Dan Rather And Wrong Questions

Posted on September 17, 2004
Filed Under pol | 4 Comments

I found this link on Gweilo Diaries to a piece about Dan Rather and the possible fake documents about Bush’s military service.

Actually, Rather spoke of his concern that the documents might not be real, which, yes, he takes seriously. It’s a bit late now, yeah… but he is probably really concerned about it, because if they are (and it seems they probably are) then using them was a stupid mistake. Of course, he also acknowledges something very important: that people are using the question of the origin of the documents as a distraction from the real question, which is, “Did Bush receive and accept favorable treatment while serving in the military?” The secretary who claims that she never typed the documents also noted that their contents are accurate and reflect the reality that Bush got special treatment and that officers generally knew about it.

… he also delivered a message to “our journalistic competitors,” including The Washington Post and rival networks: “Instead of asking President Bush and his staff questions about what is true and not true about the president’s military service, they ask me questions: ‘How do you know this and that about the documents?’ “

And if it was never a problem, if Bush’s time in the military was actually properly served, then it shouldn’t be so very hard to get hold of the real documents, should it? Shouldn’t it be possible for him to request that his record be publicly released to clear his name? I am not sure it’s possible, but I imagine the President asking for such a thing would probably get what he wanted.

The problem is, he can’t do that, because what’s in his folder is probably extremely embarrassing.

Comments

4 Responses to “Dan Rather And Wrong Questions”

  1. scott on October 1st, 2004 10:07 pm

    Speaking of Bush and his past military service, did you know that John Kerry lied about being in Cambodia?

    And also in defense of Bush’s past record in the Guard, I would like to raise the point that no has proved that Kerry’s camp did not create those false memos.

    There it is: issue closed.

  2. gordsellar on October 1st, 2004 10:29 pm

    Scott,

    I’m running about like a mad hen until Sunday, but for God’s sake, please.

    (a) Kerry didn’t start a war on false pretences which hasn’t achieved any of its goals and in fact is costing money and killing people unnecessarily. While Bush has. Which is why I am so down on him, period.

    (b) Absence of evidence against an accusation is damning? Hey Scott: Let’s see someone prove they did create those documents. Until someone does, I think it’s more of that “conspiracy mongering” you claim to hate so much.

    (c) Kerry lied? Is this Swift Boat chatter or something else? Because those Swift Boat guys are lying, as everyone knows now.

    (d) You shouldn’t declare any issue closed on any place but your own webspace. You can’t do it on mine, and it’s more than a little presumptuous to do so. If it was your page, and you wanted to end a discussion, fine. You showing up and doing it on mine is another story. Please contribute if you like, but don’t take it upon yourself to tell me when an issue is closed.

  3. scott on October 3rd, 2004 1:42 am

    Awk! I’m 0 for 2 on this site. I don’t know, maybe I should stop making comments on other people’s blogs when I’m drunk.

    Someday soon after we get to know each other a little better I’m sure we’ll get along famously.

  4. gordsellar on October 3rd, 2004 7:47 am

    LOL Stop commenting when drunk, by all means, but don’t stop commenting.

    And I should stop replying to comments when I don’t have the time to read them carefully.

    Scott, do you have a site? Can I sample more of your humor and get used to it?