Rather Forges Ahead, Leaving Career in the Dust.

RatherBiased.com ^ | September 14, 2004

[RatherBiased.com]

CBS News has gone into full "CYA" mode. After being attacked continuously for the past six days by everyone ranging from posters at FreeRepublic.com, to Web sites like RatherBiased.com, Powerline, and Instapundit.com, to large media organizations like The Washington Post, The New York Times, and its network television rivals, CBS mounted another defense of itself tonight.

Just as his Friday defense of failed to convince, Rather's Monday defense was almost completely ineffectual. Several points stand out:

1. Rather finally stated that not all of his critics are politically motivated, something he was unwilling to do last Friday.

2. Rather's report did not feature a single quotation from any of its critics, something that an objective news organization would do if it were covering the story of accusations made by political campaigns against each other. For CBS Evening News viewers who have not been following the scandal, this must have been a strange spectacle. To receive no background on the story and only one side of it.

3. Bill Glennon, the typewriter repair guy whom CBS featured tonight said that the documents "could have" been prepared on a 70s-era typewriter with "custom feature" attachments, hardly a ringing endorsement, especially since he failed to specifically name a typewriter which did have the capability. That a hypothetically very expensive typewriter using optional parts could even be found in a National Guard unit which normally operate with hand-me-down office equipment from the full-time services hardly seems likely.

4. Richard Katz, the "software designer" of unnamed employer clearly is not familiar with Microsoft Word. To disable its automatic superscripting, all one has to do is put a space after a word before typing the "th". What kind of software expert is not aware of that?

5. Referring to one of the memos which appears to use the letter "L" instead of the number one, Katz according to Rather, says that "would be difficult to reproduce on the computer today." That is complete nonsense. Is it really that hard for someone to type "L" instead of "1" within Microsoft Word?

6. Does the el versus one point made by CBS hold water? One of our readers responds:

   "As an 'old' teacher who was teaching 'typing' in the 1970's, let me submit one more item that could be added to the list of discrepancies: Even with the advent of the IBM Selectric typewriter, we continued to teach students to use the lower case of the letter L for several years because it was presented that way in the book!!

   "It took me years to personally convert to using the number 1 on the top row of the keyboard; and, I submit to you anyone who learned to type by the touch method in the 1960's and/or early 1970's continued to use the lower case of the letter L.--because it was learned intuitively."

   Peter Nelson has further thoughts on this.

7. Rather's defense failed to note any of the arguments made by Jerry Killian's family who said he never took notes, said he did not have others make them for him, and said that CBS refused to put them on the air. The anchor also failed to respond to remarks from many of CBS's sources who have either backed away from, or outright denounced the memo story as false.

8. Just days after a former CBS official denounced internet forum posters and bloggers as "a guy sitting in his living room in his pajamas," it appears that CBS may have used one such pajama person as a new "expert" source. According to The New York Times, Bill Glennon, typewriter repairman, is said to have "posted his thoughts on the memos on a blog."

9. CBS's original expert, Marcel Matley, who has since backed away from supporting the network's case that the documents are genuine, has a very checkered past according to New York Post. In 1995 court testimony, Matley acknowledged that he had had no formal training in a document lab, or in "machines, typewriters, photocopies." The paper also discovered that Matley has published works on "spirituality in handwriting" and "female/male traits in handwriting," with such lines in them as: "For your male client, you will be able to recognize the facade of machismo--and also recognize the hurt boy-child who uses that as a defensive hiding place."

10. Rather also failed to respond to a barrage of charges raised by Washington Post, including confirmation of a scoop first reported by RatherBiased.com that Bush's Air National Guard office did not use expensive IBM typewriters capable of printing documents in a proportional font.

11. Other Post charges: More typographical concerns raised by a genuine expert in fonts, Joseph Newcomer, incorrect addresses, improper military signature lines and abbreviations, quotes from Thomas Phinney, a font developer at Adobe (the company which oversaw the late 1980s modification of Times New Roman into its current form), and more backtracking from Matley.

12. At the end of the piece, reporters Michael Dobbs and Howard Kurtz talk to Sandy Genelius, one of our favorite spokesfriends at CBS News. She apparently didn't get the memo from Dan to defend at all cost, backpedaling tremendously from Rather's knee-jerk: "In the end, the gist is that it's inconclusive. People are coming down on both sides, which is to be expected when you're dealing with copies of documents."

13. Rather's response also failed to respond to critics who raised finer points about the font issues, including one point about kerning raised by Stephan Braddy, a software engineer who appears to have launched a new blog with a first post on Memogate stating that all available evidence suggests that "it is a mathematical certainty that the CBS Bush National Guard documents are fraudulent."

    "The fact that the CBS Bush National Guard overlay matches perfectly and shows no signs of compounding deviation makes it a mathematical certainty that the two documents were both created by Microsoft Word, and therefore not in 1973. It is nearly impossible to create two documents with two different kerning systems that can survive the overlay test, especially if those two kerning systems are separated by 30 years in technology and design."

14. It's also worth noting that the two "experts" used to support its evidence Monday night were not involved with the original authentication and had merely looked at the online copies of the documents, something which Rather on Friday said he had a problem with, given that "deterioration occurs each time a document is reproduced and the documents being analyzed outside of CBS have been photocopied, faxed, scanned and downloaded and are far removed from the documents CBS started with which were also photocopies." Strangely, Dan did not repeat this assertion Monday night.

Other instant responses from Politicalities and Ed Morrisey. Send yours to blogs@ratherbiased.com.

While you're out on the web, see this parody interview with an IBM Selectric typewriter as well as this hilarious eBay listing for a Selectric auction. We also note the creativity of the individual who came up with this image juxtaposing the CBS Eye onto the famous Tower of Sauron from the

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

Also see these related Memogate cartoons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,

Why all the funny links at the end? Because at this point, Dan Rather's credibility is so diminished it's quite comedic to watch him try to hold back a tsunami of evidence that he's been duped worse than the old lady who believes The Weekly World News.

If CBS is smart, and we have reason to believe that there are many people within the network who are, it will fire Rather before the bottom falls out any further. The CBS Evening News has consistently been the lowest-rated nightly news program on broadcast for nearly 15 years now. After Memogate, we have no doubt the ratings will fall even further with Rather at the helm.

Transcript here.

[wvromania]

WE are playing into their hands:::::

we need to get past this ....this is what the DEMS want..a side track.....EXPOSE KERRY, Bush can defend himself!!!

this new article about kerry's silver star ...has longer legs regarding the truth about kerry, but press is killing time on this ALREADY BELEIVED TO BE A FORGERY....

**** this is a no brainer...DNC wants Bloggers consumed on this, so swiftvet, and Truth about KERRY DIRECTLY doesn't get presssed *****

[DaveMSmith]

The New media is watching and documenting, Wrather's demise will be the best documented story in over a half century. Objective and complete.

[DaveMSmith]

Kerry hit the self destruct button. He is showing America why they shouldn't vote for him. If he tries to attack again, we'll smack him down. Bush/Cheney should be allowed to have SOME fun with him!

[VRWC_minion]

Even the OJ jury would convict these frauds.

[wvromania]

TRUE,,,BUT THE TIME IS WASTEING.... OTHER ITEMS NEED TO BE BROUGHT OUT....KERRY HAD TO TAKE AWAY FROM HIS OWN VIETNAM EXPERIENCE,,,,

THE msm AND kerry advisors have done that....they hope all will put this before Swiftvets, and the TRUTH....also in the end the MSM (cbs) can drag it out longer than we can on purpose...thus taking air time, they will then after the election if they LOSE, they can admit error...but the battle will be one by dragging it out., just as N.Viet knew from KERRY's words, made them hang on....as time is the worse enemy if winning a war (including a battle against MSM). The more the debate it the more air time they get. to spin and spin and spin. thus icing over other frauds!

[Keith in Iowa]

Let me take a stab at these...

1) Why has the White House not challenged either the authenticity of the documents, or the truth of the events described therein?

The WH doesn't need to question the authenticity - of the memos - it's being done for them, and even the NY Times & Washington Post is doing it. As to the truth of the content - it's irrelevant if the docs are fake.

2) Are you certain that the documents were typed by Killian himself? Are you certain the documents were not typed by a Killian aide who may still be alive, and is Rather's source?

Apparently you've missed out on the comments from Killian's son, and widow. Both say he didn't type, didn't not keep private files. I'll concede the second point - it's possible - but, needs to be proven. But I won't bet my tinfoil hat on it.

3) Do you realize that IBM Selectrics, purchased on government research grants, were in widespread use in universities of that time period?

Do you know for a fact that the TANG had them? Put up, or shut up.

4) Do you realize that it was a commonplace for typists who did not have custom features on their typewriters to manually adjust the line spacing, and sometimes the font, to insert subscripts and superscripts in mathematical and chemical texts?

Yeah, so? The letter spacing, widths and things have been said to be equal town to the twip level - or even pixel level on the CBS docs, and one you could produce on Word 2000.

5) Do you realize that variations in the heights of superscripts (and depths of subscripts) were commonly seen within single documents typed in that time period because typists had variable skill in making manual adjustments to line spacing?

Thanks for stating the obvious - see above.

[I. M. Trenchant]

Thank you for replying to one of my queries. As one who reviewed hundreds of grant applications and doctoral theses in the 1970s, I can report that the typography was exceedingly variable, but not infrequently, it measured up to anything one usually sees with word processors in the 1990s. My mention of mathematical and chemical texts was only intended to note that the advent of IBM electric typewriters generally put an end to the sort of typescripts that had been universally seen before that time when texts that required copious superscripts and subscripts -- as mathematical and chemical texts do -- had had such specialized entries inserted in handwritten form.

[RatherBiased.com]

Regarding your point number three:

See #10 in article:

"Rather also failed to respond to a barrage of charges raised by Washington Post, including confirmation of a scoop first reported by RatherBiased.com that Bush's Air National Guard office did not use expensive IBM typewriters capable of printing documents in a proportional font."

Read the Post article. They looked through over 100 TexANG documents and didn't find a single one made with proportional fonts.

[syriacus]

Memorandum re: Lincoln cover-up
To: Dan Rather
From: CBS News bigwigs

Continue your search for supporting materials for the story on Abe Lincoln's [proven] use of mill-driven equipment to split rails.

We know the technology existed back then. It logically follows that "Old Abe," [the opportunistic and divisive Republican president], would have taken advantage of the technology.

It's time to expose "Honest Abe" the so-called "Railsplitter" for the liar he really was.

[NonValueAdded]

Nice summary reference bump

[bibarnes]

I will agree with your "possibilities". I will also add that the font used was developed by Rupert Murdock's company for the London Times in 1980 and then licensed to MS later.

Are there any other documents any where from that period using that font and spacing techniques along with the "superscript"? I haven't seen any posted.

[syriacus]

My mention of mathematical and chemical texts My mention of mathematical and chemical texts...[etc]

Duly noted.

Please note my post #29 on this thread, for a "tongue-in-cheek" handling of the topic of co-existent technologies.

[I. M. Trenchant]

Thanks for responding to my queries.

[John Valentine]

You are about 30 degrees behind YESTERDAY'S power curve, my man.

All these questions are asked and answered, conclusively and authoritatively.

1. The White House HAS challenged the authenticity of the documents. The First Lady did so today, and stated forthrightly that she believed them to be outright forgeries.

2. KILLIAN typed the memos? Are you nuts? Killian had passed away over a decade before it was even possible to type these memos.

3. Do I realize that IBM Selectrics were in widespread use in Universities at that time? Duh. I USED on at a University at that period of time. I also used an IBM 360 computer. So what? Does that have even the slightest relevance to this discussion?

4. Yes, that to, and again, so what. NO amount of manual manipulation of a typewriter platen, line spacing, rolling up or down or changing the font ball can possibley result in the documents in question. This is the point previously proven. Try to keep up.

5. This one is a hoot! As if theis discussion were being hled over such a simplistic point. Of course a typist could manually roll the platen to create a superscript or subscript. But there IS NO WAY that any typist in 1972 could have created these documents with ANY amount of manual tweaking. Already proven.

Contrary to you assertin that these points have not received much attention to date, these are the points that has been analyzed to death and beyond while you were in the shower or on a cruise.

And here is something for YOU to think about: How would Killian or anyone else know in 1972 exactly how to tweak an IBM Slelctric to mimic a document produced on a computer in Microsoft Word using Apple licensed TrueType technology 15 years before they existed? Was he the clairvoyant of the Age, or a time traveler? It has to be one or the other.

What's your theory?

[DaveMSmith]

I mentioned elsewhere that as a freep, I'm going to deliver a copy of Unfit for Command to my local CBS affilate explaining how wrong Rathers piece was and how they should do a story on Kerry's Viet Nam service.

[Congressman Billybob]

Viacom's price is already dropping. The number of people watching Rather on the Evening News will probably go up a bit, just now. After all, we're not allowed to have public hangings as a spectator sport any more. The professional suicide of Dan Rather will have to do as a substitute.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, "Time to Talk about the 2008 Election"

If you haven't already joined the anti-CFR effort, please click here.

[Tom Bombadil]

All your bias are belong to us now.

You made me laugh and now my blood pressure has dropped a little...Thanks.

[Wissa]

Its irrelevant that individual characters could be recreated on a 1970's typewriter. I have to believe that a lot of people have attempted to recreate the character spacing on the memos using typewriters in the past few days in order to prove the possibility that the memos are legitimate. Apparently nobody has been able to do it. We know that MS Word can recreate the memos with the same spacing.

Its silly to speculate on who the person was that typed a memo on a MAKE-BELIEVE typewriter.

[Casloy]

Rather going to be sucking wind when he finally has to admit they are forgeries. It won't be any new evidence he suddenly comes across, it will just be him trying to make the case he hasn't been stonewalling it.

[syriacus]

1) Why has the White House not challenged either the authenticity of the documents, or the truth of the events described therein?

If you ask the White House, you'll get the true answer, I suppose.

In case you don't ask them, here are some hypothetical answers to why [other than Laura] the WH hasn't addressed this tempest in a teapot...

• Because they're too busy, at this moment, running the country and running a war.
• Because they haven't seen the originals.
• Because GWB [unlike JFK] already gave permission to release ALL his au^thentic military records.

I guess there could be other reasons. Maybe they're too busy with all the tasks John Kerry thinks they should be "Kerry-ing" out.

Boy, for a guy who shirks his own job, Kerry sure is eager to tell others what they should do and what they've done wrong.