Conservatives Crying for Rather's Head!! Guess why.

[skip fox]

The Republican talking points for the past day-and-a-half has been: Rather needs to be fired. Some couch it within the context of CBS's credibility, but the bottom line is the same. They want to end Rather's career. "Here's how we play hardball in Texas," etc.

To do so would send a chill down the spin of any investigative reporter that came sniffing around the administration in the future. A clear attempt to quiet the so-called free press.

[wryter2000]

1. Damn

I wish Rather would do a story on the kangaroo court he's being subjected to.

[Karenina]

41. He spoke some time ago

about being "necklaced" for straying from the *party line...

[meegbear]

2. If firing a newsperson gives a news organization credibility ...

Faux News would have to fire their entire organization.

[ContinentalOp]

26. Why? They don't have any newspeople at Fox. -nt-

[chelsea0011]

3. Rather reported from Vietnam nightly bringing home the war in color

He and Kerry...........the hit list for the right for 30-40 years now.

[DemBones DemBones]

38. Yes, and those GOP elephants never forget! eom

[KT2000]

4. Hold Bush to the same standard

Certainly Bush should resign after all of the lies and distortions he has committed while in office.

Turn the tables on him!

[librechik]

19. Fire Condi! She Lied! Fire Wolfowitz! He Lied!

asshole Bush

[olddem43]

5. Rather will fight and win. Let them waste their time and energy.

He is the top journalist and doesn't have to kiss anyone's ass.

[Darby]

6. What about Bob Novak's head?

[skip fox]

9. Only if I had a trash compactor handy.

:toast:

[no_hypocrisy]

7. They've had it in for Rather since he scorched George H.W. Bush in 1988

when Rather tried to force Bush to answer his questions in a famous on-air confrontation.

This nonsense with the alleged forgeries is icing on the cake.

They want to make Rather a warning for any other intrepid broadcasters.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[skip fox]

10. Yeah, exactly. Those are part of the talking-points I was just mentioning.

They'reto make the Republicans look reasonable. Right?

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[liberalnurse]

18. And tell me....

who are you voting for in November?

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[skip fox]

23. A bright one, too.

n/t

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[liberalnurse]

30. Just answer the question....

I don't want to dance.....

[skip fox]

33. You're really not expecting an answer are you?

Not a truthful one, I hope.

:toast:

[Name removed]

52. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[liberalnurse]

53. Went off to a town in Arizona....

called Tombstone.....HaHahahahahah.....:bounce:

[Hubert Flottz]

11. Bob Novak could clear up the CIA thing too!

I wonder why he don't?

[Lefta Dissenter]

14. Hey,

how 'bout if your pResident explains why his Air National Guard record is so full of holes and condemning statements? :shrug:

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[spooky3]

34. Why don't you ask W to clear up the REAL issues?

Specifically, answer the questions that Rather & CBS raised.

It's irrelevant who the source is and whether the documents are originals or copies. In fact, it's worse than irrelevant because revealing the source puts that person in jeopardy for being a truth-teller and focuses attention on side issues. What's important is whether the information they contain is true. So far I have heard nothing from the White House that proves that their content is false.

[skip fox]

36. You're responding to Gawdfrey, not me.

I far as I can tell, I do not share the same concerns at all.

:toast:

[spooky3]

39. yes, I'm responding to #8--not sure what the concern is?

Isn't #8 his/her post?

[skip fox]

44. Yes, sorry, didn't follow string with eye accurately.

Just wanted to make sure you didn't think I had these objections, Should have known better.

[spooky3]

46. no problem! :-)

[Karenina]

43. It's the CONTENT

of the docs that is the REAL STORY. Would that Amurikans could somehow pull their heads out of their asses. Don't it stink up there? :shrug:

[merh]

51. Rather and Rummey share a ranch - maybe Rather got the docs

from Rummey and he is protecting him! That is as plausible as anything else.

[Trailrider1951]

12. Well, since Rather and CBS seem to be the last hold-out of

"fair and balanced", it's no wonder that the conservatives are screaming for action. I STILL think that CBS was set up. And it smells like Rove to me.

[Az_lefty]

17. Rather doesn't like the shrub's anyway....

remember back when poppy bush jumped down Dan's throat during an on
air interview? Pay back is a bitch!

[RevCheesehead]

21. CNN/FOX wants Dan fired?

why, are his ratings up?
Are they losing viewers to Mr. Rather?

[skip fox]

27. Haven't heard this so much on CNN, but Fox is full of it . . . I mean,

full of this torque on this issue as well as "full of it (and 'full of fit' which I accidentally typed) in general." And conservative commentators are beating the drums for Dan's ouster.

I just wrote a letter to CBS's 60 Mins. in support of Rather, noting what I noted in my original post. That firing Rather will be detrimental to investigative reporting which is, by nature, risky.

I'll beat we'll hear many calling for Dan's removal this weekend. All conservatives.

[spooky3]

35. No, CNN simply notes that "Congress" has called for an investigation

without bothering to say that the only ones to sign the petitions so far are Republicans.

[skip fox]

40. Point taken.

I've also heard them identify the original congressman calling for an investigation as a Republican.

I hope they realize that the thugs ain't stopping with CBS and get on the ball. It will be an interesting Reliable Sources on Sun. I doubt if any "news"person this side of O'Reilly or Cal Thomas will call for Rather's removal. If so, I will again be disappointed with many in journalism.

[spooky3]

42. well, that's a start--but when I heard them discuss this around 10 AM

there was NO mention of that, nor of the fact that all (to my knowledge) co-signers were Republican. Glad to hear they have partially corrected themselves, and I agree with you that this is broader than an attack on CBS. I also find it amusing that it generally escapes discussion that CBS's competitors have plenty of incentive to make them look bad, and that this may account for their criticism of CBS.

[skip fox]

47. I was thinking of initial story of congressional calls for investigation.

Haven't had the tube on except for Fox this a.m., but the talking points on Rather were hard to miss.

I hope CNN does a better job. AND I hope they recognize the danger for all news organizations.


By the way, this is where it stands:

<snip>



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."


<snip>

http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/story.jsp?id=2004091702560002591218&dt=20040917025600&w=RTR&coview=

[Zensea]

22. Rather is from Texas, even more so than GWBush

"Here's how we play hardball in Texas"

I wonder if they realize that Rather is from Texas?
from wikipedia----
Rather was born in Wharton, Texas. In 1953 he received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Sam Houston State Teachers College. Rather began his career in 1950 as an Associated Press reporter in Huntsville. Later, he was a reporter for United Press International (1950-1952), several Texas radio stations, and the Houston Chronicle (1954-1955). In 1959, he entered television as a reporter for KTRK-TV in Houston. Prior to joining CBS News, Rather was news director for KHOU-TV, the CBS affiliate in Houston.

In 1961, Rather reported live from the Galveston seawall as Hurricane Carla threatened the Texas coastline. This action, which would be imitated by numerous other reporters in later years, impressed the network executives at CBS, and they hired him as a CBS News correspondent in 1962. In his autobiography, Rather notes that back then TV stations didn't have their own radar systems, and of course nobody then had the modern computerized radar that combines the radar image with an outline map. So he took a camera crew to a US Navy radar station in Galveston, where a technician drew a rough outline of the Gulf of Mexico on a sheet of plastic, and held that over the radar display to give Rather's audience an idea of the storm's size and position.

Rather—quite by accident, as described in his autobiography—was the first journalist to report that President John F. Kennedy had died of wounds received from an assassin.

His reporting throughout the Kennedy assassination and subsequent events brought him to the attention of CBS News management, which rewarded him with the White House beat in 1964.

[Scorpious_Maximus]

24. They're still pissed about Abu Ghrab. Same thing happened then. (nt)

[USA_1]

25. fired???

The Faux network reported three times that WMD had been found in Iraq and then refused to retract their lies.

The WashSHITton Times did the same thing.


One reich wing lie after another.

So why weren't they "fired"?

Where's all the scandal about those lies???

[bigpathpaul]

29. Public has gotten used to softball reporting

Conservatives have gotten so used to having it their way that any wandering off the path by the press is attacked as biased, unpatriotic. They've gotten used to the press not doing their jobs for so long, that it seems like a big deal to the Republicans.

Unfortunately, a lot of Americans see it that way too. It's amazing that people have already forgotten that the press once was actually fair and balanced. The public has also been conditioned by Limbaugh and Hannity and the others to actually be shocked to have a Republican authority figure challenged in any way.

Rather needs to be commended, encouraged and promoted!

[bigpathpaul]

31. Rather/CBS Reaction: Litmus Test for What This Country Will Tolerate

The conservatives will not let up on this. It's a loose brick in the wall they've spent 30 some odd years building. I think the fire will get very hot for him and CBS, but I don't think they will cave. I think Rather and CBS have gotten a tiny taste of what it used to be like to be a news organization. If they're smart (and brave) they'll fight this fight. We should support them. Not that this is such a big deal. It's just that everyone's gotten so passive that it seems like a big deal.

With any luck, it'll help CBS's ratings. It's all about advertising dollars. If CBS's viewership goes up, the other networks may actually grow balls and start doing their jobs.

[skip fox]

32. Right. Exactly. CBS needs to stand up for Rather on this one.

Not that it will do great good, but I sent a letter in support of Rather as a number of DUers were doing (see:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x831830 ).
It seemed important to have my say on this and encourage them to stand up for Rather and all
investigative journalsim.

E-mail is:

[e-mail]

[bigpathpaul]

48. Just sent an email, also to CBS News

It's amazing, isn't it, in the year 2004, we need to offer our support to a news organization for doing what it's supposed to do?

[spooky3]

49. excellent point!

[skip fox]

50. Right.

But hard to remain silent or indifferent.

I guess on this side of the looking glass, we have to support that which is ours by right.

[Cha]

37. I was watching c-span this morning and

happened to catch brian lamb say..."and he's a whole stack of articles that are about Dan Rathher and most are against..

So, that depressed me for about 5 minutes and then I realized that..of course, the damn media is against him..Dan is doing something that they don't want to happen...exposing the bushtoid!!

Fuck 'em! Long Live Dan Rather!!

[hippiegranny]

45. for every screaming, red-faced, loony freeper

there are three of us. and pretty soon all of us will be watching cbs. this is SO not stupid.