Dan's last stand?

[iamthewalrus109]

"Dan Rather, successor to Walter Cronkite as anchor of CBS News, may be about to close out his career on a banana peel." - Pat Buchanan

Could this be? It looks increasingly so. The only support 60 min., Rather, and the CBS news team got was from Ms. Knox, Col. Killian's former secretary, saying that the apparent forgeries were similar to hand written memos expressing Killians troubles with a whitewash from superiors. But unfortunately for Dan Rather, and CBS news, this could be the death toll.

-Walrus

[xoxoxoBruce]

I can't help but wonder if Karl Rove gave them the papers.
I believe the story is essentially correct. There's plenty of evidence that Bush was a total fuck-up in his youth. But I also believe the story is moot. The man has been running the show for 4 years (almost), and that's what we should be scrutinizing, not what he did 30 years ago.
Kerry hasn't had the job, so we have to look to his past for clues to his potential performance, but Bush is a known quantity.

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I can't help but wonder if Karl Rove gave them the papers.
I believe the story is essentially correct. There's plenty of evidence that Bush was a total fuck-up in his youth. But I also believe the story is moot. The man has been running the show for 4 years (almost), and that's what we should be scrutinizing, not what he did 30 years ago.
Kerry hasn't had the job, so we have to look to his past for clues to his potential performance, but Bush is a known quantity.

I agree (staggers back from computer screen in dazed amazement). Bush got a DUI at 30 (one wonders how many others he avoided thanks to dear old dad and money), was an admitted alcoholic by age 40. Its hard to believe that the man didn't screw up in his 20's. People generally calm down a little with age, rather than the other way around. One can't help but wonder why any Bush opponent would feel the need to forge the documents in question. The whole thing smells funny to me.

[Cyber Wolf]

Originally Posted by marichiko

One can't help but wonder why any Bush opponent would feel the need to forge the documents in question. The whole thing smells funny to me.

Because that's what they do. In an election year, both parties have teams of people whose only job is to dig up dirt about the other party/party candidate and let the public know about that dirt. And sometimes a third party will do the work for them and they'll just ride that particular wave of crap. Either way, if they get a hold of something that could possibly tarnish the other's reputation or "prove" the other wrong, they'll grab it and run with it, even if it's smelly nasty and squishy.

[tw]

An anchorman is responsible for the reports of his journalist. Walter Cronkite was not the kindly man we saw on TV. He was brutal with his reporters to confirm the facts. Cronkite literally held a reporters feet to the fire. He asked damning questions. It is why he earned the "most trusted man in America" title.

The closest we have to that today would be Peter Jennings. So I find it ironic that ABC News would be first to question those documents.

Go to the local news to see examples of bad journalism. Those pretty faces often are not there because they 'hold feet to the fire'. Unfortunately, some see the pretty face rather than concentrate on the factual content. IOW another classis example of making decisions based upon emotion (the first impression) or upon facts (the integrity of reporters working for that anchorman).

[Radar]

The papers were absolutely authentic. The "th" that they keep mentioning was available on typwriters back then and actually showed up in documents that Bush himself submitted. The fact that the secretary swore that they were authentic and the officer who had them only drive that point home.

[lookout123]

radar - the secretary said they were fakes. she says that Killian agreed with the sentiment, but these documents were fakes. pretty much everyone (except you and Mr Rather) has said that there is an extreme likelihood that CBS got fooled.

[tw]

Originally Posted by lookout123

radar - the secretary said they were fakes. she says that Killian agreed with the sentiment, but these documents were fakes. pretty much everyone (except you and Mr Rather) has said that there is an extreme likelihood that CBS got fooled.

The secretary did not say the documents were fakes. She said she has no recollection of having typed those documents and she believes they are forgeries. However she also says wording of those documents accurately expresses the opinion of her boss concerning George Jr. She says her boss though that poorly of Lt Bush and was being pressured to write good reviews.

If Dan Rather ever had a carrer crisis, it may be happening now. Defined previously are the requirements of a responsible anchorman. If Dan Rather did not meet those criteria, then we have every expectation that he will be replaced and demoted as the CBS news anchor. Its a tough world out there which is why good people don't play politically correctness games. A spade is a spade. All that remains are details to say whether Dan should or should not be replaced or demoted. Currently we don't have sufficient facts. But what we do have says Dan should not survive this.

Lets not forget CBS management in all this. The only major news story every quashed by its subject was the 60 Minutes piece that exposed the tobacco industry. The tobacco industry quashed that story because CBS management was that inferior. It just may be that CBS management is still that inferior meaning a management shakeup at the highest levels may also be required. It is the kind of story that 60 Minutes should be reporting without any political correctness - assuming 60 Minutes is as responsible as they were 20 years ago. 60 Minutes should be naming names, bluntly, no matter what happens to Dan Rather.

[OnyxCougar]

I've always liked Peter Jennings.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

There's plenty of evidence that Bush was a total fuck-up in his youth.

So this is his 2nd childhood then?

Danny blew it. Why not sink this administration with verifiable facts?

Originally Posted by Griff

So this is his 2nd childhood then?

Danny blew it. Why not sink this administration with verifiable facts?

Couldn't agree more which is why I said this whole thing reeks to me - almost as if someone from the Bush camp retyped the damning documents so that they would be found out and regarded as forgeries.

[lookout123]

Originally Posted by marichiko

Couldn't agree more which is why I said this whole thing reeks to me - almost as if someone from the Bush camp retyped the damning documents so that they would be found out and regarded as forgeries.

yup, right after they put that magic bullet through kennedy.

adjust your foil hat, please.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Bah, JF Kennedy committed suicide.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by tw

The secretary did not say the documents were fakes. She said... she believes they are forgeries.

Ah. That's very different.

Originally Posted by lookout123

adjust your foil hat, please.

"I keep my foil hat tied on securely at all times with a nice yellow ribbon," she said primly.

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Bah, JF Kennedy committed suicide.

No, no, silly! JFK is on the road with Elvis following the Greatful Dead!