Posted on 09/28/2004 7:11:30 PM PDT by RatherBiased.com
Daniel Irvin Rather must be a masochist. You'd think that in the midst of the terrible publicity he is currently getting for working closely with a partisan Democrat bent on bringing down President Bush that Dan Rather would have the good sense to lay off the liberal bias for a while. But common sense seems to be in short supply at CBS News these days.
Three weeks after he denounced the internet as being "filled with rumors," the embattled CBS anchor ran a story on his Tuesday "Evening News" program hoping to stir up fear of an impending military draft.
In a story that was a textbook example of slipshod reporting, CBS reporter Richard Schlesinger used debunked internet hoax emails and an unlabeled interest group member to scare elderly "Evening" viewers into believing that the U.S. government is poised to resume the draft.
At the center of Schlesinger's piece was a woman named Beverly Cocco, a Philadelphia woman who is "sick to my stomach" that her two sons might be drafted. In his report, Schlesinger claimed that Cocco was a Republican and portrayed her as an apolitical (even Republican) mom worried about the future.
Schlesinger did not disclose that Cocco is a chapter president of an advocacy group called People Against the Draft (PAD) which, in addition to opposing any federal proscription, seeks to establish a "peaceful, rational foreign policy" by bringing all U.S. troops out of Iraq. Like Schlesinger's Cocco, the group portrays itself as "nonpartisan"although its leadership seems to be entirely bereft of any Republicans.
The group's domain is registered to a man named Jacob Levich, a left-wing activist who in a 2001 essay compared the Bush Administration to the totalitarian government portrayed in George Orwell's 1984.
PAD also lists Anita Dutt, a Green Party activist who is also a member of an anti-war group called Bronx Action for Justice and Peace. In a March 3, 2003 New York Times profile of the group reprinted on the organization's web site, Heidi Hynes, one of its leaders, said of her fellow members that "none of us are Republicans."
Also left out of the CBS story was the fact that while there are two bills in Congress that are seeking to reestablish the draft, both of them (S-89 and HR-163) are sponsored exclusively by Democrats and have been pronounced DOA by the Republican leadership.
Much more on this to come but in the mean time, click read more to see the transcript or watch the clip by clicking on the picture to the right.
DAN RATHER: It's no secret: The all- volunteer U.S. Military, especially the Army, Marines and many reserve units, are stretched thin in Iraq and Afghanistan. So what about bringing back the draft? A lot of Americans are worried about that. Where do the presidential candidates stand? CBS's Richard Schlesinger tells you in the "Eye on America" election series, "What does it mean to you?"
SCHLESINGER: Beverly Cocco has spent most of her life protecting children in Philadelphia.
(Footage of Cocco in job as crossing guard)
SCHLESINGER: She usually worries about other people's kids.
(Footage of Cocco in job as crossing guard)
SCHLESINGER: But as Election Day approaches, it's her own two grown sons who Beverly is most worried about.
BEVERLY COCCO ("Pennsylvania Voter"): I go to bed every night and I pray, and I actually get sick to my stomach. I'm very worried. I'm scared. I'm absolutely scared. I'm petrified.
SCHLESINGER: Beverly is petrified about a military draft, and she's not alone. Mass e-mails are circulating among worried parents. But neither president bush nor john kerry has said he will re- institute the draft. In fact, they both say they will not.
Sen. JOHN KERRY (Democratic presidential candidate): I will give us a foreign policy that absolutely makes it unnecessary to have a draft for this country.
SCHLESINGER: Kerry says he'll try to get allies of the U.S. to send troops that could relieve American soldiers in Iraq. The Bush Administration says that is pure fantasy. The president wants to train more Iraqi troops to take over for the Americans.
Pres. GEORGE W. BUSH: The war on terror will continue. It's going to take a while and no, we don't need a draft.
SCHLESINGER (voiceover): But Beverly's not buying it. She's a Republican, but she's also a single issue voter.
(on-camera) Would you vote for a Democrat?
COCCO: Absolutely. I would vote for Howdie Doody if I thought it would keep my boys home and safe.
SCHLESINGER (voiceover): In fact, there are at least three votes in this house riding on the draft: Beverly's and her sons,' Carmen [sic] and Nick.
(on-camera) Are you guys worried about being drafted?
NICK COCCO (College senior): Yeah. It's the talk. The talk's there. Though people aren't actually coming out and saying it, it's, it's there.
SCHLESINGER: The machinery for a draft is already in place and the acting director of Selective Service believes he could start drafting people quickly.
JACK MARTIN (Selective Service System): I think we could do it in less than six months if we got the call.
SCHLESINGER: This time there would be no long deferments for college students and a lot more people could be eligible for the draft than ever before. Men and women aged 18 to 26 could be called up.
Of course, there hasn't been a draft since 1973. But that's not much comfort to Beverly Cocco. So she is keeping a sharp eye on the political traffic. She's a Bush supporter today, but if she doesn't like what she hears between now and November, Beverly could easily cross over. In Philadelphia, I'm Richard Schlesinger for Eye on America.
I just emailed the four mothers on People against the draft with the following message
"I am sure that you know that there are the two bills already introduced by Democrats to bring back the draft - SB89 by Fritz Hollings (SC-D) and HR163 - Charles Rangel (D-New York), Jim McDermott (D-Washington), John Conyers (D-Michigan), John Lewis (D-Georgia), Pete Stark (D-California) and Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii).
I am sure you are angry, as I am, that John Kerry lied about this last Friday at Temple University when he said that George Bush has a secret plan to bring back the draft."
"I'll model it after that great example of courage and selflessness France. Since, as I've said before, I reject the symbols of this nation, my first act will be to outlaw the stars and stripes and replace it with white sheets on the end of poles."
I signed up for all the Soro's/Kerry 527 email lists several weeks ago, to keep track of what they are up to. This is the one I got today from "Rock the Vote"...just so you all know the lies and garbage they are putting out there for our young people to see:
YOU HAVE BEEN DRAFTED!
This is not a real draft, but a real one may happen soon if the current situation doesn't improve.
As it is, our military is stretched almost to the breaking point trying to maintain troop levels in Iraq and around the world. If Pakistan, North Korea or other nations begin to pose new military threats, how would we expect to meet the demand for troops?
Did you know that:
* It would only take two to three days for Congress and the President to authorize a draft and set the Selective Service System's plans in motion?
* Twenty-year-olds would be the first to be inducted?
* Women are very likely to be included in the next draft?
It's up to us to educate ourselves. In the event of a draft, we won't have much time to form an opinion. And with just 34 days left until the election and only a few days left before many state registration deadlines, we need to take a stand now by registering to vote:
Sincerely,
Rock The Vote and Alliance For Security
THESE ARE THE LIES KERRY, SOROS, AND CO, ARE PUTTING OUT THERE.
I hope W gets to bring this out on the first debate; ie, let the public know who are the sponsers of these bills.
Thanks for posting the link to CBS News comments. I just sent them an email. I am so mad!!!!!!!!
Thanks for that info... ;o)
Forward this to all you know and if they want, they can look it up. See what do all the people who are proposing we bring back the draft have in common and ask yourself, these guys want to bring back the draft, who are they voting for?
S.89 Title: A bill to provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Sen Hollings, Ernest F. (DEMOCRAT of South Carolina) [SC] (introduced 1/7/2003) Cosponsors (None) Related Bills: H.R.163 Latest Major Action: 1/7/2003 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
And in the House, it's HR 163 proposed and sponsored by the following: The sponsors of this legislation are: "Mr. RANGEL ( DEMOCRAT of New York) (for himself, Mr. MCDERMOTT (DEMOCRAT of Washington), Mr. CONYERS. (DEMOCRAT of Michigan) , Mr. LEWIS, ( DEMOCRAT of Georgia), Mr. STARK (DEMOCRAT of California) , and Mr. ABERCROMBIE (DEMOCRAT of Hawaii)"
I recommend Bold spacing the word democrat so people know.
Paging Buckhead! Paging Buckhead! ;o)
Okay so Kerry spokesman is on record saying that Kerry has six weeks to turn the public's sentiment on Iraq into Vietnam, then suddenly...
MTV (Viacom) stars email campaign to scare kids that they may have to fight for their country (the horror) with the implication that they need to vote Bush out to stop the draft
AOL runs the draft as the draft is a debate that just won't go away.
Jane Fonda joins moveon.org
CBS runs another bogus story without ever stating the FACTS
hmmm...No there's no coordination between Dems and the media...Viacom needs to be boycotted AND as a shareholder of the public airwaves, I demand that we revoke their license immediately.
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Billybob
What I don't get is that Drudge reported that Sumner Redstone is a Bush supporter.
If that's the case why the hell does he allow this bulls#$t to happen? my only guess is that Dumb Dems and libs in power make for great news every night. Remember, as far is their concerned the only good new is bad news.
These young kids are buying it hook, line and sinker. You can tell when Sean Hannity does his man on the street Thursday and they all say they aren't voting for Bush because he's going to bring back the draft and then Sean tells them he's not and they don't believe it.
...one of which calls for the impeachment of Donald Rumsfeld, and another which calls for a Gold Medal to given Jesse Jackson FROM THE PRESIDENT.
Redstone contributed to the Kerry campaign, but never contributed to the Bush campaign, so I personally think it is just more see BS that Redstone is pro Bush.
That shadow's so realistic it's freaking me out....
I don't believe it. Sumner Redstone is a VERY liberal Democrat. 75% of the board members are democrats, too.
Congressman Billybob
Latest column, "Kerry Hasn't Read a History Book"
If you haven't already joined the anti-CFR effort, please click here.
We already have. They ignored us. How about the FCC? FEC?
This was a calculated misdirection my Redstone to give the leftists something to hang onto when Danny RATturd was gang-banged by the rest of the MSM. I can hear the RATS now. "The chairman of Viacom supports Bush. There can't possibly be any bias at CBS."
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