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Why it's important to remember Rathergate
American Thinker ^ | October 5, 2020 | David Lanza

Posted on 09/08/2022 5:56:17 AM PDT by T Ruth

An important anniversary [is today]. This anniversary carries implications for how we receive news, how political campaigns are conducted, and the credibility of almost everything we see or hear from the media.

On September 8, 2004, CBS’s “60 Minutes” used forged government documents as the basis for a story that attacked the military record of then-President George W. Bush. It was bad enough that CBS used forged government documents, but what made it worse was that CBS aired this story during the presidential election and timed the airing to coincide with the rollout of Democrat John Kerry’s “favorite son” campaign theme. CBS thus provided the “news” upon which the Democrat candidate based his attack ads. The CBS story was quickly disproven …

The battle over the truth became a story in itself. The truth about the font spread like wildfire through the blogosphere and the internet, quickly picking up steam. CBS, Rather and the left clung to their story as long as they could. They even invented the “fake but accurate” standard to defend the forged documents. CBS and its surrogates belittled the bloggers but ended up making them famous. Conservative bloggers would embrace the “pajamas” epithet thrown at them during the battle – some of whom still use it today. ...

***

Why is a 2004 scandal at CBS still relevant 16 years later? Even without Dan Rather, the network has not truly changed. The other networks are just as bad – if not worse. Rathergate serves as one example of what the establishment media do. They lie. They lie regularly, and they lie during election years to help elect Democrats. ... Celebrating the anniversary has a cleansing effect that leaves us stronger. We develop herd immunity to future lies because we commemorate this one prominent lie.

***

[bolding added]

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bias; bloggers; buckhead; cbs; fakebutaccurate; freerepublic; mapes; marymapes; media; mediabias; rather; rathergate
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To: libertylover

The author makes a good case for Republican strategy that honors the bloggers that discovered the font issue. I would say a more broad strategy should be focused on the developing state institutions that are captured by the left sucha as the FBI. Publicize the fiascos they have engaged in such as Ruby Ridge and Waco. Bring the stories forward and name the miscreants over and over with anniversary memorial programs in the media.


21 posted on 09/08/2022 6:45:10 AM PDT by BartMan1 (Freedom)
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To: Erik Latranyi

They were so desperate after the Kerry Swift Boat fiasco and the boatload of lies. The MSM needed to get with the program and it was the first deathblow to MSM


22 posted on 09/08/2022 6:51:39 AM PDT by cnsmom
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To: T Ruth

“60 Minutes” used forged government documents

Obama winks


23 posted on 09/08/2022 6:52:50 AM PDT by Vaduz ( )
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts
The thread that shall live in fame: Documents Suggest Special Treatment for Bush in Guard [Buckhead post 47]

If the media has learned any lesson, it is to hide the "original" documents and only show their own retyped chyron version. While trying to find the famous post 47 thread I learned something new, that Lt. Col. Bill Burkett claimed to have burned the originals after faxing them copies.

24 posted on 09/08/2022 7:10:10 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (The government sees you as either livestock or pet. If things get bad they will eat their pets too.)
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To: T Ruth
Freeper Buckhead exposing Dan Rather was a major milestone in the Dinosaur Media DeathwatchTM.

The famous Post 47 from 9/8/2004:

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1210662/posts?page=47#47

It wasn't just that Dan Rather committed fraud, it's also that it was such an obvious fraud and CBS was too incompetent to do a better job at it. Dan Rather is too stupid to recognize it as a fraud.

25 posted on 09/08/2022 7:20:44 AM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: NautiNurse

I’m kind of concerned. I checked and Buckhead hasn’t posted since 2015. =;^(


26 posted on 09/08/2022 7:25:37 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (Great minds drink alike...me and my baby havin' a hell of a night. - - BB King)
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To: NautiNurse

Further research shows a current bio on the webpage of his law firm. So...he probably is far too busy to be posting here.


27 posted on 09/08/2022 7:37:18 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (Great minds drink alike...me and my baby havin' a hell of a night. - - BB King)
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To: nikos1121
What’s Buck’s take on the 2020 election...

His last post was in 2015. I did not find his name on the memorial wall but suspect it needs to be there.

28 posted on 09/08/2022 7:54:01 AM PDT by Nateman (If Mohammad was not the Anti Christ he definitely comes in as a strong second..)
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To: T Ruth

While it is good to remember those events, only we who lived through it know how perfidious the media in general and CBS in particular were. Remember that Robert Redford made a movie about these events. The movie was a totally dishonest portrayal that totally white-washed the media’s part.

The problem is that our children will only have the movie to rely on to explain the history involved. Kids don’t read history books; they watch media.


29 posted on 09/08/2022 8:02:33 AM PDT by ByteMercenary (Slo-Joe and KamalHo are not my leaders.)
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To: lowbridge
God only knows what lies and how often they got away with years before Rathergate.

Truly unsettling - knowing that is is more than we'll ever know.
30 posted on 09/08/2022 8:03:40 AM PDT by larrytown (A Cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do. Then they graduate...)
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To: NautiNurse

Whatever happened to Buckhead ?


31 posted on 09/08/2022 8:05:44 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Baseball players, gangsters and musicians are remembered. But journalists are forgotten.q at)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

Dunno. Hard stop with last Buckhead post seven years ago.


32 posted on 09/08/2022 8:25:52 AM PDT by NautiNurse (Ron DeSantis is Top Gov)
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To: T Ruth

They’re even more crooked today

Every evening broadcast is a commercial for Libtardism

Every point of view is Libtard

It’s a complete waste of time


33 posted on 09/08/2022 8:48:25 AM PDT by NWFree (Somebody has to say it 🤪)
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To: T Ruth
My family was staying at the Kings Inn in San Diego at the time. When the family went back to our room after dinner at The Amigo Spot, I stayed in the hotel lobby, where I availed myself of an internet-connected computer which required me to chuck quarters in for access.

I tuned into FR, and watched Buckhead take down Dan Rather and the Democrats in real time.

Memories . . .

34 posted on 09/08/2022 8:52:42 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler (THE ISSUE IS NEVER THE ISSUE. THE REVOLUTION IS THE ISSUE.)
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To: Nateman

Yep, 2015. But he quit posting regularly a few years before that.


35 posted on 09/08/2022 9:08:27 AM PDT by jjotto ( Blessed are You LORD, who crushes enemies and subdues the wicked.)
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts

That was a great night. Buckhead started the ball rolling questioning the font and it caught fire from there. Ruined Rathers career and his lying bimbo Mary Mapes too. Sweet memories


36 posted on 09/08/2022 9:17:26 AM PDT by Jimmy Valentine (DemocRATS - when they speak, they lie; when they are silent, they are stealing the American Dreams)
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To: cdnerds

Free Republic broke the story. I watched that night


37 posted on 09/08/2022 9:21:10 AM PDT by Jimmy Valentine (DemocRATS - when they speak, they lie; when they are silent, they are stealing the American Dreams)
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To: T Ruth

The media was already all clued in and repeating the lie . The Kerry campaign had ads already made ready to broadcast. The Wrap Up Smear was good to go.... until Buckhead unwrapped on the very day of its launch.


38 posted on 09/08/2022 12:58:12 PM PDT by Nateman (If Mohammad was not the Anti Christ he definitely comes in as a strong second..)
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To: T Ruth

I remember so well! I was new to FR and immediately became a life-long member.


39 posted on 09/08/2022 2:52:13 PM PDT by rejoicing
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To: cnsmom

John freaking Kerry got frac’ed by his own troops...because Kerry was a freaking moron.............


40 posted on 09/08/2022 2:58:29 PM PDT by Osage Orange
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