Posted on 09/20/2004 3:57:31 PM PDT by RatherBiased.com
Edited on 09/20/2004 4:44:25 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
DAN RATHER: Now, news about CBS News, and the questions surrounding documents we aired on this broadcast and on the wednesday edition of "60 minutes" on September 8. The documents purported to show that George W. Bush received preferential treatment during his years in the national guard.
At the time, CBS news and this reporter fully believed the documents were genuine. Tonight, after further investigation, we can no longer say that. The documents were provided to CBS news by a former commander in the Texas National Guard, Bill Burkett. Burkett is well known in National Guard circles for a long battle over his medical benefits, and for trying, for several years now, to discredit President Bush's military service record.
Burkett initially told CBS news he got the documents from a fellow guardsman. But when we interviewed Burkett this past weekend, he changed his story, and told us he got the documents from a different source, one we cannot verify. Why did Burkett tell CBS news something he now says is not true? We put the question to him.
(from interview)
Why did you mislead us?
BILL BURKETT: Well, I didn't totally mislead you. I misled you on the one individual. You know, your staff pressured me to a point to reveal that source.
RATHER: Well, we were trying to get the chain of possession.
BURKETT: I understand that.
RATHER: And you said that you had received them from someone.
BURKETT: I understand that.
RATHER: We did pressure you to say, well, you received them from someone.
BURKETT: Yes.
RATHER: And it's true, we pressured you. It was a very important point for us.
BURKETT: Yes. And I simply threw out a name. That was basically, I guess, to take a little pressure off for a moment.
RATHER: Have you forged anything?
BURKETT: No, sir.
RATHER: He you faked anything?
BURKETT: No, sir.
RATHER: But you did mislead us.
BURKETT: Yes, I misled.
RATHER: You lied to us.
BURKETT: Yes, I did.
RATHER: Now, if you would misled us about that, which is critical, why would I or anyone believe that you wouldn't mislead us about something else?
BURKETT: I could understand that question. I can'T... that's going to have to be your judgment and anybody else's.
RATHER: Burkett still insists the documents are real, but now says he was in no position to verify them.
BURKETT: I also insisted when I sat down with your staff in the first face-to-face session, before I gave up any documents, I wanted to know what you were going to do with them, and I insisted that they be authenticated.
RATHER: The failure of CBS News to do just that, to properly scrutinize the documents and their source, led to errors in our reporting. CBS News deeply regrets it. Also I want to say personally and directly, I'm sorry. CBS News President Andrew Heyward has ordered an investigation to examine the process by which the report was prepared. It will be made public. This was an error made in good faith as we try to carry on the CBS News tradition of asking tough questions and investigating reports. But it was a mistake.
Now, some reaction to our revelations today. It comes from a spokesman for President Bush, Scott McClellan.
SCOTT McCLELLAN (White House Spokesman): Obviously there are still a number of questions that need to be answered, and we look forward to seeing the results of the investigations that other media organizations have undertaken, and that CBS says that they are now undertaking. We appreciate the fact that they have said they deeply regret it, but we still want to see those questions answered.
RATHER: And Scott McClellan repeated the the White House insistence that President Bush fulfilled his obligation to the National Guard and he was honorably discharged.
See reply 70 for an updated transcript .... Admin Moderator
He's trying to drum up interest in an upcoming book?
He's trying to drum up interest in his show?
He is trying to escape having a reputation as someone who is easily duped by any ol' person who faxes him documents?
He can't escape that reputation, because Dan Rather is DUPE Throat.
RATHER: You lied to us.
BURKETT: Yes, I did.
RATHER: Now, if you would misled us about that, which is critical, why would I or anyone believe that you wouldn't mislead us about something else?
BURKETT: I could understand that question. I can'T... that's going to have to be your judgment and anybody else's.
............................................................
.....and I might say I will hold you, Burkett, and Rather up to the same standard...You lied.
ROFLMAO! Then ol’ Danny lets him just skate….
RATHER: Have you forged anything?
BURKETT: No, sir.
RATHER: He you faked anything?
BURKETT: No, sir.
No follow-up. Danny just accepts this – no pressure. UnFreaking Believable
RATHER: Burkett still insists the documents are real, but now says he was in no position to verify them.
BURKETT: I also insisted when I sat down with your staff in the first face-to-face session, before I gave up any documents, I wanted to know what you were going to do with them, and I insisted that they be authenticated.
I can not believe this BS. This moron still does not admit to anything. It is funny Burkett blaming Danny boy for not authenticating them. Burkett blames Rather, and Danny boy just sits there and takes it. Oh, this is too rich!
This the funniest thing on CBS in years. It’s sad this was suppose to be a newscast, not a sit-com!
- and -RATHER: We did pressure you to say, well, you received them from someone.
BURKETT: Yes.
RATHER: And it's true, we pressured you. It was a very important point for us.
RATHER: The failure of CBS News to do just that, to properly scrutinize the documents and their source, led to errors in our reporting. CBS News deeply regrets it. Also I want to say personally and directly, I'm sorry. CBS News President Andrew Heyward has ordered an investigation to examine the process by which the report was prepared. It will be made public. This was an error made in good faith as we try to carry on the CBS News tradition of asking tough questions and investigating reports. But it was a mistake.
OK ... so Rather and the crew pressure this known enemy of our President, someone of questionable character .. pressure him because it was "...a very important point for us...". Then, when the documents turn out to be worth about as much as the tissue you used in the lavatory last month, suddenly, it's Burkett's fault and CBS is pleading "good faith."
I'm not trying to vindicate Burkett by any stretch of the imagination; howevere, for CBS to plead "good faith" in this matter just doesn't seem right. If someone is so rabid to "get the goods" on a sitting President ... "goods" that have been debunked and proved false almost four years past, how in the he!! can CBS plead "good faith" ????
I just don't understand ...
An error made in good faith?
Depends on what you mean by the word 'in'.
Exactly. If the first named source was false, how did CBS verify the source? If the second is now named as being the "real" source, but not identified, why can't CBS verify it? (Rhetorical.)
I could have sworn I heard Dan say that CBS went to Burkett, yet it is not reflected in this transcript.
"Dem" Rather said "Texas Air Guard", not Texas National Guard.
Rather is still trying to shade the argument in his favor, with the uninformed:
uninformed Democrat true believer: 'Well, if the guy was in the Air Guard, I guess he MUST know somethin' 'bout George Bush.'
It would be interesting to have a .wav file of the transmission to see the points where the audio was edited.
DAN RATHER: Now, news about CBS News, and the questions surrounding documents we aired on this broadcast and on the Wednesday edition of "60 Minutes" on September 8. The documents purported to show that George W. Bush received preferential treatment during his years in the Texas Air National Guard.
At the time, CBS News and this reporter fully believed the documents were genuine. Tonight, after further investigation, we can no longer vouch for their authenticity. The documents were provided to CBS News by a former commander in the Texas Air Guard [sic], Bill Burkett. He did not come to us, we went to him and asked him for the documents. Burkett is well known in National Guard circles for a long battle over his medical benefits, and for trying, for several years now, to discredit President Bush's military service record.
Burkett initially told CBS News he got the documents from a fellow guardsman. But when we interviewed Burkett this past weekend, he changed his story, and told us he got the documents from a different source, one we cannot verify. Why did Burkett tell CBS News something he now says is not true? We put the question to him.
(from interview)
Why did you mislead us?
BILL BURKETT: Well, I didn't totally mislead you. I did misled you on the one individual. You know, your staff pressured me to a point to reveal that source.
RATHER: Well, we were trying to get the chain of possession.
BURKETT: I understand that.
RATHER: And you said that you had received them from someone.
BURKETT: I understand that.
RATHER: And we did pressure you to say, well, you received them from someone. And that someone was who--
BURKETT: Yes.
RATHER: And it's true, we pressured you. Because it was a very important point for us.
BURKETT: Yes. And I simply threw out a name. That was basically, uh, it was, I guess, to take a little pressure off for a moment.
RATHER: Have you forged anything?
BURKETT: No, sir.
RATHER: He you faked anything?
BURKETT: No, sir.
RATHER: But you did mislead us.
BURKETT: Yes, I misled.
RATHER: You lied to us.
BURKETT: Yes, I did.
RATHER: Why would I or anyone believe that you wouldn't mislead us about something else?
BURKETT: I could understand that question. I can. That's going to have to be your judgment and anybody else's.
RATHER: Burkett still insists the documents are real, but now says he was in no position to verify them.
BURKETT: I also insisted when I sat down with your staff in the first face-to-face session, before I gave up any documents, I wanted to know what you were going to do with them, and I insisted that they be authenticated.
RATHER: The failure of CBS News to do just that, to properly, fully, scrutinize the documents and their source, led to our airing the documents when we should not have done so. It was a mistake. CBS News deeply regrets it. Also I want to say personally and directly, I'm sorry.
CBS News President Andrew Heyward has ordered an independent investigation to examine the process by which the report was prepared. The results of that investigation will be made public. This was an error made in good faith as we tried to carry on the CBS News tradition of asking tough questions and investigating reports. But it was a mistake.
Now, some reaction to our revelations today. It comes from a spokesman for President Bush, Scott McClellan.
SCOTT McCLELLAN (White House Spokesman): Obviously there are still a number of questions that need to be answered, and we look forward to seeing the results of the investigations that other media organizations have undertaken, and that the CBS says that they are now undertaking. And we appreciate the fact that they have said they deeply regret it, but we still want to see those questions answered.
RATHER: And Scott McClellan repeated the the White House insistence that President Bush fulfilled his obligation to the National Guard and he noted again the president was honorably discharged.
I think the FCC should, in good faith, pull CBS's broadcast license.
"Burkett just threw out a name"
We know that these forgeries supposedly came from Killian's personal files, or so they say!
He probably said that Killian had given them to him.....dead men tell no tales!
Who accompanied Max down the dusty road to the Crawford Ranch?
I hope someone is able to cut their BS and to the chase - by asking Max Cleland what he did with the documents Burkett gave him. And also ask whether the DNC received these documents from Burkett or any other source.
Simple questions...that deserve a simple 5th Amendment, because they're guilty as hell.
Well you can see one way that this could have played out. Burkett gives photocopies to DNC/Kerry campaign who then pass them on to CBS. CBS says we want to see the originals. DNC/Kerry tell CBS to talk to Burkett who gave them the photocopies. CBS goes to Burkett wanting to see originals. Burkett doesn't have originals. CBS uses documents anyway.
Be interesting to see what comes out in the next few days and if DNC/Kerry were in the loop or not.
Rassmann, Jim Rassmann.
http://blog.johnkerry.com/blog/archives/002569.html
Could this be our Ramon, Raymond?
OMG, I feel like Nancy Drew or something!
ping!
I didn't catch the Ramon-Raymond bit. Could it have been Rassman???
I see what you're saying, but if Burkett contacted CBS and CBS went back direct to him, there's no DNC and Kerry campaign connection. And, that's the illusion they'd like to create?
But, don't worry. FOX and maybe the Washington Post smell a story and they'll dig it out. Particularly, since Cleland has admitted that he spoke with Burkett. I wonder if the Texas papers will start looking into a Burkett and Danny's daughter or David Van Os (big Dem operative) connection. They are in the best position to know who'll spill it in their own state and there's a Pulitizer waiting for who ever solidly makes that connection and shows the depths the DemoRats will go to in order to rig this election!
I knew it! This whole thing is a set up! Now it appears there is another source! Anyone who believes Burkette or another crony in the DNC in Texas didn't plant this stuff whith unca Dan's knowledge send me a buck. I'll donate the proceeds to a nursing home of Blather's choice!
Not a single person with a 6th grade education outside of See B.S. thought these documents were authentic within hours of the brodcast in early August!
There is no way you're are going to make me believe Dan didn't think so too! He just figured he could tell us so and we would believe his arrogant butt!
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