CBS adopts the Tawana Brawley defense

View from the Right ^ | September 15, 2004 | Lawrence Auster

[Bogolyubski]

CBS, its media defenders and its fellow accusers of Bush are now employing the leftist logic used by The Nation in 1988 when Tawana Brawley’s charges against Steven Pagones were revealed as a total lie. The Nation ran an editorial in which it argued that even though Brawley’s charges were not actually true, they expressed the essential truth about today’s America (i.e., that America is a country in which white district attorneys kidnap and rape black girls and scrawl racist slogans on their skin and smear them with feces and leave them stuffed in garbage bags), and therefore were still legitimate. In the same way, we are now told (and we have to accept it on faith) that Bush really did misuse the system, and his superior officer really was upset with him, so the forged documents indicating those things happened really aren’t a big deal.

For some examples of this mentality, we go first to the Kerry Spot at NRO, which quotes the lawyer of one of Bush’s accusers:

By the way, reading this article late last night, I missed this oh-so-important and revealing comment:

Asked what role Mr. Burkett had in raising questions about Mr. Bush’s military service, Mr. Van Os said: “If, hypothetically, Bill Burkett or anyone else, any other individual, had prepared or had typed on a word processor as some of the journalists are presuming, without much evidence, if someone in the year 2004 had prepared on a word processor replicas of documents that they believed had existed in 1972 or 1973—which Bill Burkett has absolutely not done”—then, he continued, “what difference would it make?”

Ladies and gentlemen, the curtain rises on Part Two of CBS’ defense, the idea that the documents are “replicas of what someone believed existed in 1972 or 1973.” And that while these documents themselves are fake, we the viewers of CBS are to take it on faith that originals once existed somewhere.

Next, we go to Hugh Hewitt’s website, where he quotes yesterday’s Los Angeles Times editorial which said that CBS had been fooled into accepting the forgery, but that it didn’t really matter anyway:

“Whatever the truth [the Times opines], CBS’ real error was trying to prove a point that didn’t need to be proved. It doesn’t take documents for anyone to realize that Bush pulled strings to get into the National Guard. And, during the Vietnam draft, nobody went into the National Guard out of passion to defend his country. It also doesn’t take new documents to establish that Bush shirked even his National Guard duties when he moved to Alabama and then to Harvard Business School in Massachusetts.” [Emphasis added.]

Hewitt comments:

So the west coast paper of the left for the left by the left doesn’t really care that someone tried to forge docs to influence an election, and that CBS is still carrying water for that individual. The paper’s front page tries to transform the secretary’s devastating blow to CBS into serious charges against the president, and inside the front section is a defense of Dan Rather.

And finally, from ABC’s critical story quoting CBS’s statement in its own defense:

“Most importantly, the content of the documents was backed up by our reporting and our sources who knew the thoughts and behavior of Lt. Col. Jerry Killian at the time,” the statement said. [Emphasis added.]

Killian’s former secretary, Marian Carr Knox, told ABC News she believes the documents are fake, but that they do reflect some of what her former boss thought of then-Lt. George W. Bush.

“He did have complaints about Bush. Bush missed his physical and went off to Alabama with none of the paperwork, I remember Killian talking about that,” Knox said. “But it wasn’t in memo file.” [Emphasis added.]

By the same logic as that used by CBS, the Los Angeles Times, and Burkett’s lawyer, we wouldn’t need, for example, evidence in trials anymore. We would just “know” that certain parties are guilty, and proceed to convict them.

[P-Marlowe]

Andrew "Bahgdad Bob" Heyward issues statement to the press:

"We established to our satisfaction that the memos were accurate or we would not have put them on television. There was a great deal of coroborating [sic] evidence from people in a position to know. Having said that, given all the questions about them, we believe we should redouble our efforts to answer those questions, so that's what we are doing."

.

BTW I have established to MY satisfaction that the picture of Andrew Heyward shown above is "accurate" or I would not have posted it here on Free Republic.

[quantim]

Ping Al Sharpton!

[billorites]

"I think, I think that, uh, there's no doubt about the seriousness of the problem we're, we've got. We have a cancer--within, close to the Network, that's growing. It's growing daily. It's compounding, it grows geometrically now because it compounds itself."

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

Ping!

[Fintan]

List of CBS affiliates.

Send them your regards.

[white_wolf]

CBS and its affiliates is abusing its public trust to use the public airwaves to unduly and unfairly influence a United States Presidential election by the presentation of clearly forged documents as genuine -- thus defaming a sitting President who is also a candidate for election -- and by refusing to name its source(s). In view of this egregious abuse of the public trust, the FCC must immediately begin hearings to determine the fitness of CBS, its parent Viacomm, and CBS affiliate stations to maintain their FCC licenses. In my opinion, those licenses should be rescinded and offered up for auction to the highest bidder who will pledge to use them in the public interest.

[IndianPrincessOK]

What a shame! Surely they don't believe that the American public needs evidence to convict someone...do they? Oh no, unless this situation was against Kerry. This smells rotten and beyond a cover up, if that is what they are attempting to do. A major unjust act has been done by CBS to the viewers and its the viewers who now need to stand un and demand better of the public TV viewing channels....OR change channels and do not watch CBS ever again or buy from its ads.....not good.

[joesnuffy]

Oh...I guess then for all intents and purposes..John Kerry really was in Cambodia over Christmas after all.....

[KeyLargo]

More quotes from CBS Information Minister Haywerd regarding Freepers:

"My fellings - as usual - we will slaughter them all"

"Our initial assessment is that they will all die in their pajamas."

"No I am not scared."

"Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!"

"We have them surrounded in their pajamas."

"because we will behead you all"

"I triple guarantee you, there are no forged documents at CBS."

"Freepers are not worth an old shoe."

"We have given them a sour taste."

"We are in control. They are in a state of hysteria."

"I think they will not win, those pajama wearing bastards."

[OneLoyalAmerican]

Mr. Bill Applegate
General Manager
WOIO Cleveland
1701 E 12^th St.
Cleveland, Ohio 44114

September 15, 2004

Dear Mr. Appelgate:

Given that CBS has not promptly and publicly retracted false testimony about the President of the United States, while our country is at war, and while our soldiers are in harm's way; it is apparent falsehoods included in CBS network news programs broadcast by your station, WOIO channel 19, are not in the public interest.

It is also my belief WOIO has partnered with CBS, and perhaps others, with an intent to propagandize and defraud the public. This is a betrayal of the public trust.

Therefore, the topic of Dan Ra^ther’s falsified military documents, and a complete record of WOIO’s positive, corrective actions; must be considered when WOIO channel 19’s license is up for renewal.

Respectfully request a prompt reply and this letter’s inclusion within the station's public file.

Sincerely,
OneLoyalAmerican

CC:
Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Complaints
445 12^th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554

[Willie Green]

Forgery doesn't matter when you have useful idiots who are willing to perjure themselves.

[OneLoyalAmerican]

BTW I have established to MY satisfaction that the picture of Andrew Heyward shown above is "accurate" or I would not have posted it here on Free Republic.

Outstanding assessment!

[defenderSD]

This is such arrogant, low-class behavior by CBS and their left-wing allies in the press. It's time to hammer these trashy people with some more anti-Kerry ads by the Swift Boat Vets.

[NYCVirago]

More quotes from CBS Information Minister Haywerd regarding Freepers:

Funny! My favorite one is this:

"Our initial assessment is that they will all die in their pajamas."

[Paleo Conservative]

Fax# (212) 975-1998

[Kryptonite]

Asked what role Mr. Burkett had in raising questions about Mr. Bush’s military service, Mr. Van Os said: “If . . . Bill Burkett or anyone else, any other individual, had prepared or had typed on a word processor as some of the journalists are presuming, without much evidence, if someone in the year 2004 had prepared on a word processor replicas of documents that they believed had existed in 1972 or 1973—which Bill Burkett has absolutely not done”—then, he continued, “what difference would it make?”

Holy smokes! I am absolutely stunned that he said that, publicly.

Arrogance defined.