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All the CBS Men - Bob Schieffer is unfit for presidential debates.
National Review Online ^ | 9/14/04 | NRO Editors

Posted on 09/15/2004 3:34:22 PM PDT by CharlesThe Hammer

Bob Schieffer is unfit for presidential debates.

By NRO Editors

It appears likely that CBS News based a blockbuster report on George W. Bush's National Guard service on faked documents. If so, either through negligence or malfeasance, it has attempted to perpetuate a gross fraud on the American public. In its defenses aired so far, it has been evasive and downright misleading. Needless to say, this is not the work of a reputable news division. The strategy that now makes most sense from the perspective of the selfish interests of those responsible at CBS is to batten down the hatches and hope the document flap blows over and is eventually just chalked up as a "controversial report," instead of dealing seriously on air with the doubts and retracting and apologizing if — as appears likely at this point — the evidence shows the documents to be forgeries.

This strategy cannot be tolerated by the broader political and journalistic community. Until CBS cleans its own house, it cannot be considered just another news organization, in good journalistic standing. Which brings us to the presidential debates. The Commission on Presidential Debates has scheduled a debate on foreign policy for October 13 at Arizona State University. The moderator the commission has seen fit to anoint for this encounter is Bob Schieffer of CBS News.

In other words, one of the greatest gifts in terms of exposure and responsibility in the fall campaign is being handed to a representative of the CBS News division. This cannot stand, and Republicans in particular ought to scream about this choice, given the evident disregard CBS has for fairness and accuracy.

Schieffer should be replaced by someone from some other organization. This is not to say that Schieffer himself is not a decent guy or a professional, nor it is to suggest that he personally had any role in the National Guard story. But the CBS controversy is about more than one stubborn icon, Dan Rather. The credibility of the entirety of CBS News is at stake. If outsiders are being stonewalled, it is up to insiders who care about the reputation of CBS to step up — insiders like Schieffer.

In the meantime, getting bumped from the moderator role would just be the price Bob Schieffer pays for being affiliated with an increasingly disreputable and discredited news organization.


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: elctoralintegrity; freepress
Replacing Mr. Schieffer is an appropriate sanction for CBS, now that they have chosen to join the denizens of the NY Times on the nadir portion of Old Media's odyssey to the ethical bottom. Cue the FReeper theme music.
1 posted on 09/15/2004 3:34:23 PM PDT by CharlesThe Hammer
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To: CharlesThe Hammer

Hear, hear!


2 posted on 09/15/2004 3:36:46 PM PDT by Juan Medén
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To: CharlesThe Hammer

Exactly. Nobody from CBS News should be allowed to participate in the upcoming Presidential Debates. CBS's hatred, bias and unethical journalistic reporting should deem them unworthy of such an honor and responsibility.

Hey, they are trying to subvert the democratic process by defaming the President with forged documents. Isn't this a crime. Can you just lie and lie and lie and lie...?


3 posted on 09/15/2004 3:38:41 PM PDT by daviscupper
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To: CharlesThe Hammer

I think CBS should be removed from the list of attendees.


4 posted on 09/15/2004 3:40:18 PM PDT by Midnight_Train
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To: CharlesThe Hammer

So who do we write to get him disposed?


5 posted on 09/15/2004 3:40:39 PM PDT by YOUGOTIT
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To: CharlesThe Hammer

CBS should ABSOLUTELY NOT be permitted to take part in the debates.


6 posted on 09/15/2004 3:41:03 PM PDT by jporcus
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To: CharlesThe Hammer

totally concur... who do we write?


7 posted on 09/15/2004 3:41:45 PM PDT by tomnbeverly (Do not let the UN make decisions for the protection of the United States... VOTE for George W. Bush)
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To: Midnight_Train

"I think CBS should be removed from the list of attendees."

Additionally, I wonder if the President can have all CBS reporters and affiliates barred from the White House press corps.

Of course, if he should do this, it would be better after the election and only if CBS doesn't come clean by then.



8 posted on 09/15/2004 3:49:24 PM PDT by Sola Veritas (Trying to speak truth - not always with the best grammar or spelling)
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To: daviscupper

They USED to be able to lie and lie and lie. We will see what happens in this era of the new media. I have my fingers crossed.


9 posted on 09/15/2004 3:55:54 PM PDT by somemoreequalthanothers
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To: CharlesThe Hammer
This is not to say that Schieffer himself is not a decent guy or a professional, nor it is to suggest that he personally had any role in the National Guard story.

Schieffer has defended the forgeries in public:

CBS News' Bob Schieffer said Tuesday he hopes the network does more reporting to definitively prove the authenticity of memos 60 Minutes II received about President Bush's service in the Air National Guard.

"I think we have to find some way to show our viewers they are not forgeries,'' Schieffer, CBS' chief Washington correspondent and host of the network's "Face the Nation,'' said at a news conference in Sioux City. "I don't know how we're going to do that without violating the confidentiality of sources.''

Source: Sioux City (IA) Journal - Hat tip: Drudge.

So, I would go further. I would say that Schieffer too has lashed himself to the foremast and is off to feed the fishes.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

10 posted on 09/15/2004 3:56:00 PM PDT by Criminal Number 18F (Did the paper lie? I dunno, was there ink on the pages today?)
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To: Criminal Number 18F

Schieffer is a Democrat Party shill from way, way back. How he represents anything good in journalism is a mystery to me.


11 posted on 09/15/2004 4:10:12 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: tomnbeverly

who do we write? everyone, local papers, RNC, Bush headquaters, debate comm.


12 posted on 09/15/2004 4:14:24 PM PDT by not-alone
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To: not-alone

I say either Buckhead or Powerline guys should moderate one of the debates.


13 posted on 09/15/2004 4:19:23 PM PDT by Wayne07
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To: CharlesThe Hammer

Betcha a buck that Memo question will be the short list of topics from the CBS moderator at the debate.


14 posted on 09/15/2004 4:21:09 PM PDT by pointsal
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To: CharlesThe Hammer

I thought of this right away. I am sure that James Baker, Rove, et al will be on top of this. One option would be to dump Schieffer, but that would mean he would probably be replaced with another lefty. Hell, they're all lefties. Another option may be to demand Brit Hume be added to the debate to balance out Schieffer. Although I have to admit, I like the story that the Republicans have demanded that CBS not be allowed to participate in the debates......


15 posted on 09/15/2004 4:24:48 PM PDT by Big E
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To: CharlesThe Hammer

Fax# (212) 975-1998

16 posted on 09/15/2004 11:47:56 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative (What's the frequency Kenneth?)
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