The 25 Most Powerful Websites [FR cheated of Rathergate credit]

Mental Floss ^ | Adrian Chen

[Slings and Arrows]

-snip-

24. Power Line

From practically the day they sprang into existence, blogs have been denigrated as trivial, inaccurate, and derivative. Untrained writers could never match the accuracy and depth of newspapers and network news. Power Line, a scrappy right-wing blog, turned that perception on its ear when it took down one of old media’s most venerable figures: Dan Rather.

In September 2004, Rather and CBS News aired an explosive story about George W. Bush’s service in the Texas Air National Guard. The report used military documents to show that Bush had received preferential treatment and performed poorly while failing to meet his service obligations. Just two months before Bush came up for reelection, the report was a bombshell.

Or it would have been, except the documents weren’t authentic. Power Line cofounder Scott W. Johnson thought something seemed fishy, and, thanks to tips from Power Line readers, it took him only a few hours to expose the critical documents as forgeries. The Internet’s self-taught experts had proved to be more reliable fact-checkers than the traditional elite in CBS’s news department. As the scandal erupted, Rather resigned from CBS, and even stalwarts like Time hailed Power Line’s meticulous work. Score one for new media.

-snip-

[Toespi]

Was also on THE thread that day.

[Noob1999]

bfl

[Squantos]

I see kitty !

[tophat9000]

Actually it was kctanker (ex airforce) that first questioned the look of the documents. .Buckhead follow right after because he was a lawyer the had just had a case about font in word doc and point out the famous superscript issue..powerblog follow up the next day from the FR thread

[lbryce]

How true. I'd like to add to your apt description by saying many of what goes for Mental Floss' Most Powerful Websites needs to be re-titled as "Da Internets Most Screwy, Convoluted List of Sites No One Knew Existed".

[Slings and Arrows]

Noted, with appreciation.

[Doogle]

eyup

[Doogle]

mapes

[Liberty Wins]

Where were all these highly knowledgeable pajama journalists when the birth certificate was in doubt?

[Political Junkie Too]

Even this Wikipedia story on Powerline gives FreeRepublic credit for discovering the forgery. They only credit Powerline with publicizing it.

-PJ

[Mount Athos]

tankerkc got it before buckhead, another freeper

[Interesting Times]

The full story (which Buckhead himself called a "really, really good writeup") is available here:

Rather's Ruin and the Rise of the Pajamahadeen.

[Texas Fossil]

No, I remember Mapes, but she is not the one I was thinking about.

It may have been that she was not positively identified back then. She was from San Antonio and was suspected as having been the actual source of the forged documents.

There was a meeting in Abilene and Rather’s daughter, Mapes, Bill Burkett and other Dem Operatives were there. This went up the food chain of Dems around Abilene.

[Slings and Arrows]

Thanks! Brings back lots of memories.

[goat granny]

took 20 seconds to find the kitty....:O)

[Rockpile]

They met in Abilene because Burkett resided down the Interstate in Baird, if IIRC.

[Jet Jaguar]

I am pretty sure you were on it. I remember thanking you for keeping me up to date. I stayed up past my bedtime...

[woofie]

I was on the thread that night and remember it well....never heard that anyone else figured it out before FR

Remember Buckhead

[The SISU kid]

BFL

[Titan Magroyne]

No, no no. Still got it wrong.

Raise your lighters, ladies and gents, to... Buckbeak! (LOL)

That was one of the misattributions, tho not nearly as inaccurate as this credit to Powerline.