Remarks from the Fray:
Dan Rather reported a story that was true. No one including Bush denies that what was reported was essentially the truth but rather that the documents were forged. Should Rather have checked more closely? Probably but is it reasonable that the anchor of CBS news can check every story he reports? Shouldn't other people do that for him?
Look at the facts: Rather's story told the truth and hurt no one (Bush was re-elected after all.)
Bush, on the other hand, used a forged document that he was told by the CIA was not genuine and that he shouldn't use. Rather thought that the document he was using was genuine while Bush knew the one he was using was not.
Even more importantly Rather's lie was harmless while Bush's lie has led to more then 3,700 dead American soldiers and perhaps a million dead Iraqis not to mention half a trillion dollars...
So please, can somebody tell me why Rather was fired but Bush still has his job?
--progressivebulldog
(To reply, click here.)
Ms. Goldstein appears to be following the script set out by the headline "Documents Fake But Accurate", which made the NYT a laughing-stock. She repeats the canard that GWB used family influence to jump the Queue and get into the Texas ANG. How many applicants were there at the time who could pass the very rigorous standards which the USAF imposed upon applicants for flight training? She doesn't know nor does she care? Combat flying in a super-sonic fighter, such as the F-102 was and is quite dangerous and demanding---not the way a coward would chose to avoid combat. Has she ever looked at the instrument panel of an F-102?
The reason that anyone but a fool knew within hours of the broadcast that the documents upon which it was based were forgeries had nothing to do with Bill Burkett's shady reputation or with his "credibility". It was simply that exact replicas of them could be easily produced by anyone with a computer using microsoft word in its default settings. My son sent me such a replica within days. Apparently, Mr. Rather is so stupid or poorly informed as to not be aware of this, right up to the present day. Ms. Mapes, however, is not stupid, and we must look elsewhere for her motivations. I have always thought that she herself could have been the source of the forgeries and arranged to have them "discovered" by the gullible Burkett, whose animus against the (Army) NG would have been well known to her. This possibility is at least worthy of investigation. His story of how he obtained them is not believable.
Finally, the return of many pilots from Viet Nam during the latter part of GWB's tour created a glut of very qualified pilots with relatively few flying slots to accomodate them. For this reason the ANG allowed him to complete his tour with only nominal duties in Alabama and finally. the Harvard Business School.
With the exception of my conjecture about Mary Mapes, everything I have written here has been well known for years.
--James currin
(To reply, click here.)
The Wall Within was an expose done by Rather supposedly on the plight of Vietnam War vets whose lives were wrecked by the War since they became depressed, homeless, jobless and turned to drugs and alcohol. Rather with his razor sharp research skills interviewed six of these "vets" and told a heart wrenching story of how the war destroyed their lives. Unfortunately (for Rather) it came to light that 5 of these "Vietnam vets" had never been in Vietnam and the sixth who had been in Vietnam was a repairman not a SEAL as he claimed.
So it should be no surprise that Rather was taken in by the Killian memos despite his previous experience. Why?What are the odds that Rather picked 6 people who were not what they claimed they were? What are the odds of #1 and the Killian memos happening to the same reporter? CBS claimed Rather's sources (plural) were unimpeachable, yet despite the prevarication of these anonymous sources, why has neither CBS nor Rather revealed them?
Maybe Rather can write a book and title it: "If I Did Lie!"
--The Ranger
(To reply, click here.)
(10/3)
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Remarks from the Fray:
Dan Rather reported a story that was true. No one including Bush denies that what was reported was essentially the truth but rather that the documents were forged. Should Rather have checked more closely? Probably but is it reasonable that the anchor of CBS news can check every story he reports? Shouldn't other people do that for him?
Look at the facts: Rather's story told the truth and hurt no one (Bush was re-elected after all.)
Bush, on the other hand, used a forged document that he was told by the CIA was not genuine and that he shouldn't use. Rather thought that the document he was using was genuine while Bush knew the one he was using was not.
Even more importantly Rather's lie was harmless while Bush's lie has led to more then 3,700 dead American soldiers and perhaps a million dead Iraqis not to mention half a trillion dollars...
So please, can somebody tell me why Rather was fired but Bush still has his job?
--progressivebulldog
(To reply, click here.)
Ms. Goldstein appears to be following the script set out by the headline "Documents Fake But Accurate", which made the NYT a laughing-stock. She repeats the canard that GWB used family influence to jump the Queue and get into the Texas ANG. How many applicants were there at the time who could pass the very rigorous standards which the USAF imposed upon applicants for flight training? She doesn't know nor does she care? Combat flying in a super-sonic fighter, such as the F-102 was and is quite dangerous and demanding---not the way a coward would chose to avoid combat. Has she ever looked at the instrument panel of an F-102?
The reason that anyone but a fool knew within hours of the broadcast that the documents upon which it was based were forgeries had nothing to do with Bill Burkett's shady reputation or with his "credibility". It was simply that exact replicas of them could be easily produced by anyone with a computer using microsoft word in its default settings. My son sent me such a replica within days. Apparently, Mr. Rather is so stupid or poorly informed as to not be aware of this, right up to the present day. Ms. Mapes, however, is not stupid, and we must look elsewhere for her motivations. I have always thought that she herself could have been the source of the forgeries and arranged to have them "discovered" by the gullible Burkett, whose animus against the (Army) NG would have been well known to her. This possibility is at least worthy of investigation. His story of how he obtained them is not believable.
Finally, the return of many pilots from Viet Nam during the latter part of GWB's tour created a glut of very qualified pilots with relatively few flying slots to accomodate them. For this reason the ANG allowed him to complete his tour with only nominal duties in Alabama and finally. the Harvard Business School.
With the exception of my conjecture about Mary Mapes, everything I have written here has been well known for years.
--James currin
(To reply, click here.)
The Wall Within was an expose done by Rather supposedly on the plight of Vietnam War vets whose lives were wrecked by the War since they became depressed, homeless, jobless and turned to drugs and alcohol. Rather with his razor sharp research skills interviewed six of these "vets" and told a heart wrenching story of how the war destroyed their lives. Unfortunately (for Rather) it came to light that 5 of these "Vietnam vets" had never been in Vietnam and the sixth who had been in Vietnam was a repairman not a SEAL as he claimed.
So it should be no surprise that Rather was taken in by the Killian memos despite his previous experience. Why?What are the odds that Rather picked 6 people who were not what they claimed they were? What are the odds of #1 and the Killian memos happening to the same reporter? CBS claimed Rather's sources (plural) were unimpeachable, yet despite the prevarication of these anonymous sources, why has neither CBS nor Rather revealed them?
Maybe Rather can write a book and title it: "If I Did Lie!"
--The Ranger
(To reply, click here.)
(10/3)