"Absolutely True:" Rather Continues to Defend 60 Minutes TANG Story
Just moments ago on North Carolina's Morning News with Jack Boston on Raleigh-based News-Talk 680 WPTF, former CBS anchor Dan Rather defended the infamous 60 Minutes story using forged documents to attack President Bush's service with the Texas Air National Guard as being, "absolutely true," a charge a testy Rather reiterated at least four or five times.
Rather not only defended the report, but the validity of the forged documentation that the report relied on, saying it had never been proven false (despite copious evidence to the contrary). I've contacted the station, and hope to get audio of that portion of the interview posted later in the morning. Note: While the show is North Carolina's Morning News with Jack Boston, Rick and Donna Martinez conducted the interview with Rather while Jack Boston is out fighting leukemia. Our prayers and best wishes go out to Jack and his family. Update: The Raleigh News and Observer reports on the story. Update: A reader taped an MP3 (3:34) during a re-airing of the Rather-Martinez interview this afternoon during WPTF's The Bill Lumaye Show. Enjoy!
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 08:39 AM
Comments
Posted by: iinventedtheinternet at November 07, 2006 09:05 AM (Eodj2)
Posted by: dbehsman at November 07, 2006 09:32 AM (a7CL5)
While it was Jack Boston's show on WPTF, we should clarify for readers that the hosts this morning were actually Rick and Donna Martinez (she works at JLF, too).
Posted by: John Hood at November 07, 2006 09:33 AM (Op3RY)
Q.v., my Dan Rather Mad Lib over at the Locker Room.
Posted by: Jon Sanders at November 07, 2006 09:35 AM (Op3RY)
Posted by: Karen at November 07, 2006 09:47 AM (YkCwy)
Posted by: Daveg at November 07, 2006 09:52 AM (F1thZ)
Posted by: Jack Olson at November 07, 2006 09:59 AM (1hwMq)
Hey, I guess that means Dan Rather made me a conservative.
Posted by: S. Weasel at November 07, 2006 10:03 AM (rasT+)
Some people just don't get it, and they never will.
Posted by: jblog at November 07, 2006 10:08 AM (g7mo7)
Posted by: CUS at November 07, 2006 10:15 AM (bbXZq)
Also, isn't it interesting, the morning of a critical national election Dan Rather is spending his time being interviewed by an AM radio station in North Carolina. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Come to think of it, this is the first peep I've heard from Dan Rather this whole election season. He really is in exile, huh - and deservedly so.
Posted by: kcom at November 07, 2006 10:19 AM (5f6lb)
So his story about the 'Forged Documents' about the President is of no surprise, the man wouldn't recognise the truth if it came right out and bit him.
Posted by: Mark at November 07, 2006 10:19 AM (Eodj2)
Posted by: Vero at November 07, 2006 10:30 AM (1xNvF)
Besides. Learn about flying an F-102 -- a dangerous aircraft that takes a lot of skill.
Rather needs to geet a life. Oh. He already had one and blew it.
Posted by: sbw at November 07, 2006 10:31 AM (dJ1+y)
Rather supporters claimed various typewriters capable of making the suspect typsets, superscripts, etc. (Less than convincingly, but that's irrelevant). If so, where are the documents created by them? Are we to believe this extrememly high-tech equipment (for the times) was used to create this damning memo, and never used to create a single official document? Ever??? If this equipment existed Mapes and Rather would have FOIA'd every document ever filed by that TANG unit.
All they would have to do is find one single official document and their story is worth millions. And in two years they've produced nothing? And here they are claiming they're right, still?
Please.
Posted by: mj at November 07, 2006 10:42 AM (mEfRA)
He showed a shot of the incriminating documents and a shot of verified 1972 documents using "the same superscript" (his words), but they very clearly were not the same.
It doesn't take a document expert or a typewriter historian or an Air Force secretary to see the difference. He just plain flat-out said they were the same when they just plain flat-out were not.
So either he's so ignorant that he cannot tell they're different or he lied.
Screenshots from that news report here:
http://www.murdoconline.net/archives/001564.html
The fact that he's still harping on about this (on election day, no less) demonstrates that he's STILL either an ignoramus or a liar.
Truly amazing. And Rather sad...
Posted by: Murdoc at November 07, 2006 10:46 AM (Naf9R)
http://www.murdoconline.net/archives/001564.html
Posted by: Murdoc at November 07, 2006 10:47 AM (Naf9R)
Posted by: aaron at November 07, 2006 10:49 AM (IhMLI)
Seriously, was the Viet Nam era Bush Air National Guard story a big deal even if true, especially compared to Kerry's lying about the troops [which I fell for at the time!]?
Posted by: J.Peden at November 07, 2006 11:13 AM (NkjFO)
Posted by: ajacksonian at November 07, 2006 11:26 AM (VLjJI)
Posted by: John Kerry at November 07, 2006 11:37 AM (GRgjE)
Posted by: The Sanity Inspector at November 07, 2006 11:38 AM (uw+0A)
And to think that the networks responded to this by putting someone reknowned for their ctitical thinking skills - Katie Couric! LOL.
Posted by: Specter at November 07, 2006 11:41 AM (ybfXM)
Posted by: Korla Pundit at November 07, 2006 11:50 AM (FHlAi)
Posted by: Kazinski at November 07, 2006 12:16 PM (HPhbp)
Second, the story is true. Not the bull that Rather and group invented, but the fact that little Bush got priveldged status and was not attentive to his duty. Why is it true? Because that is the way the system worked then. If you did not want to go to Nam (like 99.9% of those drafted) and wanted to stay alive, then you did whatever it took. I admire Bush and his family for what they did and only wish my family had that kind of pull. Thus, even though this looks bad 40 years later, it was the right thing to do. After all, our government was trying its best to kill us (they still are).
Posted by: David Caskey at November 07, 2006 12:25 PM (xxoPt)
Shoot, the one thing this story confirmed for me is that Dan Rather is still alive. Hell, I thought he died several years ago.
Posted by: TexasRainmaker at November 07, 2006 12:32 PM (B0VZe)
Posted by: Jeff C at November 07, 2006 12:34 PM (pnLPw)
Excerpted and linked.
Why thank you, Danny Boy! How many votes did the backlash against that
story cost the dhimmis two years ago? How many Rs went out and voted who
might have stayed home otherwise? And you just couldn't resist reminding
everyone, could you? John Kerry and Dan Rather; the gifts that just keep
on giving.
Posted by: Bill Faith at November 07, 2006 12:35 PM (n7SaI)
Posted by: Thomas Hazlewood at November 07, 2006 12:38 PM (NzR0P)
Posted by: Cassandra at November 07, 2006 12:41 PM (eKdAq)
Dan may be delusional only if he thinks the Neocons didn't have something to do with his demise.
Put that in your tobacco smoking cancer causer and smoke it!
Posted by: Geoffrey Knobl at November 07, 2006 01:16 PM (T2E4o)
Posted by: Dan Roll at November 07, 2006 01:27 PM (jiktV)
Posted by: Immolate at November 07, 2006 01:36 PM (qHyi8)
Bush did not "dodge" the draft, and his decision to become as a F-102 pilot gave him a far more dangerous assignment. As Bill Whittle noted yesterday (which also addresses the "idiot" charge quite well), 30% of the 875 F-102s were either lost the in accidents or enemy action. Draftees during the Vietnam-era has a far greater likehood of escaping injury or death as infantrymen than did Bush as a fighter pilot.
As for the "fortunate son" comment, Bush did not pull any strings to get into his dangerous pilot's slot, the TANG was actively recruiting for 5-6 pilots. Bush took slot number three. It's also worth mentioning that he volunteered to go to Vietnam as a fighter pilot under the Palace Alert program. Not that it matters to you, Geoffrey.
Facts being inconvenient to your narrative, and all...
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at November 07, 2006 01:36 PM (g5Nba)
THe sheep have read the new message posted and have continued the chant to force the other animals into silence.
"Kyoto Protocol Good, George Bush bad!"
Posted by: GW Crawford at November 07, 2006 01:51 PM (Ya9S+)
Posted by: What's the frequency, byatch. at November 07, 2006 01:56 PM (G/ufG)
Posted by: What's The Frequency at November 07, 2006 01:59 PM (z62e3)
But the media gave very little attention to the history of the "documents" that we do know. The stories of Bill Burkett, who provided them to CBS, were unbelievable. For example, why couldn't he produce the originals which he got from the mysterious Lucy Ramirez? Well, he supposedly burned them in the Kinkos parking lot. If a Bush supporter came out with a lunatic excuse like that he would have been ridiculed without end by most of the media.
Bias is one thing, but that kind of behavior is an outrage.
Posted by: Greg W at November 07, 2006 03:06 PM (nXi9q)
You really need to conduct a little more research before coming up with that's the way it was done back then.
Posted by: davod at November 07, 2006 03:16 PM (AM62A)
"What's the FREQUENCY, Kenneth?" Think about it. It all makes sense now, doesn't it?
And Kerry was doing great until he lost that magic CIA hat (lined with tinfoil, of course.) Neo-cons!
Posted by: Greg W at November 07, 2006 03:29 PM (nXi9q)
Posted by: Greg W at November 07, 2006 03:41 PM (nXi9q)
Posted by: Dave at November 07, 2006 03:54 PM (QK3of)
Kerry would have crapped his pants to go that fast.
So much for the lie that the President dodged the draft.
But since someone brought up the President honorable service to his country, when he didn't have to join looks to me like he volunteered.
But unlike Kerry the President earned his medals, The president never threw his medals away or over any fence. And the President still has his medals, where Kerry's had to be RE-ISSUED along with his discharge, in 1979. In order for medals and badges to be re-issued, they first have to be taken away. There are two ways they are taken away, 1. a Dishonorable Discharge or 2. a Bad Conduct Discharge. Kerry's were re-issued after Jimma Carter signed the amnesty for the Vietnam draft dodgers, and Kerry's Dishonorable Discharge was recinded, hence his medals were returned.
If anyone doubts this Kerry, also enlisted in 1964 and got his final discharge in 1979 that is a hell of a long 6 year commitment.
Because of Kerry's anti-American activities the Navy did not let him get away with it but Carter the putz that he is, did.
Posted by: MarkT at November 07, 2006 04:17 PM (0Co69)
-----Original message-----
From: Michael.Sheehan@IEEE.org
Date: Tue, 07 Nov 2006 13:06:23 -0500
To: pzachary@curtismedia.com
Subject: Feedback
Originated from: http://www.wptf.com/contactus.asp
Name: Michael Sheehan
E-mail Address: Michael.Sheehan@IEEE.org
City: Navarre, Florida
Comments:
Good morning!
I read on the Internet that your Mr. Jack Boston had an interview with Mr. Dan Rather earlier today.
If this is true, would a transcript of the interview be available? .. or possibly an 'e-file' recording?
I have to apologize for this request, in that it can certainly be fairly interpreted as be somewhat rude, and I don't know if I would be all that happy as a station manager having to respond to a lot of e-mail requests from 'out-of-towners'; but I have been following the Dan Rather 'TANG story' for several years now and am extremely interested in any public pronouncement that he makes on this subject.
Kindest regards,
Michael Sheehan
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
WPTF's quick reply:
Michael:
Thanks for writing, and no apology necessary. However, at the request of Rather's people, we are not making transcripts or tapes available at this time. Sorry about that. Suffice it to say, Rather stood by his reporting on George W. Bush's service in the National Guard.
Phil Zachary
EVP.COO
Curtis Media Group
Posted by: Michael Sheehan at November 07, 2006 04:46 PM (t959N)
Posted by: Jon at November 07, 2006 05:22 PM (GpYJL)
"I think this is one of the most important elections in the history of the country. You may have to go back to the Civil War to find one that would be of greater importance. That's just my personal opinion."
And it's a pretty stupid one (just my personal opinion). I think all you have to do is go back one election to find an election more important than this one. The presidency was at stake, along with the entire direction of the country's foreign policy. What's at stake now? Perhaps the House, and maaaybe the Senate. But if the night doesn't go the Democrats way, it might be neither. How is that more important than 2004, when the president was re-elected? Is Dan saying putting Kerry in office would have been less consequential than putting Nancy Pelosi in charge of the House?
(Of course, what he really means is that 2004 wasn't important because he didn't get the result he wanted.)
Posted by: kcom at November 07, 2006 05:47 PM (5f6lb)
-jcr
Posted by: John C. Randolph at November 07, 2006 06:50 PM (wGVnn)
It would be NICE if someone told the truth now and then. Silly me.
Posted by: skip at November 07, 2006 06:58 PM (JxU2K)
Nevertheless, I note the update above that CY now HAS THE AUDIO.
Blogosphere 2, Dan "Fake But Accurate" Rather 0.
Posted by: Jon Sanders at November 07, 2006 07:11 PM (OucII)
Posted by: truthtopower at November 07, 2006 08:25 PM (0mrXc)
Jack Olson: WPTF stands for "We Protect The Family" -- It comes from the station's early days 75 years ago when it was founded by a local insurance firm.
Donna and Rick do fine work. I used to read Rick's editorials in the N&O before I gave up my subscription. It was one of the few redeeming features of the paper.
Posted by: victor marks at November 07, 2006 08:29 PM (aJDOy)
Posted by: David Caskey, MD at November 07, 2006 09:03 PM (T9FwV)
Posted by: dude at November 08, 2006 10:01 AM (5EUCY)
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