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Dan Rather's suit against CBS is trimmed
Los Angeles Times ^ | September 23, 2008 | Matea Gold

Posted on 09/23/2008 2:41:36 AM PDT by abb

A New York state Supreme Court judge Monday limited the scope of Dan Rather's $70-million lawsuit against CBS Corp., tossing out his claims that the network committed fraud and unlawfully interfered with his contract in his final months at the news division.

But Justice Ira Gammerman allowed Rather to proceed with his claims that CBS broke the terms of his contract and breached its fiduciary duty by sidelining him in the wake of a controversial story about President Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard.

The ruling "allows us to prove everything we need to prove to a jury," said Martin Gold, Rather's lead attorney. "I think the breach-of-contract claim is essentially a slam-dunk."

That point was vigorously disputed by lawyers for CBS, who cast the judge's decision as a victory for the network, which had asked the court to dismiss three of Rather's four remaining claims. The judge threw out two of them and also dismissed the complaint against Viacom, saying the corporation could not be held liable for the actions of CBS, from which it split in 2006.

James Quinn, CBS' attorney, said the former anchor would not be able to prove that the network breached the terms of his contract.

Monday's ruling capped the second attempt by the network to get Rather's suit dismissed and came almost exactly a year after he startled the television industry by suing his former employer of 44 years.

At the heart of the case is a story that Rather reported on the now-defunct weeknight edition of "60 Minutes" in September 2004 that said political allies helped Bush avoid deployment to Vietnam and skirt the requirements of his service in the Texas Air National Guard.

snip

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


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cbs; cbsnews; judiciary; lawsuit; mapes; propagandawingofdnc; rather; rathergate
Moving right along...
1 posted on 09/23/2008 2:41:36 AM PDT by abb
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To: 04-Bravo; aimhigh; andyandval; Arizona Carolyn; backhoe; Bahbah; bert; bilhosty; Caipirabob; ...

ping


2 posted on 09/23/2008 2:43:15 AM PDT by abb ("What ISN'T in the news is often more important than what IS." Ed Biersmith, 1942 -)
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To: abb
I would hope that CBS would just stick a fork in Rather... Using this defense, "CBS, known for decades the world over as a provider of news, had its reputation severely damaged when Dan Rather, in a fit of anger, did knowingly present a story which may or may not be true with evidence he knew to be falsified."

Then, Rather could go on to show how CBS had faked news stories, all the way back to the Viet Nam war!

Wouldn't it be nice to see them destroy each other?

Mark

3 posted on 09/23/2008 2:51:57 AM PDT by MarkL (Al Gore: The Greenhouse Gasbag! (heard on Bob Brinker's Money Talk))
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To: MarkL

You’re right - they both know too much about each other.


4 posted on 09/23/2008 2:53:58 AM PDT by abb ("What ISN'T in the news is often more important than what IS." Ed Biersmith, 1942 -)
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To: abb
courage

.

5 posted on 09/23/2008 3:01:47 AM PDT by Elle Bee
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To: abb
Martin Gold, Rather's lead attorney. "I think the breach-of-contract claim is essentially a slam-dunk."

Yeah, Martin gets slammed, and Rather gets dunked...

6 posted on 09/23/2008 3:07:08 AM PDT by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: abb

7 posted on 09/23/2008 3:07:38 AM PDT by andyandval
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To: abb

Well this is gonna chaff ol’ Danny boy like a cockroach chewing on the armpit of an armadillo trying to catch 40 winks in an abandoned 56 Chevy Belair on the side of U.S. 90 in West Texas, you can believe that.


8 posted on 09/23/2008 3:58:28 AM PDT by mkjessup (Hope & Change! Hope & Change! B'rrrrrack!!!! Hope & Change! Vote for B'rrrrack!)
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To: MarkL

....Wouldn’t it be nice to see ...

yes


9 posted on 09/23/2008 4:30:04 AM PDT by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 . Conservation? Let the NE Yankees freeze.... in the dark)
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To: abb

I think Dan Rather and CBS were made for each other despite this bump in the road. Seriously, Rather could take a job at MSNBC.


10 posted on 09/23/2008 4:31:29 AM PDT by stevem
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To: abb

Bet Palin’s just killing him.


11 posted on 09/23/2008 4:38:28 AM PDT by Waco ( G00d bye 0'bomber)
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To: Waco
[ Bet Palin’s just killing him. ]

L0L.. Exactly.. Palin has taken all the sound bites none left over for Rathergate..

12 posted on 09/23/2008 4:49:47 AM PDT by hosepipe (This propaganda has been edited to include some fully orbed hyperbole....)
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To: abb

What worries me is that they will narrow this lawsuit down so much that Rather will win, CBS probably did violate his contract in some way. But if he wins “they” will claim that it proves that the “Lucy” memos were real.

Just you watch.............


13 posted on 09/23/2008 4:59:17 AM PDT by JoeDetweiler
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To: JoeDetweiler; Congressman Billybob
What worries me is that they will narrow this lawsuit down so much that Rather will win, CBS probably did violate his contract in some way. But if he wins “they” will claim that it proves that the “Lucy” memos were real.

Just you watch.............

Congressman Billybob addressed that issue a year ago
Dan Rather, CBS, Plus Duke
Special to FreeRepublic ^ | 21 September 2007 | John Armor
back when Rather's suit was filed.

Worth a read, or re-read, now.


14 posted on 09/23/2008 6:49:42 AM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion (The conceit of journalistic objectivity is profoundly subversive of democratic principle.)
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To: conservatism_IS_compassion
Thank you for referencing that old column of mine. I'd fprgptten about it myself. Yet, the main point is still true. Both Rather and CBS have a stake in dishonesty. Neither one wants a flat-out decision in court that the documents were obvious forgeries.

And yet, the public interest is that the truth come out and be formally established.

Congressman Billybob

Click here for a birthday present for the Constitution.

Latest article, "The Birthday Last Wednesday"

15 posted on 09/23/2008 7:02:58 AM PDT by Congressman Billybob (www.theacru.org)
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