by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright September 27, 2007
All Rights Reserved.

iling a $70 million lawsuit against CBS Sept. 20, former nightly news anchor Dan Rather got inspired by ex-radio shock-jock Don Imus, who recently settled a breach of contract suit for around $20 million. Rather got buckwheat after getting forced out of his job March 9, 2005, six months after he aired a story with forged supporting documents that President George W. Bush failed to report for a physical and went AOL around May 1972, when he was transferred to Alabama where he worked on the Senate campaign of Winston M. Blount, a friend of his father, George H.W. Bush, then ambassador to the United Nations. Rather contends in his lawsuit he was scapegoated by CBS, standing by the veracity of his story on CBS' “60 Minutes II” about Bush and denying that the documents were forgeries. Rather forgets he allowed the CBS newsroom to be hijacked by the Kerry campaign.

      CBS President Leslie Moonves promised to get to the bottom of how Rather could have based the blockbuster story about Bush's military service on forged documents only two months before the 2004 presidential election. Moonves appointed a Blue Ribbon panel comprised of former U.S. Atty. Gen. Dick Thornburgh and former Associated Press President Louis Boccardi to investigate the incident. Three months later Jan. 10, 2005 four senior CBS employees got axed. Senior Vice President primetime producer Betsy West, “60 Minutes II” Executive Producer Josh Howard, Senior Broadcast Producer Mary Murphy and veteran producer Mary Mapes, responsible for the “60 Minutes II” segment about Bush's National Guard Service, paid the price. Calling the broadcast “myopic zeal,” Thornburgh and Boccardi found no “proof” of political subterfuge.

      Rather contends that the documents on which the broadcast was based were not proven as fakes. Yet independent document experts all agree that miniaturized superscripts could not have been generated on military-issued IBM typewriters in 1972. Rather also indicates that he stands by the content of the broadcast, namely, that George W. Bush disappeared from his National Guard duty when he left Texas for Alabama. When the story backfired Sept. 8, 2004, Rather sang a different tune. “If I knew then what I know now, I would not have gone ahead with the story as it was aired and certainly would not have used the documents,” said Rather, denying that he had advanced knowledge of the forgeries and still aired the show. Rather recently told CNN's Larry King Sept. 20 that he stands by the show and isn't convinced that the documents were actually counterfeit.

      Now that Rather filed suit, he doesn't want anyone to recall the circuitous route by which he received the forged documents about Bush's National Guard duty. Former Texas National Guard Lt. Col. Bill Burkett, an outspoken Bush critic, contacted former presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry's (D-Mass.) campaign advisor, Vietnam veteran, former U.S. Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.), claiming he possessed documents from Bush's commanding officer, the late Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, proving that Bush failed to report for a physical and went AWOL in 1972. Cleland, and the entire Kerry campaign, tried to battle charges by “Swift Boat Veternan's for Truth,” a GOP-funded group formed to attack Kerry's credibility. Cleland, a triple amputee from a self-inflicted accidental war injury, contacted Kerry's Senior Campaign manager Joe Lockhart. Lockhart, then contacted CBS senior producer Mary Mapes.

      Lockhart denied any involvement in the CBS' story that went public with Burkett's forged documents. While he admitted talking with Burkett for “three or four minutes,” Lockhart denied talking about the documents or anything about the CBS story. He didn't deny discussing the story at length with Cleland or detailed his conversations with Mapes. Calling Mapes' contact with Lockhart “a clear conflict of interest that created the appearance of political bias,” the Blue Ribbon panel faulted her for putting Burkett in touch with Lockhart. Rather never denied knowing about the dialogue between Mapes, Cleland and Burkett, eventually rushing to put the story on the air. Mapes claimed she vetted the documents by reading them over the phone to Maj. Gen Bobby Hodges, Killian's commanding officer. Hodges denied corroborating the documents, raising serious questions to Mapes.

      Rather couldn't resist following Don Imus with his new $70 million breach of contract suit against CBS. Rather talks like he was railroaded by greedy executives more concerned about the bottom line than salvaging CBS' fallen image. After the most egregious hijacking by a political campaign of a major network newsroom, CBS executives had no choice other than holding Rather and his team accountable for airing a story based on fake documents. Before Rather cashes in, he'll be asked tougher questions than on “Larry King Live,” blaming his problems on CBS executives. When the convoluted facts are sorted out, it will become clear that Rather tried to rescue Kerry's sinking campaign. Rather caused lasting harm to CBS News, prompting management to take corrective action. Whatever he says now will no doubt come back to bite him when he's asked some real questions.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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