CBS: THE BLEEDING CONTINUES

NY POST ^ | February 21, 2005 | EDITORIAL

[Liz]

The corporate suits over at CBS thought they were free and clear. Uh-uh.

Following last month's release of a scathing report by a blue-ribbon panel on their self-inflicted "60 Minutes" Memogate mess, the CBS execs hoped to get away without truly cleaning house.

True, the one-time Tiffany Network had to accept a public rebuke for the way its journalists had handled the phony document scam relating to President Bush's Vietnam-era military service.

But its two stars, news chief Andrew Heyward and anchorman Dan Rather, were spared the ax — unlike producer Mary Mapes, who was fired, and three others, who were asked to resign.

Those actions, CBS President Les Moonves said at the time, would allow the network "to put this crisis behind us."

Not so fast.

Those three other producers — including "60 Minutes" Executive Producer Josh Howard — aren't going quietly. They've refused to quit and are readying lawsuits — not only to defend their actions, but to charge that the network's report deliberately ignored evidence that implicates top CBS brass in the ongoing fiasco.

To which we say to the CBS Three: Go to it.

We think the public is entitled to know whether Heyward played a key role in CBS' obstinate public defense of the segment — long after it became clear the documents were deeply flawed and probably blatant forgeries.

We'd also like to know just how "overworked" poor Dan Rather was that both the report and the network held him blameless in the whole farce, reducing him to nothing more than a talking prop.

This was a watershed moment for the mainstream media in general, and for CBS in particular.

To be sure, any lawsuit will stay far away from any suggestion the network was motivated by political bias.

[meema]

bump, while I go check out our fav bloggers...Thanks for the hint, Qwinn.

[Dutchgirl]

Thank you for the eye candy, martin! Now if you can just do a screen capture including his hands...

[beyond the sea]

How does he explain the apparently coordinated release of the DNC's "Fortunate Son" campaign video? __

LOL. A good question.

[dirtboy]

I say buckhead and buckhead alone deserves the credit.

I agree that buckhead deserves the credit. But he's also right that any number of freepers would have eventually noticed something wrong with the documents. The MSM and the Dems desperately want to believe, and have others believe, that it took an extraordinary effort to spot the forgeries. Because if Buckhead is right and it didn't, what does that say about MSM fact-checking?

[TalonDJ]

"It was amazing Thursday to watch the documents story go from FreeRepublic.com, a bastion of right-wing lunacy, to Drudge to the mainstream media in less than 12 hours," said Jim Jordan, a strategist for independent Democratic groups opposed to Bush.

Nice quote. I never knew I was a member of a 'bastion'. The knowlege makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

[beyond the sea]

I never knew I was a member of a 'bastion'. The knowlege makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

TalonDJ of the Bastion of Right-wing Lunacy....... sounds good to me.

[KC_Conspirator]

I saw that nutball congressman say that as well. It occurred to me that there are tons of democrats who are unfit for office. What kind of nutbar would say something unhinged like that? However, with the likes of Cynthia McKinney and Jim McDermott, the democrat have tons of inner city protected districts that allow these people into office.

[nascarnation]

Don't forget Indy's very own Julia Carson in that inner city category.

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

Aren't those a little uncomfortable?

MMMMMmmmmsmack! (kiss on the cheek!)

Comfort is not an option for the fighting male Pajamahadeen. But now you've embarrassed me, posting me in my PJs on the Web! LOL

(note to self: must find a way to fit that great picture into my TAGLINE....hmmmmmmmmmm)

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

The eeeeeeevil Bush-Rove-Scaife Vast Right Wing Conspiracy Fund pays us,

And if you tell the Bildeburgers that you are willing to infiltrate Free Republic as a sleeper agent, they will pay you too, so one can double dip ; )

Awesome! Hey Valerie, hey Annie, everybody--there's plenty for everybody, come get your VRWC FReep Cash. And check out my PJs, shown at #59 in this thread....call me MedievalCon in the Culture Wars...

[Larry Lucido]

Hey, I'm in, I'll even change my nick. Is Blurblogger1 taken?

[ValerieUSA]

I have platinum pajamas.

You really know how to tempt the women. My heart fluttered at those words.

[Liz]

I will do whatever I see fit to give buckhead the accolades for outing the TANG forgeries.

Let CBS hang.......they made their bed, now they have to lie in it.

CBS does not control my actions in any way, shape, or form.

[TankerKC]

...my position is that any fool could see they were fakes...

True. They were on the screen for less than ten seconds during the report. I told my wife right then that they were fake.

And, I am any fool. ;)

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

Hey, I'm in, I'll even change my nick. Is Blurblogger1 taken?

Rove, you go ahead and mirror me with that handle. No problem. W.

[longtermmemmory]

CBS is killing itself.

Remember "thereagans"? That was another fiasco about lying.

If they woudl just register as a 527 that would be finally telling the truth.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

I think they're still trying to get Windows '73 running on a computer there. It's pretty buggy and has a lot of DOS patches.

[Lancey Howard]

FReepers are a bunch of redneck, vulgar, no nothing lowlifes

Hey! I'm not a redneck.

[Lancey Howard]

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

...I have platinum pajamas.

You really know how to tempt the women. My heart fluttered at those words.

Better have your heart take a cold shower. See post 59. It's like a full-body metal chastity belt....