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.
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OK where is the "EXTREME BARF ALERT"?
How do you figure? Forging government documents is a state crime.
Bwhahaha Po little DUpe.
From The Federatist...... "Newspapers...serve as chimnies to carry off noxious vapors and smoke." --Thomas Jefferson
Newspapers and Dan Rather...serve as chimnies to carry off noxious vapors and smoke. --Thomas Jefferson & me.
Kinda like apologizing after they've shot someone...and then after kicking them when they were on the ground...and THEN stealing their wallet....
And they expect us to believe they didn't know all along?
BULL.
It ain't good enough Blather.
Forgery of official documents is a felony offense.
MSNBC: Rosalind Jordan has spoken with Hodges who CBS used as a "source" and misled.
He told her that now CBS has admitted what he told them when he finally looked at the documents, that they are false.
Further, Hodges told Jordan that he does not believe Killian ever wrote these types of memos or kept a personal file (this is to refute secretary Knox, I'm guessing).
Hodges said CBS owes him an apology for misrepresenting comments Hodges made.
Norah O'Donnell just reported that WH spokesman (I'm guess McClellan?) on Air Force One just commented but I missed the entire thing. I did hear that they pointed out Burkett is not an "unimpeachable source" as CBS had represented their source to be in the story. Basic gist is there are more questions. I'd like to see the entire statement.
In addition Norah said the president will respond to Kerry's comments from today's speech, as will Dick Cheney.
E-Mails, we NEED E-mail Addresses !!!!!!!
I think the Abilene connection has something to do with Charly Stenholm Dem (the current District 19 match-UP) who is running against a strong freshman congressman, Randy Neugebauer.
District 19 matchup among top House races
By BETSY BLANEY
Associated Press
The landscape of Democrat Charlie Stenholm's congressional campaign looks unlike any of his previous 12 re-election contests.
Since 1978, his first campaign to represent District 17, Stenholm has raised more money than his general election opponent and received the Texas Farm Bureau's endorsement.
Neither is true this campaign.
Neugebauer
But then he's never faced an incumbent.
Stenholm's 17th District — which stretched from near the New Mexico border to the outskirts of Fort Worth — was a centerpiece in the Republican redesign of Texas' congressional districts last year.
He chose to run in District 19, situated in the High Plains, the Panhandle and other counties in eastern West Texas. He faces U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Lubbock, a freshman incumbent, in one of the most closely watched and most expensive House races in the country.
"It's become a referendum on redistricting," said Neale Pearson, a former political science professor at Texas Tech.
The spotlight comes from there being few competitive races in the House. But moreover, Texans and others across the nation are interested in the consequences of redistricting and want to see whether Stenholm's seniority in Congress can sustain him, said Brian Gerber, an assistant professor of political science at Tech.
Neugebauer, 54, won the District 19 seat in a runoff in June 2003 after Larry Combest retired. Though lacking Stenholm's experience and voter familiarity, Neugebauer has mounted an impressive campaign. He touts his ties to the party in power in Washington, saying he can tackle issues more effectively through a GOP-driven agenda and accomplish what a Democrat can't. And he's brought in some heavy hitters to bolster his re-election: Vice President Dick Cheney has visited the district twice to stump for him.
Stenholm, the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, points to his 25 years of experience on Capitol Hill and what he calls his independent record to woo voters in a district that is more Republican-leaning than his previous district.
The going got tougher for Stenholm, 65, in the past six elections as District 17 grew increasingly conservative. Beginning in 1980, Stenholm won re-election to six consecutive terms without Republican opposition. His margins grew smaller during most of the 1990s, and in 2002 he won by only 4 percent.
Gerber said that despite Stenholm's name recognition, District 19 demographics favor Neugebauer.
"Neugebauer has a big advantage because this is such a Republican area, but it is still is going to be a competitive race," Gerber said.
Competitive possibly because Stenholm has been an advocate for agriculture for more than two decades, working closely with Combest to shape the $180 billion farm bill in 2002.
So it came as a big surprise to him, Stenholm said, when representatives of the Texas Farm Bureau voted to endorse Neugebauer, who has been a member of the House ag committee for only a year. The bureau's endorsement comes through its political action committee.
Neugebauer claimed it is his "hard work and leadership" that won him the endorsement.
"It's because I work on solutions instead of talking about problems and using the politics of fear," he said.
Stenholm said not all of the Farm Bureau county representatives attended the meeting where the vote was taken.
"The important vote is going to come Nov. 2," he said. "We're going to do quite fine with the rank and file of the Farm Bureau."
Neugebauer has the edge in fund raising, bringing in nearly $800,000 more than Stenholm, according to Federal Election Commission reports through June. Neugebauer's $2.1 million ranks 18th among all House candidates. Stenholm ranks 77th with his $1.3 million.
The difference in contributions, Gerber said, might be a reflection of the race's importance to the GOP.
"The Republican Party majority status and Republican donors are looking at the seat and seeing (Neugebauer's) going to have a tough race," Gerber said.
Of the individual contributions above $200 — those which require designating from where the money comes — Stenholm has gotten 61 percent from Texans and Neugebauer has gotten 91 percent from Texans, FEC spokesman Bob Biersack said.
Stenholm said most of the donations from outside Texas are from those in agriculture. Neugebauer said he has ag contributions within the district "almost" equal to Stenholm's.
With fewer than 40 competitive House races across the country, Gerber said, out-of-state Democrats see possibilities for Stenholm to extend his tenure.
"That's not a surprise given his track record," Gerber said. "Democrats are probably sending money for that reason. This is one of those races they could sneak up and steal a Republican seat."
Not really. He never says he's sorry for using the documents. He says he is sorry for making an error in judgement. He judged he could get away with it, couldn't, and now he's sorry he got caught.
Whenever you put a caveat to your "apology", you aren't apologizing, you're justifying.
No. He said Kerry campaign.
I'll find the cite.
Go to www.cbs.com and send them the message that Dan Rather should be FIRED!
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