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."...

[kezekiel]

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."

Didja ever wonder why, some people, always want to attribute every problem, to a 'lack of education'? And what is that, anyway. I mean, that's a funny word, 'education.' 'Edu' sounds a lot like 'emu', only it doesn't, but it looks a lot like it, especially when I need a new prescription on my glasses...

[Howlin]

...Bush, as Barry related how "Rooney also attributed voters' reliance on religion in the recent election..."

Sorry, Andy; exit polls do not bear that claim out; Bush won in every category -- across the board in every demographic group; it sounds good, but the numbers prove it just didn't happen.

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

If he is a product of that particular "education," I'll take a pass.

I did not know he was an atheist. Perhaps that accounts for his ill-as-a-snake-all-the-time attitude.

I bet the American people would thank him, and they would like him," he said....

Um, they do!

There are good young people in the news business," he said, praising his fellow commentators Jon Stewart and Al Franken

Does that statement even need a comment?

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

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.

That would come as news to the experts that CBS retained who told them they couldn't be authentic or told them they couldn't confirm they were genuine.

[lonestar]

If I had to list 10,000 people who are important, I wouldn't think of Andy Rooney.

[VIDADDICT]

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

PROCLAIMING TO BE WISE THEY BECAME FOOLS
Romans 1:22

[lizma]

It's pretty amazing to watch the MSM morf into a propaganda machine that Goebbels would be proud of.

I wonder when is the last time these guys have read the Constitution and have they ever read anything the founding fathers have written. They're so clueless.

[Mojave Mark]

Soon Rooney will join Arafat on the other side of the river and we won't have to hear his nonsense any longer.

[Petronski]

[Petronski]

This might be difficult since CBS started up in the 1920's, and the O.S.S, the C.I.A's predecessor, wasn't created until 1941.

Cover story....

[Wiz]

I thought that CBS meant Communist Broadcasting Service found by the World Socialists community.

[Paul Atreides]

Looney Rooney has to be in the top-ten list of most overrated people. He's just a blathering anus.

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

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

I find it telling that Rooney would reference a biblical story at the same time he claims to be an atheist and not understand religion.

Is Rooneys 'moneychanger' remark anti-semitic?

If so (or EVEN if so), Rooney invoked it as a diversion from other groups that are hard-core propagandists who are anti-American and have become very aggressive in their determination to take America down by any means at their disposal, not the least of which is fraud and forgery.

[Paul Atreides]

CBS also stands for Cultural B.S.

[claudiustg]

Rooney sounds confused and out of it. He should have retired some time ago.

[Digger]

I becomes apparant that it is useless to discuss anyting with braindead liberals. Just totally ignore all the while we steamroll over them. They are not legitimate for any conversation. Life is too short to waist time on them.

[SquirrelKing]

Hee hee! Been waiting to use this:

[DB]

Obviously we're lacking an "education" only the government can provide...

[StJacques]

A number of points:

--Rooney seems to suggest that the "values" issue as it played out in the election is rooted almost entirely in "Christian Fundamentalism." How does he explain the fact that Roman Catholics went for Bush by a 52 to 47 margin? Catholics -- like me -- are not "Christian Fundamentalists" but we are for the most part, "religious." Does he think we "haven't been exposed to what the world has to offer"? I've traveled the globe extensively, I am fluent in two foreign languages, I have degrees from two universities and I have done research in three others, and more and more . . . The "values" issue goes deeper than Rooney and the rest of the left will allow themselves to believe.

--Rooney expresses his surprise that "the labor force is conservative. . . . How did that happen?" Well guess what Andy? The lumpenproletariat hasn't signed on with the political left because Thomas Jefferson was right about the role of "enlightened self interest" in guiding human decisions and every leftist ideologue who has believed that their "alienation" from the rest of society would radicalize them missed the boat. Working people want dignity for themselves and a future for their children. The Democratic Party offers neither.

--And it's almost hard to believe that people are still arguing that the decimation of the Native American population that followed European settlement in the wake of Christopher Columbus was "genocide." It was disease that was responsible for over 80% of the mortality among Native Americans and that was not intentional. But then, when did a little thing like truth ever get in the left's way when they wanted to pronounce a sentence of victimization?

[JonDavid]

I meant CBS TV

[tophat9000]

Let's see Mr. Rooney, you openly admit CBS News staffers lied and used forged documents because of there political agenda against President Bush... Yet people who saw this was a lie where not persuaded to go in the direction of this dishonesty where ignorant and had a lack of education.... and that people that were willing to lie, cheat and forged documents and thought they could do it with impunity were the more intelligent ones?