'Truth & Duty' Producer Argues She Was Abandoned By Mainstream Press, Attacked by Right (Mapes)

abcnews.go.com ^ | 7 November 2005 | ABC Staff

[Grampa Dave]

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/print?id=1292736

'Truth and Duty' Producer Argues She Was Abandoned By Mainstream Press and Attacked by the Right

Nov. 7, 2005 — - Last year the world of broadcast news was rocked when Dan Rather stepped down as CBS' evening news anchor after questions emerged over a network report on President Bush's National Guard service. The documents used in a segment of "60 Minutes II" were discredited; segment producer Mary Mapes' impressive career came crashing down -- she was fired from the network.

In a statement CBS News said: "Mary Mapes' actions damaged CBS News as an organization and brought pain to many colleagues with whom she worked. As always, revisionist history must be tested against the facts."

Mapes thinks otherwise. In the upcoming issue of "Vanity Fair," she argues that the campaign to discredit the story she produced was little more than a political slime-job organized by Bush backers.

"I think I'm somebody who got fired for trying to do their job in a difficult atmosphere," she said. "I don't think I committed bad journalism, I really don't. I don't think I've done a good job for 25 years, woke up on the morning of September 8th and decided to commit professional hare kare." Her book, "Truth and Duty: The Press, the President, and the Privilege of Power" (St. Martin's Press), details the fallout from the story and how Mapes has struggled to come to terms with the end of her illustrious career.

Read an excerpt of chapter one of the book below.

Chapter One I woke up smiling on September 9, 2004.

My story on George W. Bush's Guard service had run on "60 Minutes" the night before and I felt it had been a solid piece. We had worked under tremendous pressure because of the short time frame and the explosive content, but we'd made our deadline and, most important, we'd made news.

I was confident in my work and marveled once again at the teamwork and devotion of so many people at "60 Minutes." They really knew how to pull together to get a story on the air. I was also deeply proud of CBS News for having the guts to air a provocative story on a controversial part of the president's past.

By the end of the day, all of that would change. By the end of the month, I would be barred from doing my job and under investigation. By the end of the year, my long career at CBS News would essentially be over, after a long, excruciating, and very public beating.

[Grampa Dave]

My wife for some reason had "Good Morning America" on this morning. She called me into the family room with, "You will be interested in this."

Mapes was being interviewed (I don't know the interviewer) about what happend last year and her new book.

She reminded both of us a serial killer re how she refused to admit that she was wrong then, later and even now.

The ABC interviewer did a good job and didn't let her slide by with her not admitting any guilt.

[Grampa Dave]

Hopefully, this isn't a rerun. The orginal title was so long I had to edit it, and it didn't include Mapes's name.

[Semper Paratus]

When Mary's phone don't ring she knows its Dan.

[Grampa Dave]

She is still totally non repentant about what she did.

[Mamzelle]

I love it that Mapes is out there whining. Almost as good as hearing the moans from the left after the election of 2004.

[Grampa Dave]

"When Mary's phone don't ring she knows its Dan."

That is the best laugh of the day so far!

[thulldud]

"I don't think I've done a good job for 25 years, woke up on the morning of September 8th and decided to commit professional hare kare."

Fair enough. So this should mean that she was lying and twisting the news all 25 years, then.

I can see how that might be possible.

[Toskrin]

She is complaining about getting the sort of public beating that she has been giving to others for years with her lies.

Ironic, isn't it?

[mattdono]

Here's an interesting term for Ms. Mapes to consider: delusions.

Definitions of delusions on the Web:

• A firmly held belief with no basis in reality, that is, clinging to a belief even when the evidence shows that it's false.
  www.schizophrenicpen.com/defin.html

• A delusion is commonly defined as a false belief, and is used in everyday language to describe a belief that is either false, fanciful or derived from deception. In psychiatry, the definition is necessarily more precise and implies that the belief is pathological (the result of an illness or illness process).
  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delusions

• A condition in which the patient has lost touch with reality and experiences hallucinations and misperceptions.
  www.ukhealthcare.uky.edu/patient/glossary/glossary-d.htm

• a perception that is thought to be true by the person experiencing it, although the perception is wrong. There are many types of delusions (ie, delusions of grandeur).
  www.frankfordhospitals.org/healthinfo/adult/mentalhealth/glossary.html

• Delusions are a common symptom of sever forms of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Someone who experiences a delusion hold false beliefs. These false beliefs are not by choice. The person cannot let go of the delusion, even when all the evidence is against the false belief. As a result of the delusion the person is not able to fully function in daily life. There are many types of delusions, some of the common types, with examples, are:
  home.earthlink.net/~krwenger/mhjargon.htm

• delusions are defined as "fixed false beliefs". Examples include a strictly held belief that aliens are inserting thoughts into one's brain or that one's food is being poisoned by the CIA. Delusions are common in schizophrenic disorders.
  www2.med.umich.edu/psychiatry/umdc/defquery.cfm

• Thought disturbances; hallucinations.
  www.birf.info/home/bi-tools/qlinks_d.html

• false belief systems; serious mental disorder in which patient has a false set of beliefs which can include others, self, and events. These false beliefs are held despite strong facts to the contrary. Delusions cause impairment in normal daily living.
  www.psychologyandlaw.com/Definitions.htm

• a delusion is a persistent belief that something is true when there are no facts or evidence supporting the belief. Logic and logical arguments are usually ineffective.
  www.depression-help-center.com/glossary.htm

• Delusions are fixed, false beliefs. They can be bizarre (eg, invisible aliens have entered the room through an electric socket) or nonbizarre (eg, unwarranted jealousy, or the paranoid belief in being persecuted or watched).
  www.alegent.com/body.cfm

• False ideas, sometimes originating in misinterpretation, but firmly believed and strongly maintained in spite of obvious proof or evidence to the contrary. Delusions may be suspicious in nature, for example, "Someone is stealing my checks!"
  coa.kumc.edu/GEC/modules/BehavDisorder/BD-Glossary.htm

[Grampa Dave]

My wife, who is normally a very quiet conservative, was making more comments about Mapes's whining and continued lying than I was. She said Mape's should have a WLLL tatooed on her big forehead.

WLLL = Whining Lying Liberal Loser

[EQAndyBuzz]

"I think I'm somebody who got fired for trying to do their job in a difficult atmosphere," she said. "I don't think I committed bad journalism, I really don't. I don't think I've done a good job for 25 years, woke up on the morning of September 8th and decided to commit professional hare kare.""

What makes her think she did a good job over the last 25 years?

Bottom line, she lied, got caught and got thrown under the bus in exchange for a Bush bashing book deal.

Live with it.

[mattdono]

A firmly held belief with no basis in reality, that is, clinging to a belief even when the evidence shows that it's false.

If that isn't the textbook definition of the phrase "fake, but accurate", I'm not really sure what is.

[Grampa Dave]

"Fair enough. So this should mean that she was lying and twisting the news all 25 years, then.

I can see how that might be possible."

My wife said the same thing after the interview, "How long has she been lying to Americans?"

My answer, about 25 years.

[bkepley]

She is still totally non repentant about what she did

Of course, she only did what they all do she just got caught.

[Dont Mention the War]

The ABC interviewer did a good job and didn't let her slide by with her not admitting any guilt.

Nobody in the MSM (outside of some diehards at CBS and the truly deranged) believes Mapes. The only reason GMA had her on at all was so that their bookers could flip the bird at the Today show's bookers for getting her first. They all know the massive damage Mapes did to their already-in-tatters reputations.

However, she will be on Larry King tonight. Hopefully he'll take some calls. ;)

[Grampa Dave]

"She is complaining about getting the sort of public beating that she has been giving to others for years with her lies."

Sometimes the really bad and evil people get to live through the same hell they have force others to endure. May she enjoy her long and miserable trip to hell on earth.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the feed back. I haven't watched the morning left wing pseudo news programs for about 2 decades now.

I have watched a little bit of King a couple of times before I changed channels.

[Grampa Dave]

"What makes her think she did a good job over the last 25 years?"

"Bottom line, she lied, got caught and got thrown under the bus in exchange for a Bush bashing book deal."

"Live with it."

Excellent summary!

[oldbrowser]

Her father described Mapes as an ideologue. She has no credibility even in her own family.

[Grampa Dave]

"Of course, she only did what they all do she just got caught."

Then like all liberals, she blames others for her actions and lack of morality.

Free Republic users are the bad people in her deranged liberal midn.