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Posted on 09/10/2004 7:18:05 PM PDT by quidnunc
Dan Rather's defense (courtesy of Glenn Reynolds) of his 60 Minutes accusations against the Bush National Guard record, coupled with this CBS Press Release (hat tip: Roger Simon) may indicate the direction in which story is developing. When caught in an ambush the first two rules are to exit the kill zone and lay down a curtain of return fire so you can make your getaway. Both the Rather interview and the CBS Press Release suggest that the network is trying to move the controversy onto broader grounds. They will refocus the question onto George Bush's National Guard record and will support it with evidence — interviews, collateral research etc — that their opponents have had little access to — and therefore be unable to criticize. In particular, Dan Rather listed out four questions which are probably going to be the strongpoints of the new redoubt: the most important are whether GWB disobeyed a direct order, whether he performed to standard, whether he made his physical.
By leaving the kill zone of fonts, kerning and proportional spacing and rallying on their new position CBS achieves two things. The near effective fire raining down on them will be transformed into far ineffective fire, simply because its Internet critics will need a whole 12 hours to start raising new questions about the additional CBS allegations. By covering their repositioning with intensified attacks on GWB they will with any luck, restart a stalled story and reclaim the offensive.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at belmontclub.blogspot.com ...
Is the Guard tour really six years?
The interesting part is that the ability of someone like Reich in his Party Vanguard mode to steer and frame the debate has been dissipated and he doesn't seem to realize it.
But we can get the ball rolling. When El Rushbo (and maybe FOX) picks up the story - he'll "impress many millions of people in a moment."
The big difference is, Rush's audience is more politically informed and active. SeeBS's audience is more likely passive dolts.
The most effective way to break an ambush is to call in Air or Fire Support and pursue the enemy by fire. We must redouble our efforts to FORCE the proper examination and publication of these fraudulent documents. If the documents are false, then the sentiments upon them are false as well.
We need to regain the offensive - this barrage was simply an attempt to throw us off our stride. The arrogance and blatant partisanship of rather, et. al. is astonishing to watch though...
On Fox Reich mentioned CBS, AP, NYT & TBG ... but he made mention of no 'credible news organizations'.
analysis of the bush memo
http://img41.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img41&image=60minbusted.swf
The Democrats and their friends in the media are still playing by the old rule book. The fury that erupted over the last two days should be a wake up call. "News" is no longer a one way street.
There are several million Americans that regularly spend time on sites like Free Republic where news articles are discussed and taken apart.
The time when the old media could state something as a fact and go unchallenged is over. I don't know what the outcome of this current battle will be, but it is the beginning of the end for old media.
Rather can stonewall all he wants, but the game is over and his side has lost.
It is now possible to duplicate the DNC talking points by simply listening to the various news outlets and the Democrat spokesmen. When the so called impartial news readers use the same wording as the partisan spokesman and at the time, it is clear they all got the same talking points.
There was a time not too long ago it was not possible for individuals to gather information and compare notes, and more importantly the speeches are press conferences of politicians, but today, it is relatively easy to connect the dots from the DNC to the major news outlets.
In the past, the old media being the gatekeepers of news filtered out inconvenient facts, and altered others to meet their view of the world, but that is harder now since anyone with access to google can often find things that were once kept hidden.
We are all present at a historical moment in time, something few have ever witness, and most who did witness were not aware of the significant, the death of one way of life for another.
When the movable type was first introduced, the world was soon transformed. I would put the invention of the inter-tel at the same level, and for the same reason. Books, knowledge was restricted to a few, the wealthy, and the church before the printing press made the mass reproduction of books easier and cheaper then having to hand copy each book.
It was easy to control knowledge and by extension people when only a few could read or write and few had access to books.
I don’t know where this will all end, but it has to be a better place then the world ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN and the New York Times had planned for us.
The king is dead, long live the king.
"Passive dolts," unfortunately, was the point I was driving at.
Drudge's speech to the National Press Club was based on this notion - every citizen a reporter, and so is, AFAIK, the Drudge Manifeto.
That would be "Manifesto."
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The whole charade is simple to me, W. has a DD Form 214. Case closed.
And just for arguments sake, let's say these forged documents are true. What misdemeanor or felony do these documents imply? Heck, it's not like Teddy Kennedy drowning his mistress, or i42 committing perjury or obstruction of justice, now is it? I know W.'s Guard service couldn't be as bad as jane fonda or John Kerry committing treason or sedition, now could it?
No matter, cbs's revenue is going south anyway. Dan Rather sleeping with the dnc will only hasten the process.
5.56mm 5.56mm
Why not simply turn the questions around on CBS? As in "WHERE IS 1% OF THIS LEVEL OF SCRUTINY FOR KERRY'S MILITARY RECORDS?? WHERE ARE KERRY'S MEDICAL RECORDS?? TAX RECORDS?? DIVORCE RECORDS?? TERESA'S TAX FORMS??"
Until they can answer those questions, I wouldn't say a single damn word other than showing what biased frauds they are.
How transparent. Change the argument, ad hominem attacks, etc.. Classic Rat behavior. We endured this nonsense for eight years under Bill and Hill.
While this media circus is going on, Kerry is hanging in the hall closet -- air sucked right out of his campaign.
Someone (can't remember who) said
It's not the character of the evidence, it's the seriousness of the charge that needs to be answered.
I'm pretty sure that it was a Dimwit who said it, but I can't be positive.
Very cogent point on strategy.
Actually, the behavior of CBS in responding tonight, even though in their heart of hearts they KNOW they are cornered by this uncontrollable beast called the "NEW MEDIA" that uncomfortably democratizes the flow of mass information, betrays their nervous constitution. No doubt the top thinkers and strategists at CBS are working furiously on two "battlefronts"....first, rushing to get all the details of what they themselves must know they will eventually have to admit was a bogus fraud, and two, trying to find a way to cloud the subject and "escape the kill zone."
CBS' tactics are not altogether different from those posed by our adversaries at the negotiating table who perpetrate classic psy-war tactics and Sun-Tzu-like military motions.
Case-in-point, our dealing with the stonewalling North Koreans and when our negotiators obtain incontrovertible evidence against them, and more importantly, what specific gamesmanship tactics the DPRK historically tend to employ when under intense pressure or caught in a lie. The parallels abound, indeed.
The US side may ask once again on the main issue, but the North will reply with something like "Yes, of course, you will have the answer from us later and in due time (CBS: "if we come across contradictory information we will certainly report it."), but before answering I want to know who have drawn the line?"
By-and-large Free Republic and our wider allies are doing an excellent job, researchers are correct and well-advised in their mercilessly pummeling Dan Rather and CBS without let up. We have gotten to Mr. Rather's psyche, as you can actually see it in his eyes and hear it in his battle-fatigued, shocked voice tonight. So much is at stake for this man. His career and reputation. But for us, the Republic.
My advice to everyone: We are on a roll tonight, unprecedented in American presidential campaign or journalistic history. Keep focused, keep hitting hard and fast, don't give up, completely rout them from their post, don't cede a single inch. Visual Dan Rather fired and CBS-TV out of the news business. Act. Achieve.
Bush should address fake charges?
The problem with this theory is that the risks to CBS are enormous. Meanwhile, CBS may back Kerry, but it is not willing to twist in the wind for him.
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