January 10, 2005
ALL THE SAME...RATHER BE IN YORBA LINDA:
CBS fires 4 after probe into Bush National Guard story (Associated Press, January 10, 2005)
Four CBS News staffers were fired Monday following the release of an independent investigation that said a ``myopic zeal'' led to a ``60 Minutes Wednesday'' story about President Bush's military service that relied on allegedly forged documents.The network fired Mary Mapes, producer of the report; Josh Howard, executive producer of ``60 Minutes Wednesday'' and his top deputy Mary Murphy; and senior vice president Betsy West.
Dan Rather, who narrated the report, announced in November that he was stepping down as anchorman of the ``CBS Evening News,'' but insisted the timing had nothing to do with the investigation.
Even his nemesis, Richard Nixon, had the decency to admit his resignation was related to Watergate. Posted by Orrin Judd at January 10, 2005 1:00 PM
Had GWB lost, Mapes would no doubt be the most popular person at CBS today. Her crime was not the hit piece, but bungling it.
Posted by: curt at January 10, 2005 2:09 PMSpeaking of Nixon, I would imagine the effort to prove Dan Rather right will take on something of the coloring of those who over the years kept trying to prove Alger Hiss never spied for the Soviets, with pretty much the same results.
Apparently the report refuses to declare the documents are forgeries. This was CBS' fallback position all along. ("The documents cannot definitely be authenticated but the story is true.")
Forgery of the documents and transmitting them over the wire are federal offenses. This demands a federal inquiry, not just congressional hearings but a criminal investigation.
The report maintains CBS had no political agenda, but how does that explain Mapes contacting Lockhart? Ironically the report does state the bloggers who blew the whistle DID have a political agenda.
I'm glad several people were fired but the major culprit has escaped. Rather was leaving the newscast anyway so he doesn't really pay a price. He even gets to keep his 60 Mintues Two gig.
Posted by: George at January 10, 2005 3:45 PMDoes anybody understand what words mean anymore? "Myopic zeal" is an aggravating, not mitigating, circumstance. It demonstrates at least bias, and suggests malicious intent. Do we watch national news to get stories from zealous advocates of one side or another?.
Posted by: Lou Gots at January 10, 2005 4:25 PMLou,
There is no such thing as objectivity in politics or journalism. We all come into things with our preconceived notions, ideas and biases. What the MSM does is try to persuade us into thinking they are objective, when they are not. That is what people find offensive, not the bias itself. It would be like L'Humanite' or Pravda trying to tell us they are objective news sources and they at least have the courtesy and decency not to do that.
Posted by: Bart at January 11, 2005 7:08 AMLes Moonves should run a reality show this spring, showing furiously pious journalists trying to hunt down a hot story.
The winner is the one with the fewest retractions.
Posted by: jim hamlen at January 11, 2005 11:31 AM