Until now, the controversy over the Rather/Mapes story has centered almost entirely on one issue: the legitimacy of the documents – a very important issue, indeed. But it turns out that there was another very important issue, one that goes to the very heart of what the story was about – and one that has gone virtually unnoticed. This is it: Mary Mapes knew before she put the story on the air that George W. Bush, the alleged slacker, had in fact volunteered to go to Vietnam.
What seems like a long, long time ago Dan Rather was a very powerful force in American journalism. He not only was the anchorman of the CBS Evening News, he was also the face of the network’s renowned news division — the “Tiffany” network of bigger-than-life legends like Ed Murrow, Walter Cronkite, Eric Sevareid, Mike Wallace and many, many others.
That was then. Now Dan Rather is suing the network that employed him for 44 years, asking for $70 million dollars in damages. Technically, the lawsuit is about a dry legal issue — breach of contract. But it is also about something much more personal to Rather: his legacy. It is a lawsuit, fundamentally, about saving Dan Rather’s reputation.That reputation took a turn for the worse back in 2004. As has been widely reported, just 55 days before a very close presidential election, Dan Rather and his producer Mary Mapes put a story on the weekday edition of 60 Minutes that brought on the media equivalent of World War III. There were accusations that Rather, Mapes, and maybe the entire CBS News Division had set out to deliberately destroy George W. Bush and get John Kerry elected President of the United States – a charge everyone at CBS vehemently denies.
The story was about how the young George Bush got preferential treatment during the Vietnam War; how he wangled his way into the Texas Air National Guard back in the 1960s to avoid service in Vietnam; and how he was able to do it because his father was a big-shot, a United States Congressman from Houston. The story portrayed the Bush as a slacker. Others have said it portrayed him as a “cowardly draft dodger.”(More...)
20 comments:
Dan Rather's reputation is down the hall and to the right.. don't forget to flush.
And to think... all he had to do was his job.
Does Rather take responsibility for anything?
Opie and Soloman, that is mean. Rather read a poem about America on Letterman once and got choked up.
Don't forget ... you're not biased if you're right. And they know better than us rubes.
No "liberal bias"? No "liberal domination of the media"? How is it then I consistently learn about things like this from the right wing blogs?
Rather is the biggest "coward" of this whole story. I hope it goes to trial and what he really knew comes out.
Among Rather's dimwit rube-isms is "I'm as lonely as a peanut in a boxcar".
It also pretty much describes his brain.
he wasn’t allowed to defend his story because the top management of CBS’ parent company, Viacom, wanted to appease the Bush Administration
Case Dismissed ! NEXT !
hahah
Opus, does any liberal take responsibility for anything ?
:)
You're right, Kid. What was I thinkin'!
Sol, you're being kind. His memory will take decades to be scrubbed clean by the Left.
Yes, Ope. He takes responsibility for bringing down the Nixon administration.
DC, Rather has so little courage he gets choked up parallel parking.
Chup, I'm actually beginning to believe that the blogs ARE the media.
Woody, don't expect to see Rather testifying in court. It would be inconvenient.
Rhod...
"No question now that Kerry's rapidly reaching the point where he's got his back to the wall, his shirttails on fire and the bill collector's at the door."
That was the night any dignity died.
Kid, Al Gore took responsibility for the internets.
And, yeah, CBS was always careful to walk the White House walk.
Rather ain't right.
That's a Ratherism, Nick?
Rhod... Yup. Truer than an accountant's debit ledger.
Crap!! I just can't talk like that.
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