Brokaw, Jennings Show Support for Rather

[cal04]

While acknowledging mistakes in CBS anchor Dan Rather's "60 Minutes" report that questioned President Bush (news - web sites)'s service in the National Guard, competing news anchors Tom Brokaw and Peter Jennings offered support Saturday for the beleaguered newsman.


Brokaw blasted what he called an attempt to "demonize" CBS and Rather on the Internet, where complaints about the report first surfaced. He said the criticism "goes well beyond any factual information."

"What I think is highly inappropriate is what going on across the Internet, a kind of political jihad ... that is quite outrageous," the NBC anchor said at a panel on which all three men spoke.

Rather declined to comment, saying news executives had asked him not to talk about the report while an investigation was under way. The Guard story, aired on Sept. 8, was discredited because it relied on documents impugning Bush's service that apparently were fake. "I don't think you ever judge a man by only one event in his career," said Jennings, anchor on ABC.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=496&u=/ap/20041002/ap_on_en_tv/rather_anchors_2&printer=1

[progressivebydesign]

1. Awesome! I'm so glad they are in Rather's corner..

..and denouncing the fraud "public outcry" manufactured by the likes of the Morton Blackwell (purple heart bandaid) devotees!!! Rather does NOT deserve this!!

[Philostopher]

3. Hey, Peter Jennings knows what this is like.

I remember on 9/11, he'd been on the air almost constantly for at least six hours, and still nobody had seen the Naked Emperor's face. Jennings was incredibly frustrated, and muttered, under his breath, something like 'where the hell is the President, anyway?' on camera. In the aftermath, the usual right-wing echo chamber wanted him fired, called him a Communist, the usual BS. He knows exactly what it's about.

[yardwork]

11. Jennings asked the question we all wanted the answer to -

where the hell WAS the president, anyway?

[Philostopher]

15. I remember my jaw dropped.

You're absolutely right -- it was the question we all should have been asking. I felt sorry for him, because I figured he'd take some flying crap over it, but he was right to wonder, and right to ask.

[Massacure]

17. He also called ther terrorist a Son of a Bitch on air.

Mr. Jennings was obviously frustrated.

[wryter2000]

2. Awesome!

About damned time someone put this in perspective. I'm glad the two anchors from the other networks are doing it.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. They know it could have been them.

Any "mistaken" report by any of them that could be interpreted as negative toward B*sh would result in an insane barrage of fury and vitriol from the cable news wingnuts and the other lowlife denizens of Freeperville. If Rather is screwed they're all screwed.

[LiberalFighter]

12. They still took too long to stand up

[candy331]

16. I'm with you LiberalFighter, they took too long, perhaps the debate

got them to thinking when Bush got his a-- handed to him that he just may not be around come January 20.

[faithnotgreed]

4. awright! ive been wondering when there would be some sanity shown

on this matter.

pointing out the internet being used (at times) as political jihad is righton

[cal04]

6. Rather said he did not ask enough questions before the war

The three broadcasters, who have all anchored their networks for at least two decades, also discussed the run-up to war in Iraq (news - web sites).

Rather said he did not ask enough questions before the war or conduct enough follow-up reporting.

"If the country is in dire peril, as the president of the United States says it is ... I want to be a patriotic journalist," he said.

"You know that the role of the patriotic journalist is to put your fear aside, stand up, look them in the eye, ask the rough questions. But you also know that when you do that, you're going to get hammered..." Rather said. "So what happens is you just say ... maybe tomorrow."

[sallyseven]

8. I suspected right from the start

that the material was planted by rove and they got a lackey to present it. The indication came out right away that it was a fraud too soon not to have a person who was part of the plan to debunk it. The stuff was true. When I saw bush say the other day that he got no special assistance to get into the guard I almost kicked my tv screen in. It was a put up job. Jennings and Brokaw were safe they only wanted Rather because he tells the real story.

[MasonJar]

7. It certainly took them long enough. Why don't they look into the

allegations against Bush?

[0007]

13. Ther're looking hard and long you can bet on it!

[acmavm]

9. I really used to like Peter Jennings, he was my favorite of the three.

But once he got on the rah-rah bush* bandwagon and threw all his credibility out the window, I've never watched ABC since. As far as Brokaw goes, I used to think he was funny on late night tv, but only so so as a journalist. He definitely has a decided lack of curiousity on many issues, especially when it comes to the current administration.

Now the bizarre part is that Rather was always my least favorite. But the truth is I just never gave him enough credit. I just let personal prejudice against the guy slant my point of view. But what he's done since bush* has been elected has been pretty gutsy, at least in my opinion. He's the only one of the three who's shown any integrity or ball when it comes to at least questioning some of the things they've done, and their motives behind their actions. Maybe not as much as I'd like, but at least he wasn't their little butt buddy every night at 5:30 p.m. I know that's a very crude way of putting it, but too bad. This incredible love affair that the other two have with this bunch of cowards, thieves, and thugs has sickened me.

Now, if they truly want to redeem themselves they'll start talking to the people who say that the information in the memos was, in fact, true. Forget the memos, go to the heart of the story. Rove thought he was being pretty slick with this one. He thought if he could float some memos and then discredit them, the entire AWOL story would be discredited. Well he was wrong. And this point needs to be driven home by the news media. Let Kerry and his election crew handle the election, the news media, especially Brokaw and Jennings, have a duty to tell the American's the truth about Commander Bunnypants.

[sam sarrha]

10. What i saw on the program was Dan explaining why the documents were fake.

am i wrong .. that was explained by the secretary... wasnt it...??

[Blue_Tires]

14. finally

as a journalist, i'm glad to see someone try to support Rather, who has been unfairly demonized

[DeepModem Mom]

18. kick

[0007]

19. 'Tis time to bounce

:kick: