Posted on 09/19/2004 4:28:33 AM PDT by Liz
THE ISSUE: Documents about Bush's military service, aired by CBS.
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Let's get to the bottom line on "Memogate": Dan Rather and CBS had an agenda in running the story ("Bad Week at Black Rock," Editorial, Sept. 17). Consequently, any admission that the documents are fake would also amount to a confession that they had an agenda in the first place. Hence, the stonewalling. The issues of bias and credibility cannot be separated. The existence of the former led to the absence of the latter. Philip Corso Manhattan
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Reporters have gone to prison rather than give up their sources. I understand that. In fact, it's principled. But what principle underlies the decision to protect a source who has perpetrated a lie against a news organization and, by extension, the public, in the hopes of destroying a president? How can such a "source" be deserving of protection? All that protecting such a source will do is encourage the use of fraudulent documents and phony leads to get reputable news organizations to aid in the destruction of one's opponents. In CBS' world, no one would be safe from scurrilous charges. CBS did not only harm itself. By insisting that it must protect the source of almost certainly faked documents, it has done harm to public discourse. CBS has chosen to abandon the search for truth. Frances Edwards Ridgewood, N.J.
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How deliciously ironic that Rather should be taught a lesson from the Nixon era in the twilight of his career. Rather, of all people, should know that the cover-up is worse than the crime. His secretiveness and obstinance show that he really is biased. And his recent ratings show that the American people are punishing him for it. Bill Candee Manhattan
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
When were the memos faxed from Abilene? According to the Wash. Post, CBS has been working on the memo story since mid-August. The faxes should have a corresponding time on them. If they have a more recent time, then CBS got the memos somewhere else first and asked for memos directly from the source at a later date.
CBS is stonewalling to protect more than bias. The reason that they're taking a risk on the ENTIRE NETWORK going down in flames is becaus those documents either came directly from Rather's daughter, OR from someone DIRECTLY TIED TO THE DNC SO CLOSELY THAT IT WOULD TORCH THE WHOLE DNC BEFORE ELECTION TIME!
CBS is under siege.
I have never forgiven them for the Salem Witch Trial that was Watergate, and their vile treason during Viet Nam.
The scent of burning flesh and parade of corpses is their destiny, and they were the authors.
That has to be galling.....to know they contributed to their own demise.
Before, after, and during.
My fondest desire as a result of this mess isnt that Rather twist in the wind so much as it is that news organizations take a message home that they can no longer use anonymous sources and be trusted. They have an agenda, they find a source "close to the white house" or a "high ranking official" and whaddya know? The source confirms the agenda! I'm willing to bet that at least half of the anonymous sources are either not in a position to really know anything, or are partison hacks. And until now, the public has allowed it. The decline of modern journalism began with reporters being able to make any claim with the only substantiation being sources we may not review or confirm ourselves. Hopefully the upswing begins now.
They don't have to. Other snob media outlets are running with the story.
I think this is the real heart of the matter at this point. BTTT.
Max Clelland, or Ben Barnes, or both.
One possible scenario is that CBS sent the word out to the DNC that they wanted damaging info against Bush.
Re your post #22, in years past I would say that CBS as a network going under and being replaced (some network would have to be formed to supply all those TV stations out there who depend on the programs that come from a network) would be impossible since the costs of producing shows is so high. Now that the networks are heavily involved in producing "reality" crap, the costs of maintaining a broadcast network shouldn't be high.
As an economist would say, entry costs for this industry are not high.
Actually, unless Kerry has given up all his authority and decision making (although, that is his weak spot, isn't it?) to his "staffers" and "handlers", he would have had to have given his assent for this to be sent out, too.
Didn't Dan Rather pioneer the reenactment videos (where 60 Minutes did a receation of reported events, as if they were originally on the scene with a camera)? It seems to me that he is trying the same tape of reporting with reenacted memos..."the tenor of the documents is true"....in other words if Killian had a chance to write memos like this he would have...
To: upstatenyrepublican
Maybe they really are not that smart. Using the Kinko's in Abilene (sp?) would be really dumb unless someone wanted someone living close by to take the blame. Maybe Rather is in Texas making sure that this story is the one that sticks...the digruntled Guardsman is the "Fall Guy" Everyone in Texas is getting their "talking points."
I don't think Burkett is the "fall guy" on this two. Two different CBS people reportedly identified Burkett by name as the source of the memos. One was the "source" used by the New York Times and the other was the "source" used by Newsweek.
26 posted on 09/19/2004 10:22:23 AM CDT by BAFFauthor
To: upstatenyrepublican
Maybe they really are not that smart. Using the Kinko's in Abilene (sp?) would be really dumb unless someone wanted someone living close by to take the blame. Maybe Rather is in Texas making sure that this story is the one that sticks...the digruntled Guardsman is the "Fall Guy" Everyone in Texas is getting their "talking points."
I don't think Burkett is the "fall guy" on this two. Two different CBS people reportedly identified Burkett by name as the source of the memos. One was the "source" used by the New York Times and the other was the "source" used by Newsweek.
26 posted on 09/19/2004 10:22:23 AM CDT by BAFFauthor
Oops. My first post didn't show up, so I did another one. Sorry.
I think that was Cokie Roberts who used to be on ABC-TV.
It's a little hard for them to conceal their bias. They're stonewalling it seems to me because of their politics and potential legal troubles down the road. Looks like a "quagmire" to me, and I hope they never get out of it.
I am thinking that if Burkett provided the documents, someone credible must have vouched for them. I do not think it could have been straight from Burkett to CBS because Burkett would no have been credible enough for CBS assistant producers who would have been doing the leg work.
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