Rather’s Lawsuit Shows Role of G.O.P. in Inquiry

The New York Times ^ | November 16, 2008 | Jacques Steinberg

[2ndDivisionVet]

When Dan Rather filed suit against CBS 14 months ago — claiming, among other things, that his former employer had commissioned a politically biased investigation into his work on a “60 Minutes” segment about President Bush’s National Guard service — the network predicted the quick and favorable dismissal of the case, which it derided as “old news.”

So far, Mr. Rather has spent more than $2 million of his own money on the suit. And according to documents filed recently in court, he may be getting something for his money.

Using tools unavailable to him as a reporter — including the power of subpoena and the threat of punishment against witnesses who lie under oath — he has unearthed evidence that would seem to support his assertion that CBS intended its investigation, at least in part, to quell Republican criticism of the network.

Among the materials that money has shaken free for Mr. Rather are internal CBS memorandums turned over to his lawyers, showing that network executives used Republican operatives to vet the names of potential members of a panel that had been billed as independent and charged with investigating the “60 Minutes” segment.

Mr. Rather attracted the ire of Republican bloggers and talk radio in particular after the segment, which was broadcast on a weekday edition of “60 Minutes” in September 2004. It purported to have unearthed evidence about favorable treatment extended to President Bush during his Vietnam-era service in the Texas Air National Guard.

The network eventually responded to its critics by saying it could no longer vouch for the authenticity of the documents on which the report had been based.

[2ndDivisionVet]

No wonder the New York Times is sinking into oblivion.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Ping!

[JennysCool]

Mr. Rather has spent more than $2 million of his own money on the suit.

Attention Nigerian scammers! Here's your man!

[TruthWillWin]

....showing that network executives used Republican operatives to vet the names of potential members of a panel....

Sounds fair to me considering Ra^ther used only leftist Dems to vet his TANG story featuring a forged document from a non-existing Lucy Ramirez.

[kidd]

Among the materials that money has shaken free for Mr. Rather are internal CBS memorandums turned over to his lawyers...

I found this sentence to be truly amusing.

[FrankR]

Meanwhile, Me and thousands of other Americans sit here with no job, struggling to keep their house and food on the table, and Mr. Rather has millions to blow on his defense...which will prove nothing except ego gratification (if he wins).

All I read about lately is millions and billions of dollars being squandered, while I sell everything that's not tied down on Craigs list and eBay to pay my car insurance.

Duck Fan Rather

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“his assertion that CBS intended its investigation, at least in part, to quell Republican criticism of the network.”
Nothin’ wrong with that either!

[WOSG]

Dan Rather and Mary Mapes engaged in fraud, deceit, journalistic malpractice, and was party to vouching for a forgery.

And the New York Times failed to mention any of that. Pathetic way to report on this. They are ... Rather Biased!

[Islander7]

“.....Using tools unavailable to him as a reporter — including the power of subpoena and the threat of punishment against witnesses who lie under oath....”

What!? These are ‘tools’ available to reporters? Who ever wrote this mess needs an education, quick.

[SirFishalot]

Should have worked for Obamalot’s campaign, he’s giving out huge bonuses to all of his workers.

[Jacquerie]

Spin, deflection or ignoring news are accepted.

The Dan, in his position as an esteemed (in his mind) member of the fourth estate, was an accessory in an attempt to bring down a sitting President with 100% fabricated documents.

His caper was very close to a coup d’etat. He belongs in history books ahead of Benedict Arnold and Tokyo Rose.

[Terry Mross]

We all may be there shortly if the gloom and doom comes that the experts are predicting.

[xJones]

Attention Nigerian scammers! Here's your man!

LOL! Rather's gone senile, he's spending $millions and countless hours of his own time to prove that CBS 'done him wrong' and he doesn't make a move toward authenticating the memos. That's because he can't and he was trying to hang Bush on fake memos created by a long-time Bush family adversary. To hell with that, the only problem with such dishonesty for him was that the fake memos blew-up and took him with them!

[FrankR]

"Should have worked for Obamalot’s campaign, he’s giving out huge bonuses to all of his workers. "

I said I'm poor...not stupid.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

That’s the “news” part of the story. This is a “second day, PM lead.”

[weegee]

Using tools unavailable to him as a reporter — including the power of subpoena and the threat of punishment against witnesses who lie under oath — he has unearthed evidence that would seem to support his assertion that CBS intended its investigation, at least in part, to quell Republican criticism of the network.

Get Mr. Rather under oath and have him fess up as to just how the documents came to him and how much collusion there was with the Democrat party to obtain them.

[weegee]

Dan Ratherbiased should become as much as an outcast as Senator Joe McCarthy was for 4 decades. A shamed alcoholic. He engaged in Rat-Red tactics to take down a sitting President with a bunch of forged lies. Hey Danny Boy, go BACK on the LSD and heroin that you proudly admit to experimenting with.

[OldNavyVet]

With my apologies to Lewis Carroll ...

The time has come, the walrus said, to speak of many things: of gold -- and oil -- and tankers –-
Of forgeries -- and anchors --.
And why the sea is boiling hot --
And whether pigs have bankers.

[Dan(9698)]

TANG story featuring a forged document from a non-existing Lucy Ramirez.

Look on this site if you want to know where the "documents" came from. They are on this site prior to anything else happening.

http://www.democrats.com/view.cfm?id=23055

[weegee]

Mr. Rather attracted the ire of Republican bloggers and talk radio in particular after the segment, which was broadcast on a weekday edition of “60 Minutes” in September 2004. It purported to have unearthed evidence about favorable treatment extended to President Bush during his Vietnam-era service in the Texas Air National Guard.

The network eventually responded to its critics by saying it could no longer vouch for the authenticity of the documents on which the report had been based.

There is no document to authenticate. it is a computer fabrication. NO hand typed letter exists. No hand signed later exists. It was done in MS Word and the photographed signature was pasted onto the forgery.