Dan Rather's Lifetime of 'Jumping the Gun'

RatherBiased.com ^

[RatherBiased.com]

Sometimes Rather jumps the gun out of eagerness to be the first to report. Other times, his jumping the gun is for partisan, political reasons.

Jumping the Gun

Over the years, Dan Rather has acquired a reputation for "jumping the gun" on big news events, reporting something as a fact that has not been established in his haste to get the scoop. Here are a few of Rather's "exclusives." For our coverage of Rather being tricked by a Howard Stern fan during his coverage of the space shuttle Columbia disaster, see Previous News.

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Winging it at the Nixon White House
"Rather often adhered to the 'informed sources' or 'the White House announced today' formulas, but he was famous in the trade for the times when he bypassed these formulas and ‘winged it' on a story. Rather would go with an item even if he didn't have it completely nailed down with verifiable facts. If a rumor sounded solid to him, if he believed it in his gut or had gotten it from a man who struck him as honest, he would let it rip. The other White House reporters hated Rather for this. They knew exactly why he got away with it: being handsome as a cowboy, Rather was a star on CBS News, and that gave him the clout he needed. They could quote all his lapses from fact, like the three times he had Ellsworth Bunker resigning, the two occasions on which he announced that J. Edgar Hoover would step down, or the time he incorrectly predicted that Nixon was about to veto an education bill."
--Timothy Crouse in his book The Boys on the Bus which detailed the press's coverage of the 1972 presidential campaigns.

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"Dan Rather called to advise me that CBS had taped a video interview with a man in London named Ratnoff who said that in January 1971 I approached him to buy bugging equipment. The alleged incident was said to have occurred face-to-face in a town in New Jersey I had never visited and never knew existed. This was my first taste of that spasm of dread and nausea that even a phony story produces for someone in government who knows that publication alone will produce a scandal. I shouted indignantly at Rather that the story was an 'absolute, goddamn, f---ing fabrication.' To my exhausted relief, after half a day of back and forth, Rather chose to believe me. In those days, such a story would rarely run without corroboration. Now it could happen with ease."
--Leonard Garment, longtime personal friend and advisor to Richard Nixon, in his 1997 book Crazy Rhythm.

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During the Nixon administration, Justice Harlan, a liberal, decided to retire from the Supreme Court. This was the fourth justice to resign during his administration:
"Dan Rather appeared on CBS news to tell the American people that the President had known of the Harlan resignation far in advance. 'The letter has been written for weeks,' Rather confided. Rather was wrong again. Actually we had no advance notice; the timing of Harlan's resignation had taken us all by surprise."
--John Ehrlichman, Nixon's chief assistant for domestic affairs, in Witness to Power: The Nixon Years, 1982.

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During the 1996 Republican nomination battle, Senator Phil Gramm and Pat Buchanan were bitter rivals; Rather interviewed Buchanan:
"Phil Gramm says, in effect, it'd be suicidal for the Republican Party to nominate you because you're too far to the right, particularly on abortion."
--Dan Rather to Pat Buchanan on the CBS Evening News, February 11, 1996.

"Senator Phil Gramm's staff called to say they believe viewers may have gotten the wrong impression from something said on the CBS Evening News last night. If any clarification is needed, it should be noted that nowhere on the record has Senator Gramm characterized Pat Buchanan as too far to the right on abortion."
--Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News, February 12, 1996.

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“Baba Booey’s Teeth”

"Lieutenant Gaynor:" Watch Dan Rather as he gets fooled by a Howard Stern fan during a live broadcast. Choose either Windows Media (56KB/s, 500KB) or RealVideo (56KB/s, 693KB)

In July of 1999, the private airplane of John Kennedy, son of the former president, was reported to be missing in the vicinity of the Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard. There was speculation that the craft had crashed, but there was no evidence it had. During the search for the plane, CBS decided to pre-empt normal programming to provide live coverage. A Howard Stern fan decided he'd see how far Rather would let him get posing as a Coast Guard official with potentially hot news:

RATHER: We now have Lieutenant Ed Gaynor of the United States Coast Guard that they've found some debris. Lieutenant, what can you tell us about this debris?

ED GAYNOR, U.S. Coast Guard–Cape Cod (As identified on screen): Some debris has been spotted, and it is consistent with debris from a Saratoga. Whether it's John F. Kennedy's Saratoga, we don't know. We also found Baba Booey's teeth were laying along the bay, too, and Howard Stern and Baba Booey were all there. [Gary "Baba Booey" Dell'Abate is the producer of Stern's radio show.]

RATHER: Excuse me, when you said you have determined this debris is from a Piper Saratoga--

[Pause, no response from caller]

Well, I'm not sure that we heard correctly there. Lieutenant Gaynor of the Coast Guard telling us--and this is breaking information. I remind you again this is live television. We take in raw information, and we do the best we can to be rock solid in stating fact. But now earlier there was a report of debris spotted. Then there was a report from the FAA.

Bob Orr said, 'Well, the FAA, in effect, steered us away from making any conclusions that the debris might or might not have anything to do with John Kennedy's plane.

But now, this just in: The Coast Guard lieutenant says they have found debris; that the debris, I believe that he said—we've lost him for the moment now—was consistent with a Piper Saratoga, but that they couldn't determine whether it was John F. Kennedy Jr.'s Piper Saratoga aircraft. But this puts the late information in a whole new context, a whole new perspective.

[In Rather's earpiece, he's told it's a prank]

I want to emphasize to you that this is raw information. Sometimes people call in and say things that aren't true. Sometimes, you know, cranks, that sort of thing happens. So let's be very, very careful here with this information. One thought comes to mind: Was this actually the Coast Guard lieutenant that we thought we were talking to? He jumped off that phone very--very pronto.

Let's go to Bob Orr in Washington.

ORR: Dan, I--I've never understood why, when--if you're in a crisis-type story and when people are hungry for good, reliable information, I've never understood why pranksters think it's funny to come on and--and just pass out erroneous information.

I can tell you categorically, Dan, that last report was completely unfounded. I doubt that it was anybody from the Coast Guard. We have been told on the record by the Coast Guard and by a senior source in the Department of Transportation just a couple of minutes ago, in fact, that no debris has been found consistent with the Kennedy plane.
--Dan Rather and Bob Orr in a "Special Report," July 17, 1999.

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We Know How to Call 'Em
At the start of Election Night 2000, before any states had been called, Dan Rather announced:
"Let's get one thing straight right from the get-go. We would rather be last in reporting returns than to be wrong. And again, our record demonstrates that true. If you hear someplace else that somebody's carried a state and you're off, as you shouldn't be, watching them, then come back here, because if we say somebody's carried a state, you can pretty much take it to the bank, book it, that that's true."
--Dan Rather during live Election Night coverage November 7, 2000.

"To err is to human--is human, to really foul up requires a computer. And that's what's happened with Florida. Everybody that we know of had put Florida into the Gore column sometime ago. Now we're pulling it back into the undecided column because some bad data came from certain precincts in Florida."

--Dan Rather during live Election Night coverage November 7, 2000.

"Now if you're disgusted with us, frankly, I don't blame you. But everybody in the business virtually had called Florida for Gore based on data that turns out to be suspect, suspect data from some precincts did it. . . . I know of nobody who didn't believe it."
--Dan Rather during live Election Night coverage November 7, 2000.

CBS's polling department was embarrassed; Rather tried to comfort them:
"In fairness to Dr. Kathy Frankovic and her highly professional CBS News survey team, we'd like to point out that her final CBS News poll before yesterday's election came closer to the actual popular vote than any other national survey."
--Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News, November 9, 2000.

[Paul Atreides]

The doddering old fart has jumped the shark.

[BigLittle]

Ahhhh, if I see his face I just change the channel, have for years.

[FesterUSMC]

I was going to say that! He jumped the shark LOL! i was going to say that when i read the headline! :^D

Dan Rather jumps the shark and does a belly-flop :^D

[itsamelman]

Here's some more fun quotes from Dan the (con) Man...

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/dan_rather.html

I've tried everything. I can say to you with confidence, I know a fair amount about LSD. I've never been a social user of any of these things, but my curiosity has carried me into a lot of interesting areas.
Dan Rather


Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic.
Dan Rather

An intellectual snob is someone who can listen to the William Tell Overture and not think of The Lone Ranger.
Dan Rather

Are the Democrats going to dance the mandate macarena?
Dan Rather

Be careful. Journalism is more addictive than crack cocaine. Your life can get out of balance.
Dan Rather

By more than two to one Americans do not consider what Kevorkian did, injecting a terminally ill patient with legal drugs at the patient's request, to be the same as murder. You may want to note that laws are not supposed to be enforced on the basis of public opinion polls.
Dan Rather

Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow.
Dan Rather

Folks, let me point out something to you, because for a lot of people in Washington, they could not be more surprised if Fidel Castro came loping through on the back of a hippopotamus this Election Night.
Dan Rather

For years Don Imus was just - boy, he was merciless in his criticism of me. Maybe it was justified, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.
Dan Rather

I got addicted. News, particularly daily news, is more addictive than crack cocaine, more addictive than heroin, more addictive than cigarettes.
Dan Rather

I had someone at the Houston police station shoot me with heroin so I could do a story about it. The experience was a special kind of hell. I came out understanding full well how one could be addicted to 'smack,' and quickly.
Dan Rather

I'm proud to say I've never been anybody's lapdog...
Dan Rather

I've always tried to be fair, even-handed, not an advocate for any group.
Dan Rather

I've tried everything. I can say to you with confidence, I know a fair amount about LSD. I've never been a social user of any of these things, but my curiosity has carried me into a lot of interesting areas.
Dan Rather

If you liked this broadcast, we hope you'll watch it again tomorrow night and maybe tell your neighbors about it.
Dan Rather

Journalists should denounce government by public opinion polls.
Dan Rather

Never eat spinach just before going on the air.
Dan Rather

Texas: 32 electoral votes, another of the so-called big enchiladas or if not an enchilada at least a huge taco.
Dan Rather

The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called "truth";
Dan Rather

The Michigan Republican primary apparently is tighter than Willie Nelson's headband.
Dan Rather

The reelection of Bill Clinton is as secure as a double-knot tied in wet rawhide.
Dan Rather

These races are tick-tight.
Dan Rather

They may have turned this up, whether you had the Paula Jones case or not. But again maybe not, but again that's like if a frog had side pockets he'd probably wear a handgun.
Dan Rather

They say California's the big burrito; Texas is a big taco right now. We want to follow that through. Florida is a big tamale.
Dan Rather

This race between Dick Swett and Bob Smith is hot and tight as a too-small bathing suit on a too-long car ride back from the beach.
Dan Rather

Those market researchers... are playing games with you and me and with this entire country. Their so-called samples of opinion are no more accurate or reliable than my grandmother's big toe was when it came to predicting the weather.
Dan Rather

Those of you watching and listening, get a cup of coffee or a spot of tea and join us back here in just a few moments.
Dan Rather

We may see Michael Jackson's baby before we know the final outcome of this race for the House of Representatives tonight.
Dan Rather

What I say or do here won't matter much, nor should it.
Dan Rather

[joesnuffy]

He and the rest of them...like Cronkite have been getting away with unchallenged lying for so long ...they still think the public is their gullible personal flock to be sheared...

Those days are over....and Rather needs to go someplace and take up knitting lying about knitting..or what ever it is they do in the old propagandist home...

imo

[Choose Ye This Day]

Good posts. I'm glad I gave up listening to fools like Rather years ago. On another thread, Rather is trying to pretend that he's not a buffoon that has just been caught with his journalistic credibility down around his ankles:

"This story is true. The questions we raised about then-Lieutenant Bush's National Guard service are serious and legitimate," he said, expressing confidence the memos are authentic. "Until and unless someone shows me definitive proof that they are not, I don't see any reason to carry on a conversation with the professional rumor mill."

Danno, you're the one dealing with irresponsible rumours and unfounded smears! "This story is true," you haughtily huff. Why? Because you say it's true? Umm...check me if I'm wrong, here, Sparky...but isn't the burden of proof on you, the accuser? Don't you have to PROVE that your forgeries ARE real, rather than make the slandered party PROVE his innocence?

[SandRat]

and Dan Blather is now being looked for accountability for his actions

[kcinnh]

This one of Danny Boy is worth the download, what humor. http://www.ratherbiased.com/videos/plane_wreck.wmv

[I. M. Trenchant]

Although I think the basic elements of Rather's story are correct, it would poetic justice if he finished his career by being the victim of a TKO (technical knockout). Rather might then go to his grave knowing how unfairly he had zealously sought to bring down the Nixon Administration on a TKO, which in Nixon's case amounted to political espionage, something Nixon was far less guilty of than were most of his Cold War predecessors (especially LBJ and JFK) in the White House. It is Nixon's Ghost at work, haunting Kerry for his assaults on Nixon's Administration in 1971, and in some ways, a furtherance of the impeachment of Clinton.

[sine_nomine]

Thank you Free Republic, for providing a good source for news with many intelligent comments added. I am also thankful for the bloggers. They are great. I go to Instapundit, Powerline, Hugh Hewitt, and a few others. Great work. The conservative bloggers make the professional journalists look like simpletons.

[Tacis]

I think it is unfair to blame Rather, he was just doing what his communist and neocommunist masters ordered him to to exactly when they ordered him to do it. He was just following orders!

[Choose Ye This Day]

You're welcome. Don't mention it.

Seriously, I feel the same way. I've been having a pointless e-mail argument with my Socialist brother who jumped upon this AWOL documents story like it was a sign from the God he doesn't believe in that Bush should not be re-elected. He sucks up all the drivel that spews from the mouths of Al Franken, Michael Moore and John Stewart, and he thinks it's the gospel truth.

I told him the documents were obvious forgeries. "What's your source?" he demanded. I said I don't need a source, any amateur can tell at one glance that these are childish fakes. Everyday, average citizens on FreeRepublic figured that out before 60 Minutes even signed off the air.

He admitted today that the documents were forgeries.

[RagingBull]

I remember (it was seared into my brain) back in the late 80s or early 90s, there was a earthquake out in california and one of those double decker highways collapsed. Anyhow, a Howard Stern type got on the air, claimed to have just escaped, and then mentions (paraphrasing, I guess it's not as seared as a I thought) "there was this brain and it was quivering!" Then Dan says, "You heard it here folks, a quivering brain."

While on the subject, I also remember back in the Clinton impeachment days, Clinton was doing an afternoon Rose Garden type thing, and a reporter manages to ask him about Monica Lewinsky. Dan Rather interrupted "The Young and the Restless" to play back his stock answer ("I'm here to do the people's business...."). I don't know how often they did that, but it's certainly not breaking news, and I don't think it would warrant a mention on a (fair and balanced) evening news cast either.

[chiefqc]

Danny Boy, it's time for you to go.

Leave before you make a complete fool of youself and while some people still respect you service.

Leave while you can still hold your head up, not lowered in shame.

You've had a great run, don't ruin it now that the race is almost won.