Taking up for him? Where did my description of his self-delusion that he is still (was ever?) a Real Jounalist did you get THAT from? From the same talking points memo where conservatives got the idea that liberals hang on his every word?
Rather is, and has been as long as I can remember him, going back to 1964, a slightly crazed, self-important twit. He is closer to Howard Beal than Howard K Smith. I fear that to presume there was much depth to his involvement in that story gives him more credit than he deserves. TV anchors do not research and write their own stories to any great extent; that’s what they have producers for. The anchors are too busy pontificating on Big-J Journalism at gala luncheons.
On the Dan Rather is crazy part ---- it really depends on whether that’s a Col. Burkett craaaazy you’re talking about – which is a ‘crazy man’s crazy’ ----- or that Ms. Mapes monomaniacal crazy. I, for one, think Capt’n Dan is the Ms. Mapes sort of crazy -
Anyway – for what it’s worth – the resident 60 Minutes clown, Andy Rooney, seems to say that Rather and others took advantage – And you have to assume he believes what he’s saying since, I’d think, guys who are 85 don’t give a shit -
Since the report did not find political bias or heavily fault Rather in the matter and some of you are still calling for his head, what can you tell me about the the independent panel doing the investigation? Are these people who are known for having a liberal agenda?
In my own opinion, Rather is most responsible for this action listed in the OP:
Although he is “the face” – at CBS News, he also has over forty years experience in journalism. He should have known better than to staunchly defend a report without full personal vetting. He may have thought that he had done that, but obviously he had not done it to a point of certainty.
You don’t fire someone who has endangered his own life many times to get the story over four decades – over such a mistake as this. It was a very bad mistake but basically of very little consequence. There was no evidence of an intentional lie on the part of Dan Rather. I don’t think anyone denies that George Bush had preferential treatment in the Guard. He was still elected President and the independent panel found no political bias. Why should he be fired because his producers were? It’s not as if he runs the show.
Rather and many of the oldsters in the country go back a long way – to a hospital corridor in Dallas, Texas. He was a local reporter explaining to Walter Cronkite and the rest of the country what was happening around him after President Kennedy had been brought in. * He is in our psyche because of it.* CBS can’t just throw that away. He’s made many mistakes and he can come across as cocky as hell. He can also be very personable. But most of all, he has paid his dues. It’s time for a new anchor, but I’m glad he’s not leaving altogether.
Seems that Josh Howard, the 60 Minutes executive producer who was forced to resign by CBS because of his alleged role in the Rathergate misconduct, is demanding that CBS tell the truth or face the consequences. Stay tuned folks - this could get ugly -------