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Home Front: Politix
Rather Statement
2004-09-20
Thanks, Mr. Drudge!
EXCLUSIVE // Mon Sep 20 2004 11:58:02 ET
STATEMENT FROM DAN RATHER:

Last week, amid increasing questions about the authenticity of documents used in support of a 60 MINUTES WEDNESDAY story about President Bush's time in the Texas Air National Guard, CBS News vowed to re-examine the documents in question—and their source—vigorously. And we promised that we would let the American public know what this examination turned up, whatever the outcome. Now, after extensive additional interviews, I no longer have the confidence in these documents that would allow us to continue vouching for them journalistically. I find we have been misled on the key question of how our source for the documents came into possession of these papers. That, combined with some of the questions that have been raised in public and in the press, leads me to a point where—if I knew then what I know now—I would not have gone ahead with the story as it was aired, and I certainly would not have used the documents in question.
It depends on what the meaning of vouching is.
But we did use the documents. We made a mistake in judgment, and for that I am sorry. It was an error that was made, however, in good faith and in the spirit of trying to carry on a CBS News tradition of investigative reporting without fear or favoritism.
It depends on what the meaning of favoritism is.
Please know that nothing is more important to us than people's trust in our ability and our commitment to report fairly and truthfully.
It depends on what the meaning of truthfully is.
Posted by:BigEd

#25  The scene I want to save in me mind is the one OldSpook described with Kerry campaigning and people on the street corners waving Microsoft Word software boxes. Cracks me up! Always someone in the good olde USA can take a story like Rathergate and make it into a source of innocent merriment.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2004-09-20 9:41:21 PM  

#24  What's the font, Kenneth?
Posted by: lex   2004-09-20 7:45:35 PM  

#23  "The Most Trusted Man In America". Looks like that one's safe for awhile.
Young punk!
Posted by: Walter Cronkite   2004-09-20 7:42:31 PM  

#22  Courage.
Posted by: Rafael   2004-09-20 6:14:39 PM  

#21  #6 Well Dan, now since we all know now that you aren't playing favorites when will you do a piece on the Swift Boat Vets? tic tic tic tic.

Ooops I forgot they are the "Bad" Vietnam Vets. Nevermind.


Actually, CBS may end up doing some stuff negatively on Kerry in order to demonstrate that they are not pushing him and axing W. It would of course be even more determining of their original partisanship sinking to that level of real deceit. If I was them, I would just pony up to the bar and admit the partisanship that exists at CBS and in all of big media. Thinking about it, CBS could get back at ABC and WAPO by exposing the partisanship of those two outlets. I mean this could be one of those skin devouring bacteria type events except its the media that is eaten alive.
Posted by: Jack is Back   2004-09-20 5:25:14 PM  

#20  Heh heh, ho ho, scumbal Rather has got to go!
Heh heh, ho ho, scumbal Rather has got to go!
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom   2004-09-20 5:24:26 PM  

#19  "Duh"

We still want to know who the ultimate, "unimpeachable" (now impeached, I guess) source was, Dan. I bet it's a good one, or you wouldn't have been such an ass about the docs being obvious forgeries.
Posted by: mojo   2004-09-20 5:19:36 PM  

#18  With a little work, Sarge, you could turn that into a nice little haiku.....
Posted by: Anonymous6569   2004-09-20 4:56:43 PM  

#17  That ticking noise in your head, Dan? It ain't "60 Minutes"...
Posted by: tu3031   2004-09-20 4:09:07 PM  

#16  Rather's apology: fake, but accurate...
Posted by: MrO   2004-09-20 3:02:37 PM  

#15  Mistakes were made in the passive voice.
Posted by: Shipman   2004-09-20 2:14:41 PM  

#14  "...carry on a CBS News tradition..."

You got that part right. Audi 5000, San Diego air crash, ...

"...of investigative reporting without fear..."

That's about as intelligent as those "no fear" window decals.

"...or favoritism."

We'll take anyone's story that smear's Republicans.
Posted by: jackal   2004-09-20 1:59:01 PM  

#13  Reminds me of an old movie . . . .

". . . Ahh, but the memos, that's . . . that's where I had him. They laughed at me and made jokes but I proved beyond the shadow of a doubt and with . . . geometric logic . . . that a duplicate key to the wardroom icebox DID exist, and I'd have produced that key if they hadn't of pulled George W. Bush out of action. I, I, I know now they were only trying to protect some fellow officers . . ."

"Quick, go to a commercial! Dan's finally gone bonkers! Where the hell is Cronkite?"
Posted by: Mike   2004-09-20 1:57:35 PM  

#12  Dan Rather, fake and inaccurate.
Posted by: 2B   2004-09-20 1:53:24 PM  

#11  Remember Dan-o: you can't cheat an honest man. Hit the road.
Posted by: Spot   2004-09-20 1:31:25 PM  

#10  Ya and one more thing Rather, where is Dubya's apology for trashing him, huh? You Fu-kin jerkoff asswipe....
Posted by: Bill Nelson   2004-09-20 1:20:10 PM  

#9  Well, I'm glad to know that the memos which said that Dan Rather likes to sleep with English sheepdogs have been shown to be frauds. Still, I think he ought to at least address the fundamental questions raised by these memos.
Posted by: BH   2004-09-20 1:19:31 PM  

#8  So CBS will run a story based on forged documents given to them by someone who has a long history of having it in for Bush.

But refuses to interview or do a story on the Swifties (who are themselves eye witnesses) about Kerry??

And you call it a CBS News tradition of investigative reporting without fear or favoritism?

Sorry Rather but I think you are a farking liar. I think you deliberately and knowingly lied then, and you are lying now.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2004-09-20 12:59:51 PM  

#7  Hey CBS...what's the status of the 60 Minutes report on Sandy Berger?
Posted by: Mark Z.   2004-09-20 12:59:36 PM  

#6  Well Dan, now since we all know now that you aren't playing favorites when will you do a piece on the Swift Boat Vets? tic tic tic tic.

Ooops I forgot they are the "Bad" Vietnam Vets. Nevermind.
Posted by: Bill Nelson   2004-09-20 12:56:00 PM  

#5  "...It was an error that was made, however, in good faith and in the spirit of trying to carry on a CBS News tradition of investigative reporting without fear or favoritism."

BS - it was an error made in the spirit of being part of the Kerry campaign
Posted by: mhw   2004-09-20 12:52:02 PM  

#4  Notice no anger toward the source of the forgeries. He's sorry only in that he got caught.
Posted by: Rex Mundi   2004-09-20 12:37:31 PM  

#3  I wonder whether this will be enough to save his neck. It's rather a lukewarm apology, as they go, and it will be interesting to see if anyone calls him on everything he fails to mention . . .
Posted by: The Doctor   2004-09-20 12:27:46 PM  

#2  Rather late
rather slow
rather little
rather must go!
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2004-09-20 12:24:37 PM  

#1  CBS News says it was 'deliberately misled' on the Bush Guard documents - MSNBC

Posted by: BigEd   2004-09-20 12:24:29 PM  

00:00