Rooney Admits CBS's Hostility to Bush Drove Forged Documents Hit

Media Research Center ^ | Nov 22, 2004 | unknown

[Mike Fieschko]

Speaking at Tufts University on Thursday night, CBS's Andy Rooney attributed the motivation behind CBS's hit on President Bush based on forged documents to the political agenda of CBS News staffers. "There's no question they wanted to run it because it was negative towards Bush," the Tufts Daily's Keith Barry quoted Rooney as revealing during his remarks. Rooney shares that ideological hostility to Bush, as Barry related how "Rooney also attributed voters' reliance on religion in the recent election to ignorance" and "said Christian fundamentalism is a result of 'a lack of education. They haven't been exposed to what the world has to offer.'" In addition, "Rooney said he also could not understand how 'men who work with their hands voted for George Bush,' and again attributing the phenomenon to a lack of education."

An excerpt from the November 19 Tufts Daily article by Keith Barry which was highlighted by Romenesko ( www.poynter.org ):

Andy Rooney, the "60 Minutes" correspondent who turned "curmudgeon" into a job title, spoke at the Fletcher School of International Law and Diplomacy last night....

Second year Fletcher student Jeremy Harrington asked Rooney to "skewer people outside our borders," to which Rooney deadpanned, "There's bound to be a conservative in every crowd."

Rooney responded by referring to the American failure to win the support of Iraqis and the world community in the Iraq war. He said the United States started the war "for good reasons," but he did not think the rest of the world agreed....

Rooney also attributed voters' reliance on religion in the recent election to ignorance. "I am an atheist," Rooney said. "I don't understand religion at all. I'm sure I'll offend a lot of people by saying this, but I think it's all nonsense."

He said Christian fundamentalism is a result of "a lack of education. They haven't been exposed to what the world has to offer."

Rooney said he also could not understand how "men who work with their hands voted for George Bush," and again attributing the phenomenon to a lack of education. "The labor force is conservative," he said. "How in the world did that happen?"

Rooney said that he hoped Bush's re-election would give him the "confidence" to end the war in Iraq. "I think if George Bush said tomorrow, 'I was wrong, I ask for an apology,' I bet the American people would thank him, and they would like him," he said....

Rooney's own show, "60 Minutes," was involved in a public and politically charged flap when it unwittingly used false documents in a Dan Rather piece on Bush's National Guard service.

"I am very critical of some of the people at CBS who make it apparent what their political leanings are," Rooney said. "That's what happened to this thing of Dan Rather's that got out. There's no question they wanted to run it because it was negative towards Bush."

The veteran reporter said the news business "has been taken over" by 'the moneychangers.'"

"I feel bad about the news business," Rooney said. "It has the prospects of being stronger than ever. There are good young people in the news business," he said, praising his fellow commentators Jon Stewart and Al Franken

Rooney said he enjoys watching television news, "partially because I have a drink of bourbon with it."...

Sophomore Spencer Hickok questioned Rooney's inclusion of Columbus' discovery of America in his list of the greatest moments in American history when, in Hickok's words, it resulted in the "genocide of Native Americans."

"I'm not hearing you," Rooney began. He appeared caught off guard, and then conceded, "I can't answer your question."...

[oyez]

I thought Andy Rooney was dead...

The old dude is alive alright, it just that his personal philosophy is long dead.

[Bonaparte]

"If 59 million people..."

At last count, it was right around 61 million of us. According to those euroweenie geniuses we're all stupid to vote for a guy with morals who lets us keep more of our hard-earned income and protects us from terrorists for four years. According to the euroweenie geniuses we should have voted for the traitorous gigolo with the crazy wife and no plan.

[ridesthemiles]

Rooney is awfully close to his last breath to spit in the eye of God and declare himself an atheist.

[Shortstop7]

LOl......and it was a good one! Thanks!

[Shortstop7]

Wow....hadn't seen that one. What a great pic.

[devolve]

2002 WH website photo

I resized it and made a tan sunken frame

More good pix:

"Classical Gas" on guitar

http://00access.tripod.com/CountryRoads.html

"Bonanza" BG music

http://00access.tripod.com/TexasRancher.html

My custom US Marines BG image

http://00access.tripod.com/GreenGrass.html

Ground Zero + 2 pages - click photos to change audios

http://00access.tripod.com/Smokin.html