GOP businessman Forrester seeks Dan Rather's ouster (w/Media Campaign)

[Khephra]

TRENTON, N.J. -- Republican businessman Doug Forrester, one of the state's several possible gubernatorial candidates, on Monday unveiled a media campaign pressing CBS to oust anchor Dan Rather.

Forrester's campaign is to be waged on radio, television and the Internet starting Tuesday. Advertisements have been submitted to air in the Philadelphia and New York markets for the next several weeks on the major networks as well as cable channels, including CNN.

CBS and Rather have been under fire for a reliance on apparently fake documents to suggest President Bush's National Guard service record was less than stellar.

"Dan Rather is a classic example of liberal media bias," state the advertisements. "It wasn't just sloppy journalism, it was political bias."

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-nj--forrester-cbs0927sep27,0,6967722.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire

[Wickerman]

1. Well, Doug, we'll give you Dan if you give us George

Both used concocted evidence. Seems to me that leading a nation to war on a lie is worse, but hey, Dan for George is good enough for me, and Dan is old enough to retire anyway.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. Forrester is a clown.

Just trying to position himself for the '05 NJ guv elections. Trouble is, he has no legs.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. As per the song in "Gypsy", you gotta have a gimmick . . .

Forrester wants to be the next governor of New Jersey. He's a bit put off that he has to wait another year since Jim McGrievey (selfishly to Forrester) decided not to resign the day he made his announcement.

Like Joe McCarthy, Forrester needs an issue to get attention, not only within the Garden State, but beyond its borders as he sees this as a stepping stone for bigger and better things, just like George Pataki and Rudolph Guiliani. Picking on Dan Rather is selecting a target who cannot engage in the spirited rebuttal this insult deserves.

[Supersedeas]

5. Forrester accomplished the 'gimmick' with many accomplices

by focusing on Rather and on the documents and shifting the focus away from the content, substance, and history behind the story itself, TV Media, Bush campaign doctors and Forresters deft transform a political liability into a rallying cry.

Shamefully really--but who in TV land is willing to expose the fraudulent turn of the screw.

The only sound you hear is the swish of spineless CBS exec's ready to abandon rather and THE STORY as soon as Rove turns political cold water hot.

Jello is hot water is not a pretty site.

[indepat]

4. I guess Dougie boy isn't concerned about ousting those who used fake

documents to take this nation to a war viewed by a goodly part of the world as illegal. Such trifles and piffles must be inconsequential to true believers when perpetrated by ones of their cloth.

[truthisfreedom]

6. yeah, right. just like they tried to boycott French wine, and the word

French everywhere. these guys can go hose themselves.

[Doosh]

7. this is the clown that got his ass whipped by Lautenberg 2 years ago

I was damn proud to vote for Frank Lautenberg in 2002, Forrester is a huge pompous ass

[cal04]

8. I wrote to cbs

finally got an answer

Hello there. As far as I've heard, there's been no such move to remove Mr. Rather from the Evening News. Like you, I feel this would be the exact wrong thing to do, if not only for the insidious message it would send to other news anchors. It's a scary concept. Honestly, you probably know as much as I do as far as this is concerned. I hope he doesn't take the brunt of this. He's really so nice, so wonderful to work for, and I know his integrity is intact. Thanks again for writing and let's hope for the best.

Regina, CBS Evening News

[Pallas180]

9. I wrote too, here's my letter and the answer - they're really under attack

By the way, most of those addresses we wrote to for cbs affiliates,
came back as undeliverable:


Subj: RE: DAN RATHER IS A DECENT & COURAGEOUS MAN
Date: 9/27/2004 6:37:52 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: [e-mail]





Thank you for taking the time to write. You are quite correct when you state that we've been targeted by what you aptly refer to as the "lunatic fringe." These people represesnt themselves as the true, Christian, American patriots, but their wrath and language could make even a sailor blush, not to mention the bright eyed, idealistic people i sit with here at the desk. (i'm a bit older) It's truly atrocious. I agree with you that it takes a man to admit his mistakes, and rest assured we've no notion of folding.

Regina, CBS Evening News


-----Original Message-----

Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2004 11:30 PM
To: CND Evening News
Subject: DAN RATHER IS A DECENT & COURAGEOUS MAN

Dear Station Manager,

I am aware that the 30% lunatic fringe has been writing you
demanding that Dan Rather, CBS, and his programming be removed from your line-up. Dan Rather had the courage to report on Watergate and he is one of the few who can be counted on to have the courage and integrity to report on matters of critical interest to Americans. He is one of the few who makes the effort to maintain a free press, a commodity that has become rare in the propagandized pap Americans are fed today in substitute for news.

Unlike the current resident of the White House, when Rather has made a mistake he has the courage and integrity to admit and apologize for it.

Should you choose to fold under the pressure of a small but organized lunatic fringe, I will not be watching your station, and I will be certain to advise my church, my friends, and your sponsors why I won't be tuning in now or ever in the future.

Thank you for your consideration

Very truly yours