CBS Hired Investigator Who Confirmed RATHER/MAPES-Bush Draft Dodging Report-Was Authentic & Accurate

[kpete]

CBS Hired Investigator Who Confirmed RATHER/MAPES-Bush Draft Dodging Report-Was Authentic & Accurate

Rather believed that the panel would conduct a fair-minded inquiry. But he learned that neither he nor Mapes would be allowed to cross-examine witnesses. They heard from some researchers on the "60 Minutes II" staff that before they had been questioned, a CBS executive had told them that they should feel free to pin all blame on Rather and Mapes. CBS had told Rather to cease investigating the story and had even hired a private investigator of its own, Erik Rigler. Rather and Mapes discovered that Rigler's investigation had uncovered corroboration for their story. Rather's complaint states that "after following all the leads given to him by Ms. Mapes, he (Rigler) was of the opinion that the Killian Documents were most likely authentic, and that the underlying story was certainly accurate." But rather than probing Rigler on his findings, the panel, to the extent its lawyers questioned him in a single telephone call, "appeared more interested whether Mr. Rigler had uncovered derogatory information concerning Mr. Rather or Ms. Mapes, as to which he had no information," according to the Rather complaint. Rigler's report was suppressed, never presented to the panel, and remains suppressed by CBS. Nor did the panel fully question James Pierce, the handwriting expert consulted by "60 Minutes" who insisted that the signature on the documents was surely Killian's.

much more at:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/blumenthal/2007/09/27/dan_rather_suit/index2.html

[CatWoman]

1. Kpete

you find the bestest stories :)

[Scairp]

42. No kidding

Of course it was real. The story is true, but Rather backed off for some reason unknown to us. Dickwad ditched his National Guard service, everybody knows it, but nobody WANTS to know it, know what I mean?

I'm going to bed now. Have people coming to install my brand new Andersen wood sliding glass door in the a.m. and must be somewhat bright eyed and bushy tailed, or at least get a shower and some coffee before they invade my home for half the day. Nighty-night all.

[Supersedeas]

99. Yes he does....recommended

[blm]

2. Gee - why would CBS bend over backwards to protect Bush so DESPERATELY like this?

Kerry Seeks to Reverse FCC's "Wrongheaded Vote"
Commission Decision May Violate Laws Protecting Small Businesses; Kerry to File Resolution of Disapproval
Monday, June 2, 2003

WASHINGTON - Senator John Kerry today announced plans to file a "Resolution of Disapproval" as a means to overturn today's decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to raise media ownership caps and loosen various media cross-ownership rules.

Kerry will soon introduce the resolution seeking to reverse this action under the Congressional Review Act and Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act on the grounds that the decision may violate the laws intended to protect America's small businesses and allow them an opportunity to compete.

As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Kerry expressed concern that the FCC's decision will hurt localism, reduce diversity, and will allow media monopolies to flourish. This raises significant concerns about the potential negative impacts the decision will have on small businesses and their ability to compete in today's media marketplace.

In a statement released earlier today regarding the FCC's decision, Kerry said:

"Nothing is more important in a democracy than public access to debates and information, which lift up our discourse and give Americans an opportunity to make honest informed choices. Today's wrongheaded vote by the Republican members of the FCC to loosen media ownership rules shows a dangerous indifference to the consolidation of power in the hands of a few large entities rather than promoting diversity and independence at the local level. The FCC should do more than rubber stamp the business plans of narrow economic interests.

"Today's vote is a complete dereliction of duty. The Commissioners are well aware that these rules greatly influence the competitive structure of the industry and protect the public's access to multiple sources of information and media. It is the Commission's responsibility to ensure that the rules serve our national goals of diversity, competition, and localism in media. With today's vote, they shirked that responsibility and have dismissed any serious discussion about the impact of media consolidation on our own democracy."

[mod mom]

22. Very Interesting...so they got rid of those pesky journalists and found reporters

willing to come down on Kerry for his "Resolution of Disapproval". Very interesting. Thanks for posting BLM!

[ooglymoogly]

101. Thank the gods our intrepid investigators will find the truth...CBS stands for Complete Bull Shit

Big rec.

[KharmaTrain]

54. Great Catch...You Nailed It

Many forget how close the large corporations got to carving up what remains of our public airwaves. CBS/Viacom had spent billions on TV properties in anticipation of a new round of "dereg" that would have allowed them to buy additional stations...many they already had set up in LMAs (Limited Management Agreements)...failure of that bill would mean these stations would have to be sold and probably at a substantial loss for Viacom.

Dare I say, it was John McCain and the NRA that helped put the brakes to this near-miss. The situation still remains in limbo as the corporate media is sure to bring this bill back. CBS had many motives to curry favor with the booosh regime and the Repugnican party.

While I'm supportive of Rather in this case, the person I really hope gets vindication is Mary Mapes.

[blm]

59. Same here - Mary Mapes was targeted in this even more than Rather.

She was the spine to this and other stories like Abu Ghraib.

Mapes is a warrior for democracy and truth.

It is those warriors who end up taking many of the hits.

[Nickster]

58. Because Prescott Bush was one of the founding fathers of CBS?

[KharmaTrain]

63. Got A Source For That One?

CBS was founded by the Columbia Phonograph Company in 1928...about a year later Bill Paley of the La Palina Cigar family along with the Levi Brothers of Philadelphia bought the foundering network and built it up. I've never seen Prescott Bush's name ever associated with this. Got a credible source to show me different??

[Nickster]

68. I don't have the book in front of me, but Bill Paley got his financing from Harriman Brothers, the

investment group that Prescott was the head of. Prescott sat on the board of directors of CBS.

Kitty Kelly and Greg Palast wrote about it. I'll look up more specifics later this evening.

[KharmaTrain]

70. I've Seen Those Articles...They Don't Relate To The Facts

Here's one for example:

http://www.electhobie.com/BushPrescott.html

One of Prescott’s early big successes was helping William Paley buy the Columbia Broadcasting System. When Paley (who attended Ohio State University in Columbus) could only come up with half of the $5 million price, Prescott pushed Harriman to put up the rest. Prescott served on the CBS Board

However, that doesn't jive with what radio historians cite:


http://members.aol.com/philaradio/curr1210.html

Two months after WIP became the first commercial radio station in Philadelphia, WCAU went on the air in May, 1922. WCAU's founder was an electrician named Wilson Durham, who started the 250-watt station in the back of his shop at 1936 Market Street.
In 1924, the station was sold to law partners Ike Levy and Daniel Murphy for $25,000. When Murphy became disinterested in the venture, Levy persuaded his brother Leon, a dentist, to take his place. Although many regarded radio as a fad, the brothers had a keen sense of the medium's potential.

In 1928, the men convinced their brother-in-law William Paley, who was working in his father's cigar business, to buy a financially troubled 16 station network called United Independent Broadcasters. In 1928, Paley, 27, used $500,000 of his family's money to purchase the network which he renamed Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). WCAU was the network's flagship station.

One glaring discrepency is 5 million vs. 500k...and that Paley's family had the money to purchase the network. I've also looked to see if Prescott Bush was ever a board member of CBS and haven't found a source that confirms that. He could have been a stockholder...it's been a publicly traded company for a long time, but that still doesn't mean financing.

One other disconnect with this story is how Bush could have been involved in setting CBS well over a decade before the OSI was established. Plenty of circumstantial material, little of real substance. Let the buyer beware.

[Nickster]

74. Very interesting. I'd heard it so many times that I just assumed it was common knowledge. I'll def

check tonite and see what sources were used to back up the claims, now I'm intrigued.

[yardwork]

82. There was a more recent and pressing reason - see post #2 in this thread.

All these people care about is money. Tradition means nothing to them. They'd sell their own children for a buck. In fact, they have.

[peacetalksforall]

64. Never forget - Gore and Kerry lost with the essential and integral association

between the WH/RNC and CBS, ABC, CNN, FOX, and the NBCs. For 2004, they conveniently got rid of their quite accurate polling company that they co-owned, told us there were problems with it, then helped make up the figures to suit the WH and RNC. They play-acted a contest. It was all dis-reality. And this will come out some day.

[truedelphi]

87. RAther and Mapes were planning to make the voting machinery

And the potential for election fraud the big story in October 2004.

So their getting fired right before that indicates that SOMEONE did not want that story and all its juicy info out there in the public domain.

[blm]

92. Thanks for that info - another CRUCIAL PIECE of the puzzle.

.

[truedelphi]

109. BLM, I'm proud to take credit for it - but some other DU'er

Once posted that info to me - wish I'd written their name down so I could credit them.

(Instead I filed it in the forgetful grey matter that I once considered to be my BRAIN!)

[blm]

115. The important thing is that it is kept out there - people miss stuff.

I repeat myself a dozen times a day because most people are still unaware about what has led to this Bush2 regime. And the whole story is way more treasonous than many even realize.

[krkaufman]

89. Viacom. Sumner Redstone.

It's bidness, baby; just bidness. Sorry 'bout that democracy thing.

[Sam Ervin jret]

100. What should be done to HELP SEN. Kerry? A positive Step. Every long journey starts with one

[UTUSN]

3. K&R #5 (after K&R #6) n/t

[bleever]

4. I can only quote Borat:

"Wa wa wi wa!"

blm, you earlier said that you hoped Rather knew how many people are behind me. Maybe we should do something about that. Maybe I'll start a thread to get people to email Dan. What do y'all think?

[blm]

5. go for it - tell him we'll be his army when and he needs one.

.

[defendandprotect]

12. YES . . . good idea--!!

[fooj]

108. That sounds like a great idea.

Please let me know if there's a thread that I can contribute to.

[bleever]

111. Hiya, fooj. It's over here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1918014&mesg_id=1918014

:hi:

[fooj]

121. Thanks!

:hi:

[Fridays Child]

6. "Why would anyone have taken such great pains to forge the truth?"

Just ask Karl: if the truth is forged, when the documents are found to be forgeries, it will be assumed that their contents are lies. And that's exactly what happened, isn't it?

[defendandprotect]

13. The documents are authentic -- copies.

[Greyhound]

94. Once it is "reported" on TV, it becomes fact, even when it isn't.

We have the government we want, and deserve.

[Bonobo]

7. Nice to see it confirmed. Too bad this will mysteriously have no impact anywhere.

[defendandprotect]

14. We are confirming and reconfirming this information among ourselves, but spread it around -- !!!

[City Lights]

8. I hope Rather brings CBS to its knees.

And I hope the truth about the deserter-in-chief finally sees the light of day. :-)

[dickbearton]

30. K&R.

[rhett o rick]

77. Me also, and I hope we have peace in the World, and I hope we cure Aids, and I hope ........

Who has the power? CBS and King George or Rather? Rather will sell out or have an accident under mysterious circumstances.

[aquart]

95. And while they are on their knees...

I think there's a real ratings grabber of a reality show if ordinary Americans were allowed to come and paddle their lying, distorting, criminal asses.

[Raster]

9. In other words, even though their own investigator concluded the story was true,

CBS hung Rather out to dry. And CBS' own handwriting expert concluded Killian's signature was genuine.

[defendandprotect]

15. For one, Rather insulted Poppy Bush -- and he was targed as a "liberal" by the right-wing ---

[defendandprotect]

10. The facts are well know -- and the documents are authentic copies ---

No question about the type used -- it was shown to be accurate from a future release by the Bush White House!!!!

Plus, the secretary said that this wasn't an official copy -- but the facts were accurate !!!!

Boy -- you really had to be deaf and dumb to not get the message --

But -- that's what our "free press" delivers these days -- garbage!!!

I'm not sure if Rather will go all the way -- he's a deal maker --
but I hope he does.

[Cha]

28. I've read that Dan said there will

be NO deals this time.

[Gregorian]

11. I wonder if the BBC will come to the aid of Rather.

They have not retracted their story, according to Greg Palast.

I said it a couple of years ago, and I'll say it again- it feels like December 1999 never ended. I'm weary. I'm really running out of steam. And a million dead Iraqis. Damnit. I'm full of hatred tonight.

[defendandprotect]

17. Believe me, we'll all be more weary -- but you can't give up the fight -- never!!!!

[Gregorian]

18. I'm tenacious.

But the more I learn, the more I realize just how ignorant I am. And how surrounded by evil we are.

It's very helpful to have like minded citizens around. I appreciate this forum more than just about anything.

[peacetalksforall]

67. Yesterday was an extremely difficult day to take on DU. I'm glad

something good came of it.

Taking a position on credibility and holding to it, then finding that the tenent/position/belief reached is probably going to be found true in a courtroom gives one assurance in their built-in meter that measures credibility vs bs. It's all about using the deductive method and trusting who is telling you what.

Our parents raised us to protect ourselves with judgement based on getting the facts straight and knowing who to trust. These so-called leaders are trying to destroy all of that PLUS our Constitution and faith in the ideals and pursuit of peace and the goodness of man - the little people by turning everything into lies.

They are foul. CBS is foul. They hav now gone to the top of the list - they have surpassed FOX. All the good programs they have brought to us for decades are as of nothing when taken in context of their owners and the handling of this cover-up.

I'll be anxious to look at the time sequence when it comes out and who was 'played' among their employees. We are going to have an opportunity to see how decisions are made. Too many people think the face on the screen gets all the credit or the blame.

[Diclotican]

44. Gregorian

Hello

Maybee BBC want to use it to some degree, when the time is coming... When it come to Mr Bush dogdning of his military service, are that somting that really are to come up into the daylight... Everyone "know" that he was not that pilot he wanted to sell himself as.. But many peopole belived when he tell them that he was...

I am stil verry confused that the american peopole voted for this man you have as president 2 times...

And sorry I havent writing back to you in one of the sides, lost the side and then i have not manage to find it again..

Diclotican

Sorry my badk Engelish, not my native language..

[snappyturtle]

49. You're not alone at being confused Diclotican!

In the 2000 election Bush was selected by the Supreme Court of the U.S. after voting fraud--bad voting machines and a "cleansing" of voter rolls of who could and who could not vote.

In the 2004 election many people didn't get to vote (for various reasons) or had their votes switched by the evil cabal....voter fraud.

So, actually Bush was never truly elected. You have pointed out the elephant in the room.....our system for recording and counting votes is not uniform across the country nor totally and reliably accurate but with American spirit we move on towards another election. I can only guess what will happen to this one.

Thank God for the BBC, Greg Palast and Mick Smith (Downing Street Memos-London Times)and now Dan Rather. I have hope that Rather's lawsuit will put some strong light on the administration's manipulation of the news. If we get accurate news reporting back and the reporters feel free from prosecution for their viewpoints I think America can be saved. This must happen.

on edit: the above explanation of the elections is, of course, my humble opinion of what went down. Many will deny these things happened or give other reasons the Democrats lost.

[Diclotican]

78. snappyturtle

Good to know that I was not alone about the confusing thing.. The sharade who happenend in Florida in 2000 was something that I never expected happend in US.. Maybee in some sentral-american country where the rule of law, and democracy was little young, but in US.. In one of the norwigian newsmagasines on the net, we do discuss this a lot when the election sharade was under way, spesially when the "system" flunked it looks like in Florida.. And it was many things that just dosent ad up, if you see hard at it.. But the "elction" was "von" by Mr Bush, even that Gore won with 50,000 more votes.. That is to this day confusing for me, i cant undestand it..

In 2004 you have some who newer get a chance to wote, even if they dosent was criminal, or dont have theyr election priviligedes revoked, many was on "black list" and just wasent allowed to wote.. And it happend interesting enough in overvelmning democratic areas... Not many republican who happend to get the election priviligedes revoked for the most part...

Wel, you need more than the american spirit to fix a broken system.. A uniform election system for all 50 states is maybee not a stupid idea if the election is going more smother, and you dont end up with the Supreme Court in the US deside who are the new president... The american spirit is amazing, you can count at and the american spirit mean that USA somhow always get on top on it.. But spirit alone cant secure that you cant get a bad president.. And I do feel that you find the hard to get lower than this President. With this man you are rock bottom...

It is nice to se that many american are lisning in to the old BBC, even that BBC really get some beating when they reported thing that was not in the interest of mr Blair og President BUSH. Before the Iraq war, many in the BBC get some hard time, when they tryed to tell that many "evidences" that the administration was telling to the world, was hoax, lies and storys who should newer have been told.. But BBC get it right it looks like, when the fata morganas of WMD and rockets who can hit Europe newer materialized. Even the Iraqi army just was melting away..

The truth wil _allways_ come out, even that it means it wil take some time.. My old folks allways learned me that, when I was trying to tel a story to get away with it.. And looks it is true for this thing to. Mr Bush and his Administration can try to lie to itself, so they belive their own lie. But they cant belive that the liv wil be presented as a truth forever.. Somwhere it is allways a paper trail to follow.. Every public servant want thing on paper, to help, or protect themself when thing is going bad.. Even the private diary have been seen as a verry important tool to find the dots, where the documents are, or why the goverments are doing what they are doing.. And I guess that MANY officals in the current administration write theyr own diary.. And maybe even fear what Someone else are writing their.. Even when it wil take 50 year or so, to find the truth, IT WIL COME OUT sooner or later.

Someone have to start digging all this "shit" who have been building up for the last 6-7 year.. The fact that someone in US dear to stand up, as mr Rather have been doing now, tell that the tide are maybee stopping, and the tide is going back again.. After 9/11 the american public was seeing to be struck by the fear and peopole who tried to the the truth, was been told to shut up, or was branded as unamerican and un-patriotic. The fear factor worket for a long, long time but it locks like the fear factor are not living up to old promises anylonger.. Good for the truth, but bad for the many who really belived in this Administration, and who really belived that they was trying to build "truth" in the goverment..

Off course it is your humble opinion of what went down.. But you are NOT alone to belive that thing.. And many deny that it ever happend that way..

Diclotican

Sorry my bad engelish, not my native language

[blm]

61. With you, Gregorian - weary, but know the truth NEEDS a spotlight or BushInc wins.

.

[mmonk]

16. Thanks kpete.

Here's pulling for Dan.

[Gin]

20. Rather and Iraq have something in common...both were

attacked out of revenge by Shrub for past insults to Poppy. (IMHO

[mmonk]

21. Both were definite targets from the outset.

[OzarkDem]

19. Sounds like Rather has a good case

This will be fun to watch.

[mod mom]

23. Can the DoJ pick his judge? (Cuz we've all seen how they politicized those appointments!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

25. My guess is that this will be a NYS civil court case. I don't believe the Feds

would have jurisdiction.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

27. Instead of editing my last post. The papers were filed in the NYS Supreme Court.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,22450740-7642,00.html?from=public_rss

he complaint, filed in the New York state supreme court today, claims that top managers "openly violated Mr Rather's trust in CBS, (and) intentionally marginalised him within the CBS organisation" over a report on President George W Bush's military record in the Vietnam war.

[mod mom]

53. In my state the State supreme corurt is totally RW controlled, what is the NYSC make-up?

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

55. The case was filed in the Supreme Court but I don't know if the presiding judge in

the case would be an appointee or elected to office. I am honestly ignorant when it comes to this. If elected, the trial would be in Manhattan and so possibly a Democrat would preside over the case. Another thing to research! :)

[mod mom]

66. It's a sad day when you hae to pray for a fair judge to seek the truth to come out.

They've destroyed our justice system with their damn politicalization.

[blm]

96. That was a big problem in Ohio, too. GOP controlled the judiciary there.

The court cases that were filed in 2004 were SLOW-WALKED and dragged out or dismissed.

[JDPriestly]

91. Forgive me if I am telling you something you know.

In NY the Supreme Court is the low level court for civil matters. In other states the Supreme Court is the highest court. In New York the highest court is the Court of Appeals. So, after Pataki's term as governor, the newer judges are probably Republican. I don't know about the older judges.

http://www.nycourts.gov/courts/structure.shtml

[bleever]

24. Dan Rather support thread started; it's here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1918014

[Cha]

29. Thanks, bleever..I added my

words of support!

[bleever]

31. Thanks, zidzi.

:thumbsup:

[Cha]

33. Did you read that article by

Sidney Blumenthal on Dan Rather in Salon? It's stellar, riveting, and Juicy!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1918236

[bleever]

34. It's the best overview of the story

I've seen.

[Cha]

37. Exactly!~

[bananas]

47. Thanks - I missed it. nt

[Cha]

26. cbs got cold feet and sold Rather and Mapes

down the river to the wild dogs..no hell on Earth is too heinous for these cmw because the blood of our Soldiers is on their hands, too.

[bonito]

32. Kick n/t

[NoGodsNoMasters]

35. Such is the state...

...of US media. My heart goes out to Rather. He calls it like it is and loses his job, funny, thats' what I thought journalism was supposed to be.

[bonito]

36. Right on that

And great user name as well, welcome bro. :hi:

[Cha]

80. NOT in the bushit reign of Terror!

And Welcome to DU NoGodsNoMasters!!

[Kaleko]

38. You go, Dan!

I've always figured there is a lion in you. Roar, baby. Bite their heads off. Chomp, chomp.

[Goat52a]

39. who cares?

We all knew it was true....

[Cha]

81. Who Cares?! We DO!

Dan Rather is like David going after the Giant CORPORATIONS! And a victory for him we'll be a Victory for us all who care about Truth in Journalism and defanging the the corporatewhores.

[The Backlash Cometh]

40. If CBS were smart, it should settle.

I hope they don't, however, because the longer they delay the juicier the tidbits come out.

[Goat52a]

41. again who cares

The Democrats won't take advantage of this...

[The Backlash Cometh]

43. But these are the kind of drip,drips that change public opinion.

[Amonester]

73. And a "changed" public opinion (that's already "changed" since a long time)

matters to? (Who?)

[The Backlash Cometh]

75. It may stop or slow down the propaganda wing of our news media.

[malaise]

65. Rather has no intention of settling

He intends to expose CBS so that the public understand what is going on on MSM. Bravo Dan Rather. Al Gore has your back - p.125-6 The Assault on Reason.

[creeksneakers2]

45. Big story is what really did happen

When all the evidence is examined, its obvious Bill Burkett either forged the documents himself or knew they were forged. Nobody in big media said that because Burkett had lawyers and sued CBS. The left wing blogosphere disbelieved the forgery claims based on the lack of credibility of their right wing sources, rather than deciding whether the documents were forgeries or not based on an evaluation of the evidence.

The major outline of the Bush guard story, that Bush transferred to Alabama, never showed up for guard duty there, never took his flight physical and was suspended is true. Its also true that Bush didn't finish his requirements for discharge from the guard. The allegation based on the forged document, that Bush's commander was pressured by General Staudt to sugar coat an evaluation of Bush, has no factual evidence to back it up. In fact, Staudt retired over a year before the memo was purportedly written.


The big story,what really did happen, goes untold. CBS started checking the accuracy of the guard story and documents with White House adviser Dan Bartlett starting a day before air time. Bartlett later admitted that he in turn checked the accuracy of the documents with Bush himself at 11 AM the morning before the 60 II piece ran. Bartlett admits that Bush told him some of the information in the documents wasn't true.

Since Bartlett knew information in the documents wasn't true, he must have known they were forgeries. From there, the White House could have called CBS News and warned them off the story. Instead the White House let CBS swallow the hook. The White House knew they could probably destroy Dan Rather, burn up the short remaining campaign time Kerry had to catch up, rally the GOP base, and intimidate every other reporter who might be thinking of reporting facts that exposed Bush.

Further evidence that the White House knew all along that the documents were forgeries was the speed in which right wing insiders on the blogosphere, who were not documents experts, came forward. It looks as if information from the White House was fed to the blogosphere.

Most damning of all was that the White House faxed out 500 copies of the documents to reporters and put the documents up on the White House web site. The White House would never have spread a negative story about Bush if it were true. They had to be certain that the documents were forgeries.

Its a shame that Rather will not let go of the idea that the documents and the details of the 60 Minutes II report were all genuine. If from the start, the focus of the uproar turned back at the White House and asked how, if the documents contained falsehoods, the White House could not know the documents were forged, then the media could have demanded that the White House explain why they didn't warn NBC.

The truth about how the White House plotted to destroy a network news anchor would have been one of the biggest stories of the year and would have really hurt Bush. I fault Rather for trying to save his own ass rather than going where the story took him. Perhaps Rather still cares more about his own reputation than the public learning the truth. Perhaps in anger Rather convinced himself that his own defenses were sound.

[chill_wind]

50. Excellent summation. Too many points here getting lost to most.

You should definitely consider making this a separate DU "Big Picture" thread.

Still, I am rooting for Rather for taking this action, rather than going to his grave taking none, and I hope the court case will force the most important elements of all of this out in the open.

[Cha]

84. Do have any proof for what you're stating

because this isn't what's being said in Sidney Blumenthal's article in Salon http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1918236

Dan Rather stands by his story.

[creeksneakers2]

113. I said lots of things so I'm not sure which ones I'm being

challenged to prove. I greatly admire Sid Blumenthal and bought and read one of his books. I agree with parts of the article but some of it is sloppy. I'll try to put together an example where Blumenthal is less than accurate, where there is evidence the documents aren't real, and where there's clear evidence that Dan Bartlett and Bush knew the documents were fakes. If Bush and Bartlett knew the documents were fakes and didn't warn CBS, then the White House must have been up to no good.

For example, Blumenthal writes:

"It (CBS internal investigation) all but ignored an important argument for authenticating the documents -- 'meshing."

(snip)

"Mapes' argument was that the Killian documents "meshed" with the facts in precise and nuanced ways. "The Killian memos, when married to the official documents, fit like a glove," she wrote. "There is not a date, or a name, or an action out of place. Nor does the content of the Killian memos differ in any way from the information that has come out after our story ... In order to conclude that the documents are forged or utterly unreliable, two questions must be answered: 1) how could anyone have forged such pristinely accurate information; and 2) why would anyone have taken such great pains to forge the truth?" But Mapes' book, like Goodale's article, was all but ignored."

END QUOTE

The words "all but ignored" are relative but the CBS internal investigation devoted 11 pages of its report to the "meshing" issue. The memos did not "fit like a glove."

One discrepancy that the forged documents contain is an order from Lt. Killian for Bush to take his flight physical by May 14,1972. But a memo from Bush's official records on Sept 5, 1972 ordered the suspension of Bush on August 1, 1972. From first notice, Bush had 90 days to take his physical. May 14 was less than two weeks after the 90 period started. It makes no sense that Killian would give Bush a second order over two months before the physical was due. The true last day for Bush to take his physical was July 31. That made August 1st the first day Bush could be suspended, and that's exactly what the official records show.

http://wwwimage.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/complete_report/CBS_Report.pdf

When the White House reviewed the documents, Bush told Dan Bartlett that he had never disobeyed orders. If Bush hadn't disobeyed, that means he never received the orders in the first place. Bush wouldn't have, since the orders were forgeries. Bartlett at that point, knowing the documents weren't true, had to have known they were phony.

FROM LA TIMES 9/18/04
L.A. Times Archives
Document

"He (Bartlett) also disclosed that he had shown the documents that morning to President Bush. "He had no recollection of these specific documents," Bartlett said, though the president said some of the information seemed accurate. For instance, he did go to Alabama. But he denied having defied orders from his superiors, Bartlett said."

END QUOTE

CBS interviewed Bartlett the morning before the 60 Minutes II report aired.

Also from the LA Times 9/18/04
(11 AM at CBS Headquarters)
"John Roberts, the network's White House correspondent, called to report he'd just completed an on-camera interview with Dan Bartlett, the White House communications director. Bartlett, it appeared, had no quarrel with the authenticity of the documents."

END QUOTE

So Bartlett let CBS swallow the hook and Rather went down. Its a shame that so many netizens concluded that the documents and facts in the 60 Minutes II story were genuine. Looked at the other way, a very damning picture of the Bush White House emerges.

[Cha]

120. So, you don't think Dan knows all

this? Why would he sue them if he didn't think he could win with tangible proof that what was said in the original segment was true?

[Emit]

46. Reminds me of Downing Street Memo -- the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy.

[blm]

60. It ALL is part of the same issue - COMPLICITY of the media in protecting BushInc.

.

[Judi Lynn]

48. So many of us have cared so much about this from the first. Thanks, kpete. n/t

[Champion Jack]

51. kicked in the morning

[mod mom]

52. This sheds a VERY POOR light on CBS/Viacom management, perhaps a boycott

should be considered toward all of their companies!

[KaptBunnyPants]

90. That would include the Colbert Report/ Daily Show.

nm

[defendandprotect]

104. And....how long will either keep their vigor to go after the right --

Personally, I don't understand the Colbert Report at all --
though I loved Colbert when he was on the Daily Show --

[Turbineguy]

56. I seem to recall

that the original report was removed by Bush operatives and rewritten from memory by the Secretary who originally typed it. It was presented as such. CBS however presented it as genuine. It was not. This info is in DU somewhere.

[Pierzin]

57. Thank Goddess for the Internets!!! HAHAHAHA!!!!!

And thank all the other forces of nature for Dan Rather! The real story should not have been the story about the story, but the underlying story that started it all.
Only in Amerikkka could this have happened, where one of the most well respected journalists of our time is practically forced off the air for airing the truth.
It is a shame. Everyone should support independant news outlets, to the best of their abilities. thank you kpete.

[peacetalksforall]

69. Contrast this happening surrounding Rather and think of all the

so-called journalist pimps who are thriving at these five WH/RNC tools - CBS, ABC, the NBCs, Fox and CNN. Especially what they suppress. Especially how they celebrate the WH/RNC. Especially the mis-direction of the lies and truth about the political crimes against the citizens.

Viacom, Disney, GE, Murdoch, Time-Warner and tens of other co-owners.

May they all be exposed.

[defendandprotect]

105. Only if you turn off your TV . . .. !!!!!

[peacetalksforall]

112. I'm not watching presently, but I miss link, fstv, daily show, colbert report, and

democracy now on the big screen.

[kenfrequed]

62. Why am I not surprised

Our liberal media hard at work.

Will their retraction be retracted now?

[rateyes]

71. Dan Rather, please subpoena

Poppy and Dubya and make them produce the very relevant military records. Make the bastards squirm.

[rhett o rick]

76. Never happen. George is the King. nm

[SpiralHawk]

72. "Big deal - smirk, smirk, smirk" - Commander AWOL

"Honorable service is for the little people"

- Commander AWOL and the Brigade of republicon Homelander Chickenhawks

[Maine-i-acs]

79. But wait!1!1!! A BLOGGER said the Killian docs were fakes!!1!

Remember "Buckhead"? His repudiation came out hours afterward. Has "Buckhead" ever been identified?

[yardwork]

83. Oh yes. A reporter for the LA Times identified Buckhead.

Buckhead is an attorney in Atlanta. He works for one of those quasi-law firms that serve as a public relations arm for the White House. He still posts on freerepublic.

[seafan]

85. Rather is hot on the trail of the biggest investigative story of our time.

And it isn't merely about George W. Bush's National Guard service.

It is about how the media have been coerced, intimidated and bullied into following the bidding of the Bush White House, thereby robbing the American people of the truth of our world.



Photo: Reuters/Lucas Jackson


Sidney Blumenthal gets to the meat of the matter in Salon:

Sep. 27, 2007 | Dan Rather's complaint against CBS and Viacom, its parent company, filed in New York state court on Sept. 19 and seeking $70 million in damages for his wrongful dismissal as "CBS Evening News" anchor, has aroused hoots of derision from a host of commentators. They've said that the former anchor is "sad," "pathetic," "a loser," on an "ego" trip and engaged in a mad gesture "no sane person" would do, and that "no one in his right mind would keep insisting that those phony documents are real and that the Bush National Guard story is true."

If the court accepts his suit, however, launching the adjudication of legal issues such as breach of fiduciary duty and tortious interference with contract, it will set in motion an inexorable mechanism that will grind out answers to other questions as well. Then Rather's suit will become an extraordinary commission of inquiry into a major news organization's intimidation, complicity and corruption under the Bush administration. No congressional committee would be able to penetrate into the sanctum of any news organization to divulge its inner workings. But intent on vindicating his reputation, capable of financing an expensive legal challenge, and armed with the power of subpoena, Rather will charge his attorneys to interrogate news executives and perhaps administration officials under oath on a secret and sordid chapter of the Bush presidency.

In making his case, Rather will certainly establish beyond reasonable doubt that George W. Bush never completed his required service in the Texas Air National Guard. Moreover, Rather's suit will seek to demonstrate that the documents used in his "60 Minutes II" piece were not inauthentic and that he and his producers acted responsibly in presenting them and the information they contained -- and that that information is true. Indeed, no credible source has refuted the essential facts of the story.

Most cases of this sort are usually settled before discovery. But Rather has made plain that he is uninterested in a cash settlement. He has filed his suit precisely to be able to take depositions.

In his effort to demonstrate his mistreatment, Rather will detail how network executives curried favor with the administration, offering him up as a human sacrifice. The panel that CBS appointed and paid millions to in order to investigate Rather's journalism will be exposed as a shoddy kangaroo court.

.....


The day after these apologies CBS announced the creation of a review panel to determine "what errors occurred." Two Bush family loyalists, Richard Thornburgh, former attorney general in the elder Bush's administration, and Louis Boccardi, former executive editor and CEO of the Associated Press, were chosen to head the internal investigation. Thornburgh had been the subject of critical Rather reports, while Boccardi felt close and indebted to the elder Bush for being helpful as vice president in gaining the release of AP reporter Terry Anderson, held hostage for six years in Lebanon. Lawyers in Thornburgh's firm with no background in journalism and media performed the real work of the panel and wrote its final report.

As the panel called witnesses, Sumner Redstone, CEO of Viacom (CBS's owner), declared his interest in the 2004 election. "I look at the election from what's good for Viacom. I vote for what's good for Viacom. I vote, today, Viacom," he said. In fact, Viacom had a number of crucial issues before the Federal Communications Commission, including loosening media ownership rules. "I don't want to denigrate Kerry," said Redstone, "but from a Viacom standpoint, the election of a Republican administration is a better deal. Because the Republican administration has stood for many things we believe in, deregulation and so on. The Democrats are not bad people ... But from a Viacom standpoint, we believe the election of a Republican administration is better for our company."

Rather believed that the panel would conduct a fair-minded inquiry. But he learned that neither he nor Mapes would be allowed to cross-examine witnesses. They heard from some researchers on the "60 Minutes II" staff that before they had been questioned, a CBS executive had told them that they should feel free to pin all blame on Rather and Mapes. CBS had told Rather to cease investigating the story and had even hired a private investigator of its own, Erik Rigler. Rather and Mapes discovered that Rigler's investigation had uncovered corroboration for their story. Rather's complaint states that "after following all the leads given to him by Ms. Mapes, he (Rigler) was of the opinion that the Killian Documents were most likely authentic, and that the underlying story was certainly accurate." But rather than probing Rigler on his findings, the panel, to the extent its lawyers questioned him in a single telephone call, "appeared more interested whether Mr. Rigler had uncovered derogatory information concerning Mr. Rather or Ms. Mapes, as to which he had no information," according to the Rather complaint. Rigler's report was suppressed, never presented to the panel, and remains suppressed by CBS. Nor did the panel fully question James Pierce, the handwriting expert consulted by "60 Minutes" who insisted that the signature on the documents was surely Killian's.

.....

Rather could have simply allowed the statute of limitations to run out, lived off his millions, and faded away. But the incident ate at him. On one level, the Bush National Guard story is about Bush and the National Guard. On another, of course, it is about Rather's reputation. But on yet another it is about CBS's overwhelming desire to please the Bush White House and censor itself. The White House campaign against Rather has been so successful that many in the national press corps behave as though in mouthing its talking points they are demonstrating their own independent thought.

On Sept. 20, the day after he filed his suit, Rather said, "The story was true." Rather's suit may turn into one of the most sustained and informative acts of investigative journalism in his long career. He is not going gentle into that good night.

[blm]

93. Fascists didn't buy up all that media in the 80s and 90s to protect democracy

and bring truth to the citizenry, did they?

[seafan]

97. It is so clearly what they have intended for the last 25 years.

We've been carpet bombed with the TV preachers, the Limbaughs, the FAUX News channels, the Moonie Times,
and force fed the lies and artificial reality of a mob of radicals.


It infests our families, our co-workers, our lives.


But the truth has finally started bubbling at the surface. And it will be hell to pay for the radical right. It's increasingly proving true all over the world.


This is our fight now.

[blm]

98. Right with you in that battle.

.

[defendandprotect]

102. The hierarchy that supports fascism: patriarchy, patriarchal religions, capitalism

[defendandprotect]

106. Could anything be clearer than that this fascist administration is running media -- ????

[meowomon]

86. God I hate our preznit!

I can't wait for him to really speak with God instead of the delusions he has been having. The God I know is just crying out to meet this man who is responsible for all of this tragedy.

[PinkTiger]

88. Why are we surprised? Look what they did to JH Hatfield!

He supposedly committed suicide in a Springdale, Ark. motel room after his book was burned. Burned! In this day and age.
Who are these people, these Bushes? Are they tantamount to Nazi dictators?
http://www.lovearth.net/fortunateson.htm

[defendandprotect]

103. YES!!! . . . they are "tantamount to Nazi dictators" -- !!!!

[The Count]

107. Wasn't Poppy's attorney general leading the panel? Go figure!

Glad it's all coming out!

[blm]

116. Also a key figure was the head of AP - Associated Press. How's THAT for journalistic

integrity?

[Kurovski]

110. K&R. (nt)

[spanone]

114. K I C K

&r

[whistle]

117. Great news for Dan Rather who suffered his own personal form of

....McCarthyism by all of the BushCo lies and twisted versions of Swift-boating to ruin Dan Rather's long time professional career with CBS.

[AX10]

118. I expected Sumner Redstone to pull the plug on Rather.

Redstone openly admitted he wanted Bush to win so he could get further deregulation deals.

[mzmolly]

119. This would have changed the outcome of the election, in spite of the vote theft.

I hope Dan Rather fights like hell.