Posted on 12/13/2001 6:51:32 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
NewsMax.com
Thursday Dec. 12, 2001; 9:26 a.m. EST
Rather Mum on Goldberg Book, Suspects Pentagon Stymied His War Coverage
An obviously steamed "CBS Evening News" anchorman Dan Rather bit his tongue Thursday morning when asked about "Bias," the new book by former colleague Bernard Goldberg on his left leaning reportage, explaining it would be a waste of time to comment.
Rather also said he suspects the Pentagon played politics by denying him access to the front lines during his recent trip to Afghanistan.
On the Goldberg book the CBS newsman told radio talker Don Imus:
"All I'm going to say about this is, you know - I'm just not going to react to any of that.
"I've learned to just walk away," the seething newsman added. "Life's too short to waste time denying that sort of stuff."
Rather thanked Imus for not asking about the book during an interview last week when he was in Afghanistan, saying, "One of the good things about you is your loyalty. You've done this before. You've stood up for your friends."
Imus said that while he didn't disagree with Goldberg's allegations, he thought his comparison of Rather to TV mafiosi Tony Soprano was a "gratuitous cheap shot."
The CBS anchor also said he suspects Pentagon brass kept him away from the war front, perhaps because they don't like his politics.
"We did have some access problems, in fact, considerable access problems," Rather said. "I went really badly wanting to go with the Marines to their base down below Kandahar and for reasons that are still unclear to me I wasn't able to do it."
Then the CBS newsman added:
"I'm puzzled about it and frankly a little hurt about it.... Frankly, as it turned out, we wasted two days trying to get there and it became clear that we were caught in some kind of, either massive foul up - which is always possible in the military - or some political deal."
Rather said he was at first told his crew would be granted access to the Marines at Kandahar. "But when we got there, that turned out not to be the case.... It was a strange deal and somebody somewhere put the kibosh on our going."
"We just said the heck with it. Let's high-tail it out of here to Kabul and that's what we did," he explained.
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Yea, I'll bet he was rather mum.
Maybe because the Marines don't need to risk casualties dragging around a 70 year-old fool whose political affiliation has nothing but hatred for the military.
"Life's too short to waste time denying that sort of stuff."
This startling admission should win Dan a nomination for the Amazing Candor Award of 2001.
Dan Rather a caller to a radio show........Hmmmm?
He must be....Clueless in New York!
Awww, gee, Dan, maybe if you weren't so "BIAS"-ed in your broadcasts, it would help. It takes 2 to tango.
"I've learned to just walk away," the seething newsman added. "Life's too short to waste time denying that sort of stuff."
It's also a lot easier to "walk away" and "not react" when everything you're accused of happens to be true.
ROTFLMAO!!! What a CLYMERish MAROON.
As evidenced here:
Frankly, as it turned out, we wasted two days trying to get there and it became clear that we were caught in some kind of, either massive foul up - which is always possible in the military...
Rather kept away fom the Clinton scandals because he liked the Clinton politics.
Yep. No doubt about it. Imus is one of them - the hundred or so Manhattan leftist media apparatchiks whose raison' de etre is to attend each other's cocktail parties, pimp each other's books, and appear on each other's programs. If you listen to Imus with this understanding, he can actually be a useful and enjoyable source of information.
Whose mistakes? His? Yours? Why didn't you deny anything Bernie has said? And how come OTHER whistleblowers are good, but Bernie's a traitor.
Captain Dan the Newsman:
Shaddup!
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