Posted on 09/14/2004 4:49:36 PM PDT by Pikamax
THE LATEST FROM CBS AND ABC [09/14 07:41 PM]
My source familiar with the internal discussions at CBS describes the atmosphere at the network offices tonight as "madness" and "toxic". Apparently a real bunker mentality is setting in; there is reportedly a great deal of anger at ABC for running a scathing report about the memos.
I didn't see the ABC report (the CBS report was so shockingly false I needed smelling salts) , but apparently it was a humdinger. Here's a summary of each network from ABC:
ABC's Brian Ross interviewed the two experts who CBS hired to validate the National Guard documents and reports they ignored concerns they raised prior to the CBS News broadcast. "I did not feel that they wanted to investigate it very deeply," Emily Will told Ross. "I did not authenticate anything and I don't want it to be misunderstood that I did," Linda James told Ross. Ross reports 2 experts told ABC News today that even the most advanced typewriter available in 1972 could not have produced the documents. Ross also reported that Lt. Col. Jerry Killian's secretary says she believes the documents are fake but that they express thoughts Killian believed. In the "Inside Story" on the CBS "Evening News," John Roberts said that CBS "continues to stand by its reporting" on Bush's National Guard records. Roberts derisively said Bush "barely mentioned his service" today while appearing before the Guard association. Roberts closed by saying that Bush's goal is to turn the focus of the debate away from the questions to "those asking them."
The next big question: How do the major papers treat CBS' report tonight? And when do we start to see the first non-conservative editorials and columns ripping the network?
CBS fall into a pile of crap and ABC will not help clean them up.
I actually swallowed hard and then wrote an email to ABC thanking them for their piece on CBS today. Yes, I do think there are a few motivations driving their actions: market share, twist the knife after being patted on the head as the upstart network for so long by CBS, and I do hold out hope that there are a few in the business that genuinely decry the lack of journalistic integrity at CBS.
That said, as a parent of 3 young children I am well aware that even in the midst of dozens of negative moments being acted out - you still need to point out and praise those moments where things are being done right.
I'd urge everyone to drop a line to ABC and thank them for standing for the truth rather than political bias.
This may already been posted somewhere... but just as a reminder of rather's dislike of the Bushes:
In the 1980s, Rather became a hero to many American liberals for his tough, skeptical reporting on the Iran-Contra Affair which led to a famous on-air confrontation he had with then-vice-president George H. W. Bush. The incident is widely believed to have been pivotal in Bush's campaign to win the presidency in the 1988 election. It also marked the beginning of Rather's ratings decline, a slump from which he has never recovered. Bush never forgave him and refused to grant Rather an interview after their initial tangle. His son, George W. Bush has apparently followed suit, and has thus far declined to grant Rather an interview during his presidency.
I think lots of people could sue. Even better, we should find out how to file complaints against our local CBS affiliates with the FCC.
That's a much stronger line than the one he took last night (not that he was defending CBS last night).
For Chris Core, taking a seriously condemnatory position is a very big deal.
And the Killians weren't public untildan started lying about him.
i have a shareholder question about the Heinz trusts, as in, how much do they own, and does soros dabble in either the stock of viacom or the management of Heinz money.
I saw the Brian Ross piece on ABC News tonight. It was devastating. They said all 3 of the 60 Minutes document experts warned CBS about the validity of the memo before the program aired, yet Ross said they aired it anyway.
The only selling point in CBS' favor came at the end of the story when Ross mentioned that Killian's secretary thought that the memos were the way she thought Killian felt about George Bush. Total hearsay!
The best part was the look on Jennings' face as he introduced the story. You could tell it was killing him!
Me too. But this is a fight among comrades. They'll soon cool it in the interest of a "greater good" (Kerry as President).
So. What is the most absolutely desperate move CBS could make in an attempt to defend its now widely-discredited memos?Yeah...and OJ didn't do it.How about accusing the forensic document examiners that doubt the veracity of the memos of being agents of the Republican Party? [LOL!]
Just heard from a very reliable source that CBS is looking into the political donations of document examiner Sandra Ramsey Lines, fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, who assessed the memos for CNN and for the Associated Press.
Did some digging myself, and found in a database maintained by the Center for Public Integrity, a campaign finance watchdog group, Lines has donated a little under $600 to the WISH List, a fundraising organization for Republican women candidates.
Ah. Well, she must be lying, then. (eye roll)
(Keep in mind that Ben Barnes, the central figure in Rather’s report, has raised more than a half million dollars for Kerry’s campaign.)
All of the document examiners consulted by the mainstream media who say the documents look like fakes are putting their partisan allegiance to the GOP over their professionalism? Every last one of them?
I had heard, from some folks claiming to be in the know, that some producers at CBS had gone... a little over the edge as a result of this story, quoting Michael Moore at length and putting tremendous faith in the most far-fetched of conspiracy theories. I had dismissed these reports as exaggerations. I mean, network news producers don't just go nuts.
In light of this... maybe they do.
CBS could be just a bigger version of Air America. Flip a switch one day, voila. No need to account for what is reported, just "do it." Stay clear of actionable defamation, ala National Enquirer, and we're off!!
The DNC already gets 30-60% of the commentary time on all media outlets, so what if it gets 100% on the smallest of the three braodcast networks?
ABC is on a lifeline for ratings right now. Their regular network lineup is abysmal and Eisner has had as much success with ABC as he has had in restoring Disney's family values.
If ABC can claw it's way past CBS by sinking it's teeth into their throat while they're down, count on it. We're watching the high and mighty who have fallen, and now we get to watch them fight over table scraps.
And bring some popcorn, it will be a lovely show.
The Dan Rather daughter theory has plausibility. He demonstrated really bad judgment a couple of years ago when at his daughter's request he spoke at a Dem function in TX (something I believe he apologized for).
The scenario may be that someone scammed his daughter (not a reporter), who in turn unknowingly scammed him (but of course he should have know the docs were bogus).
MORE!
http://nationalreview.com/kerry/kerryspot.asp
CBS AFFILIATES UPSET [09/14 08:25 PM]
I am informed that the head of a CBS affiliate in a large East Coast city is telling viewers who call in that he wants Rather to apologize on 60 Minutes and then resign. This local network official reportedly plans to present the flood of critical emails he has been getting to the network heads in New York.
I suspect this gentleman is not alone.
Who has been slandered? GWB. Will he sue? Not bloody likely.
Falsifying orders? The orders are no longer operative, forge to your heart's content. I made a set of them here just for kicks.
I just love to see them cut each other up.
Better they fight and plot against each other than against us.
How about using forged military documents to influence a federal election. I believe it will cost the RNC some serious money to counter this $hlt.
"If" being a key word there. I bet CBS's ratings are UP this week. I wonder if they have marketing nformation that indicates status quo, or increase in market share if they go full-bore liberal/DNC. Heck, they were virtually there before this event crystallized the fact in our minds.
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