CBS Forgeries: Thursday 30 Sept 2004

1. Halberstam voices criticism of CBS 'star journalism': "What they did was very stupid," Halberstam said. "But they have been heading in that direction for a long time. I've always been critical of this whole business of star journalism, where you have a big anchor coming on air and acting as a prosecutor with someone else's reporting. In many instances over the years on that program the reports have been lightly or poorly sourced and the reporting suffers as a result. Dan Rather right now is the principal anchor of the Evening News, but he is also the program's main reporter. Then he's the anchor of 48 Hours. On top of that he's the star of 60 Minutes II. That's just too much for one person and it leads to the kind of sloppiness in their reporting that just happened. (nashvillecitypaper.com)
2. Dan does it again (nypost)
3. Texas Att'y Gen'l Launches Rathergate Probe
   Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has launched a criminal investigation into forged military records allegedly obtained from President Bush's National Guard file that were aired by CBS News three weeks ago, referring a congressional request for the probe to the investigative division of the Texas Rangers. (newsmax)
4. More Than Scandal, CBS Saga May Indicate Crime: In Texas, the state in which Burkett concedes the false National Guard memos originated, it is a felony to make or present two or more documents with knowledge of their falsity and with intent that they be taken as a genuine governmental record. Under the U.S. Code, use of an interstate telephone wire, such as the one used to transmit an image of the forged documents from Texas to CBS headquarters, triggers federal jurisdiction. (foxnews)
5. INDC Interviews CBS:"The truth of the e-mails were absolutely irrelevant to the piece, because all the story said was that people were worried. It’s a story about human beings that are afraid of the draft. We did not say that this (e-mail) was true, it’s just circulating. We are not verifying the e-mail." (indcjournal)
6. Iraq missions that work out are missing from mainstream media: "media emphasis on Iraq being in chaos has coincided with John Kerry making the same pitch to voters. It makes you wonder, just as we did on the authenticity of Dan Rather's reporting. And now America knows about Rather's ruse." (tennessean.com)

OTHER

• Kerry's myth making: Exaggeration is a familiar political staple, but presidential candidates usually are held to a higher standard. Kerry's recent descent into myth making may reflect the campaign's anxiety in the final weeks. The immediate questions are whether he will engage in misstatements during Thursday's first presidential debate, and whether he will be challenged if he does. (bob novak, townhall)
• Pacifist Hatfield supports Iraq war: Compare the attention given that item with a story that truly is surprising: Last week, former Oregon governor and senator Mark Hatfield, now 82, announced his strong support for the American effort in Iraq. He said, "Our world changed on Sept. 11, 2001. ... We have paid dearly with American and Iraqi lives for our commitment, but we cannot afford the alternative."
  So what? Is he one more bloviating politician? No, this is Mark Hatfield, the most prominent evangelical in politics during the 1960s, and one who led opposition to the Vietnam War and every American military effort since. (olasky, townhall)