Posted on 09/28/2004 7:11:30 PM PDT by RatherBiased.com
Daniel Irvin Rather must be a masochist. You'd think that in the midst of the terrible publicity he is currently getting for working closely with a partisan Democrat bent on bringing down President Bush that Dan Rather would have the good sense to lay off the liberal bias for a while. But common sense seems to be in short supply at CBS News these days.
Three weeks after he denounced the internet as being "filled with rumors," the embattled CBS anchor ran a story on his Tuesday "Evening News" program hoping to stir up fear of an impending military draft.
In a story that was a textbook example of slipshod reporting, CBS reporter Richard Schlesinger used debunked internet hoax emails and an unlabeled interest group member to scare elderly "Evening" viewers into believing that the U.S. government is poised to resume the draft.
At the center of Schlesinger's piece was a woman named Beverly Cocco, a Philadelphia woman who is "sick to my stomach" that her two sons might be drafted. In his report, Schlesinger claimed that Cocco was a Republican and portrayed her as an apolitical (even Republican) mom worried about the future.
Schlesinger did not disclose that Cocco is a chapter president of an advocacy group called People Against the Draft (PAD) which, in addition to opposing any federal proscription, seeks to establish a "peaceful, rational foreign policy" by bringing all U.S. troops out of Iraq. Like Schlesinger's Cocco, the group portrays itself as "nonpartisan"although its leadership seems to be entirely bereft of any Republicans.
The group's domain is registered to a man named Jacob Levich, a left-wing activist who in a 2001 essay compared the Bush Administration to the totalitarian government portrayed in George Orwell's 1984.
PAD also lists Anita Dutt, a Green Party activist who is also a member of an anti-war group called Bronx Action for Justice and Peace. In a March 3, 2003 New York Times profile of the group reprinted on the organization's web site, Heidi Hynes, one of its leaders, said of her fellow members that "none of us are Republicans."
Also left out of the CBS story was the fact that while there are two bills in Congress that are seeking to reestablish the draft, both of them (S-89 and HR-163) are sponsored exclusively by Democrats and have been pronounced DOA by the Republican leadership.
Much more on this to come but in the mean time, click read more to see the transcript or watch the clip by clicking on the picture to the right.
DAN RATHER: It's no secret: The all- volunteer U.S. Military, especially the Army, Marines and many reserve units, are stretched thin in Iraq and Afghanistan. So what about bringing back the draft? A lot of Americans are worried about that. Where do the presidential candidates stand? CBS's Richard Schlesinger tells you in the "Eye on America" election series, "What does it mean to you?"
SCHLESINGER: Beverly Cocco has spent most of her life protecting children in Philadelphia.
(Footage of Cocco in job as crossing guard)
SCHLESINGER: She usually worries about other people's kids.
(Footage of Cocco in job as crossing guard)
SCHLESINGER: But as Election Day approaches, it's her own two grown sons who Beverly is most worried about.
BEVERLY COCCO ("Pennsylvania Voter"): I go to bed every night and I pray, and I actually get sick to my stomach. I'm very worried. I'm scared. I'm absolutely scared. I'm petrified.
SCHLESINGER: Beverly is petrified about a military draft, and she's not alone. Mass e-mails are circulating among worried parents. But neither president bush nor john kerry has said he will re- institute the draft. In fact, they both say they will not.
Sen. JOHN KERRY (Democratic presidential candidate): I will give us a foreign policy that absolutely makes it unnecessary to have a draft for this country.
SCHLESINGER: Kerry says he'll try to get allies of the U.S. to send troops that could relieve American soldiers in Iraq. The Bush Administration says that is pure fantasy. The president wants to train more Iraqi troops to take over for the Americans.
Pres. GEORGE W. BUSH: The war on terror will continue. It's going to take a while and no, we don't need a draft.
SCHLESINGER (voiceover): But Beverly's not buying it. She's a Republican, but she's also a single issue voter.
(on-camera) Would you vote for a Democrat?
COCCO: Absolutely. I would vote for Howdie Doody if I thought it would keep my boys home and safe.
SCHLESINGER (voiceover): In fact, there are at least three votes in this house riding on the draft: Beverly's and her sons,' Carmen [sic] and Nick.
(on-camera) Are you guys worried about being drafted?
NICK COCCO (College senior): Yeah. It's the talk. The talk's there. Though people aren't actually coming out and saying it, it's, it's there.
SCHLESINGER: The machinery for a draft is already in place and the acting director of Selective Service believes he could start drafting people quickly.
JACK MARTIN (Selective Service System): I think we could do it in less than six months if we got the call.
SCHLESINGER: This time there would be no long deferments for college students and a lot more people could be eligible for the draft than ever before. Men and women aged 18 to 26 could be called up.
Of course, there hasn't been a draft since 1973. But that's not much comfort to Beverly Cocco. So she is keeping a sharp eye on the political traffic. She's a Bush supporter today, but if she doesn't like what she hears between now and November, Beverly could easily cross over. In Philadelphia, I'm Richard Schlesinger for Eye on America.
Philadelphia Lancaster/Bucks County affiliate: Parents Against the Draft Contact Beverly Cocco, babby61754@comcast.net. She must be lonely.
Last we checked he was not a Republican.
Our favorite among his advocacy talking points of his, howeer, is not his advocacy of a return to the draft but his wisdom on economic matters and how we should rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan.
Here is another comment from one of his teachers - my sons World Geography /Spanish teacher was holding some class discussions on the environment. My son said for every good thing she said about President Bush she highlighted it with 3 or 4 bad things he was doing - Vice versa for Kerry. When the class told her they knew who she was going to vote for she said"of course I'm a Democrat ALL teachers are Democrats" My son goes to a small charter school - I told him that not all teachers are Democrats and we then got on the internet and searched all the positive things President Bush was doing for the environment - he is going to present this info to her and see what she says. I also called the school and informed them I did not appreciate the obvious bias of this teacher and I wanted my son to be presented with unbiased information!!! Even though we are Conservative Republicans we always try to tell our children there are two sides to every story - if we don't have an answer to a question we look it up and then talk about it even if it is negative to our point of view.
Kyoto and Global warming, state laws, Fema, ie the evil Bush's?
(you see, I get your Dem talking points too, by email, everyday)
Since you don't believe me why don't you put your money where your mouth is? Come to Florida and help with the clean-up efforts. For that matter why don't you buy a home here? I'll sell you mine, cheap! You'll quickly learn what people here are feeling. I bet you're all talk and no action.
I think you misunderstand, I DO believe you.
I read the "global warming, Kyoto, FEMA, the Bush's are tying to scam you", emails you guys send out trying to prey on people hurting.
It's the M.O. of the libs, have you started your calls to the elderly in Fla yet?
You know, the SS and Medicare calls?
"Send a FAX to Andrew Heyward, President of CBS News, at 212-975-1893. Load his desk"
NO NO NO
wasted time. They already know their ratings are plumeting. THEY DO NOT CARE. Remember, Heyward was fully informed and okayed the memogate per air time.
All they care about is winning this election - it's their last time to finally take over and make us a socialiest country under the thumb of the UN. They will sacrifice whatever they need to in the interim - and get it all back when their guys are in power.
We must light the 'switchboards' etc...even NBC and ABC, for even tho' they're for Kerry, and p--- in the same pot as CBS, these socialists are still rivals and will turn on one another like the rats they are to beat each other out for top dog spot.
MOST important: Write short letters to the editors - this gets it out to the people directly. Every letter to the editor is read by thousands.
IMPORTANT to include "chapter and verse", i.e., the 2 drafts proposal bill sponsored by ONLY democrats,
bills S.89 (Senate bill sponsored by Hollings (DEM) and H.R.163 (House bill sponsored by Congressman Rangel, DEM with 14 cosponsors, ALL DEMS! Let the readers look it up for themselves.
For the young folk, which they are targeting along with women, let them be able to link to the info about Kerry's proposal to have ALL youth, from age 13, have to do "Community Service" in return for the priviledge of high school - etc. and Senior citizens to volunteer - free - community service for the priviledge of medicare/prescipts. I.E. Kerry will institute a whole new kind of draft - on schoold kids and senior cits.
GET the word out to all your newspapers - must sign your name and address (your address wont be printed) or editors wont print letter. They need to verify you are a 'real' person.
"long list of media outlet contact information"
this is INVALUABLE!
everyone print it out - and bookmark/favorites it!
Well I see you don't have the guts to come to Florida and see how things are for your self. You're just another gutless wonder making excuses.
I'm in Fla right now, right behind you! Watch out.
You're namecalling is ridiculus and nobody has to call anyone to frighten them here in FL. All anyone has to do is look out their window.
I see no global warming out my window.
Freepmail when you get to P'Cola and I'll show you around. You can begin by helping cut up and haul the 20 pine trees out of back yard. Then we can work on fixing the roof, fences, tearing down and rebuilding the storage building, etc.
Can you stay more than 2 months?
Have Kerry help you, after all he refused to vote for the Kyoto treaty, years ago.
And we all know if that Treaty had be passed by the Senate, there would be no more bad weather.
Kerry said he'd get 50,000 more troops in Iraq to win the war. He implies France and Germany and the rest of his pals will pony up the troops as soon as he's elected, so he can pull American troops out. This is nonsense, of course. None of these other countries are going to cooperate in such a deal unless we hand over the Iraqi oil fields. So...where is Kerry going to find those new 50,000 troops? Why, with the draft!
The Swiftboat Vets' Oct. ad, I heard this about it last night...It will feature three POW wives who will denounce Kerry for his actions when he came home from Vietnam. They will say their husbands suffered dearly for his treachery and cowardice. Sounds deadly for Kerry.
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