Posted on 09/23/2004 9:17:02 AM PDT by buzzyboop
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Dick Thornburgh spoke in Oakland Wednesday night.
Thornburgh was part of a panel discussion on global issues sponsored in part by ABC News and the World Affairs Council.
He did comment on his new job, investigating the "60 Minutes" documents scandal for CBS News.
Channel 4 Action News anchor Scott Baker got Thornburgh's first reaction and asked about one possible conflict.
"Generally you comment on investigations after they're over, not before they start," said Thornburgh. But when you're tasked with sorting through a journalistic scandal of such visibility, you will be asked.
Thornburgh continued, "Well I don't really want to comment on the aspects of the appointment from CBS. Their statement kind of speaks for itself."
The statement said that Thornburgh and his panel partner Lou Boccardi, retired head of the Associated Press, would have full access and cooperation from CBS News.
"We have a lot of work to do before we can make any comments," said Thornburgh.
In one sense, Dick Thornburgh could seem to be the ideal and dignified choice for CBS News in this matter. However there could be questions, because Karl Rove, one of President George W. Bush (news - web sites)'s top advisers, once sued Thornburgh for a large sum of money.
Channel 4 Action News anchor Scott Baker asked Thornburgh, "Are you concerned at all that there might be a sense of conflict given that Karl Rove had filed a lawsuit against you a decade ago?” Thornburgh said, "No."
Rove consulted for Thornburgh's failed campaign for the U.S. Senate in 1991. The campaign never paid a $170,000 bill. Rove sued, and won, despite a Thornburgh defense that included Kenneth Starr.
Baker asked, "So there couldn't be any accusation of any lingering animosity."
Thornburgh responded, "That was business not personal."
Baker inquired, "But it was a personal lawsuit against you wasn't it?"
Thornburgh said, "Yes, but the issues weren't personal. I know Karl well."
Thornburgh said the inquiry will begin immediately and go where the evidence leads.
The news is no news. Lame!
CBS is missing the chance for a ratings bonanza. They should be having televised hearings.
Thornburgh was an excellent Governor...
Question asked and answered.
Grow up; Thornburg is a class act.
Dick Thornburgh is a good guy. He's not going to white-wash something because he had a dispute with Rove ten years ago. He's an old-guard Republican, dignified and moderately conservative. He won't have any agenda. He will simply report the facts and draw defensible conclusions.
In other words, he will slam the hell out of CBS.
Interestingly, I remember how he was the canary in the mine regarding Bush 41's loss to Clinton. He resigned as attorney general to run for the senate in Pennsylvania, and lost in a midterm election he had been heavily favored to win going in.
Thornburgh is a true conservative, that is all we need to know. Any lingering animosity will only insure his impartiality.
Hey.. I agree with you. My question is how SeeBS chose Gov. Thornburgh. Were they hoping there was lingering resentment? I believe, as you, that SeeBS is truly blind...
Too many people just can't get their heads around that concept.
It's one reason they end up failures in life.
Thornburgh needs to get the business and cell phone logs of Mapes, Rather, and every other CBS employee who worked on this story. When and how often did they call Lockhart or any other person associated with the Kerry campaign or the DNC? Mapes has shown her willingness to act as a conduit for people who would prefer that others not know they are communicating. Further, the release of Fortunate Son one day after the Rather report cannot be coincidental. I question the timing. Flagrant breach of standard journalistic practices is not the issue here. Collusion between CBS and the Democrats is.
I think that the Gillespie statement on the connection between the DNC and CBS was a public message to Thornburgh, telling him what to look for. I have to wonder what parameters that CBS has laid out for the investigation though. It is possible that they are only looking for the source of the forged documents, not who else contributed to the story.
Well .. you forget one important thing .. these are democrats under fire .. they don't go public about anything. What they do is accuse the repubs as being "secretive" - but we know it's the opposite.
Besides the democrats only have televised hearings TO DAMAGE REPUBLICANS.
Phone logs, email. I suppose everyone at CBS is probably scrubbing his hard drive right now as we speak.
It would be interesting to have a full log of contacts with the DNC and the RNC and see how they compare.
Or, in somebody's twisted little mind, Thornburg will perform a subpar investigation in order to spite Karl Rove? I'm not too sure I can follow any logic here...
As usual a freeper was on top of the news before the rest of the public.
Personally, I have a problem with Thornburgh and his past with Rove, thanks to your heads up.
bttp
This is merely an internal CBS investigation. He is not going to have anything approaching subpeona power.
The biggest threat he could try would be to fire anybody who doesn't turn over their (non-company issued) phone records, and even that might open CBS to a lawsuit from any dismissed employee.
Rather would just say No to any such request. And Mapes would like just quit and go work at some other biased news outfit (its not like there's a shortage of those.)
He'll have only the information that he can glean from company phone lines and e-mail, as well as what employees willingly turn over to him, which will be worthless.
I'm not expecting his investigation to find anything other than "ethical lapses and errors in judgement" regarding journalist norms.
Geezeeee...Can't we ever catch a break?
The problem I have with all this, is that they appear to be limiting the investigation to the role of the CBS employees.
Someone needs to investigate WHO FORGED THE MEMO and WHAT DID KERRY & the DNC KNOW AND WHEN DID THEY KNOW IT?
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