Dan Rather Should Stick to His Story

The other night Dan Rather was back in center ring. In an hour long interview with CNN's Larry King. Rather spoke with quiet fury about the suits at CBS who treated him, a 44-year employee, so disgracefully. It turns out that at the end, it was the lawyers--not actor-turned corporate honcho Leslie Moonves--who told Rather "we just don't have a place for you." But, as Rather understood--as has anyone watching the networks these last years--CBS News is a cog in an entertainment company.

"There came a time," he told King (who also works for an entertainment company with a news division) " when I realized...that we were working for not CBS and not CBS News. We were working for Viacom News...a larger entertainment company....but I want to do news that matters. And so much of the news these days...it's so driven by ratings, so driven by demographics, so driven by, we used to be told stockholder value. It's driven by things other than the public interest. I want to do news that's fair and accurate, do it with integrity and I want to do it in the public interest."

In one of the more interesting exchanges, Rather talked about 60 Minutes's controversial broadcast about Bush's National Guard record.

King: "You're saying that was a fair report, I mean that was--you believe that report to this day?" Rather: Do I believe the truth of the story? Absolutely.

Rather added, "...We had a lot, a lot of corroboration..it wasn't just the documents. But it's a very old technique used when those who don't like what you're reporting, believe it can be hurtful, then they look for the weakest spot and attack it, which is fair enough." But, he added, " It's a diversionary technique."

Rather is right.

In the days after "60 Minutes" aired its September 2004 report raising tough questions about President Bush's pampered "service" in the Texas National Guard, the heart of the story was obscured by a rightwing blog-fueled controversy over the authenticity of the so-called Killian memos. Instead of asking the White House tough questions about the well-documented information contained in the broadcast, too much of the media focused almost exclusively on the claims and counter-claims made about the disputed documents.

To be sure, Rather and his producers played into the hands of a Bush spin machine that, to this day,remains expert at peddling the lie that a liberal media is out to distort the president's record. As The Nation's John Nichols wrote at the time, "By relying on a few documents that were not adequately verified, CBS handed White House political czar Karl Rove exactly what he needed to steer attention away from the real story." But it always remained true, as Rather said at the time, that " Those who have criticized aspects of our story have never criticized the heart of it...that George Bush received preferential treatment to get into the National Guard and, once there, failed to satisfy the requirements of his service." The basic story was, in fact, well-reported by Texas columnist Molly Ivins and investigative reporter Lou Dubose almost five years before CBS's report. And in the days before and after 60 Minutes broadcast, the AP, the Boston Globe and US News & World Report all raised new questions about Bush's military record. Though each of these stories, as a good report by FAIR pointed out at the time (Sept 14, 2004), were "accompanied by significant official documentation, developments in the investigations by AP, US News and the Globe [were] largely sidetracked by the fixation on questions about the authenticity of documents aired on CBS on September 8." As FAIR's report concluded, It was like "the equivalent of covering the sideshow and ignoring the center ring."

Here's a modest editorial idea for Rather. Now that you're back with a weekly news program on Mark Cuban's HDNet TV-- and with the editorial freedom and mandate to do tough investigative reports, how about documenting the full story about the White House coverup of George W. Bush's military service?

Comments (68)

1. I've argued this point with winger friends for years.

   Rather and his producers and staff were simply stupid for not thoroughly vetting the documents that ultimately brought him down. But the fact that those particular documents weren't genuine doesn't outweigh the rest of the evidence concerning W's service, (or lack thereof). None the less, the spin won out over the logic.

   Rather should revisit the issue, and set it straight.

   Posted by drhammer at 07/14/2006 @ 11:01am

2. The Rather debacle reminded me of a particularly poignant quote by Howard Stern at the conclusion of the O.J. Simpson trial:

   "Mark Furman used the word "nigger", so O.J. is innocent."

   Posted by drhammer at 07/14/2006 @ 11:08am

3. Damn right he should.

   Posted by Hman23 at 07/14/2006 @ 11:09am

4. Conservatives disgrace themselves, saying George Bush served his country during Vietnam. George Bush served in the military during Vietnam. George Bush defended freedom in the military during Vietnam.

   If you have a medal for your ordeals in Vietnam, Conservatives feel they can just take it from you, say you didnt earn it. Take the medal from someone who underwent the ordeals and give it to someone bailed out by his rich dad, who served dishonorably.

   Said, "I aint showing up, I dont have to protect the skies of Texas from the Vietnamese - you think youre talking to one of these regular not very special Americans? I'm from upper-crust hard working folk."

   Posted by conshame at 07/14/2006 @ 11:10am

5. Seriously, anybody think Ms vanden Heuvel would use the same "journalistic standard" for Dan Rather (above) for some report by....Fox News?

   As I noted in her other story on Cuban and Rather....Mark Cuban is making a serious mistake BOTH in hiring a 75 year old man, whose ratings weren't that great when he was in his prime....and whose last great journalistic "claim to fame" was...that he was "relying on a few documents that were not adequately verified" (John Nichols).

   Posted by Mask at 07/14/2006 @ 11:13am

6. "Here's a modest editorial idea for Rather. Now that you're back with a weekly news program on Mark Cuban's HDNet TV-- and with the editorial freedom and mandate to do tough investigative reports, how about documenting the full story about the White House coverup of George W. Bush's military service?"

   Good idea. And file it under "WHO CARES????".

   Posted by woodyee at 07/14/2006 @ 11:15am

7. Who cares? People that care about the truth. Not you obviously, Woodeye.

   Posted by crabwalk at 07/14/2006 @ 11:21am

8. This story points up a major issue concerning today's media that is America's primary source of "news". Most of the corporate controlled media is no longer news oriented, but entertainment oriented. Truth seeking is forgotten, and truth telling is too often punished if it steps on corporate (or corporate friend) toes.

   But it is not only the media that has become taken over by corporate bottom lines. America itself is being sold down the river to corporate entities. Our environment is most affected by that selling and so global warming & other untoward environmental degradations are occuring in the name of this quarter's bottom line. Corporate control ober allus is the enemy...and it is abetted by many in our legislature...mostly republicans...but not only. I fear for my grandchildren.

   Posted by evergreen at 07/14/2006 @ 11:24am

9. CRABWALK - If it's true, so what? I can say that it's true that Kerry was a faux warrior; so what? These issues don't mean anything.

   Posted by woodyee at 07/14/2006 @ 11:35am

10. It means something to me to prove that tough-guy bush is actually a lying coward. Unlike Kerry, who was awarded medals by the Dep of the Navy. You must really hate the troops, Woodeye. I just love how the support the troops clowns pile onto any troop that has a different opinion. Too rich.

    Posted by crabwalk at 07/14/2006 @ 11:39am

11. Let's see now----Plamegate following apart----Guess KVH and the far left now must go back and bring up the already discredited National Guard stuff---sounds a little desperate to me.

    Posted by Len Mosse at 07/14/2006 @ 11:44am

12. Thousands of soldiers are going to be returning home and getting involved in politics. Right now they are overwhelmingly running as democrats, against monkeysuitboy. As they go about campaigning they will be attacked by people with little ribbons on their cars that say "Support the Troops". And they, like luvlib(s) will miss the irony.

    Posted by crabwalk at 07/14/2006 @ 11:46am

13. Woodyee, as a veteran of another unjust war (Iraq), I am insulted that you would call Kerry a "faux warrior." I was an activated National Guardsman and we had to hear similar things overseas by active-duty soldiers who thought theirs didn't stink. You have shown over and over again what you really think of those who actually do go to our wars, so I've got to wonder, are you a veteran? And if so, are you a combat veteran? A war veteran? A war-era veteran? Someone whose timing was lucky? If you want to go after "faux warriors," why not go after the one who checked a box that said "I do not want to be considered for overseas service." (I wish I would have had that option.)

    Posted by steve4wv at 07/14/2006 @ 12:13pm

14. I find it interesting that, while the documents may have been forgeries, the secretary, Marion Knox, has stated that the information contained in them reflected the truth about Lt. B*sh. That doesn't sound like the substance of the CBS story has been discredited AT ALL!

    Posted by cliffy at 07/14/2006 @ 12:29pm

15. Sorry, wingers.

    All these deceptions and machinations will be revisited.

    The arrogance of having dodged the bullet presupposes that there was only one round in the gun.

    Posted by drhammer at 07/14/2006 @ 12:29pm

16. Posted by MASK 07/14/2006 @ 11:13am | ignore this person

    Thought I'd further elaborate, if I may...

    Did anybody (especially Mark Cuban) give THIS any thought?

    Suppose Rather on HDNet "breaks some story"....even a true one on the Bush Administration. If the Right Wing starts saying things like "Oh, does Dan have 'memos' to prove that?", the story's credibility immediately takes a hit.

    But, if SOME OTHER journalist, without Rather's baggage, were hired by Cuban, and broke the story....a lot harder to dis-credit it, no?

    Posted by Mask at 07/14/2006 @ 12:38pm

17. Woodyee -

    Kerry a "Faux warrior"? Is that like "Faux News"? Yeah, okay. Guess the official records of Kerry's service and rewards were faked by the U.S. military, just like George Bush's service record gaps...

    When and where did you serve, armchair warrior?

    ===================================================

    50 Great Questions for Conservatives

    Print this list and keep it handy for when your right-wing friends start spewing blah-blah and yadda-yadda (courtesy of the Huffington Post)

    1. What are the Top Seven best things that the Bush Administration has done?

    2. Is the Iraq War is going well?

    3. After three years thus far, when do you think Iraq might be able to "stand up" so that America can "stand down"?

    4. For his part in the event, how would you rate the job the President did protecting New Orleans from devastation?

    5. How do you think the rebuilding of New Orleans is going?

    6. When Dick Cheney and the oil company and energy executives met in private to plan America's energy policy, how much of their goal was to benefit consumers?

    7. Do you believe in the President's call for an Era of Personal Responsibility?

    8. Since Republicans control the White House, Senate and House of Representatives, how personally responsible are they for conditions in America today?

    9. Why do you think they haven't been able to find anyone who can verify that George Bush ever showed up for National Guard duty in Alabama?

    10. Would you want Donald Rumsfeld to plan your daughter's wedding?

    11. Are you aware that no government in the history of civilization, other than the Bush Administration, has lowered taxes during a war?

    12. Are you married?

    13. Do you personally feel threatened by gay marriage?

    14. Since getting elected, do you think the President has been more a uniter or a divider?

    15. How do you explain the President's approval rating going from a high of 90% to the current mid-30%?

    16. Do you like the government collecting personal data on you without a warrant?

    17. How much money do you have in your bank account, stocks and investments?

    18. What's your partner's favorite sex position?

    19. If you have nothing to hide, why aren't you answering?

    20. Should we build a wall along the Mexican border?

    21. Why isn't anyone building a wall along the Canadian border?

    22. Does that terrorist gang arrested in Canada count as a threat?

    23. If you shot someone in the face, how fast would the police show up to arrest you?

    24. If Donald Rumsfeld had planned your daughter's wedding three years ago, would the guests still be there?

    25. Even if no laws are broken, do you think it's okay to reveal the name of a covert agent?

    26. During your lifetime, approximately how often have you changed your mind?

    27. Why shouldn't people dismiss you as a flip-flopper?

    28. Where do you think the Weapons of Mass Destruction might be?

    29. Where do you think Osama bin Laden might be?

    30. Is it fiscally responsible to cut taxes, increase spending and create a $9 trillion federal debt?

    31. Are you glad liberals passed such programs as Social Security, Medicare, the Civil Rights Act, women's suffrage, federal deposit insurance, unemployment compensation, rural electrification, child labor laws, minimum wages and the 40-hour work week?

    32. What are the Top Ten best things that conservatives have given to America?

    33. If you were on life support, would you want a doctor you'd never met making a diagnosis about you via remote television?

    34. Do you think man-made greenhouse gases have anything at all to do with depleting the ozone layer?

    35. If Donald Rumsfeld had planned your daughter's wedding three years ago, and guests were still there, how many factions would they now be split into?

    36. How good is it that the terrorist Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi was killed?

    37. Are you aware that in 2002 the Pentagon knew where al-Zarqawi was and presented three separate plans to kill him, but the Administration refused to act each time?

    38. Is George W. Bush the kind of guy you'd want to sit down and have a beer with?

    39. When he started talking about being a Born Again Christian, would you want to stay or leave?

    40. Is Ray Romano the kind of guy you'd want to sit down and have a beer with?

    41. Would you want him to be President?

    42. Does the Administration have an environmental policy that benefits the environment?

    43. Since George Bush campaigned for President strongly against nation building, in what ways are our actions in Iraq not nation building?

    44. What's the maximum amount of time you'd want to spend alone with Dick Cheney?

    45. After dismissing Saddam Hussein's old Iraqi army, was it a good idea to let them keep their rifles?

    46. Would a policy that allows torture be something that makes you proud as an American?

    47. Has the Mission been Accomplished?

    48. Do you feel comforted that Dick Cheney is a heartbeat away from being President?

    49. If Donald Rumsfeld had planned your daughter's wedding, and guests started fighting and were killed, would you expect to be allowed to view the caskets when they were returned home?

    50. How glad do you think George Bush is that he's no longer active in the National Guard?

    Posted by New Dawn at 07/14/2006 @ 12:50pm

18. By the by, there are a couple of patently silly questions on the list, but it's still fun!

    Let the right-wing spin begin!

    hee hee hee

    Posted by New Dawn at 07/14/2006 @ 12:57pm

19. Not to do a Rese/Plunger, but I've always had this sneaky little suspicion that the memos that Marion Knox said she'd never seen, the ones that are thought to have been produced on a word processor (rather than a typewriter) were a machination of a Karl Rovian-type mind.

    Pulling a stunt like that - which had a paradoxical effect on the presidential race that year - is certainly the way the mind of a guy like that thinks (and no doubt what was intended). And hey, they got one of their arch nemeses, Dan Rather/CBS, in the process.

    What's not to love about that?

    Posted by skeletonman at 07/14/2006 @ 1:12pm

20. The Swift boat veterens are all liars and Dan Rather wields the "sword of truth! Liberal bizarro reality! BwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaHaaaaaaaa Posted by RIO BRAVO 07/14/2006 @ 12:39am | ignore this person

    Again, the Swift Boat Schmucks have been shown to have a political agenda, while the men who were actually on Kerry's boat back him up 100%. While I wouldn't use the term "wields the sword of truth", Dan Rather has had a long and distinguished career in news. What about the truth is so hard for conservatives to understand?

    Posted by cliffy at 07/14/2006 @ 1:14pm

21. Posted by SKELETONMAN 07/14/2006 @ 1:12pm | ignore this person

    I, too, have always had that same sneaking suspicion.

    Posted by cliffy at 07/14/2006 @ 1:16pm

22. Dan Rather can atone for CBS's sin (of which he bears partial responsibility) of allowing the republican noise machine to obfuscate the real issue of Bush's military term (service would not be the appropriate word) by fearlessly exposing this story and daring all who would challenge it to put their facts on the table. This issue alone should've brought down the Bush regime, laying open the hypocrisy of a pro Vietnam war political stance, just as long as Dubya himself did not have to go and fight it.

    Posted by Alboy at 07/14/2006 @ 1:21pm

23. Posted by SKELETONMAN 07/14/2006 @ 1:12pm | ignore this person

    Posted by CLIFFY 07/14/2006 @ 1:16pm | ignore this person

    Uh, guys?

    If Rove can pull off getting Bill Burkitt giving Mary Mapes forgeries, just to embaress CBS and Rather over the "true story" of Bush Air Guard service...

    Why is he going to "fail miserably" in the November 2006 midterms "using illegal immigration and gay marriage"....and why will Joe and Valerie Wilson-Plame be able to "take him down" in a civil lawsuit?

    Build the guy up to Herculean political power...you also set yourself up for the question "Why will you be able to stop him?"

    Posted by Mask at 07/14/2006 @ 1:29pm

24. STEVE4WV - Uh...no! Why would I want to join the military? There's not a draft. I went to college. I had a Mom and a Dad and came from a good family. The military's for other people. I thank you for your service and it's too bad that you didn't check a box that said "I do not want to be considered for overseas service."

    Posted by woodyee at 07/14/2006 @ 1:34pm

25. ND

    re: 07/14/2006 @ 12:50am

    Nice....

    Posted by leftofcenter at 07/14/2006 @ 1:36pm

26. "Why would I want to join the military? There's not a draft. I went to college. I had a Mom and a Dad and came from a good family. The military's for other people."

    Wow, did a conservative really just write this?

    The truth comes out - Woodyee thinks the military is for the uneducated from poor families - "other people".

    Why do you hold American soldiers in such low regard, Woodyee?

    Why do you hate America?

    Posted by New Dawn at 07/14/2006 @ 1:39pm

27. I'm no conservative! I'm a liberal, not a left wing moonbat and I wish they'd leave the Democratic party.

    Posted by woodyee at 07/14/2006 @ 1:41pm

28. Right-wingers are psychotic and the truth is not in them. re; rio bravo: I rest my case

    Posted by Alboy at 07/14/2006 @ 1:47pm

29. "The truth comes out - Woodyee thinks the military is for the uneducated from poor families - "other people"."

    Not at all! I really didn't mean it that way. I meant that there are certain types that are naturally drawn to the service (adventurous types, want to see the world, etc) and I'm not. I have lots of friends in the service and lots over in Iraq. They love it and thrive off the danger.

    Posted by woodyee at 07/14/2006 @ 1:50pm

30. News to me and everyone else, given your posts here.

    Am I mistaking you for someone else?

    "Who cares" if GWB received preferential treatment in getting into the National Guard, or failed to complete his service after doing so? That would make him a liar and a fraud - and you say "Who cares" and "These issues don't mean anything"?

    Sure sounds like a moonbat conservative to me...

    Posted by New Dawn at 07/14/2006 @ 1:50pm

31. BTW, has Dan Rather admitted to doing ANYTHING wrong in the "Memo-gate" thing?...even a tepid John Nichols-like "relying on a few documents that were not adequately verified"????

    Posted by Mask at 07/14/2006 @ 1:55pm

32. New Dawn - Bush ain't running again. Voters aren't going to vote for a Republican 'because Bush's service record'. It's time to move on. That's why it doesn't mean anything. Don't you want to get back in power (the white house)?

    Posted by woodyee at 07/14/2006 @ 1:57pm

33. Below is the text of CBS News Anchor Dan Rather's statement on the documents purportedly written by President Bush's National Guard commander:

    Last week, amid increasing questions about the authenticity of documents used in support of a "60 Minutes Wednesday" story about President Bush's time in the Texas Air National Guard, CBS News vowed to re-examine the documents in question-and their source-vigorously. And we promised that we would let the American public know what this examination turned up, whatever the outcome.

    Now, after extensive additional interviews, I no longer have the confidence in these documents that would allow us to continue vouching for them journalistically. I find we have been misled on the key question of how our source for the documents came into possession of these papers. That, combined with some of the questions that have been raised in public and in the press, leads me to a point where-if I knew then what I know now-I would not have gone ahead with the story as it was aired, and I certainly would not have used the documents in question.

    But we did use the documents. We made a mistake in judgment, and for that I am sorry. It was an error that was made, however, in good faith and in the spirit of trying to carry on a CBS News tradition of investigative reporting without fear or favoritism.

    Please know that nothing is more important to us than people's trust in our ability and our commitment to report fairly and truthfully."

    Posted by New Dawn at 07/14/2006 @ 2:00pm

34. New Dawn - Bush ain't running again. Voters aren't going to vote for a Republican 'because Bush's service record'. It's time to move on. That's why it doesn't mean anything. Don't you want to get back in power (the white house)?

    Posted by WOODYEE 07/14/2006 @ 1:57pm

    Now, you're arguing a different argument.

    But I agree that it is a historic, rather than a future concern. And I have personally said several times that Bush (Rove, et al) is just one guy, and won't be 'round forever.

    Want back power? How about responsiblity, accountability, and transparency? I don't care which party is in power if these ideals remain in effect, since they've been largely abandoned for five years...

    And actually, chances look good (depending on what sources you read, of course, as always - I like to read a broad spectrum of opinions and polls, then sift the wheat from the chaff) of distinct change in the near future...

    Poll: Americans want Democrats in power

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060714/ ap_on_go_co/republicans_ap_poll

    Posted by New Dawn at 07/14/2006 @ 2:05pm

35. And again, the apologists can kill the messenger all they like, but there are absolutely gaps in Bush's service record, and I absolutely believe strings were pulled to get him into the Guard.

    Someone prove me wrong, please.

    Posted by New Dawn at 07/14/2006 @ 2:08pm

36. Funny how we can argue all the way back to WWII and before and no one calls those arguments "ancient history", but mention Bush, and all hell breaks loose...

    "That doesn't matter!"

    "Bush won't be in office forever!"

    "That's ancient history!"

    hee hee hee

    Posted by New Dawn at 07/14/2006 @ 2:09pm

37. Woodyee, I have never seen you write one thing on this post that is remotely liberal, so could you please educate the rest of us on what makes you a liberal?

    However, this needs to be addressed: Uh...no! Why would I want to join the military? There's not a draft. I went to college. I had a Mom and a Dad and came from a good family. The military's for other people. I thank you for your service and it's too bad that you didn't check a box that said "I do not want to be considered for overseas service."

    So what if there's not a draft? There wasn't a draft when I enlisted in 2000. There hasn't been a draft for the millions of us who have enlisted since the creation of the all-volunteer force in 1973. Besides, if you believe this war is necessary and just, and you are of military age and physically capable of military service, you should join the military and put your body where your mouth is.

    Second, I know lots of people who enlisted in the military who have been to college. I was a senior in college when I got activated, and graduated the year after I got home. As a matter of fact, my platoon sergeant was a college-educated man and a schoolteacher. If it weren't for college graduates, there would be no officer corps.

    Third, I am insulted by your "I came from a good family" line. Does that mean that everyone who joins the military is not "from a good family"? John Kerry came from a wealthy family and graduated from an Ivy League institution and volunteered for two tours of duty in Vietnam. Al Gore came from a wealthy family and volunteered in Vietnam, even if it wasn't in a combat role. There are plenty of people who joined the military even if they didn't have to because they felt a need to serve their country. (Yes, I realize that you tried to retract it later, but you still didn't apologize for the original statement.) Maybe the reason you are defending the record of "service" of George W. Bush and questioning John Kerry's is because of the guilt you feel for not serving yourself.

    If you are going to thank people for their service, don't disparage the people who do serve. Yeah, looking back there is a part of me that wishes that I could have opted out of overseas service before I enlisted, but I made no effort to duck it once I got activated, and the problem is that you can't pick and choose. I would have felt a lot better about being activated for something like Afghanistan that is justified compared to something that was not, but it is an all or nothing situation, and for George W. Bush to compare the service of the National Guard now with the country club it was 40 years ago is an insult to all in the National Guard nowadays, and those of us (including those of us who recently got out) who were sent overseas to serve in his war.

    Posted by steve4wv at 07/14/2006 @ 2:12pm

38. Bless you and yours, and thank you for your service, Steve.

    Posted by New Dawn at 07/14/2006 @ 2:18pm

39. Posted by FREIHEIT 07/14/2006 @ 2:02pm | ignore this person

    Again: the secretary at the TexasANG at the time said that the substance of the memos was accurate, even if she said she didn't think she typed them. Get it?

    Posted by cliffy at 07/14/2006 @ 2:20pm

40. Posted by NEW DAWN 07/14/2006 @ 2:00pm | ignore this person

    Okay...that IS a "tepid John Nichols-like" statement, I stand corrected.

    First paragraph---"We looked into it, because we were caught"

    Second paragraph---"Everything else was fine, I'd just take out the parts that were forgeries"

    Third paragraph---"We did it with the best intentions....hmmm?"

    Last line---"Our week long delay into investigating this and still sticking by the truth of the memos should in no way stop you from watching us."

    I'm sorry, but ol' Dan blew it...or was caught...or whatever you want to say. And again, I'll say that continueing to defend him helps NOBODY on the Left or Middle, but just the Right. And Mark Cuban is making a BIG mistake by hiring Rather and not some other journalist (even of equal age) but without sixteen tons of Bill Burkitt Bricks in baggage.

    Posted by Mask at 07/14/2006 @ 2:27pm

41. "So what if there's not a draft? There wasn't a draft when I enlisted in 2000."

    See above. The military's not my 'thing' but I admire you for enlisting.

    "Besides, if you believe this war is necessary and just, and you are of military age and physically capable of military service, you should join the military and put your body where your mouth is."

    That's silly. I think that pizza place where I ate lunch today is necessary and just and I'm old enough to work there but I don't believe that I SHOULD get a job there.

    "Second, I know lots of people who enlisted in the military who have been to college."

    Totally agree! Sorry that it came across like that.

    "Maybe the reason you are defending the record of "service" of George W. Bush and questioning John Kerry's is because of the guilt you feel for not serving yourself."

    (laughs) Not at all!

    "If you are going to thank people for their service, don't disparage the people who do serve."

    I'm not diparaging those who served. I do detect a tone of "We served, we regret it and it's not our fault" in a lot of those who've come back and are against the war. The main reason that I wouldn't join the service is because you're at the mercy of who ever's in charge. That's what I told every recruiter who called.

    Posted by woodyee at 07/14/2006 @ 2:31pm

42. We heard you, Mask. Repeatedly.

    And we get that you don't like Rather or Nichols, and that that dislike supersedes the weight of the Bush service-record mystery.

    We heard you, Mask. Repeatedly.

    Posted by New Dawn at 07/14/2006 @ 2:32pm

43. Making a comparison between rooting for war but not being willing to fight it, and enjoying a pizza but not being willing to make it

    is vacuous and stupid.

    Posted by New Dawn at 07/14/2006 @ 2:38pm

44. From Wikipedia-

    "On October 14, 2000, the Birmingham (Alabama) News reported that a group of Alabama veterans offered $1,000 to "anyone with proof that Texas Gov. George W. Bush actually served in the Alabama National Guard." It went unclaimed.[34]

    On February 23, 2004, cartoonist Garry Trudeau, creator of Doonesbury, personally offered a highly-publicized $10,000 reward (in the form of a donation in the winner's name to the USO, which entertains U.S. troops) to anyone who had "personally witnessed" Bush reporting for drills at Dannelly Air National Guard Base between May and November 1972.[35] As of yet, the reward has not been paid.

    On February 27, 2004, Trudeau announced that despite over 1,300 responses, his offer had unearthed no new evidence to show that Bush actually turned up for duty in the time period in question. A spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee dismissed the reward as a "silly stunt." Trudeau agreed, saying, "She's right, but as a simple investigative cartoonist, I don't have a very big tool kit."[36]

    In September 2004, the 527 group "Texans for Truth", offered a $50,000 reward to anyone who could prove that Bush fulfilled his service requirements by either "first-hand, eye-witness testimony," or authentic "documentary evidence."[37]"

    I say go for it, Dan.

    Posted by drhammer at 07/14/2006 @ 2:46pm

45. Mask -

    So, you think Dan Rather shouldn't be given any further credibility because of shoddy investigation and fact-checking on "the memo".

    Should the Bush administration have been held to your same standards for the memo that led to their infamous 16 words?

    In fact, since they are the U.S. government, after all - not just some old fart of a reporter - shouldn't they have been held to even higher standards?

    Guess not, in MaskWorld. It's not like the "big 16" helped lead us into a war or anything.

    ;)

    Posted by New Dawn at 07/14/2006 @ 2:54pm

46. OR documenting with REAL real REPORTING, Bush's criminal service as US "president" and "commander-in-chief".

    Posted by Vic Anderson at 07/14/2006 @ 2:59pm

47. the weight of the Bush service-record mystery.

    Posted by NEW DAWN 07/14/2006 @ 2:32pm | ignore this person

    NEW...what is the "weight" of that "mystery", now?

    So Dan and Mary Mapes and Ms vanden Heuvel and "The Nation" can say "See, see...we were right, Bush missed drills to campaign for his father's friends in 1972...and uh....therefore he was a AWOL draft-dodger!"

    Fine...how many lines in the future "Arthur Schlesinger Jr."-style historic account of Bush will that muster? A paragraph or two?

    Oddly, I think "Iraq", "the deficit", "9/11", "Hurricane Katrina", etc. will take up a BIT more space.

    No...the "weight" is to redeem Dan Rather's journalistic integrity, by saying what he has said from the beginning "The story was true, even if we used false evidence".

    Sounds like something else from a Bush biography...on yellowcake uranium, huh?

    Posted by Mask at 07/14/2006 @ 3:01pm

48. Posted by NEW DAWN 07/14/2006 @ 2:54pm | ignore this person

    Passed each other in the Ether-sphere, I guess, ND.

    Nope...same thing to me. To you?

    Posted by Mask at 07/14/2006 @ 3:02pm

49. .

    KVH sticks to Rather

    Rather complains about not being allowed to do serious journalism.

    Who the hell gets paid $7 million a year for doing journalism? For that kind of money, unless you are an idiot, you have got to know that you are not in journalism but in show biz.

    If he wants to do journalism there are plenty of newspapers that will pay him $50,000 a year to deliver serious copy as a reporter. Let him do that, if he can.

    He can't. His gig is reading the news with great earnestness and wearing safari suits. For a while he had the idea of being enigmatic and profound by ending every broadcasts with the word, "Courage." He refused to sit in Cronkite's chair on camera as an indication of his modesty. The intensity and earnestness he displayed was in fact the symptoms of a contrived personality that is slightly unhinged. Finally he was let go, because he gave off spooky vibes, which drove the audience away. It's those vibes of course that hold a charm for KVH.

    The only thing real about this guy is that he is a liberal. That is his morality, his virtue, his idea of being sophisticated and smart.

    Courage.

    .

    Posted by nacl at 07/14/2006 @ 3:07pm

50. Not so subtle difference....

    Rather paid for his error with a broken career.

    Bush still got his war he so dearly wanted and got re-elected despite his error.

    Rather either wants his career back or for Bush to be held accountable for the 16 words.

    Payback is a bitch huh rightie!

    Posted by freedomplease at 07/14/2006 @ 3:09pm

51. Any idea when Sen Kerry is going to explain why did not originally get an honorable discharge-- and had to petition for one when Pres Carter was in office??? I think we need to know that as well.

    Posted by sagrabe at 07/14/2006 @ 3:14pm

52. Posted by SAGRABE 07/14/2006 @ 3:14pm | ignore this person

    See above for proof that NEITHER side wants to admit that their "scandal" is irrelevant and needs to just be Move'd On.org!

    Posted by Mask at 07/14/2006 @ 3:17pm

53. I hate it when you make me repeat myself, Mask.

    From my post earlier:

    "Who cares" if GWB received preferential treatment in getting into the National Guard, or failed to complete his service after doing so? That would make him a liar and a fraud - and you say "Who cares" and "These issues don't mean anything"?

    And your oversimplification "Bush missed drills to campaign for his father's friends in 1972..." is shoddy and disingenuous.

    Posted by New Dawn at 07/14/2006 @ 3:51pm

54. Posted by MASK 07/14/2006 @ 3:02pm

    Yep, for the most part, but see

    Posted by FREEDOMPLEASE 07/14/2006 @ 3:09pm

    Posted by New Dawn at 07/14/2006 @ 3:52pm

55. Posted by MASK 07/14/2006 @ 1:29pm: Build the guy up to Herculean political power...you also set yourself up for the question "Why will you be able to stop him?"

    Because times change. And with Dear Leader's popularity plummet, the only people left to support the Righteous Ones are idiots like you... and Salty... And Potsy... And the always laughable Brave River.

    Posted by orwell2005 at 07/14/2006 @ 3:52pm

56. Posted by NACL 07/14/2006 @ 3:07pm

    The intensity and earnestness NACL has displayed is in fact the symptoms of a contrived personality that is slightly unhinged. He should be let go, because he gives off spooky vibes, which drives his audience away.

    The only thing real about this guy is that he is a knee-jerk apologist. That is his morality, his virtue, his idea of being sophisticated and smart..

    Horseshit.

    Posted by New Dawn at 07/14/2006 @ 3:55pm

57. Posted by NACL 07/14/2006 @ 3:07pm:

    Salty! Always good to get your take on the pressing matters of the day.

    I am disappointed, however, that you have omitted any reference to WWII in your post. I really look forward to your daily WWII analogies. Are you not feeling well?

    Posted by orwell2005 at 07/14/2006 @ 4:05pm

58. 287 - back during the times of the Swift Boaters, a right winger on a message board made the comment that "287 Swift Boaters couldnt all be lying". I realized the number 287 was suspect, so I searched to try and find whatever nutcase right wing article the source might be and throw it in his face.

    I ran the search 287 Swift Boat on a few engines, because I found all kind of stuff - 287 must be a code number of some kind.

    ... Kerry," that the "Dukakis/Kerry administration would issue furloughs for 287 sex offenders, 82 first-degree murderers and 184 second-degree murderers. ...

    ... Bush, speaking on CNN, lauds the Swift Boat Veterans' claims against Kerry as "rather compelling ... will be the proud owners of 287,000,000 slaves. All the more reason not ...

    ... But a spokesman for Swift Boat Veterans for Truth warned Mr ... a loss of only 4 percent of the 10,287 transmission substations results in a 60 percent loss of ...

    ... Electoral College Votes: BUSH: 287--KERRY: 211--UNKOWN: 40 ... with all it's facts taken out of context (unlike the Swift Boat Vets for Truth information) ...

    ... Brit Cobb (D) by a statewide margin of 2,287 votes. However, during the recount it was discovered ... FROM IRAQ: MEET THE FUTURE SWIFT BOAT VETS. Our special correspondent Lt ...

    ... This led to a statement today put out by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. ... That's because this page, or this book, 287-page book, culled from the ...

    The following list is the catalog of most titles in print from Regnery Publishing since its founding in 1947. ... Hyatt, 2001, 0-89526-287-8, $27.95, cloth, "Today's technology gives anyone with a computer and a ... Unfit for Command: Swift Boat

    Naval and Maritime Books New, used, out of print and rare 20th Century Naval warfare books. Also carry Submarine, Maritime, Aviation and WWII Books. ... story of USN PT Boat operations during World War II ... Photos, technical drawings, app., 287 pages. Scarce 1st Ex-library ... 1983 "Story of the swift but perilous Gloucester schooners and ...

    ... while the 482 killed last year died during fully 287 days (1.68 daily ... breathless Swift Boat twist to report the fact that more Americans have died ...

    ... responding to a question about the Swift Boat Vets For Bush ads... ... 2003: 287 days, 482 US troops dead. As Kos points out, 2004 has now been bloodier ...

    ... Flip to Page 148 for the first Purple Heart, Page 287 for the second Purple ... Page 299-300: Larry Thurlow, a Swift boat captain from Garden City, Kan. ...

    ... Source: Complete Biography By The Boston Globe, p.287-8 ... [During an attack on Kerry's Swift Boat in Vietnam], James Rassmann was thrown into the ...

    ... State defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy probably felt like John Kerry at a swift boat rally. ... Mills still managed to go 21-of-37 passing for 287 yards. ...

    ... Alsterlund paced a potent Eastern ground attack that churned out 287 yards ... money off of fabrications, and they liken his film to the Swift boat ads. ...

    ... Yankees Lose to Indians 287 to 0, Suffer Three Deaths ... Full story ... Swift Boat Veterans Say Kerry Had Tea with Ho Chi Minh (25-Aug-04) ...

    ... Kerry and Swift Boat Veterans. Can Bush Win Re-Election If He Can't Win War on Terror ... to Muslim countries. Of the 287 gold medals, Muslim nations won only 13 ...

    John Kerry fined 287$ for parking violation:

    ... created by the same technical producers behind the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Web campaign that helped defeat ... Senate campaign committee wrote a $287 check to the City of Boston ...

    nd finally came up with a Swift Boat Vet guy who said he saw Kerry shoot ... As regards the draft, my birth date was lottery #287, so I didn't go. ...

    ... has more than doubled, to 690 from the backlog of 287 cases in FY 2001. ... can expect now that the mudslingers behind the "Swift Boat Veterans for Lies ...

    ... POWs Shown in Film Join Swift Boat Group's Anti-Kerry Efforts ... at the start of fiscal 2004, compared with a backlog of 556 in 2003 and 287 in 2002. ...

    .. spurred in part by a group of Republican-leaning Swift Boat veterans attacking ... PDF (287 K). Economic models are meant to provide a framework to ...

    ... politics--or about that crackpot book by those Swift Boat Veterans. No--more than all else, they care ... posts generalized radio ratings for 287 American markets on an ongoing basis ...

    ... Ickes said he regretted not responding to the Swift Boat Veterans' attacks, but at the time ... -----Confederate-------------------- 287 years 134 days ...

    ... -Confederate- 287 years 134 days. -Combined- 807 years 289 days ... to allow organizations such as Swift Boat Veterans and Moveon.org to ...

    I MEAN, THERE IS ALOT MORE - THIS IS ABOUT THE 1ST HALF OF WHAT I WASTED MY TIME COLLECTING.

    Posted by LiberalPride at 07/14/2006 @ 4:13pm

59. Swift Boat Crew Directory Swift Boat Sailors Association Swift Boat Homepage (AOL) ... (904) 287-6909 The association is comprised of former...

    ... you were buried under a rock and missed the Swift Boat phenomena, Republican media moguls are making sure that every ... Des Moines, IA 50231. (515)287-1717 ...

    ... why do these swift boat people continue to make up their own history? ... KDSM 17 (FOX) 4023 Fleur Drive Des Moines, IA 50231 (515)287-1717 www.kdsm.com ...

    ... Just in case you were buried under a rock and missed the Swift Boat phenomena, ... (515)287-1717. 7847 Big Sky Dr. Madison, WI 53719 (608)833-0047 ...

    ... Cannabis Reform Coalition Meeting held at Pizza Uno at 287 Washington Street. ... who orchestrated the vile "Swift Boat" ad campaign against John Kerry, ...

    ... area midway between Wichita Falls and Fort Worth on Highway 287. ... for ignoring the Swift Boat Vets while simultaneously giving airtime to those that ...

    ... film along the lines of the Swift Boat Liars one week before the election: ... (515)287-1717. KGAN 600 Old Marion Road, NE Cedar Rapids, IA 54202 ...

    Ash, NC 28420 910-287-5643 Click here to email woodchrismedic@aol.com ... SWIFT BOAT VETS FOR THE TRUTH STOLEN HONOR... WOUNDS THAT NEVER HEAL...

    New Swift Boat Vets' Ad Dazed and Confused Windows Media ... Call Lisa Geyer for tickets: 770-287-0655. Come out and help us support President...

    ... the media immediately and categorically dissed the Swift Boat Vets as liars and political hacks without considering ... For Immediate Release: Contact: Dave Dahl Campaign. 731-287-8166 ...

    ... • What Retired People Do. New Swift Boat. Vets' Ad ... Call Lisa Geyer for tickets: 770-287-0655. Come out and help us support President Bush and Vice ...

    ... Senator John Kerry http://kerry.senate.gov/bandwidth/contact/email.html ... Boston, MA 02125 (617) 287-7971 fax (617) 287-7977 24 Millhouse Avenue ...

    ... Joseph Smith Community Health Center - 287 Western Avenue, ... Senator John Kerry (D) | One Boston Square, 10th Floor, Boston | 617-565-851 ...

    ... Bay" concert and fireworks draws Kerry, Edwards and 12500 guests to UMass Boston ... 100 Morrissey Blvd. Boston, MA 02125-3393 617-287-5000 Directions ...

    ... the the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition Meeting held at Pizza Uno at 287 Washington Street ... strategists who orchestrated the vile "Swift Boat" ad campaign against John Kerry ...

    Upcoming Events | Democracy for Massachusetts ... For more information, call Jean Pishkin at 617-287-7426 or email . calendar ... Sponsored by the "South and West of Boston" Kerry Meetup group. ...

    Find John Kerry Meetup Groups Near You - Meetup.com ... John Kerry Meetup Group No. 287; Founded October 22, 2003; (This Meetup Group needs an ... Boston, MA, 672, 50% positive, Thursday, Apr 28, 7:00 PM ...

    ... Vacation Rentals for Rent During the Democratic Convention Boston DNC 2004 Massachusetts. ... Telephone: 617-287-7968. Email: linda.smith-mooney@umb.edu ...

    ... Honorable John F. Kerry (D) 304 Russell Senate Office Building ... UMASS Boston 100 Morrissey Boulevard Boston, MA 02125 (617) 287-4300; (617) 287-4350 ... citizens more ...

    ... their efforts: the same team of hatchet men that ran the swift boat smear campaign against John Kerry ... Senate: (800) 423-6900 TTY: (207) 287-1583. House: (800) 423 ...

    ... Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry ... The chapters in Unfit for Command are testimonies by swift boat captains and ... www.jeffblogworthy.com/index.php?/archives/ 287-Unfit-for-Command-is-American-Spectator-Book-of-the-Month.html

    ... whose Vietnam War service has been questioned by a group of Swift boat veterans ... TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.wasuvi.com/mt-tb.cgi/287 ...

    ... a 42- minute "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth"-style television commercial ... /www.mediaisland.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2 87.

    ... The URI to TrackBack this entry is: http://www.therazor.org/wp-trackback.php/287 ... Swift Boat Veterans Argghhh!(Formerly Castle of...) ...

    ... id>tag:penusa.org,2005:go/news/1.287 2005-04-12T22:07:46-08:00 ... Kerry by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which Kerry's ...

    ... http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/287/metro/ ... and just a few dozen peace demonstrators stood with signs outside Senator John Kerry's Boston office. ...

    RESE? PLUNGER? CAN YOU HELP OUT WITH THIS ??????

    Posted by LiberalPride at 07/14/2006 @ 4:19pm

60. ... Through June 5, Children's Museum of Kansas City, 4601 State. ( 913-287-8888) ... • SWIFT BOAT SAILORS ASSOCIATION: May 26-29. ( ...

    ... Geological exploration field office SV BOAT AMERICA CORP. 800 S ... Belgium nv/sa Corrugated box machinery M SWIFT P.O ... VA 23226 Telephone: (804) 287-3310 Sweedish Match Confectionary H ...

    ... 15 (to Mozart's Divertimento K.287). Any program with two Balanchine works on it is already a winner ... sick of the so-called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, check out ...

    LOS ANGELES, November 11, 2004, (columnleft.com) -- What an interesting time to be a Democrat, in an odd, 'post-Nagasaki' sort of way. ... Kerry's questionable Swift Boat experience was a major factor in exit polls. ... died since the start of the Iraq war in March 2003, and 8,287 had been wounded ...

    ...the VC. All together Puff expended 287 00 rounds ... fifteen hours on target in defense of those two men and a Swift boat, because a young...

    the Swift Boat Vets, and increasing coverage of the GOP convention threats. ... Out of 287 large fund managers surveyed, only 36 were in North America

    ... Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry by ... classics i need to read 480-287 BC: A list by Ursa, wanting to be well read ...

    The Libertarian Enterprise electronic magazine, Number 287, September 5, ... And I have no idea what this John Kerry/Swift Boat story is all about. ...

    ... becoming a Swift Boat officer, serving on a gunboat in the Mekong Delta in ... HR 3253 (now PL 107-287), to strengthen VA's ability to treat soldiers ...

    2052 - that can pay 70% of benefits due is not bankrupt is in Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ...
    Roll Call 287 was on a motion of...

    The man who took over Swift Boat 94 for John Kerry has a few words to say about the candidate. ... ( 2) section 287, 371, 664, 666, 1001, 1027...

    ... Bush's re-election campaign continued to deny links to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, ... Debate follows Bushes (dallasnews.com, 08/29/2004, 287 words) ...

    ... Democrats will speak out not only against the Swift Boat Veterans but ... Andrew Sullivan has this 287-word summary on his current political stance: ...

    ... The group that produced the spot, Swift Boat Veterans For Truth, ... in reply to comment 287. But there are 5 letters in each word, notice? ...

    ... These taxes average 6.2%. This whole Swift boat thing is a matter that most swing voters couldn't give ... 20:07 PM EDT :: Extended Entry (287 words in entry) :: 1 Comment ...

    Swift Boat Vets and POWs for Truth - Political 527 Group, Swift Boat Vets and POWs for Truth, Campaign Finance, Money, ... Jordan Bonev, 287 Garfield St. ...

    Swift Boat Vets and POWs for Truth - Political 527 Group, Swift Boat Vets and ... Joe Cubine, POBOX 287 Tye, TX 79563, Encon Services Inc/petroleum engineer ...

    ... resin-lined and watertight; $45 at Homenature, 6 Main Street, Southampton, N.Y., ( 631) 287-6277." ... did not denounce the content of the Swift boat group's ad."

    ... 5801-until july 14th then call 918-287-2434 or 918-287-1485. use answer machine at 307 ... in command of a Navy Swift Boat, an E-6 Boatswain's Mate is ...

    ... Swift Boat Vets -- Latest Ad Dazed and Confused Windows Media Player September 17, 2004 -- Just Released ... Call Lisa Geyer for tickets: 770-287-0655. ...

    ... a chunk of the media immediately and categorically dissed the Swift Boat Vets as ... 731-287-8166 October 11, 2004 www.VoteDahl.com Dave Dahl denounces ...

    ... (913-287-8888). Faith communities. • "HEALING POWER OF LAUGHTER" RETREAT: Learn about the ... SWIFT BOAT SAILORS ASSOCIATION: May 26-29. (352-473-2451) ...

    RESE? PLUNGER? PLEASE HELP WITH THIS PROJECT

    Posted by LiberalPride at 07/14/2006 @ 4:19pm

61. LiberalPride: the "287 Swift Boaters..." came from Ann Coulter. Of course, she had copied it from somewhere else.

    Posted by nathanhale at 07/14/2006 @ 4:44pm

62. That would make him a liar and a fraud - and you say "Who cares" and "These issues don't mean anything"?

    Posted by NEW DAWN 07/14/2006 @ 3:51pm | ignore this person

    No...what I said was that "Iraq", "the deficit", "Katrina", etc. were more important issues.

    Long-term, this has NO "weight", except as I said to "redeem Dan Rather". 50 years, 25 years, Hell, 5 years from now...do you honestly think "Bush didn't do his full-duty in the TX Air Guard" is going to rank in the top 400-500 complaints against the 43rd President of the United States???

    This is a Dan Rather "history problem"....not George W. Bush's.

    Posted by Mask at 07/14/2006 @ 4:44pm

63. Mask -

    Yes, we have been passing one another's responses in the "ether-sphere".

    I get your point, and definitely agree about the other Bush fuckups, but my point still stands.

    If true (which it is - and I asked someone to disprove it, and no one has), the weight of the story sure as hell should have been greater, or a clear liar and fraud was voted into office.

    Twice.

    Posted by New Dawn at 07/14/2006 @ 4:48pm

64. LiberalPride: the "287 Swift Boaters..." came from Ann Coulter. Of course, she had copied it from somewhere else.

    Posted by NATHANHALE 07/14/2006 @ 4:44pm

    LOL!

    Posted by New Dawn at 07/14/2006 @ 4:48pm

65. This is a Dan Rather "history problem"....not George W. Bush's.

    Posted by MASK 07/14/2006 @ 4:44pm

    Quite the contrary, when the judgment of history places GWB in the bottom five of U.S. presidents, there will be a paragraph (or more) about his shady TANG record, along with his standard obfuscation, "I served honorably...."

    Posted by nathanhale at 07/14/2006 @ 4:51pm

66. Posted by NEW DAWN 07/14/2006 @ 4:48pm ... you've been putting a lot of effort into this today -- glad I could give you a laugh

    Posted by nathanhale at 07/14/2006 @ 5:02pm

67. That's silly. I think that pizza place where I ate lunch today is necessary and just and I'm old enough to work there but I don't believe that I SHOULD get a job there.

    The two are not equivalent. You can support a pizza place by simply shopping there. When there are troop shortages, there is a moral obligation to stand by your principles. I don't know how many right-wingers have lectured me about the war since I got home who never went (It was almost laughable coming from chickenhawk College Republicans with no intentions of enlisting if it weren't so deadly serious.) who have no intention whatsoever of going to Iraq. If someone believes in the war (which is literally a life or death issue for those who went there, even if we didn't see combat [I didn't but my base was mortared a few times]) and won't go, they are in effect sending someone to die for something that they don't have the moral courage to serve in.

    Totally agree! Sorry that it came across like that.

    Apology accepted.

    However, getting back to the original argument in the blog, to me the problem isn't necessarily that Dan Rather got released, but it is the way CBS did it. While I was doing door-to-door with a candidate for the WV House of Delegates during my days at WVU, we were talking about the former state party chair, and she said that screwing people is one thing, but it is a lot worse when it is made obvious to everyone that they did it to you. (a former state party chair was unceremoniously dropped after the primary and replaced by a Manchin loyalist in a way that was obvious to everyone who saw it) When someone has given his all for your organization for 44 years, the least you could do is give that person a semblance of dignity in the way they do it, and CBS did their best to humiliate Rather, and that is shameful. He has given his all to CBS News, beginning with having himself tied to a tree to cover a hurricane for a local affiliate in 1961, and they threw him out like a used tissue. I wish Rather the best of luck in his new job.

    Posted by steve4wv at 07/14/2006 @ 8:47pm

68. What has happened to Bill Burkitt? I have been puzzled that no one seems to have investigate Burkitt and how it was he ended up with forged (but apparently fairly true) documents. Rather should sue him and take a few depositions ...

    Posted by jzort at 07/16/2006 @ 01:12am