CBSNEWS LAUNCHES INTERNAL INVESTIGATION AFTER SUSPICIOUS BUSH DOCS AIRED (drudge Siren)

Drudge ^ | 9/9/2004 | drudge

[Keith in Iowa]

CBSNEWS LAUNCHES INTERNAL INVESTIGATION AFTER SUSPICIOUS BUSH DOCS AIRED

Nothig more yet...

**********More***

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX THU SEPT 09, 2004 22:45:32 ET XXXXX

CBSNEWS LAUNCHES INTERNAL INVESTIGATION AFTER SUSPICIOUS BUSH DOCS AIRED

**Exclusive**

CBS NEWS executives have launched an internal investigation into whether its premiere news program 60 MINUTES aired fabricated documents relating to Bush's National Guard service, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

"The reputation and integrity of the entire news division is at stake, if we are in error, it will be corrected," a top CBS source explained late Thursday.

The source, who asked not to be named, described CBSNEWS anchor and 60 MINUTES correspondent Dan Rather as being privately "shell-shocked" by the increasingly likelihood that the documents in question were fraudulent.

Rather, who anchored the segment presenting new information on the president's military service, will personally correct the record on-air, if need be, the source explained from New York.

MORE

[datakcy]

Thank you for the email address! I took you up on it:

Dear Mr. Rather & company:

Concerning the likely possibility that false documents were used to smear the military service of the President of the United States of America:

Your time would have been much better spent if you would have double or triple authenticated these documents and properly sourced them. During that small investigative period you could have...

* spent some time investigating and interviewing the highly decorated Swift Boat Veterans for Truth OR
* speaking to the countless millions of Vietnam Veterans at large and what they thought of John Kerry's post-Vietnam activities OR
* interviewing POWs, North Vietnamese, and Viet Cong concerning their thoughts about John Kerry's anti-war efforts OR
* finding out if John Kerry was present or aware of the St. Louis meeting which took a vote on assassinating members of Congress OR
* checking on former Lt. Governor of Texas, Ben Barnes' accusation in 1999 stating that he was requested by Bush family friend Sid Adger (who at that point was dead 3 years) to assist George W. Bush get a place in the pilot-training program with Texas Air National Guard General James Rose (who died in 1993), thus avoiding the draft - didn't anyone take a look at Barnes' partisan role in the Democratic party or that none of the information could be independently verified since all of the people he cites were DEAD!!!
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/US_election_race/Story/0,2763,202917,00.html)

Is it any wonder that viewers are leaving the main stream media in droves? It is because of the openly partisan left-wing, anti-American BIAS which is clearly evident in the overall content of the news division of CBS (and NBC, ABC, MSNBC, CNN, CNBC, the NY Times, Washington Post, etc.). The saddest part of all is the continued self-denial from the major networks and print media has resulted in the bleeding of viewership/readership.

Four 60 Minute/60 Minute II pieces attacking President George W. Bush over the last year. Zero segments concerning John Kerry's traitorous behavior upon his return from Vietnam. Zero segments concerning the conditions the people of Southeast Asia suffered under after we (the United States of America) deserted them (under pressure from groups like Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Jane Fonda, and other radically left individuals and groups). What happened in Cambodia? What about the Boat People? How many died in Vietnam after the war or were sent to re-education camps? And what happened to our POWs and MIAs who never returned? Doesn't John Kerry and these other groups bear any responsibility for this? It is not as if he apologized for his actions or attempted to run for the office of the Presidency based solely on his Senate record. He used his 4 months in Vietnam as the centerpiece of the DNC convention. There was hardly a word spoken about 9/11 or the war on terror.

Shouldn't John Kerry then be judged on this? President Bush has never made his military service as the focus of his candidacy. It is the media which has looked into this and made much ado about nothing, just as they did in the 2000 election.

My wife Donna and I are outraged at the failure of your organization to act responsibly in this matter. It is not only a dereliction of the sacred trust and duty to keep the public fairly and accurately informed, it borders on criminal in that this false report could have adversely affected the outcome of the next election for President of the United States (and it may).

What kind of shake-up will there be? I doubt much. There will be some finger pointing and perhaps someone will say that the buck stops here. But that will be it. Business as usual after that. Someone perpetrated a fraud on the American public and the world at large. CBS took that bait and aired it without the proper investigation. I believe that individuals at the highest levels of the news division authorized the showing of this for partisan purposes. This makes the Jason Blair scandal at the NY Times pale by comparison.

I intend to write the FCC as well as my representatives in Congress concerning this matter and I will be encouraging as many people as possible to boycott CBS until executive management makes the necessary changes to insure this will never happen again.

[Keith in Iowa]

Harkin: Bush Lied To America

Harkin needs a Freepin' - big time.

[Main Street]

CBS News Anchor and proud Democrat, Dan Rather, who referred to his bosses during a dispute as a bunch of "Buckwheats"!

Dan Rather, you might recall, heavily criticized Vice-President Dan Quayle for joining in the National Guard, claiming Quayle did so to avoid serving in the Vietnam War, when records indicate that 'Cut-and-Run' Rather did the very same thing he accused Quayle of doing during the Korean War! He has also been going around "bragging" that he is a Marine, when in fact he flunked out of Marine Boot Camp because he couldn't take the physical requirements. A bigot, liar, fraud, hypocrite, and a Democrat.

Famous Dan Rather Quote: "I think you can be an honest person and lie about any number of things." Spoken like a true Democrat!

[KC_Conspirator]

I was thinking about this today Jim. Unless I am mistaken and correct me if I am wrong, the documents don't have official seals or letterhead on them. Thus technically whoever forged them probably won't be guilty of a felony because they were forged memos, and not official military/government documents. Thus the forger could be thinking ahead - "CYA" indeed! I can already enivision an ACLU lawyer arguing on behalf of the defendent in court. I may be thinking too much on this one, and maybe a little out there, but I know that most military correspondence has official letterhead.

What a way for The Dan to go out in the twilight of his career.

[Timeout]

If the paper trail leads back to the Kerry campaign or unpaid advisers (Carville, Begala, etc.)

Oh, man, how cool would it be if we bagged those 2 along with Rather...which would then lead to their roles as commentaters on CNN...and the Kerry campaign. Too good to even think about!

[Mike Fieschko]

The forgery story broke in the blogospher mid-day

Posted by The Big Trunk at 07:51 AM at powerlineblog.com. Earliest I know of.

[Straight Vermonter]

I know funny and THAT is funny!!!

[EGPWS]

THIS IS HUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yea, the fox has proceeded to persecute her offspring in behest of the occupants of the hen house. right!

[Owl558]

"He slimed the sitting President. Now he has to hang his head in shame in front of the world."

Now is the time to pile on. I think of all the years of frustration at the naked bias in the media and this tiny shred of payback feels so good!!! Is it wrong to want to kick them when they're down?

Thank you FReepers!!

[lonevoice]

You know darn well that Rather and the goons at CBS will say...."After investigations, we find the documents to be real".

Looks like they've already started. Excerpted from the Wa Po link posted a bit earlier:

"These documents represent what Killian not only was putting in memoranda, but was telling other people," the CBS News official said. "Journalistically, we've gone several extra miles."

The official said the network regarded Hodges's comments as "the trump card" on the question of authenticity, as he is a Republican who acknowledged that he did not want to hurt Bush.

CBS officials insisted that the network had done due diligence in checking out the authenticity of the documents with independent experts over six weeks. The senior CBS official said the network had talked to four typewriting and handwriting experts "who put our concerns to rest" and confirmed the authenticity of Killian's signature.

Time to find out who this Hodges guy really is, and why he thinks he knows Killian's style better than Killian's widow.

[seeking enlightenment]

Wait a minute! Rather lied to strengthen the position of the democratic party, say it ain't so!

[ozzymandus]

1st segment just ended. Koppel repeated the fake charges aainst Bush, and mentioned in passing that there was "some doubt" aout the docs. Played the Col's wife and son saying he didn't do the docs, but pretty wimpy. 2nd segment starts by bashing Cheney.

[Alamo-Girl]

Amen!

[TomGuy]

So, Nightline has moved on....now on what Cheney said the other day.

Is that all they are going to say about the questionable memos????

[Alamo-Girl]

Amen!

[SerpentDove]

"You'd think so. But Today is so compromised that they may not care that Kitty is pre-discredited."

They should call it "The Toady Show."

[Timeout]

Is it wrong to want to kick them when they're down?

Ever since the Swift Boat story broke (or, better, DIDN'T BREAK) in the MSM, I've been saying they just don't get it. They thought it was hatred of Kerry that drove that story. Partly, yes, it was partisan. But the one thing that was sure to light a bonfire under us was the mainstream media going totally in the tank for Kerry.

Their refusal to cover the story left us a free field for two weeks to double check everything and have it all documented before they even knew what the story was about. They don't understand the power and motivation they handed us!

[halosfan2002]

PING

[My2Cents]

LOL...Tremendous.