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 questionand their sourcevigorously. 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 whereif I knew then what I know nowI 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.
As I said---the reporters are dropping all pretense and revealing how they really "think".
They aren't interested in objective facts like the Swift Vets being honorable men and their story standing up to unrelenting scrutiny. No, "reporters" like Hosenball are content to just mouth "they're just as bad" with no basis in fact to make such an outrageous statement.
CBS committed fraud in an attempt to influence a presidential election within 60 days of that election, nothing less. Everybody involved should be immediately fired and CBS should be accepting full responsibility instead of hiding behind shadowing stories of being "misled" and "making a mistake". Mistake hell, they committed a crime using forged documents!
I feel like e-mailing Keith Olberman with repects to all the things he said about Buckhead!
I would read: "NA,na, na,na, NA!"
"...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...."
Why doesn't Dan R, in the spirit of CBS' news tradition of investigative reporting without fear or favoritism, "continue" to investigate how these doc"tored"ments came into the hands of Burkitt and who originated them and why???
I agree that Rather has to be fired. But seeing him behind bars is even nicer.
FCC ? Attorney General ?
Would be even nicer if the Bush campaign braintrust can figure out a way to use this to put the election away. This shows the desperation of the hate-Bush forces. No need to tie it to Kerry, or even allude to a link. They've thrown everything at Bush except the kitchen sink, and that's probably coming last week in October. They're all about hating and negativism; Bush is about the future and positivism.
imagine how angry he must have been when he got turned away at the gate when attempting to deliver "memos" to Bush. Hmm, so angry that he went home and..., and....
The kids over in the DU sandbox are all sure that Burkett will reveal Karl Rove as the source of the documents...
Here's a possible scenario:
There were earlier reports of these documents floating around the DNC as early as April, and that it was decided to pass them on to the Kerry campaign. The Kerry campaign might then have decided to save them for a possible October surprise.
In August however, the Kerry campaign was reeling from the Swift Boat attacks and is falling in the polls. They desperately needed to change the subject. Through, possibly the Democratic Party in Texas, they make these documents available to Burkett, making him think he's discovered something big. He tries contacting the Kerry campaign and they put him on to Cleland, who pongs him back to the Kerry campaign.
Now the documents have been laundered and the Kerry campaign coordinates with CBS for the 60 Minutes spot and the DNC for operation Fortunate Son.
Burkett is just a pawn in their game.
Read carefully. He says he's sorry he made a mistake in judgement. He does not say he's sorry he used the documents.
Where is the apology to our President? Whoops, how could I forget. George W. Bush is not his president.
Exactly. I hope Cleland (who has been uncharacteristically quiet on this whole affair) winds up with his head on a pike. Figuratively speaking...of course. Ahem...yes figuratively. That's the ticket.
WHERE IS THE APOLOGY TO OUR PRESIDENT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Neither will I. I all but completely gave up on CBS when Letterman had Clinton as a guest on 9/11/2002.
I sent Letterman an email about it. And I sent another when CBS MarketWatch was trashing the Rush Limbaugh Show WITHOUT disclosing
that another arm of Viacom/CBS was preparing to launch Bill O'Reilly's radio endeavor opposite Limbaugh.
As you pointed out, "Just like clockwork", Viacom/CBS coordinates attacks and misleading stories.
Okay, I'll bite. How is forging federal documents for the purpose of influencing a national election not a crime?
I understand that has yet to be proven, but it HAS been committed. Yes?
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