SwiftVets.com

[Doc Farmer]

Dan Rather--Boycott That Portrait of Unmitigated Chutzpah
Written by Doc Farmer
Thursday, September 16, 2004


''CBS News'' died yesterday, Wednesday September 15th 2004. It was killed.

Murdered....by Dan Rather.

As mentioned in my column on Sunday, the CBS News program ''60 Minutes II'' did their regularly scheduled hit piece on the President of the United States. Angry Democratic National Committee supporters made their usual angry claims in order to slander and diminish the president’s service in the Air National Guard back in the early 1970s. They’ve been trying this palaver since 1992, so it’s not anything new.

However, this time CBS went too far. It used forged documents in order to prove its point. Obviously forged documents, to be more precise. Documents which could not have been produced in 1972 or 1973, unless the late Lt. Col. Killian was able to reach through a time warp in order to type those memos and notes in default Microsoft Word mode. There is now NO doubt that the documents are astonishingly bogus.

Nevertheless, Dan Rather sits behind that desk at BlackRock and adamantly refuses to admit the truth. It’s his story and he’s sticking to it.

He claimed that experts confirmed the document’s accuracy. Problem is, that’s a lie. Experts told him that the documents were NOT accurate. Rather chose to ignore that. Why? Simple – to hurt the president.

Killian’s secretary back in the National Guard stated that the documents were bogus. However, she also stated that the documents were in line with what Killian had told her. This, in a court of law, is known as hearsay evidence. Hearsay evidence is not admissible in a court of law. Apparently, however, it is quite admissible in a ''news'' program operated by a rabid political partisan with an axe to grind of Bunyan-like proportions.

Wednesday, CBS News promised to make an announcement about the scandal (and what CBS News did was scandalous, make no mistake) at 12:00 noon. Noon passed. 13:00 passed, then 14:00. Then, CBS News revised its announcement time to 15:00. Which passed. Soon after the time was revised to 17:30. Still nothing. Finally, just after 18:05, Drudge popped up with this statement from the president of CBS News, Andrew Hayward:

''We established to our satisfaction that the memos were accurate or we would not have put them on television. There was a great deal of coroborating [sic] evidence from people in a position to know. Having said that, given all the questions about them, we believe we should redouble our efforts to answer those questions, so that's what we are doing.''

Excuse me, but how is a fraudulent, faked, forged document ''accurate''? How do you corroborate a lie? It’s oxymoronic in the extreme, and yet CBS News (and, no doubt, a pack of blasted lawyers) present this unadulterated load of male bovine excrement as the truth. Or, at least, as much ''truth'' as they are capable of dealing with.

The night before, John Roberts (Rather’s heir apparent) did another report on the documents. They interviewed the First Lady, Laura Bush, who commented that she thought the documents were probably forgeries. It is her opinion, and based on the news reports from ABC News, Fox News, the Washington Post and others, she’s got a right to it. Roberts, however, had the temerity to state ''However, Laura Bush offered no evidence to back up her claim, and CBS News continues to stand by its reporting.''

Hold the phone here. She offered no evidence to back up her claim? Hell-LOW! Earth to CBS News! Your documentation is patently false. Your interview with Ben Barnes, a major donor to the Democratic National Committee and the Kerry campaign, is dripping with partisan vitriol. And you have the cojones to sit there and state that the First Lady must come up with proof?

Well, it’s enough for me.

I was never a big fan of Dan Rather. Now, however, he and his news organization have gone too far. They’ve lied like a Clinton (either one) and expect America to swallow it whole. When somebody lies to you that egregiously, you have no choice but to castigate him. While there may be legal recourse to CBS News accepting forged government documents (a felony, if I’m not mistaken) this will not be enough. Some people believe that Rather and ''60 Minutes II'' should be hauled before a Congressional Committee and be raked over the coals. I disagree with this in the extreme. When a news organization is pulled before the government to answer for their actions, it tears at the very foundations of the First Amendment.

However, there is another way to react to CBS News and Dan Rather.

First, write to CBS News and demand (politely) that Rather and the ''60 Minutes II'' producers and reporters involved in this debacle be terminated immediately and with all benefits and severance pay denied.

Second, demand that the Department of Justice investigate CBS News and Dan Rather to determine the origins of those documents, and to take action to indict those involved in any felonious actions.

Third, and most importantly, Boycott CBS. Completely. Utterly. At the end of this article, I’ll provide you information on who to contact in the way of their advertisers. Let them know that you will in no uncertain terms forego purchasing any of their products as long as they continue to advertise on CBS. Make sure they understand that no matter how much you may like their products, there are plenty of alternatives out there from companies who do not advertise with liars and rabid political partisans.

Why am I doing this? Because I hate lies. More than that, I hate liars. Especially those who lie with impunity.

You now have a choice. You can sit there in front of your TV and continue to support CBS News. Which means you are tacitly, no openly, supporting an organization that lies to you. Or, you can get up from that TV and switch the channel from CBS, and get in front of your computer or your typewriter or your telephone and let CBS News know that they will pay for their lies.

I know what I’m going to do. It’s now time for you to decide.

Please forward this article to everyone you know who would be interested in helping. Thank you.

~~~~~oo0oo~~~~~

CBS News Contact Information

Sumner M. Redstone, Chairman/CEO - Viacom
sumner.redstone@viacom.com

Leslie Moonves, President/CEO, CBS
leslie.moonves@tvc.cbs.com

Andrew Heyward
President, CBS News

CBS Television Group
Address: 51 W 52nd St # 35, New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 975-4321

for CBS News comment; its phone number is 212-975-3248.

To e-mail ''60 Minutes II,'' send your message to 60II@cbsnews.com

Here's a partial list of advertisers from last week's ''60 Minutes II'' program (with many thanks to ChronWatch Forum contributor "Missy4"...)

~~~~~oo0oo~~~~~

First Commercial Break Allegra, Home Depot, Kleenex, Vioxx (Arthritis medicine), Splenda (Low carb sugar substitute)

e-mail contacts for the first group:

Allegra is Aventis.
Contact info: https://www.facilitator.aventis-us.com/contactcenter/MedicalInquiryForm.do

Home Depot Executive addresses http://ir.homedepot.com/edgar.cfm
Home Depot Investor Relations http://ir.homedepot.com/comment.cfm
Home Depot Public Relations - customer-service@homedepot.com http://www.homedepot.com/HDUS/EN_US/corporate/media_relations/media_relations.shtml

Kleenex:
[size=9]https://www.kimberly-clark.com/ask/kleenex/index.asp?country=US&site=www.kleenex.com&ssl=true

Vioxx belongs to Merck: http://www.merck.com/contact/

Splenda:
http://www.splenda.com/vcrc/customer.jhtml;jsessionid=YFXNEFPSM4OQMCQPCB3SUZQKB2IIWNSC

~~~~~oo0oo~~~~~

Second Commercial Break Kia Automobiles, Zelnorm(IBS medication for women), Sprint PCS, UPS Store, Campbells Soup, Kia Automobiles (Again)

Kia - go to http://www.kia.com and look at the bottom for contact info.

Zelnorm is an IBS med from Novartis: second commercials:

http://www.pharma.us.novartis.com/utils/contact/info/profilei.jsp

Sprint: http://www.sprint.com/business/support/index.jsp

UPS: http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/contact/index.html

Campbell Soup:
http://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/contact_campbell.asp?cpovisq=7p1MlY0GCdNTvvNxXWY9pJhKUKkuu4AQ
~~~~~oo0oo~~~~~

Third Commercial break (End of Bush segment) Morgan Stanley, Ziploc, Cingular Wireless, Pepcid Complete, Estee Lauder, Infiniti Automobiles

Morgan Stanley: http://www.morganstanleyindividual.com/customerservice/contactus/

Cingular Wireless: http://www.cingular.com/customer_service/contact_us

Pepcid Antacid: http://www.pepcidac.com/vcrc/email/emailform.jhtml

Estee Lauder: http://www.esteelauder.com/customerservice/email_us.tmpl

Infiniti: http://www.infiniti.com/form/0,,action-IContactUs,00.htmliniti:

~~~~~oo0oo~~~~~

Sites with information on CBS and its advertisers:

http://www.boycottcbs.com/

http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b3f3aa13470.htm

To file a complaint with the FCC:
fccinfo@fcc.gov


About the Writer: Doc Farmer is a writer and humorist who is also a moderator on ChronWatch's Forum. He formerly lived in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, but now resides in Indiana. Doc receives e-mail at docfarmer9999@yahoo.co.uk.


This Article Was First Published In ChronWatch At:
http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=9728
_________________

Fat, Bald and Ugly - And PROUD Of It!

[Doc Farmer]

Here's what I wrote to CBS and their investors:

[noMOass]

I am extremely thankful for your time and efforts in posting the advertisers during sixty minutes program.

I will let all of them know of my boycott of their products, and how there will be others following suit until they pull their ads from SEE b.s.

Conservative dollars have more power being spent collectively in other places.

[SooZQ]

Great post Doc! I'll send emails as recommended.
And I like that word Chutzphah! Requires a little
spitting to say it right!
_________________

Really support the troops, send them a letter and care package! Visit:http://www.anysoldier.com

[noMOass]

The following is my version of Doc's letter, I sent it to the list he provided:

Perhaps you will recognize the following words from other people. Please consider these copied and pasted words to be my very own.
Feel free to contact me:

Joe T. Bailey

(903) 245-****

CBS News today, finally, admitted what most of America knew for almost two weeks. That its report of 08 September 2004 was based upon fraudulent documents provided to their partisan producers and reporters by a partisan anti-Bush operative. However, it still has not righted its wrong. A simple apology is not enough. CBS had taken steps to damage a sitting president during a time of war. This is unconscionable. CBS has shown itself to be biased and untrustworthy.

I believe it is important for your company, and all advertisers for the CBS Television and Radio networks, to show that you do not support the bias and bad faith they have demonstrated to the American public. However, I know that most corporations are slow to move in taking action against a major network because they rely so heavily on such outlets to announce or promote your products.

Which is why, effective immediately, I am boycotting your products and companies. Further, I will recommend to my family, friends and readers to follow suit. We will not purchase your products, nor invest in your companies, until such time as you withdraw your support, advertising and investments from the CBS Television and Radio networks.

As to CBS, as far as I am concerned they are no longer welcome in my home, and I will block the channels carrying their programming from this day forward. Not just the news, but also the "entertainment" offerings.

I and many other conservatives are sick and tired of giving our money to people like you, who turn right around and fund the thugs who hate this country and fight against the very morals that this country was founded on. Perhaps you will scoff at this letter and simply delete, or maybe you will not have even read it. You should know that I consider myself on a mission. We are modern day "David" and you are "Goliath".

You laugh and pocket the inflow of money coming your way NOW. Angry conservatives just haven't been rallied like they will be in the future. We are going to make an example out of a big company. Will you be THAT company? We will not continue to give the ******** of this world money to fuel the beast that is trying to destroy us. A well organized effort of Americans can and will have an effect on buisnesses that do not listen. This will not go away after the first week in November.

[Doc Farmer]