Dan Rather, the Captain Ahab of journalism
Ah, Danny Boy. He still can’t let go. You know that lawsuit he filed in September against CBS/Viacom over the fake National Guard/Bush hit piece of 2004? Well, according to TV Newser, oral arguments are being heard today in court.
He’s quoted in yesterday’s Boston Herald warning about the dangers bloggers pose. He speaks from experience:
“When it comes to blogging and some things on the Web, there’s little or no accountability,” said Rather, who covered his first presidential race in 1952. “This is the new American political coverage media. It’s a wilderness, and when you go into the wilderness, there’s always some danger.”
Wonder if Helen “Blame the bloggers” Thomas is filing an amicus brief in his case?
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Categories: Dan Rather, Rathergate
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This is as dumb as Kerry trying to fight the swiftboaters.
Evidence and facts are very tough to deal with.
He needs go go suck a hurricane
Friday Funnies came a couple of days early this week!
Hacks. True, unadulterated hacks.
There Dan, I fixed that for you.
“When it comes to
blogging and some things on the Webnewspapers and everything on TV, there’slittle orno accountability,” said Rather, who covered his first presidential race in 19852.fixed.
Such a sad case - the only thing that ever stood between him and becoming the “most trusted man in America” was the truth. He never could handle the truth.
LOL
How do you follow that comedic line?
BlameAmerica…. you beat me!
Its simple, socialists HATE truth and facts.
Dan, do you believe your own lies?
Apparently he does.
Ironic statement much?
Dan Rather’s comment about blogging and the web and accountability begs a response from bloggers similar to Basil Fawlty’s response in an episode of Fawlty Towers:
“Oh! Oh, I see!…It’s my fault, is it?…Oh, of course, there I was thinking it was your fault…, when all the time it was _my_ fault! Oh, it’s so obvious now, I’ve seen the light! Ah well, I must be punished then, mustn’t I? (slaps his bottom) You’re a naughty boy Fawlty, don’t do it again!”
The dinosaur tried roar again, only to realize he was dead and extinct.
Rather=Putzling
I’m noticing a trend.
Dan rather blame others for his misdeeds than own up to them. Blame the bloggers. It’s the bloggers fault, I tell ya.
As everyone has pointed out
‘there’s little or no accountability’
apparently doesn’t include his lack of accountability for his story as the reason for his lawsuit. He’s suing because he doesn’t want to be accountable for his false story. I’m amazed that it seems he believes his own lies.
When giant egos and facts collide.
BlameAmericaLast
That is the point exactly. Danny boy is freaked because the blogs made him accountable (for once) and he just can’t take it. Does he understand what a joke he has turned into? (Don’t answer that question) He and Moyers need some serious therapy.
I wonder if he’ll wear his collar up or down.
There was no accountability in the MSM until the internet allowed people to actually verify what was being reported.
The danger that bloggers pose is indeed real - it is the danger to the very survival of an arrogant, partisan and essentially corrupt legacy media structure. A structure that weilded its monopoly on information as a partisan sword.
Yes, the blogosphere is a very real danger to the MSM.
Blogs = exposure
The MSM has never had to worry about being exposed.
Thank Gore for the internet!
Kenneth, what is the frequency? And yet when push comes to shove, these reprobates still collect lofty salaries for being talking heads. The networks will lay off oodles of productive underlings and keep the dead wood on and even give bigger, more lucrative salaries to the likes of Katie Couric who proves the Peter Principle- rising to her level of incompetency. Really, what is the attraction? What makes a Shep Smith worth $7 mil a year? Supply and demand? Oh yes, all that god given talent on display- not. If it is based on artings, what does Chrissie (I squat to pee) Matthews bring to the table or that super flake Olbermann? Can’t even bear to hear him on football broadcasts. The dumbing down of the media- starting with buffoons like Chronkite and Rather. Yes, we won the Tet Offensive except the most trusted man in America said we lost.
Thank god for Powerline, LGF and others for exposing the Dan Blather fraud.
Dan Rather’s coverage of the 2000 Florida recount was disgraceful. Over and over again he referred to “The Republican US Supreme Court”. Never once did Rather refer to the “Democrat Florida Supreme Court”. When the Florida SC overturned Judge Sauls and pretty much ordered the election of Gore, Rather went on the air and was downright giddy. But he kept asking: “What will the Republican US Supreme Court do?”. In contrast, he treated the Florida Supreme Court as an unbiased court and never did he say that all of its members were Democrats, many of them having been active Democrats before going on the Florida SC. One of the members was technically appointed by Jeb Bush but she was a Democrat nominated by Chiles in his finals days as governor. All of this information was readily available to Rather but he wilfully ignored it. When Rather had to announce that GWB would be the new president, Rather was crestfallen. He was virtually choking on the words. Of course, it was not long after that when Rather was caught redhanded at a Democratic Party fundraiser in Texas.
Yo, Gunga Dan, how’s about dressing up and making another trek into Afghanistan? Maybe you can even bring UBL back as your prisoner. And take Geraldo with you.
The problem that the liberal media has is that the blogs contain not only facts but real expertise. Most experts now advertise and do business on the internet - and are quick to look at any exaggerations or outright distortions/lies by the likes of Rather. Those in the media had best get used to being scrutinized and also used to being wrong.
On another point, I am constantly amazed at the fundamental laziness of the news media. All of the hype about Iowa and NH reflects lazy journallism - go where it is easy to get a story. Sure, there are some really good journalists floating around the world, but by the time the left-wing editors get control of a story, the facts disappear into a blizzard of emotion.
He’s delusional.
That is the typical liberal mindset. Take NO responsibility and blame others.
I guess Dan thinks it’s a hell of a note that he can’t lie anymore and get away with it. No wonder he hates bloggers.
Facts are such a bothersome little thing to liberals. They soooooo love their FEELINGS…who needs the truth? Can’t always warp the truth to fit their agendas. Bummer.
I kept waiting for the punchline of this joek. LOL
Obviously, he has a different standard of measure for the MSM.
½ or 1/2
A journalist of you caliber, Dan, should be able to tell the difference!
vs. Moby Lizard
‘your flailing lies garner no entrance here,sir…..surrender is your only option.’ Lizard minion
‘the bloggers!, the bloggers!!….who ARE these cretins!’ the mighty DAN
‘ALL YOUR LIES ARE BELONG TO US.’ MM
“The world’s greatest intellectual achievements sometimes come about as the result of disagreement–even passionate disagreement. Demanding that we all walk in lockstep on an issue is a sure path to intellectual mediocrity.” Dr.Sanity
Dan Rather is a great example of how the Joseph Goebbels “Big Lie” technique is a double-pointed sword. Constant repetition of a canard to persuade others to accept it as truth - “He keeps saying it, so it must be true” - can just as readily become a form of self-brainwashing.
He’s blamed the “Right-Wing Bloggers” for his folly so often and for so long now that he believes it himself.
So his Big Lie strategy worked. Sort of.
Michelle is dead-on about the Captain Ahab comparison. Just like his fictional counterpart, the end of Rather’s obsession with George Bush was to take down with himself all who were close by.
ROFL
Have Daily Kos and D.U. issued a response yet?
#22 Great post gollumclone. But come on, don’t you think “Shep” is worth a lousy 7 mil. He’s cute and perky and he dresses well. He giggles and you just know that there are at least 44 teeth in there somewhere. I knew he would be rewarded for his ability when he broke down and cried on the overpass in New Orleans. So manly, so professional, so sweet.
They probably said the same thing about Television many decades ago…
LOONS.
& then Captain America stepped up,….
what ensued was caos!!!!….
‘NO……NO….. NOT THE DREADED Robert S. from JW…aghhh!!!!!!‘ *gasped* DAN the Man.
the REALITY Gods of the Blogosphere (that’s RGotB) smiled down upon the Truth, & approved the verbal-beating that MM gave DtM.
it was just another Day of Freedom on the Inter-Net.
Just had a great idea for the opening of a story:
“Bloggers: ‘Call me Ishmael.’”
illustration here:
http://www.marvel.com/universe/Image:CaptainAmerica_Head3.jpg
Maybe he should sue bloggers for interfering in his employment contract by exposing his fraud.
#35 hannibal
Mediocrity rules. Offhand I cannot think of any talking heads on TV who float my boat, but then I don’t even venture into msnbc or cnn land. If Shep had so much compassion in NOLA, why didn’t he truck in some vittles for the starving populace or take a few back out with him? Much of world still believes the pure duplicitous rubbish that his ilk propagated- the Superbowl ghetto of mass muder, mayhem and rape.
And Smith is no one off charlatan. Let’s not even think of doofus pompous populist O’Reilly Factor fool or Geraldo/Jerry aspclown. I guess its all a matter of degree. I don’t really have to buy products that support the bigshot newshounds, but irks me that public tax dollars support biased camel dung cretins like Bill Moyers and Nina Tottenberg on PBS and NPR. At least Carole Simpson is no longer on ABC News. And what besides her loon daddy’s last name qualifies Brezenski bimbo, etc. ad nauseum
The way he leers at the poor women who have to work with him is creepy.
Basically in television, they pay the “talent” to deliver eyeballs to commercials. Unfortunately, the “talent” then think they actually know more, and are wiser than the rest of us. And with the huge pay, they live better than most of us, and think they deserve it, and the ego grows…
The MSM is basically dead. The bodies are long buried, and the heads keep talking. Their rage will grow, when like Dan, they realize there power is gone.
Their power not there power - still early in the Pacific…
Somebody take Dan’s belt and shoelaces just in case he decides to…
On second thought, let him keep them.
Unfortunately for Dan, this is more telling evidence that he doesn’t do his homework. He has not investigated or thought about how the internet vets its stories where thousands upon thousands look at it to determine it’s validity, where if it false, it’s exposed.
…either that, or he’s just lying again to get his way.
Maybe we could Dan and Helen together. Howdya like to have a set of pups out of that?
The analogy of Dan Rather to Captain Ahab is good but there is a better one. Rather’s rule over the CBS evening news broadcast reminded me of Captain Queeg. If you have not read Herman Wouk’s great book called “The Caine Mutiny”, please check it out. And then you will see how remarkable are the similarities between Captain Queeg and Captain Rather.
Penalty on #46, Personal Foul. Disgusting suggestion. 15 yards AND loss of down.
#47 - didn’t read the book, but I distinctly remember Bogie in one of his finer performances.
#49 On January 9th, 2008 at 2:12 pm, cpodug said:
“#47 - didn’t read the book, but I distinctly remember Bogie in one of his finer performances.”
Absolutely.
I can hear Danny boy clacking his ball bearings now.
Hey! Who had the extra portion of strawberries?!
speaking of blathering media idiots- olbermann is leading the voting for coveted Fiske award over at littlegreenfootballs with less than two hours voting time left. He leads by nearly 2:1 over his nearest competitor.
On the flip side for the Fallaci award, General Patraeus is way out in front.
like I said…& FRED is dancing on their corpses!
& Our Troops Are Right Behind Them!@!!! GO LIZARDS!!
Uh, no Gunga Dan!!! How about: There is no accountability when it comes to the Dinsour media. How much Top Secret information have you leaked for Al Qaeda to see?
#47, 49, 50–
Heh. “I proved with geometric logic that those documents were fake, but accurate.”
Now, Dan, be a nice predictable liberal and blame it all on Bush. If that doesn’t work, blame it on a “right wing conspiracy”. If that doesn’t work, heck, blame it on global warming…all the liberals, last line of defense.
C’mon into my neck of the wood’s Danny, I know a nice oak you can hang from. On second thought I would’nt want to do that to a beautiful oak.
Badger’s we don’t need no stinking badgers.
Dan’s mental disorder will end when they embalm him. On second thought, maybe it is the embalming fluid that is controlling his present thought process.
Contest Winner!!!!
Bear1909 wins the “Label Dan Rather’s Gravestone Contest”.
“Call me! Please?”
Willllllll-durrrrrrrrrrr-nessss, Wilbur.
Dan. Re-invent yourself. Or just fade away. You are a forgotten man, not to mention lost in the fun house. Go to Vegas. Lose what is left of your mind. Take some blue pills.
Why are you spending what’s left of your money on, of all things, lawyers? If you are going to get screwed for money, realize you have options.
Do whatever. But just go away.
Dan Rather is holed up somewhere watching a video tape of the time he confronted President Nixon in California back in 1973. For Rather, this was the high point of his career. He saw himself as the mighty newsman who had the guts to confront a Republican president. I can only imagine how many times Rather has bored his guests with this story. Rather is like the guy who last played high school football 25 years ago. It was the highpoint in his life and he has to tell everybody about the Thanksgiving game where he threw the big block. We all know one person just like this. And that is how Dan Rather now spends his days.
I guess there is little reason to wonder why Rather got an exclusive interview with Saddam Hussein prior to the war: Saddam liked a friendly, sympathetic face!
Clearly, this debacle has driven him insane, which makes him perfect for the Chris Matthews TV panel. They can reinforce their own biases and cry on each other’s shoulders.