded the draft, used influence to join the Texas Air National Guard, and later used that same influence to whitewash his record…”

Added Sheffield: “A virtual think-tank was born… Forty-seven posts later, a person who called himself ‘Buckhead’ offered the proposition that he thought the documents were forgeries.”

(Excerpt from Newsmax)


48 posted on 09/19/2007 12:51:05 PM PDT by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
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To: abb
in the process, “seriously damaged his reputation."

Didn't damage it nearly enough..........There should be jail time for attempting to subvert the electoral process.

49 posted on 09/19/2007 12:51:13 PM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: abb

The lawsuit charges are fake, but accurate.


50 posted on 09/19/2007 12:51:49 PM PDT by NautiNurse (McClatchy News report: Half the nation's families earn below the median family income)
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