| Never trust the press. Never trust the press. Never, never, never trust the press. Rathergate makes you wonder about other documents the MSM is said to have vetted for a presidential election.  |
Posted on 08/25/2009 5:33:03 PM PDT by Bratch
In 2007, Rather filed his $70 million lawsuit against his old company saying he wasn’t allowed to defend his story because the top management of CBS’ parent company, Viacom, wanted to appease the Bush Administration and protect its business interests.
Until now, the controversy over the Rather/Mapes story has centered almost entirely on one issue: the legitimacy of the documents – a very important issue, indeed. But it turns out that there was another very important issue, one that goes to the very heart of what the story was about – and one that has gone virtually unnoticed. This is it: Mary Mapes knew before she put the story on the air that George W. Bush, the alleged slacker, had in fact volunteered to go to Vietnam.
Who says? The outside panel CBS brought into to get to the bottom of the so-called “Rathergate” mess says. I recently re-examined the panel’s report after a source, Deep Throat style, told me to “Go to page 130.” When I did, here’s the startling piece of information I found:
Mapes had information prior to the airing of the September 8 [2004] Segment that President Bush, while in the TexANG [Texas Air National Guard] did volunteer for service in Vietnam but was turned down in favor of more experienced pilots. For example, a flight instructor who served in the TexANG with Lieutenant Bush advised Mapes in 1999 that Lieutenant Bush “did want to go to Vietnam but others went first.” Similarly, several others advised Mapes in 1999, and again in 2004 before September 8, that Lieutenant Bush had volunteered to go to Vietnam but did not have enough flight hours to qualify.
(Excerpt) Read more at bernardgoldberg.com ...
From Mary Mapes' information for the show:
Goldberg writes:
The outside panel CBS brought into to get to the bottom of the so-called “Rathergate” mess says. I recently re-examined the panel’s report after a source, Deep Throat style, told me to “Go to page 130.” When I did, here’s the startling piece of information I found:
Mapes had information prior to the airing of the September 8 [2004] Segment that President Bush, while in the TexANG [Texas Air National Guard] did volunteer for service in Vietnam but was turned down in favor of more experienced pilots. For example, a flight instructor who served in the TexANG with Lieutenant Bush advised Mapes in 1999 that Lieutenant Bush “did want to go to Vietnam but others went first.” Similarly, several others advised Mapes in 1999, and again in 2004 before September 8, that Lieutenant Bush had volunteered to go to Vietnam but did not have enough flight hours to qualify.
I read a article years ago, some conservative said about getting into the mindset of liberals. If something to a liberal “should” be true, it therefore is whether it can be proven otherwise or not. Liberals really believed Bush was AWOL during Vietnam, thats why the Mission Accomplished carrier landing outraged them so much.
Because Dan Rather and Mary Mapes outright lied
in an attempt to slime Pres. Bush, right before
the the 2004 election.
And because of this post and the whole thread ...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1210516/posts?page=107#107
in the annals of FReeper history, an unforgettable
night.
Guess you don't know many pilots. They'll do whatever is needed for the chance to fly. "W" was simply at the end of a very long line and got what they gave him.
End of story.
BTW, I VOLUNTEERED FOR the United States Army Infantry in 1968, and if you didn't do that, or volunteer for the United States Marine Infantry, you don't have the moral highground in this debate. Mary Mapes sure doesn't.
Hey! Rather! Here's a memo for ya......
LOL
“W” was simply at the end of a very long line and got what they gave him.
That is what I figured. Top pilots were flying the Thud and F-4 Phantoms and F-8 Crusaders.
It was chilling ... a chilling, insidious
conspiracy.
Thank you again, Tanker!! God bless your
clarity and curiosity on that memorable night.
On September 8, 2004, Dan Rather cited “exclusive information, including documents” to justify major CBS Evening News and 60 Minutes stories alleging that George W. Bush shirked his duties when he was in the Texas Air National Guard in the 1960s and 1970s. Within a few hours of those documents being posted on CBS News’s Web site, however, typography experts voiced skepticism that the documents had actually originated with their alleged author and Bush’s former commanding officer, the late Lt. Colonel Jerry Killian. As the evidence mounted, Rather stubbornly clung to the idea that his story was bulletproof, and he derided critics as partisans and Internet rumormongers. When he “apologized” on September 20, Rather would not concede that the documents were forgeries, only that he and CBS could “no longer vouch for their authenticity.”
CBS Disregarded Experts, Challenged Laura Bush: ABC’s Brian Ross reported on the September 14 World News Tonight that “two experts hired by CBS News say the network ignored concerns they raised prior to the broadcast about the disputed National Guard records.” But over on CBS, reporter John Roberts wondered why President Bush wasn’t taking those memos seriously: “The President has yet to weigh in on new documents about his National Guard record made public last week by 60 Minutes.” Roberts also chastised First Lady Laura Bush for doubting CBS’s memos were authentic: “Laura Bush offered no evidence to back up her claim, and CBS News continues to stand by its reporting.”
Sticking By His Smear: On September 10, Dan Rather responded to charges the memos he cited as proving Bush’s dereliction were forged, telling his CBS Evening News audience that the memos were genuine and attacking any doubters as partisan rumor-mongers. “Today, on the Internet and elsewhere, some people, including many who are partisan political operatives, concentrated not on the key questions of the overall story, but on the documents that were part of the support of the story,” Rather castigated. But his lame defense ignored key challenges to the documents’ typography and content, and the doubts voiced by the widow and son of the supposed author, the late Lt. Col. Jerry Killian. Instead, Rather chose to repeat his indictment of President Bush’s National Guard service. Rather arrogantly concluded: “If any definitive evidence to the contrary of our story is found, we will report it. So far there is none.” (CyberAlert, September 11, 2004)
Memo for Record:
Never trust the press. Never trust the press. Never, never, never trust the press.
During Vietnam I was a specialist in nuclear missiles. I was stationed opposite Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces. No nukes in VN.
“that George W. Bush, the alleged slacker, had in fact volunteered to go to Vietnam....”
George Bush jr. had more balls than the microscopic prick obuma could pick up in a marble factory. Why am I not surprised.
| Never trust the press. Never trust the press. Never, never, never trust the press. Rathergate makes you wonder about other documents the MSM is said to have vetted for a presidential election. |
They didn’t get outraged until the war went south and then ug that picture out. I’m far from a fan of GWB or neoconservatism, but the “Mission Accomplished” meme is idiotic to say the least. Even a teaspoon of research will show that the banner was refering to the specific crew on that ship who were cycling home.
I remember clearly reading about his volunteering to go. Don’t recall when or where, but I knew that fact and I feel sure it came from FR way back during the flap over the issue.
Liberals really believed Bush was AWOL during Vietnam, thats why the Mission Accomplished carrier landing outraged them so much.
~~~~
How do you know that? Where did they look
for proof to back that up? They despise him ..
everything about him “outrages” their twisted,
demented minds.
It wouldn’t matter if the banner said “I love
Fidel and tie-dyed shirts” .. they are relentless
to this day in their attempts to destroy him and
VP Cheney.
My dad spent 3 years in a Pershing Battalion, is that what you did?
Mapes was such a hater...
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.