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Home Front: Politix
Rather Authenticates Memos
2004-09-10
XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX FRI SEPT 10, 2004 12:01:25 ET XXXXX

RATHER DIGS IN: THE DOCUMENTS ARE AUTHENTIC

CBSNEWS anchor and 60 MINUTES correspondent Dan Rather publicly defended his reporting Friday morning after questions were raised about the authenticity of newly unearthed memos aired on CBS which asserted that George W. Bush ignored a direct order from a superior officer in the Texas Air National Guard.

CNN TRANSCRIPT:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN RATHER, CBS NEWS ANCHOR: I know that this story is true. I believe that the witnesses and the documents are authentic. We wouldn't have gone to air if they would not have been. There isn't going to be -- there's no -- what you're saying apology?

QUESTION: Apology or any kind of retraction or...

RATHER: Not even discussed, nor should it be. I want to make clear to you, I want to make clear to you if I have not made clear to you, that this story is true, and that more important questions than how we got the story, which is where those who don't like the story like to put the emphasis, the more important question is what are the answers to the questions raised in the story, which I just gave you earlier.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

-------------------------------
Posted by:Mrs. Davis

#50  What is it with these libs? Admit your mistake and pledge to make amends. Isn't that what any honest person/organization would do when faced with a situation like Rather and the phony docs?

Nope. They find themselves in a hole and their first instinct is "grab a shovel and dig".

I used to respect these idiots as worthy adversaries. Now they're just cretins to me.

We'll see who's laughing Nov. 3.
Posted by: Kirk   2004-09-10 11:48:21 PM  

#49  Powerline & Hewitt :

There is a document of a "th" with a dot under it.
But that so odd. It is a special character. Sort of like foreign language typewriter with accents, circumflexes, and tildes.
Posted by: BigEd   2004-09-10 6:29:05 PM  

#48  Friday afternoon, CBS News addressed one of the authenticity issues raised, whether typewriters in the 1960s had the "th" superscript key. "CBS News states with absolute certainty that the ability to produce the "th" superscript mentioned in reports about the documents did exist on typewriters as early as 1968, and in fact is in President Bush's official military records released by the White House, CBS said in a statement. The issue will be addressed in Friday's Evening News broadcast, 6:30 p.m. ET.

Where?
Posted by: BigEd   2004-09-10 6:13:19 PM  

#47  AC...that is sooo funny!!!!
Posted by: B   2004-09-10 6:08:04 PM  

#46  AC : Baghdad Bob, and Broadway Boob.
Seperated at birth!
Posted by: BigEd   2004-09-10 5:33:15 PM  

#45  Killian Jr has just talked to Hannity. CBS is ignoring that which contradicts their point of view and fabricating that which will enhance their point of view.

CBS should be decertified as being allowed White House Correstpondents. They should be put in the class of the Weekly World News, who headlined a story about Saddahm's sex change.
Posted by: BigEd   2004-09-10 5:31:15 PM  

#44  

Dan addresses the issues surrounding the authenticity of the documents:

Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy   2004-09-10 5:29:29 PM  

#43  So, when does Devious Dan air to the east coast? Which RB will be watching?
Posted by: BigEd   2004-09-10 4:57:00 PM  

#42  DRUDGE FLASH : 13:53 PDT
CBS EVENING NEWS WITH DAN RATHER to address, in detail, the issues surrounding the authenticity of the documents broadcast in the 60 MINUTES report on President Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard... Developing...
Posted by: BigEd   2004-09-10 4:52:17 PM  

#41  Dear Tibor,

No.

Sincerely,

Can't Believe Stories
Posted by: CBS   2004-09-10 3:28:04 PM  

#40  Somewhere, somehow, UFO is gonna pin this one on Mossad. Man, Mossad's been busy the last few days with the following:

* Killing 100s in Russia;
* Taking down the Kitty Kelly book (which accused W of cocaine use);
* Convincing the ONE source Kitty Kelly used on above story to come out and call her a liar;
* Typing up, printing, then getting to CBS faked documents on W's TX ANG service;
* Convincing both the former commander's wife and son to come out and say above docs were fakes;
* Somehow pin this all on a TX Demo. front man for the Kerry campaign;
* Convince Rather that the docs are real;
* Convince Ben Barnes' daughter to call her dad a liar about her dad's claim that he helped W get into the ANG to stay out of Vietnam;
* Call all the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy radio hosts to get all of this out;
* Post multiple responses here at RB;
* Hack the TX State website (which documents that Ben Barnes was actually Lt. Gov. a year or so after W entered the TX ANG);
* Finally, eat and get some rest underneath UFOs bed!
Posted by: BA   2004-09-10 3:27:12 PM  

#39  im like nader but ima goin write em to! itn the princple of things! >:(
Posted by: muck4doo   2004-09-10 3:18:48 PM  

#38  I just sent the following to CBS using the link provided by Frank G:

Regarding the documents impugning President Bush's Texas Air National Guard Service, I have the following questions:

1. Where did CBS get the documents (i.e., from whom did they receive the documents)?

2. Were the documents received from a Killian family member who might have had access to "personal" files of Lt Col Killian, or were they received from another source without such access?

3. Did CBS contact anyone in the Killian family to seek their opinion on the authenticity of the documents?

4. What document and military experts did CBS use to authenticate the documents?

5. Did CBS consult an expert on 1972-3 era typewriters or an expert on fonts available during those years?

6. Did the military personnel consulted by CBS know President Bush at the time he was known as 1st Lt Bush?

7. Are the document and military experts consulted by CBS registered Democrats or have they contributed to the Kerry campaign?

8. Has Dan Rather or any of the producers or writers of the 60 Minutes II segment contributed to the Kerry campaign?

9. In light of the fact that numerous respected document experts have questioned the authenticity of the documents, will you permit them to examine the copies actually received by CBS?

10. Was Dan Rather aware that Mr. Barnes had previously indicated (in 1999) that he was not asked by anyone in the Bush family to "pull any strings" to get President Bush into the Texas Air National Guard?

12. Is CBS aware of Mr. Barnes credibility problems?

13. Is CBS aware that Mr. Barnes is a Vice Chair of the Kerry campaign and has raised about $500,000 for Kerry?

14. Does CBS realize how bad it looks to have numerous experts question the authenticity of documents that support serious allegations it has levelled at the sitting President and then not allow these experts to examine the documents for themselves?

15. Similarly, does CBS think that Dan Rather's assertion that he is satisfied with the authenticity of the documents will make this go away?

16. Does CBS plan to interview John O'Neill or any member of Swift Boat Vetereans for Truth regarding the allegations they have made about Senator Kerry's Vietnam and post-Vietnam records?

17. Will CBS call for Senator Kerry to release all of his military records (by signing a SF-180), including his medical records (as President Bush has done), and his Vietnam-era journal?

18. Will CBS inquire as to why Senator Kerry has avoided interviews for over one month at precisely the time questions have arisen about his Vietnam and post-Vietnam activities?

Responses to these questions would be appreciated. Thank you.
Posted by: Tibor   2004-09-10 3:14:51 PM  

#37  Lex, enjoy. Days like this don't come often.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2004-09-10 3:06:31 PM  

#36  I am so loving this. It is even better that Rather and CBS are digging in their heels. It all comes back to smack Kerry and his MSM supporters. It is just a riot!!!
Posted by: remote man   2004-09-10 3:04:22 PM  

#35  Mission accomplished. I don't care about VH-1 or frou-frou; I want to take down the spinning incompetents at the viewsnewschannels.
Posted by: lex   2004-09-10 3:01:18 PM  

#34  True, Lex. but remember CBS is owned by Viacom. If the CBS brand is tarnished to the point it can't be rehabilitated they'll just shift to VH-1 or whatever new brand reaches the desired demographic. Viacom doesn't care. It has plenty of channels to deliver viewers to advertisers.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2004-09-10 2:56:52 PM  

#33  The sheeple aren't going to stop watching CBS and the advertisers aren't going to stop paying to show their stupid ads to them.

Is this really correct as regards people under 35 years old? The networks' demographic is probably the least desirable one possible for an advertiser.
Posted by: lex   2004-09-10 2:54:08 PM  

#32  Lex, Blogger HAVE replaced CBS, NYT, et al. They just haven't authenticated that memo yet! Blather just sunk 59 Minutes. Who want to watch a show that is BLATANTLY dishonest. For shame CBS, for shame!
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2004-09-10 2:49:59 PM  

#31  I can still beat your ratings hurricane boy.
Posted by: Unca Walter   2004-09-10 2:49:17 PM  

#30  Well, I'm screwed. Might as well take up windmill repair. At least that'll piss Cronkite off, that overrated stiff.
Posted by: Dan Rather   2004-09-10 2:41:02 PM  

#29  Enjoy the blogosphere while no one has figured out how to make big money out of it.

Figure out how to marry streaming technology to blogging and you're on the way. Bloggers need to displace CBS, not the NYT.
Posted by: lex   2004-09-10 2:36:52 PM  

#28  Pardon my French, but

HOLY CRAP!!!!

This has to rank right up there with Marie Antoinette's 'Let them eat cake'!

I think after making comments to CBS and their advertisers, a few judicious words to the FCC and the Federal Elections Commission might be in order. Oh, and Viacom, CBS' corporate parent also.
Posted by: DanNY   2004-09-10 2:36:13 PM  

#27  What's the font, Kenneth?
Posted by: lex   2004-09-10 2:34:58 PM  

#26  BigEd: Thankd for that! Looks like Bush just won the election
Posted by: Rex Mundi   2004-09-10 2:31:30 PM  

#25  I still don't know what the frequency is.
Posted by: Kenneth   2004-09-10 2:13:41 PM  

#24  Rush is laughing so hard he's about to fall off his chair. He says he's watching a TV broadcast: Terry McAuliffe is blaming "Rather's authentic documents" on Karl Rove.

Posted by: BigEd   2004-09-10 2:11:29 PM  

#23  B, you are correct about the word play, but I think he's so arrogant he doesn't consult attorneys and that is what will ultimately lead to some part of his anatomy getting caught in the ringer.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2004-09-10 2:05:22 PM  

#22  Some things are more important than money like saving our country, winning the War and promoting Truth, Justice and the American way of life.
Blogosphere=Meme Superman!
Posted by: GreatestJeneration   2004-09-10 2:00:39 PM  

#21  Enjoy the blogosphere while no one has figured out how to make big money out of it.

sniff, sniff..sadly you are so right.
Posted by: B   2004-09-10 1:58:48 PM  

#20  He insists that his piece is legit, without providing any proof that it is, other than his word?

Authenticated, my ass.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2004-09-10 1:57:54 PM  

#19  Read Rather's words carefully - he's not vouching for the authenticity of the docs - he's saying he "believes" in their accuracy. I bet the lawyers are telling him what to say to avoid the lawsuits.
Posted by: B   2004-09-10 1:55:47 PM  

#18  Mrs. Davis, au contraire--The Internet helped shut down that mockumentary about the Reagans on CBS last fall.

Thanks for the link, Frank!
I gave them a piece of my mind...LOL
Anyone know who the advertisers on "60 Minutes" are so we can send them emails, too?
Are we good "digital brownshirts" or not?!?
Posted by: GreatestJeneration   2004-09-10 1:51:43 PM  

#17  B, The sheeple aren't going to stop watching CBS and the advertisers aren't going to stop paying to show their stupid ads to them. Enjoy the blogosphere while no one has figured out how to make big money out of it.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2004-09-10 1:46:16 PM  

#16  Hello Mr Blather, welcome to Pink Slipville. Population: YOU.
Posted by: Rex Mundi   2004-09-10 1:46:09 PM  

#15  Nice description of Barnes' reputation in Texas - "If he told people it was raining and they were hip deep in water, they'd doubt his truthfulness."
Posted by: mojo   2004-09-10 1:44:07 PM  

#14  I am sure the papers can be scientificcally analysed. Like paper age, ink etc. I would ask them to release the papers.
Posted by: Anonymous6361   2004-09-10 1:42:23 PM  

#13  CBS News Link - scroll to the "Contact Us" link at the bottom if you'd like to share your thoughts. Be polite, but persuasive. Terms like: fraud, bias, lost integrity, lost credibility, "I'm contacting your advertising sponsors", and such... are persuasive
Posted by: Frank G   2004-09-10 1:39:37 PM  

#12  Dan Rather: "You people are sick! The next thing you'll be trying to tell me is that the world is round, the moon ISN'T made out of cheese, and Osama Bin Laden ISN'T Jewish. Sheesh!"
Posted by: 98zulu   2004-09-10 1:37:25 PM  

#11  Thanks Big Ed for asking a question that I can't help but wonder about. Who is responsible to the stockholders for this act of corporate suicide?

I'd be dumping my MSM stock - if I had any.
Posted by: B   2004-09-10 1:33:46 PM  

#10  Rather and his source -- Ben Barnes, IMHO, and through him Kerry's campaign -- should be run out of the country on a rail.
Couldn't agree more, Robert, but FOR GAWD'S SAKE, don't send Barnes back to Texas!
Posted by: GreatestJeneration   2004-09-10 1:32:27 PM  

#9  Holy Mother of God!!! Please...MAKE IT STOP!!!!
Posted by: Dan Rather   2004-09-10 1:32:21 PM  

#8  more important questions than how we got the story

Dan, would one of those questions be, Do you spell Arrogance with one r or two?
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2004-09-10 1:32:11 PM  

#7  Rather: Why did George W. Bush kill all the unicorns?

Blogosphere: There is no evidence that unicorns ever existed.

Rather: That's beside the point! Answer the question!
Posted by: Dar   2004-09-10 1:31:49 PM  

#6  Also, CBS shareholders should be calling corporate HQ, syaing, "ENOUGH"
FIRE-RETIRE time.

Also proves Rather is computer illeterate.
Posted by: BigEd   2004-09-10 1:30:37 PM  

#5  Rather and CBS will dig in and try to sell the argument that, 'you have to prove our extraordinary claim is wrong' instead of, 'we have to prove that our extraordinary claim is correct'.
Posted by: Pat Phillips   2004-09-10 1:29:44 PM  

#4  Bellvue Abulance
Need Dispatch to
CBS
51 W 52nd ST
STAT!

You need to pick up this man:


Has lost touch with reality.

Posted by: BigEd   2004-09-10 1:23:13 PM  

#3  Rather's a fraud.

I know all of us know that. I just had to say it.

How dare he say that his source isn't the story. Did he take that stand with the Swiftvets?

Rather and his source -- Ben Barnes, IMHO, and through him Kerry's campaign -- should be run out of the country on a rail.
Posted by: Robert Crawford   2004-09-10 1:22:31 PM  

#2  and that more important questions than how we got the story

Nice epitaph, Dan.
Posted by: B   2004-09-10 1:15:46 PM  

#1  and that more important questions than how we got the story,

And there you have it.
Even if this is a forgery the stories still true, because I just know it is, and if this stories not true other stories that we don't know about are true so it evens out in the ratings. Follow?
Posted by: Shipman   2004-09-10 1:11:50 PM  

00:00