Mapes Wished to "Save the World from a Bush Presidency"

Media Research Center ^ | 9-23-04 | Medial Reseach Center

[FlyLow]

Newsweek's Howard Fineman argued that CBS News producer Mary Mapes became "obsessed," with trying to prove that George W. Bush got special treatment in the National Guard, because she wanted to "save the world from a George Bush presidency, and in the last five years, she's tried to find that smoking gun that would allow her to do that." Appearing on MSNBC's Imus in the Morning on Wednesday, Fineman fretted that due to the CBS scandal, it is getting "increasingly difficult to prove" that the rest of the media strive for "objectivity" and want to be "fair" and "even- handed." Fineman also predicted that "if Roger Ailes and Fox had done something like this, you know, the world would be on fire."

The MRC's Jessica Anderson caught the exchange between Don Imus and Newsweek's chief political correspondent, who appeared by phone, on the September 22 MSNBC simulcast of the Imus in the Morning radio show:

Imus: "What do you all make of what's going on at CBS?"

Fineman: "...My take on what happened here is that the producer, who I've never met, and who has a great reputation, but the producer, Mary Mapes, became obsessed with this story. In 1999, she began looking for evidence that then Governor Bush, you know, had not shown up for and been derelict in his duty in the National Guard. She probably didn't like him politically, judging from everything I've read about her, and was gonna save the world from a George Bush presidency, and in the last five years, she's tried to find that smoking gun that would allow her to do that. And they went to this guy, Burkett -- I mean, to me, one of the most amazing things about this story is that they searched him out, even knowing what an unreliable source he was. And that, to me, means obsession, and as you pointed out the other day, you know, that's what editors are for. Editors are there to harness the energy, sometimes obsessive energy of reporters and they clearly didn't do it in this case."

Imus suggested: "...Rather doesn't have any friends who do not hate George Bush. His friends are all -- we know who they are. I mean, the Molly Ivans of the world, and they all hate Bush. Maybe Rather doesn't, but he's the only one of anybody who he ever talks to or hangs out with...He may not, but that makes him unique in his circle of friends."

Fineman: "...In a way, this is a Texas war. It's between what I'm assuming is Rather's sort of populous Texas notions, which I'm sure he holds deeply, and the Bush view. The problem with all of this is, for what's left of what we used to call the mainstream media or the national media, is that those of us who've spent a long time, indeed, a whole career, trying to argue that we are objective, that we strive for objectivity, that we're interested in the facts, that we want to be fair, that we want to be even- handed, it gets increasingly difficult to prove that when something like this comes along, and for other people in the national press corps, whether it's at other networks or at news organizations like mine, to take sort of any secret guilty pleasure in CBS's trouble is a huge mistake, because what's happening is that the national press core is crumbling. I've got to say, if Roger Ailes and Fox had done something like this, you know, the world would be on fire, but they didn't. It's CBS that did it."

[Max Flatow]

Don't hold your breath waiting for them to rebuild thier credibility. The thing is they don't think they need to rebuild it. To them it is Rush, Fox News, Drudge, etc that is not credible. Nor any of the millions of those that watch or listen to those alternative outlets.

I've been watching the news ever since Mayor Daley, the original, sent out Chicago's finest to beat the crap out of the hippies deficating on the magnificant lake front. Since then it has only gotten worse.

[MeekOneGOP]

"She's obsessed" bump !!

[Petronski]

What a loser.

[Free ThinkerNY]

So now when she is indicted, she can claim she was insane?

As a Liberal she doesn't have to prove insanity. Her insanity is obvious.

[RS]

"...and in the last five years, she's tried to find that smoking gun that would allow her to do that."

5 years and all she got was forged memo's ?

Is she just totally incompetant, or perhaps, just maybe, there is nothing there ?

[slimer]

...those of us who've spent a long time, indeed, a whole career, trying to argue that we are objective, that we strive for objectivity, that we're interested in the facts, that we want to be fair, that we want to be even- handed, it gets increasingly difficult to prove that when something like this comes along,

This is an admission that they (MSM) are conscious of and spending time and energy, making an effort to prove a negative. They admit that they are aware of the public perception of their left leaning bias and are defending themselves trying to prove something that they claim isn't true. This is why they have lawyers to manipulate words in an effort to cover their tracks.

Moral of the story: MSM in CYA mode.

[ken21]

comrades, how dare you criticize the supreme soviet of rather and mapes et al? (/s)

[hellinahandcart]

and for other people...to take sort of any secret guilty pleasure in CBS's trouble is a huge mistake, because what's happening is that the national press core is crumbling.

[Dont Mention the War]

Mapes would not spend 5 years on the story without the full suppport of Rather and the CBS organization.

Mary Mapes' name should never be posted on FR without the following attached to it: ", who was responsible for publicizing the Abu Ghraib story..."

Mary Mapes, who was responsible for publicizing the Abu Ghraib story...

Remember, that story did not need to be "uncovered." The Pentagon was already preparing prosecutions of those responsible. Mary Mapes made sure it hit the airwaves in order to destroy George W. Bush.

[Kackikat]

thank goodness the world was saved from "Mapes", must be relative of Michael Moore.

[mississippi red-neck]

Mary Mapes, became obsessed possessed

[Dont Mention the War]

So true. I was traveling on business in July, and in the Holiday Express continental breakfast line, an old lady (a Florida resident, of course!) and I were chatting; she asked me where I was traveling from and I said Washington, DC. She immediately and breathlessly informed me that she "was doing everything she possibly could to drive George Bush and his cronies out of the White House before they destroy everything this country stands for." I backed away, slowly. It was bizarre. She had not the slightest idea what my political views were. There is not even the pretense of polite conversation among strangers with these people.

You should have replied, "Well, I'm Karl Rove, and as soon as I get back home I'm going to have your Social Security canceled, you old bat!"

[Virginia Queen]

Thank you. Glad to be a part of this.

[jackbill]

And I'm sure that little Howie Fineman has a lot of friends who are Bush Lovers. Sure.

[longtermmemmory]

Let us be honest about what the Blogsphere is, the Blogsphere is citizens.

CBS was brought down by citizens.

It may be convenient for the MSM to hide behind the term of internet, blogsphere, pajama people, pajamajadeen, chatrooms et al, but these only are descriptives for the new TOOLS that citizens use to communicated with each other.

If anything CBS was brought down when citizens communicated.

Communications which has FINALLY forced the MSM to start to realize their emperor has no clothes.

[Dave Olson]

"save the world from a George Bush presidency, and in the last five years, she's tried to find that smoking gun that would allow her to do that."

There's something wrong here. Five years ago was 1999 -- a year before GWB ran for President, and two years before he took office. Why would Mapes try to save the world from something that didn't even exist?

[longtermmemmory]

I got much the same attitude at a recent conference of lawyers. One viet nam era lawyer assumed everyone was anti-bush and considered himself the resident military genius.

Just plain angry, ignorant, and impossible to reason with. He refused to accept the concept that failed 9/10 theories would not work in a 9/11 world.

Much like the old lady, just assumes the leftist view is the actual reality of the world.

[longtermmemmory]

actually makes sense. If she was trying to prevent the election of Bush in 2000. She would have probably worked tooth and nail to keep Reagan from getting elected into office during the 1980's.

Since the "likely suspects" of who is running for office is generally known, it is highly likely she started reasearch back then before files before everone else started digging through the same background data. IOW she probably knew about the DUI loooooong before Bush even won the primary but they held it back for October.

[Happy2BMe]

Miss Mapes - a "Hillary licker" if I ever saw one?

[Wil H]

Well, there's an easy way around that problem. Start being fair and even-handed.

That's the problem - they think they are !