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Dan Got Smeared (O'Reilly BARF ALERT!!!!!)
DrudgeReport.com ^ | 29 Nov. 2004 | Bill O'Reilly

Posted on 11/29/2004 7:52:25 AM PST by txradioguy

The ordeal of Dan Rather goes far beyond the man himself. It speaks to the presumption of guilt that now rules the day in America. Because of a ruthless and callow media, no citizen, much less one who achieves fame, is given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to allegations or personal attacks. The smearing of America is in full bloom. Weeks before the election, Kitty Kelley put out a book defaming the entire Bush family. The allegations were primarily made by anonymous people, but that didn't stop the media from gleefully recounting all the sordid accusations. Some newspapers even put them on page one.

That smear came on the heels of the "Swift boat" attacks on John Kerry, an ordeal that may have cost him the election. While some of the Vietnam vets had valid points, more than a few of the accusations against Kerry were simply untrue. It didn't matter though - his war record became a negative.

Right-wing talk radio in particular pounded Kerry and also bludgeoned Dan Rather for his role in another smear incident - the charges against President Bush about his National Guard service. Again, Rather was found guilty without a fair hearing. Charges that he intentionally approved bogus documents that made Bush look bad were leveled and widely believed. It was chilling.

As a CBS News correspondent in the early '80s, I worked with Rather and have known him for more than 20 years. Listen to me: There is no way on this Earth that he would have knowingly used fake documents on any story.

It may be true that Rather did not vet the information supplied to him by producers, but few anchor people do. They are dependent on other journalists, and this is a huge flaw in the system.

Dan Rather is guilty of not being skeptical enough about a story that was politically loaded. I believe Rather, along with Andy Rooney, Walter Cronkite and other guardsmen of the old CBS News, is liberal in his thinking. That is certainly a legitimate debate - how for years CBS News has taken a rather progressive outlook. But holding a political point of view is the right of every American, and it does not entitle people to practice character assassination or deny the presumption of innocence. Dan Rather was slimed. It was disgraceful.

But you'll be seeing more of this kind of thing in the future. All famous and successful Americans are now targets. Unscrupulous people know that any accusation can be dumped on the Internet and within hours the mainstream media will pick it up. It will be printed in the papers, discussed on radio and TV and become part of the unfortunate person's résumé whether he or she is guilty or not. A click of the Internet mouse can wipe out a lifetime of honor and hard work. Just the accusation or allegation can be ruinous.

Let me ask you something: In the future, do you think potential public servants and social crusaders are going to risk being brutally attacked within this insane system? I don't. I think many good people are simply going to walk away from the public arena.

Dan Rather did not get what he deserved in this case. He made a mistake, as we all do, but he is not a dishonest man.

Unfair freedom of speech did him in. This is not your grandfather's country anymore.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: 2004election; billoreilly; cbs; danrather; forgedpapers; mediabias; msm; oreilly; postitagainsam; ratherbiased; rathergate; smear
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What ever Bill! Your public sucking up in an attempt to get Rather's job is not pretty.
1 posted on 11/29/2004 7:52:26 AM PST by txradioguy
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To: txradioguy

O'Reilly's angling for Rather's job....that comes through LOUD AND CLEAR in this piece of dreck.


2 posted on 11/29/2004 7:54:33 AM PST by Bombardier (Jihad, Nazism....Umma, Deutsches Reich.....no diff.)
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To: txradioguy

O'Reilly wants his(Rather's) job. It shows.


3 posted on 11/29/2004 7:54:35 AM PST by blakep
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To: txradioguy

Oh, stick a luffa in it, Bill, and hush.


4 posted on 11/29/2004 7:54:46 AM PST by Quilla
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To: blakep

You could see the pride streaming from Rather while he interviewed that old lady that worked at the National Guard office. He wanted it to be true.

What a crock o poo!!


5 posted on 11/29/2004 7:56:15 AM PST by blakep
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To: txradioguy

Didn't hear much about the KITTY LITTER after the MSM TV interviews - which were wholly disgraceful.

No equal time for "Unfit for Command" a book which sold more (?) copies than KL.

Does anyone have the sales figures?


6 posted on 11/29/2004 7:56:19 AM PST by sodpoodle (sparrows are underrated)
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To: txradioguy

The problem for Rather is that when the questions about the memos first arose, he acted like a guilty man.


7 posted on 11/29/2004 7:56:49 AM PST by Freemyland
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To: txradioguy

O'Reilly got caught with his paw in the honey and got his little feelings hurt when the public disapproved. Now, he is trying to defend Rather because he thinks it will somehow justify what he was doing with his employee.

I can't watch the guy anymore. He's erratic. No consistency of thought or principles.


8 posted on 11/29/2004 7:57:11 AM PST by cowtowney
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To: txradioguy

Unscrupulous people know that any accusation can be dumped on the Internet and within hours the mainstream media will pick it up.

.....................
The mainstream will only pick it up if it is in line with the current talking points from the Party.


And the pajamahadeen will swiftly research it as either true or false, and the mainstream will either be validated or made to look like fools.


9 posted on 11/29/2004 7:57:28 AM PST by DBrow
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To: txradioguy
While some of the Vietnam vets had valid points, more than a few of the accusations against Kerry were simply untrue.

O'RiledUp has never, in all the times he's repeated this, backed it up with facts. He has not earned any respect and I refuse to give him any.

At least he's no longer in a teaching position, where he could do intellectual harm to kids with his, ahem, methods.

10 posted on 11/29/2004 7:58:42 AM PST by savedbygrace ("No Monday morning quarterback has never led a team to victory" GW Bush)
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To: txradioguy
Bill O'Reilly!

So Bill, then the publicity about your kinky sex life was simply a smear?

O'Rielly does some good, but it appears it is all ego driven, and he doesn't really give a damn about others. His analysis of most issues are wrong. It is getting more and more difficult to tune him in, as it usually is a waste of time.

11 posted on 11/29/2004 7:59:16 AM PST by RAY (They that do right are all heroes!)
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To: txradioguy
He's so transparent that he loses all credibility. Create a time-line of the events that unfolded both before and after the 60 Minutes II story was broadcast, and even an imbecile can see that cBS and Rather were caught with their pants down. Bill's pissed because Bloggers and Buckwheat kicked ass on breaking the story, and all media was behind the curve. Bill, please look no further than the Bernie Goldberg book 'BIASED" for the truth concerning the media and liberalism. You want us to feel sorry for Dan after conservatives have been pummeled by the MSM for decades? ROFLMAO pal!!!!
12 posted on 11/29/2004 7:59:36 AM PST by conservativecorner
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Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

Comment #14 Removed by Moderator

To: txradioguy
There are now two people on Fox News whom I turn off as soon as their faces appear on my TV. One is Greta van Sustren (whom I have disliked as a legal vulture, picking over the dead carcasses of trials). The other is Bill O'Reilly.

He sympathizes with Dan Rather because he is in the same position, an arrogant blowhard who believes his own blather. Sad. He could have been better. He WAS better, a year ago. But he's descended below the standard of "fair and balanced." He's descended below the level of reasonable and rational.

Congressman Billybob

Click for latest, "Jennings on Jeopardy! -- Nice Guys Do Finish First"

15 posted on 11/29/2004 8:00:18 AM PST by Congressman Billybob (Visit: www.ArmorforCongress.com please.)
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To: txradioguy

I hadn't thought of the "I'll take Rather's job" angle. That would require some brass on the part of CBS after O'Reilly's harrassment-gate fiasco. On the other hand, it might be just the sort of unorthodox move that could turn things around (ratings-wise) for CBS. Basically, though, I figured that this piece was Mr. O demonstrating his "fairness and balance", as well as his desire not to burn any bridges behind him.


16 posted on 11/29/2004 8:01:09 AM PST by pawdoggie
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To: txradioguy
The ordeal of Dan Rather goes far beyond the man himself. It speaks to the presumption of guilt that now rules the day in America.

Nevermind that the FORGED memos bore the presumption of guilt on Bush. Oh no...we've got to wring our hands about Dan Blather! *wail*

O'Reilly, you're a putz. Turn in your badge and go warm a chair for John McCain.

17 posted on 11/29/2004 8:01:21 AM PST by Prime Choice (I like Democrats, too. Let's exchange recipes.)
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To: txradioguy

Dan Rather got smeared - much like a 2 year old who poos in his own shorts!

Dan pooed in his own shorts - yeh that's the ticket!


18 posted on 11/29/2004 8:02:57 AM PST by sodpoodle (sparrows are underrated)
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To: savedbygrace

I never listen to O'Reilly to get the facts. It seems to me that whenever the MSM releases news, O'Reilly is right there with them shooting the same message.

He never gives a challenging report anymore. I lost respect for him long ago.


19 posted on 11/29/2004 8:03:08 AM PST by blakep
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To: txradioguy

Kitty Kelly was a smear job based on nothing but innuendos. Swift Boaters were about 200 actual people who had some knowledge of John Kerry, many actually at the scene who knew Kerry's story was a lie. O'Reilly don't compare the two.


20 posted on 11/29/2004 8:03:18 AM PST by Always Right
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