31 Comments

1. chuck:

I think ABC is having altogether too much fun

Sep 17, 2004 - 2:05 pm 2. Charlie (Colorado):

I think ABC is having altogether too much fun

I know I am.

Sep 17, 2004 - 2:07 pm 3. asher:

Heh. Second to Charlie. I don’t watch TV anyway, but consider me boycotting in spirit. (Say, who are their advertisers?)

Anyway, this should do two things at once: (1) put the fake memos to rest once and for all; and more importantly (2) totally demolish the “essential truth” premise that cBS is using to skirt the issue. The “essential truth” is an essential falsehood. They lied both in letter and in spirit.

Sep 17, 2004 - 2:26 pm 4. thedragonflies:

I presume that if he does anything worth seeing, it will be on tape and shown on the Internet somewhere. Personally, I am hoping for a five-minute lunatic screeching followed by an indignant resignation, blaming George W Bush, Rush Limbaugh, and Kenneth.

Sep 17, 2004 - 2:33 pm 5. Knucklehead:

Go have a look at the Kerry Spot on NRO and see the repsonse he got from a CBS affiliate he complained to. Poor, poor, Danny Boy.

Sep 17, 2004 - 2:37 pm 6. Jeffrey -- New York:

It HAS been an amazing week. I’ve emailed CBS every day and have also left voice mails. At (212) 975-3166,if you’re so inclined. I know many others have, too.

It’s like a slow-motion version of the sinking of the Titanic. The buzz of activity that first Thursday was like the ripping of the hull by that big-ass iceberg. Meanwhile Dan Rather, baton in hand, was still leading the orchestra, unaware that dark, cold ocean water was already pouring in.

Dan, get in the lifeboat!

*

Sep 17, 2004 - 2:37 pm 7. Knucklehead:

Go here and promise me you’ll “click here…” when you get there.

Sep 17, 2004 - 2:45 pm 8. Terrye:

This is a result of Bush hatred gone haywire. Rather was so consumed it never occured to him he could be wrong, so wrong.

It also never occured to the silly sob that he was not just besmirching the reputation of Bush but of several other people living and dead.

The silly bastard.

Sep 17, 2004 - 2:47 pm 9. ms anne:

knucklehead:

i’ve relished your posts, but that link was the topper! blessings on you.

Sep 17, 2004 - 2:58 pm 10. mwalls:

To use a paraphrase a classic quote: ‘Dan, have you no shame’?

Sep 17, 2004 - 3:06 pm 11. alcibiades:

Oh but Roger,

You can’t trust Staudt.

HE ADMITTED HE’S A REPUBLICAN!

Don’t you know, only the Democrats have integrity.

All Republicans are partisan hacks.

Sep 17, 2004 - 3:06 pm 12. BigFire:

Odd that ABCNews got General Staud’s rank wrong.

Sep 17, 2004 - 3:07 pm 13. PeterUK:

This is of great political import,after the BBC,The daily Mirror,The Boston Globe,comes the mighty CBS,in news rooms accross the western world the shredders will be working day and night.

“Those whom the Gods wish to destroy they first make mad”

If you listen carefully you can here faint laughter in the wind.

Sep 17, 2004 - 3:07 pm 14. Kevin P:

Roger:

I am actually beginning to feel sorry for old Blather.But instead of jumping from a sinking ship watch Danny and his minions go after Staudt. This will continue the story and the moronic Dems are going to follow Rather down this rat hole and continue their Holy Grail like quest to turn this beast of a story into a Prince.Can you imagine that there is someone on Kerry’s team saying ” Keep pushing the story, Dan is going to come thru for us and we will hang Bush with this” I was feeling very scared a while back and I thought Bush might lose but every day I see some DNC stooge still flogging this dead horse my spirits soar.

Sep 17, 2004 - 3:10 pm 15. David [.net]:

I thought of recording CBS Evening News just catch anything important that might happen. I’d love a proper Howard Beale experiance, but I think that’s unlikely. However, I’m not letting that show appear in my TiVo data anymore. In fact, I just created a season pass for ABC Evening News. Peter’s ratings will go up even when I’m not here. I wonder if I do the same for the WCBS local 6:00 news if they’ll notice the channel change.

Sep 17, 2004 - 3:10 pm 16. Samuel:

Roger

I wish I could boycott CBS, but I can’t for I am a C-SPAN/FOXNEWS guy. Further, I knew my journey to the right side of politics was hardening when I cast aside CNN for FOXNEWS about six months ago. Of course my family says I am brain washed by FOXNEWS. I say, if you mean C-SPAN/FOXNEWS closeminded as oppossed to PBS/CNN openminded, then I’ll take closeminded, that you very much.

I don’t mean to be light-hearted about something serious, but the following is true. There are two moments since the year 2000 I remember exactly where I was during a tragic event. First was 9/11 a day I will never forget or forgive. The second was the election night of Gore/Bush 2000. As a Gore supporter it seemed such a trajedy to me, now it seems like a lifetime away. Ironically it was also the last Dan Rather broadcast I ever watched.

Sep 17, 2004 - 3:22 pm 17. penwil:

Thanks for the phone number, Jeffrey–I’d already sent several emails both to CBS and Viacom, (no response, of course), but I just made the phone call now too. Whoever this Ray person is at CBS taking these calls, I bet he’s one guy not too happy with Dan Rather right now.

Everyone, please don’t think the letters and phone calls don’t matter, because they really do. For one thing, the guys in customer relations at CBS like Ray, whose job it is to track these things work off a formula that can extrapolate how many people each letter or phone call represents. While I don’t remember the nuts and bolts of it exactly, there’s a formula they use and it works exponentially, so that while they figure a couple of letters might only be representattive of the sentiments of a dozen people, a dozen letters are representative of the sentiments of hundreds of people and so forth. If they get several thousand letters, they are going to be very, very worried.

Sep 17, 2004 - 3:51 pm 18. idi_amin:

If you have TIVO, dont forget to set “three red thumbs down” on all CBS News product. i dont know what good it really does but its fun!

Sep 17, 2004 - 4:08 pm 19. ganzo azul:

I received a nice e-mail from the general manager of our local affiliate. He acknowledged CBS News failed to meet the most basic standards of journalism. I haven’t owned a television since ‘87 but I do have fond memories of waking up at the boyfriend’s, watching him iron his shirt, my drinking his coffee all the while making catty remarks as we watched the morning edition of the local news. It’s too bad you can’t simply boycott the corporate product and stay true to your local affiliate.

At this stage both the DNC and the Kerry campaign must know if one of their minions had a lapse in judgement. If the source is indeed Burkett, they must be placing pressure on CBS to retract the story. What’s probably holding this up is a roomful of attorneys negotiating severance packages for both Dan Rather and Mary Mapes and negotiating a settlement with the source to forestall a lawsuit when he/she is named.

Sep 17, 2004 - 4:10 pm 20. klrfz1:

I have seen another blogger call for a boycott of CBS, also. I will join. I will boycott all CBS programming until Dan Rather apologizes or resigns. I will be giving up the football season mainly. I rarely ever do more than flip past CBS otherwise. But I will miss the local team games since most of them are on CBS.

Of course, you will notice what a wimp I am since I read Rather will retire next year anyway. I hope CBS isn’t broadcasting the next Superbowl.

Sep 17, 2004 - 4:26 pm 21. Catherine:

Knucklehead

OT, but you asked about this awhile back:

According to Time magazine’s latest poll, the president has retained the “seismic voter shift” he earned during the Republican convention. He continues to lead John Kerry by eleven points among likely voters. Kerry’s support has eroded in every group, and “most notably among women,” as Time points out. “In early August, females gave Kerry a sizable lead over Bush: 50 to 36 percent. Now, women favor Bush over Kerry by 45 to 44 percent. Even in Florida, Kerry’s 22 percent lead among women has been halved in the last few weeks. In the last presidential election, Gore won women’s votes 54 to 42 percent.

http://www.nationalreview.com/blyth/blyth200409160630.asp

Sep 17, 2004 - 4:36 pm 22. Knucklehead:

Catherine,

I assume you say The Fever Swamp. I suppose there is some tepid female understanding and sympathy for Senator Icabod Lurch.

Sep 17, 2004 - 4:55 pm 23. Jeffrey -- New York:

From Joey’s Cabal of Doom of a few days ago:

>Window of opportunity

>Keep calling CBS – they are answering the phones:

>CBS Evening News

212 975-3691 and 202 457-4385

fax 212 975-1893

fax 212-975-1998

evening@cbsnews.com

Executive Producer: Jim Murphy

Senior Producers: Susan Bean, Ingrid Matthews

Dan Rather

212 975-3691

Senior Broadcast Producer: Lynne Pitts

212 975-2258

60 Minutes II

212 975-6200

60II@cbsnews.com

Executive Producer Jeffrey Fager

CBS Administration:

>CEO of CBS: Mel Karmazin 212 975-4321

President CBS Television: Leslie Moonves 323 575-2345

CBS News President: Andrew Heyward 212 975-7825, ajh@cbs.com

Senior VP Marcy McGinnis 212 975-5007, mam@cbs.com

>At 3:45 today I decided to call CBS and ask where the statement was they had put off since noon. A woman answered, later identified as Leslie Molson, A news manager, I think she said. I said “there’s a rumor that Dan is on the window ledge, can you confirm?” and she laughed. She asked if she should put me in the “resign” column for Daniel and I of course said yes. She was quite friendly, but I am quite charming. We chatted about Dan’s misfortune and I got the impression that she thought he was full of shit. She told me Dan wasn’t there. I don’t know if that meant his office, the news set, the window ledge, or the building. I closed the conversation by asking if she was sure he wasn’t barricaded in the men’s room. She laughed and I hung up.

>I think we had a moment.

>Call and email CBS! Keep the heat up. I want Dan to take that dive in the middle of a newscast. The camera chasing him down the hall as he clutches memos to his chest, busting a window open with a bust of Walter Cronkite, hurling himself into space as he yells “I regret nothing”.

>That’s good tv.

*

Sep 17, 2004 - 5:04 pm 24. Lola:

Well, looks like I was wrong about Dan Rather being kicked out today. Looks like death by a thousand cuts will continue. I wonder if Staudt is going to be taken even more seriously than an old lady who was just a lowly pool secretary.

Sep 17, 2004 - 5:07 pm 25. Yehudit:

i heard gossip Rather is going to resign on Monday, whichy I posted here and a few other places. Joey saw it on Allah and had fun with it.

Sep 17, 2004 - 6:33 pm 26. Ray:

SIMON SAYS:

“BOYCOTT CBS UNTIL DAN RATHER IF FIRED”.

PASS IT ON

Sep 17, 2004 - 7:33 pm 27. Ray:

SIMON ACTUALLY SAID:

“BOYCOTT CBS UNTIL DAN RATHER IS FIRED”.

PASS IT ON

Sep 17, 2004 - 7:35 pm 28. MaDr:

Here’s how I think it should go (starting Mon).

CBS annouces 1) they are forming a Blue Ribbon Panel(BRP)of outside journalists and 2) Rather, Mapes, and Heywood have been suspended and are forbidden to talk to anyone other than the BRP until this matter is resolved.

Later CBS (not Rather) apologizes to President Bush and the American people, and announces that 1) Rather, Mapes, and Heywood have decided to terminate their relationship with CBS, 2) as a condition of their severance packages they are forbidden from ever speaking about the circumstances of this ‘project’, and 3) here’s how it happened starting back in 1999 when Mary Mapes, Bill Burkett, and James Carville stopped for a cold one after work ………

Sep 17, 2004 - 8:31 pm 29. holdfast:

I can’t beleive that someone hasn’t said this yet – and pardon me if they have:

DAN YOU IGNORANT SLUT!

Bagged-out, dried-up, slunken meat like you and Howell Raines know the rules. If you want a contract, sign on the dotted line. Oh, but let’s all shed a tear for poor Howell. There was only testimony that he had sexual intercourse over forty times with the DNC while living with the NY Times. But I suppose that sort of fashionable promiscuting means nothing to you, Dan, who hops from candidate to candidate with the frequency of a cheap Wi-Fi Router. But hell hath no fury like a partisan’s scorn, and Howell Raines, like a screeching, squealing, reptatious swamp sow is after Terry McAuliffe’s last three hundred million dollars. I guess what you and Howell are saying is that when you’re on your backs, the meter is running. Well, please spare us, gals, and tell us the rate’s at the top. Then we can choose which two bit hacks and bargain basement muckrakers to shack up with.

PS – what the hell is Staudt’s rank? Did he perhaps serve as a general “acting-lacking” and retire as a Colonel or something. I’m not surprised that the MSM can’t get ranks right, but there seems to be much confusion even among usually reliable bloggers.

Sep 17, 2004 - 10:36 pm 30. Sandy P:

HOLY FRIGGIN’ MOLEY – It was CLELAND!

Via Allah:

…So far, so good. Clearly, Dobbs thinks Burkett is the forger. But the idea of Burkett being the forger isn’t exactly front page news at this point. Why, oh why, then, does Ace have the siren up?

Here’s why:

In an Aug. 21 posting, Burkett referred to a conversation with former senator Max Cleland (D-Ga.) about the need to counteract Republican tactics: “I asked if they wanted to counterattack or ride this to ground and outlast it, not spending any money. He said counterattack. So I gave them the information to do it with. But none of them have called me back.”

Cleland confirmed that he had a two- or three-minute conversation by cell phone with a Texan named Burkett in mid-August while he was on a car ride. He remembers Burkett saying that he had “valuable” information about Bush, and asking what he should [do] with it. “I told him to contact the [Kerry] campaign,” Cleland said. “You get this information tens of times a day, and you don’t know if it is legit or not.”

August 21st falls within the 12-day window described in this morning’s post, by the way. But I digress. Elsewhere in the article:

In e-mail messages to a Yahoo discussion group for Texas Democrats over the past few months, Burkett laid out a rationale for using what he termed “down and dirty” tactics against Bush. He said he had passed his ideas to the Democratic National Committee but that the DNC seemed “afraid to do what I suggest.”

—

Now how would Burkett get Max’ cell phone #?

Sep 17, 2004 - 10:58 pm 31. jdwill:

Apologies for late posting, but he video link may be useful to someone.

Rather Meltdown.

Floating eyes, rambling, Nixonian dissertations. “The story is true” (over and over and over …) Sad, yet fitting. And this was on Sept 10!

Rather with Marcia Kramer [you may have to click on "Reporting for Duty?" on the More Video selector on the right and then look for "Rather Defends Memos" in the selections on the left]

What is in this video that I haven’t seen reported on before is Rather essentially connecting his story with the SBVT attacks on Kerry – otherwise the story wouldn’t be important!

Sep 18, 2004 - 10:14 am

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