CBS bosses hiding truth - Dan Rather

[CatWoman]

Dan Rather slammed CBS Tuesday for trying to keep his court fight with the network out of the public eye.

The newsman - who has filed a $70 million lawsuit against the Tiffany network, where he anchored the "CBS Evening News" for 24 years - said "corporate overlords" are conspiring to withhold several key documents.

The 76-year-old was back in Manhattan Supreme Court for a hearing on his suit, which accuses CBS of sidelining him to make nice with the White House following a September 2004 report that questioned President Bush's Vietnam-era military service.

Rather left the anchor's chair in March 2005 and was limited to being a bit player on "60 Minutes" before departing from CBS.

"It is a fact that corporate overlords working in secret collusion with the powers in Washington are intruding far too often in far too many newsrooms," he said.

The documents that Rather wants to see include a CBS-commissioned private investigator's report that he believes could back up his version of the disputed story about Bush's stint in the Texas Air National Guard.

CBS said it is "absolutely confident" the documents support its position. "When and if there is a trial ... all such documents introduced at trial will be made public," the network said.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2008/02/27/2008-02-27_cbs_bosses_hiding_truth__dan_rather.html

[Cleita]

1. Go, Dan go!

His broadcast was the only network news I listened to until he was replaced by Katie Whouric.

[happyslug]

2. Documents ONLY be used at the Actual Trial?? This is a Civil Trial not a Criminal Trial

Even in Criminal Trials both sides KNOWS most of the Evidence BEFORE the trial ever begins. In Civil Trials it is viewed as an absolute right. You can't with hold such information till trial, unless it is NOT pertinent. A subsequent investigation regarding the same Accusation? Clearly discoverable (i.e. must be turned over to the other side). Someone is talking out of their hat.

[superkia]

3. You can do anything when you work for the corrupt system. NT.

[TheWraith]

4. "corporate overlords working in secret collusion with the powers in Washington"?

Dan needs to check his script. It makes him sound like a B movie.

[kath]

5. well you might not like how it sounds, but it equals FASCISM.

[CatWoman]

6. and your post sounds like a "c" at best

:eyes:

[EFerrari]

7. Our government should be so lucky as to get a B.

[HamdenRice]

13. Sounds like you never worked in the private sector

if you can't wrap your mind around having corporate overlords.

[lumberjack_jeff]

17. It sounds a bit x-file-ish but we live in an x-file-ish world. n/t

[yardwork]

20. Unfortunately, it's probably the truth.

[fascisthunter]

25. He Could Have Called Them Fascists

that but that's unacceptable too.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

8. Yeah right. And Exxon has not spent one damn dime

cleaning up after Valdese. Sure, if and when. It has only been 19 years since Valdese. If the lawyers (liers) can stall it long enough, nobody will even remember what the fuss was about.

The problem with corporations having the same status as people is that corporations, like vampires, never die.

[spanone]

9. K&R

[CGowen]

10. "intruding far too often in far too many newsrooms". How many times is OK? n/t

[donheld]

11. Kick and recommend

[Senator]

12. CBS Ought To Demand Some Of That Retroactive Immunity

This notion of abiding by the laws, contracts, and treaty obligations is sooo 90s.

Plus, it has a tendency to eat into the profits.

---

[Larry Ogg]

14. There is no such thing as an independent press.

http://www.google.com/search?q=There+is+no+such+thing%2C+at+this+date+of+the+world%27s+history%2C+in+America+as+an+independent+press.&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7SUNA">"There is no such thing, at this date of the world's history, in America as an independent press.
You know it and I know it. There is not one of you who dares to write your honest opinions, and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinions out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for similar things, and any of you who would be so foolish as to write honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for another job. If I allowed my honest opinions to appear in one issue of my paper, before twenty-four hours my occupation would be gone.
The business of the journalists is to destroy the truth; to lie outright; to pervert; to vilify; to fawn at the feet of mammon, and to sell his country and his race for his daily bread. You know it and I know it and what folly is this toasting an independent press? We are the tools and vassals of rich men behind the scenes. We are jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes."
John Swinton - (1829-1901) Former Head of Editorial Staff for the New York Times, was one of America's best loved newspapermen. Called by his peers "The Dean of his Profession."



When you control opinion, as corporate America controls opinion in the United States by owning the media, you can make the (many) believe almost anything you want, and you can guide them. Gore Vidal

[NotGivingUp]

27. Excellent post. My short foray in writing brought me to this very conclusion.

I wanted to write to 'get the truth out', but there were NO outlets for that sort of thing. The whole experience just opened my eyes a lot wider...that even if a magazine/newspaper/etc is not owned outright by a large corporation, it is owned per se by its advertisers...which are corporations. We have no voice. Even on the internet...website owners are being threatened every single day in order to silence them. Guess what...IT'S WORKING!!!

[KharmaTrain]

15. The Power Of Having A Legion Of Attorneys

Dan should know how this game is played...a suit of this sort takes a lot of time and money...that's the strategy of CBS. They have a ton of laywers on retainer for things like this and the hope is to outlast and make it too expensive for Rather or anyone else to keep the suit going. This is done through all sorts of motions and debates about witnesses and what evidence is admissible. Yes, he's fighting the DC establishment as well...but that's how the large corporation protect their power. Hang tough, Dan...the truth will out!

[Echo In Light]

16. "It is a fact that corporate overlords working in secret collusion with the powers in Washington"

[Dinger]

18. If They Had Any Fuckin' Brains, They'd Hire Dan Back

Something tells me they have no brains or journalistic instinct or any idea of fairness.

[H8fascistcons]

22. They Can't Do That

then they would have to start doing some real investigations and tell the truth...You can't lie for the Bush Crime Family if you have an anchor with principles and integrity...Katie Couric fits very well into the infotainment model of Fascist journalism....

[Dinger]

24. That's For Sure (nt)

[BridgeTheGap]

19. It's heartening to see Rather standing up to these bastards! n.t

[lonestarnot]

21. Daniel in the lions' den!

[peacock]

23. What does that mean, when & if there

is a trial?

[democrank]

26. This takes courage.

http://www.awolbush.com/

[Angela Shelley]

28. Dan Rather rocks!

[sarcasmo]

29. Kick to the top for Dan.