Posted on 09/20/2004 8:54:24 AM PDT by TheGeezer
Edited on 09/20/2004 9:07:32 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Update by moderator:
EXCLUSIVE
STATEMENT FROM DAN RATHER:
Last week, amid increasing questions about the authenticity of documents used in support of a 60 MINUTES WEDNESDAY story about President Bush's time in the Texas Air National Guard, CBS News vowed to re-examine the documents in question—and their source—vigorously. And we promised that we would let the American public know what this examination turned up, whatever the outcome.
Now, after extensive additional interviews, I no longer have the confidence in these documents that would allow us to continue vouching for them journalistically. I find we have been misled on the key question of how our source for the documents came into possession of these papers. That, combined with some of the questions that have been raised in public and in the press, leads me to a point where—if I knew then what I know now—I would not have gone ahead with the story as it was aired, and I certainly would not have used the documents in question.
But we did use the documents. We made a mistake in judgment, and for that I am sorry. It was an error that was made, however, in good faith and in the spirit of trying to carry on a CBS News tradition of investigative reporting without fear or favoritism.
Please know that nothing is more important to us than people's trust in our ability and our commitment to report fairly and truthfully.
And what does Dan know now?
That he would get caught.
The lad has quite a future in comedy.
President Bush should announce that he will NOT accept any questions from CBS reporters during his press conferences, for the remainder of his term as President.
c bs is a left wing biased so called news channel. Anyone who advertises on this channel should be ashamed and watch their stocks fall!
HEY DAN .. Where did the documents come from?????
That is the immediate question. There are many others, but this one needs IMMEDIATE attention.
CBS' sloppy journalism went way beyond the use of forged documentation. In its desperation to air its hit piece on the President, CBS completely ignored anybody with a dissenting view toward CBS' premise that Bush got favorable treatment and ended up a slacker. There was no "other side" presented.
Where is the apology to President Bush?
Dan Rather and CBS are a disgrace.
I believe they knew they weren't true. Worse than just wanting to believe it.
If there was any normalcy to this deception, CBS would divulge sources. Since it has yet to address that, there's only two conclusions: The source was as the opposite of unimpeachable as you can get, and CBS/Rather is rather embarrassed by its charade; or, Democratic operatives were heavily linked and CBS doesn't want to allow the Kerry Campaign to take yet another hit.
Love his selective use of perpective:
"we promised.... that we would...I no longer have...that would allow us to...I find we have been misled...our source...leads me to...if I knew then what I know now—I would not have...and I certainly...But we did...We made a mistake...I am sorry...important to us...our ability and our commitment..."
What a crappy piece of CYA writing. Looks like Rather wrote this himself and no one else would touch it.
Rather is trying to distance himself from being complicit in a conspiracy to acquire and use the documents. If a conspiracy is established, there may be a federal crime. See 18 USC 241. Also, if Rather (or CBS) indentify the source of forged documents, the source may well implicate Rather and others.
If he'd have said that LAST Sunday it would have totally taken the legs out of hte story. Now it should carry through the rest of the month.
Still lacking is the retraction or an apology to POTUS. Also, they are sorry for using the documents but not for the story.
LOL. What's the provenance, Kenneth?
It's official. CBS was duped...perhaps willingly.
I bet they would scrutinize memos given to them by Republicans much more rigorously.
Liar.
Dear Dan,You Are Full Of Something That SMELLS"BIG TIME"!!!!
Glad my beeber can filter out the BS from CBS. That leaves us with "C".
See we can tell you are lying.
This is like going to McDonald's, bringing home your food, setting on the table and declaring, "I am going to do a full investigation of where this food came from!"
http://www.nationalreview.com/kerry/kerryspot.asp
Don't expect any bombshell admissions from CBS today.
According to an individual familiar with discussions inside CBS, network employees were told "pretty much what Drudge has - that they were deceived, the weren't trying to mislead the public, there will be an investigation into how this happened, etc." There will be a public announcement saying basically the same this afternoon.
CBS's leaders did not say anything about why they disregarded the warnings from their own experts, or mention anything about an apology to the president. They are still insisting that the premise of the story is correct and they'll still be pursuing it.
The individual suggests that CBS News executives are simply testing the public announcement on the employees to see "how it plays," and that right now there are no signs of Rather or anyone else falling upon his or her sword for the good of the network.
The signals from within CBS suggest that Rather is going to try to weather the storm and wait it out into a new news cycle. Could his ego ever allow anyone else to sit at the network's anchor desk on Election Night?
What a mess. All Pajamahadeen, please report to battlestations. Prepare to double the pressure on all affiliates, advertisers, and Viacom shareholders
They're just pouring fuel on the fire. The blogosphere just spiked.
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