Dan Rather's $70m lawsuit likely to deal bu$h* legacy a new blow

[spanone]

As George W Bush prepares to leave the White House, at least one unpleasant episode from his unpopular presidency is threatening to follow him into retirement.

A $70m lawsuit filed by Dan Rather, the veteran former newsreader for CBS Evening News, against his old network is reopening the debate over alleged favourable treatment that Bush received when he served in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam war. Bush had hoped that this controversy had been dealt with once and for all during the 2004 election.

Eight weeks before the 2004 presidential poll, Rather broadcast a story based on newly discovered documents which appeared to show that Bush, whose service in the Texas Air National Guard ensured that he did not have to fight in Vietnam, had barely turned up even for basic duty. After an outcry from the White House and conservative bloggers who claimed that the report had been based on falsified documents, CBS retracted the story, saying that the documents' authenticity could not be verified. Rather, who had been with CBS for decades and was one of the most familiar faces in American journalism, was fired by the network the day after the 2004 election.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/28/dan-rather-cbs-lawsuit-bush/print

[SpiralHawk]

1. "But, but, but I has a strategery for dealing with this. Smirk." - Commander AWOL (R)

"I is going to pardon me for going AWOL and for lying about going AWOL, and I is going to pardon CBS for covering up that I went AWOL, and that I has consistently lied about having gone AWOL. So everything is cool. Mission Accomplished. Smirk.

"You better believe that all the other republicon chickenhawks lap this crap right up. They loves it. Makes them feel less guilty about their chickenhawk war mongering for the Oil Profits Crusade we republicons lied America into. Smirk."

- Commander AWOL (R)

[SpiralHawk]

2. "I totally support Commander AWOL. Sneer." - VP Dickie 'Five Military Deferments' Cheney

[SpiralHawk]

5. "I totally support Five Deferments Cheney. Smirk." - Rush 'Draft Dodger' Limbaugh (R)

"Chickenhawkery is a republicon Institution as venerated as our Traditional Hypocrisy on sex, drugs, and rock & roll. We chickenhawks are BLESSED BY OUR ELITE REPUBLICON GAWD to have survived so long in the public arena pretending to be tough-guy patriots, while havING dodged each and every opportunity to serve America - and yet magically having found WAYS to profit MASIVELY ourselves by encouraging needless, pointless, perverted, torture-skanked WAR WAR WAR.

"Doubt me? Then check with the other BELOVED (smirk) republicon chickenhawks who populate our Elite Corps of Impudent Republicon Propaganda Puppets: O'Reilly, Hannity, Beck, Delay, Lott, Boehner, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. Ad nauseum. Smirk. Sneer."

- Rush 'Ass Pimple Draft Dodger' Limbaugh

[Merlot]

10. Is that bushco or Prince Charles

They're starting to look alike.. .

[SpiralHawk]

11. "It's me me me. You can be sure. Smirk." - Commander AWOL (R)

[GCP]

16. Please don't insult a very decent guy

Prince Charles, that is.

On edit - he actually served in his country's armed services.

[JeanGrey]

3. This is going nowhere. Count on it.

[spanone]

4. it's going to court, count on that.

that alone does my heart good....

[Dinger]

6. Me Too

I hope those fuckers pay, and pay DEARLY!

[JeanGrey]

15. It shouldn't. Rather is a fool and trust me this is going nowhere.

[Dinger]

18. No, Rather Is NOT A Fool, Not By A Longshot

But I am curious what exactly makes you say that. What's YOUR problem with him? Calling bu$h out? Telling the truth?

[JeanGrey]

19. He didn't tell ANYTHING he could back up. That is the

problem and yes he's a fool.

[Mike Nelson]

7. Hopefully, Rather will get his day

Once Bush leaves

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

8. Bush Legacy?

This adds maybe a little tarnish to a pile of rust.

He'll be gone in less than a month. That's legacy enough.

Too bad he can still do damage with anti-environmental signings before he leaves. Long live coal sludge!

:hi:

[joeunderdog]

12. It's about Media Consolidation.

It was the first thing Bush took control of in office, and he used it every stinkin step of the way.

[Frustratedlady]

9. Go, Dan! He has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Hopefully, these awful years of political control of the MSM are ending. If Obama is able to and willing to keep everything out in the open (as much as he can) then subsequent presidents will have one heck of a bar to jump over.

With Biden, Obama may be able to keep the jackals off his back, for fear they may be exposed. Biden knows how they work and, hopefully, will stand solidly at Obama's side.

We must get back to open government, but it is going to take years to build the trust of the people so they can truly believe, again. It will never be perfect, but it can sure as hell be improved.

[UTUSN]

13. K&R for, here's hoping!1 Go, Dan, GO!1 n/t

[Fireweed247]

14. Was Dan Rather fired?

I thought he retired...

I'm not quite sure what difference this makes at this point in time, we all already know Bush is a fraud.

[GCP]

17. Make no mistake - they pushed him out

:grr:

[aikoaiko]

20. I wish you were correct, but I don't think many people care about Rather's or Bush's legacies.

But I could be wrong.