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.
Thank God for the groups that expose these lying RATs. Keep up the good work.
You're doing great work, keep it up dude.
I've heard of the Democrats wanting a draft, but I've never heard any Republican wanting one. Why condemn Bush for what the Democrats are asking for? Does CBS have a death wish?
But, but, . . . Didn't I just read that the head of CBS supports Bush?
What's going on? A last-ditch desperate effort . . .?
Let's have a MEGA FREEP of CBS!
If I'm not mistaken, it is. Rather is due to retire in the spring? His contract was to run out in 2006, but I'm sure I read they're moving it up. Maybe he's trying to take the whole country down with him.
You really need to get above info to Powerline,littlegreenfootballs,drudge,et al - Powerline dude seems to be able to get this stuff on TV pretty fast. These lies need to be debunked fast.
My son came home from school today and said a bunch of kids had Kerry stickers on their backpacks. When they where asked why they said they would vote for Kerry because Bush was going to bring back the draft. I guess the math teacher put that idea down real fast but it really bothered my son.
Thank you for your good work. Will stay tuned for sure.
CBS is disgusting.
THE DRAFT RUMOR WON'T DIE...
A reader forwarded this e-mail:
From: Hans Riemer, Rock the Vote [mailto:action@action.rockthevote.org] Sent: Tue 9/28/2004 19:53 To: [Kerry Spot Reader's name] Subject: You have been drafted!You have been drafted!
This is not a real draft card, but real cards may be in the mail 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 civil war erupts in Iraq, or if Pakistan, North Korea or other nations begin to pose new military threats, how would we 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:
Click here to get the facts about a potential draft, and to find out what you can do.
_______________________________Draft your friends:
Send this draft card to five others right now!
Do you have any idea how much respect Kerry would earn if he said something about this? Something like, "Folks, we're not going to have a draft. The all-volunteer military works a heck of a lot better than what we had before."
[Posted 09/28 09:38 PM]
Propaganda
The congressional bills on this were proposed by Democrats....
All things considered, we've been too lenient on Dan, John & the girlie men of the CommuRats.
We need to figure out a way to show these traitorous assholes that their days on top of the heap are OVER. It needs to be decisive, and ending with both Viacom & the Rats in ruins. Literally.
When did this segment air?
Send a FAX to Andrew Heyward, President of CBS News, at 212-975-1893. Load his desk!
cc: to Sumner Redstone and Les Moonves.
Let's send it to Drudge and Rush and Sean! Pronto.
Yet another example of the Republicans complete and total inability to counter a Democrat lie. The FCC won't touch it with a 10-foot pole, because Democrats might call them names.
Seems to me that Mr Rather, because of his obvious political bias, either has, or is about to cross the line of what is legal? I would suggest that Mr Ashcroft, et al, take a long look at this fellow?????
This really, really goes beyond the pale. Anyone in doubt of CBS's blatent bias is completely lost.
It would do them a world of good.
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.