[Exeter]

ROSS: Do you, Mary Mapes, still think these stories are true?

MAPES: The story? Absolutely.

ROSS: This seems remarkable to me that you would sit here now and say you still find that story to be up to your standards.

MAPES: I'm perfectly willing to believe those documents are forgeries if there's proof that I haven't seen.

ROSS: But isn't it the other way around? Don't you have to prove they're authentic?

MAPES: Well, I think that's what critics of the story would say. I know more now than I did then. And I think -- I think -- they have not been proved to be false yet.

ROSS: Have they proved to be authentic, though? Isn't that really what journalists do?

MAPES: No, I don't think that's the standard.

[dirtboy]

No, I don't think that's the standard.

Stunning on two levels. She doesn't think proof is necessary. But, even then, there were SERIOUS doubts raised as to the authenticity of the memos. From what has come out, there were people raising the same issues that we on FR raised. But Mapes pushed them aside in her Ahab-like zeal to run with this story.

[massgopguy]

If I tried this with the Editor of The Malden Observer it would be my last day in the paper.

[NonValueAdded]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! "No, I don't think that's the standard." Good grief. She really believes that. You've documented the "game over" quote.

[Prov3456]

"No, I don't think that's the standard."

That is "full-circle" of the "situation-ethics" nonsense which was taught to Baby Boomers and younger in school. She/They create their own reality, depending on each situation. Since she wanted the story and the documents to be true/real, they are. Simple as that. Anything which doesn't fit into that reality is simply ignored.

Unfortunately, there are millions of Americans who were raised on that ethic and its re-named successors. IMHO, it will be nearly impossible to change their minds on anything: that's how they view the world. (Even another 911 would simply be seen from the perspective of "Why didn't [Bush] stop it? We [America] deserved it because...." etc.)

[Always Right]

MAPES: No, I don't think that's the standard.

Strange, then why even bother having a specialist look at them to authenicate the documents? What's the point if you don't care and are going to ignore the specialists anyways?

[Question_Assumptions]

That's about all I need to know about Mapes. I wonder if she also thinks that our criminal justice system works under a similar presumption of guilt. Hey, Mary, prove that you aren't lying and weren't trying to unseat a sitting president with lies. I'm waiting, Mary, because that's what you need to do given your own standards of proof.