CBS News Escapes Gov't Scrutiny Over Bush Memo (no investigation)

[UpInArms]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=televisionNews&storyID=6262462

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - CBS won't have to worry about the House Commerce Committee poking around its handling of memos alleging that President Bush disobeyed orders while serving in the Texas National Guard during the Vietnam War.

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, chairman of the committee, has rejected suggestions that his committee or one of its subcommittees look into the matter. While Rep. Chris Cox, R- Calif., asked Wednesday for a congressional investigation, Barton said late that night that it was inappropriate. The House Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over the broadcast industry.

"A news organization's responsibility is to facts and truth, but the oversight of network news generally is a matter best sorted out by the viewing public and the news media," he said. "I do not personally believe these documents are legitimate, and it seems clear that the press and the two presidential campaigns are properly dealing with that issue."

...more...

[sendero]

1. They don't really want to go...

... where such an investigation might really lead.

[sadiesworld]

2. I'm sure Rather was quakin' in his boots.

:eyes:

[mbperrin]

3. Apparently little Aggie Barton has a few more

brain cells still clicking than Cox.

Coulda been sorta interesting...........

[teryang]

4. The news media should be investigated

...but not for this. They should be investigated for consolidation of public power in fewer and fewer private hands. The media are supposed to investigate government but they don't.

News programs say they cover the campaign, but they only cover the Bush campaign. It's ridiculous.

[DiverDave]

5. Yup, the trail would lead to KKKarl

They already knew that.
So, it's no big surprise.

[Lerkfish]

15. that's my theory as well...Rove recreated the memos,

as a forgery, so that when the REAL memos are brought to light, they'll be automatically suspect and dismissed.

Goebbels = Rove

[Media_Lies_Daily]

26. Burkett has nothing to do with Rove, nor would he want to.

[rvgwinn]

6. Its a good thing..

Government censorship would not have been acceptable. Besides I would assume that the CEO'S of CBS are major contributors!

[sally343434]

7. "Escapes?"

Their use of "escapes" makes it sound like they're "getting away with something wrong."

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

10. my sentiments exactly

[Rockholm]

8. Of course they are going to "drop" it..

All roads lead to Rove.

[underpants]

13. Exactlly an investigation would have lead to the other half of the story

and we just can't have the whole story now can we?

[JoFerret]

19. ...and even if they don't

they take you absentee, lying, favored, coked-up BushWorld.

[procopia]

9. Hasn't the whole "forgery" outrage suddenly gone quiet?

When Burkett came into the picture, I think they realized their pursuit of this story might lead to even more damaging information--the destruction of embarrassing Bush records. Were the original Knox memos destroyed? Maybe Burkett has that info.

[yardwork]

11. In my local (right-wing) paper this morning, there were two editorials

demanding that we all stop talking about "that other war" and focus on the issues. This is the same paper that ran the swifties' stories on the front page for weeks. Now all of a sudden we get a plea for current events.

heh heh.

[Pachamama]

17. Heh heh...their "sudden" silence is deafening....

I'd love to talk about current events....like say the War in IRAQ and 150 Billion and 1020 dying reasons.....

:grr:

[gordianot]

23. Same here

I wrote a short letter to the editor in our wingnut weekly complaining about band-aids at the RNC. I thought it was disrespectful and kept my real partisan tone down to a minimum. I have never written the editor prior to this letter. Forget the locals who have been wounded or killed or any issue not helpful to Republicans getting any real coverage. They really do not want current events. That is the level of coverage the local rag considers. The Swifties got lots of press.

My thirteen year old daughter (who has a big mouth) in the same town is not afraid to share her opinion was told in her Middle School history class not to discuss current events. She attempted to relate Civil War casualties to the Iraq and was told there is no relationship. She does understand she has a right to her opinions and observations and takes this in stride.

[wurzel]

12. I think that is exactly what happened.

Someone (Burkett) was ordered to destroy these memos and make no copies. So he reproduced the memos with enough changes so they were not legally copies. I think Ms. Knox knows this. CBS should have used her from the start.

[skooooo]

20. Oh it's going to go there...

Rather has started the snowball, and he's not going to stop it.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

25. Bingo.

[DoYouEverWonder]

14. No, no, no - Let's have an investigation

We should demand an investigation now.

I mean we want to know who set Dan up? Don't we want to get to the bottom of this? Especially, if it leads to the Bush Campaign and the WH?

[LeftHander]

16. GOP escapes proving Bush was AWOL....

A BIG BWAHAHAHAHAHA....


This implies that the GOP is certain they would uncover more about W that they would want.

So the american public can basically say..."What are they afraid of...?"

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

18. Let's all write to Joe Barton...

call him a left-wing pussy for not conducting an investigation. We all know that they're not going to "investigate" because they know that charges, at root, are one hundred percent true.

[The Stranger]

21. CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW . . . ABRIDGING THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH,

OR OF THE PRESS, OR THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE PEACEABLY TO ASSEMBLE, AND TO PETITION THE GOVERNMENT FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES.

[Norquist Nemesis]

22. Monday's Newsflash is being prepared ...

Congress calls for investigation into Rep. Joe Barton, R-TX for failing to conduct an investigation into CBS. CBS and Dan Rather aired an explosive segment on 60 Minutes in an effort to smear President Bush and affect the outcome of the November 2 election.

Some confidential and unnamed sources tell us Rep. Barton might have been in Abilene TX near the Kinkos that the documents in question originated.

developing...

;)

[KayLaw]

24. Brother!

Once again I'm reminded of Bob Barr's decision to investigate Clinton's " trashing of the WH and Air Force I." Oops!

:eyes:

CBS should investigate as this has become part of the story.