Day: September 27, 2007

Dan Rather May Call Bush 41 and 43 to Testify in CBS Suit

Buck Banks

I thought Dan Rather’s suit against CBS for wrongful dismissal was a big joke, since it took him two years to get up the gumption to file it. But then it was reported that he could be calling George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush to testify as material witnesses.

Rather is claiming that the Bushes’ open hostility to him stems from a story Rather did on W’s alleged service in the Air National Guard. Turns out some of the sources for Rather’s story were less than, well, accurate, and he was fired over it.

But the thought of George W. taking the stand to answer questions about his service record is intriguing, and it could happen, if the suit isn’t settled and goes to trial:

When asked by Carol Joynt, host of the “Q&A Café” held at Nathans restaurant who worked with Rather at CBS in the 1970s, whether “he’d like to” call President Bush as a witness in the trial, Rather paused, then said “I’d like not to answer the question,” leaving both Joynt and audience members wondering whether the newsman has Bush in his sights.” Joynt later told Yeas & Nays, “From the look in his eye — and he gave me a definite Ratheresque look — I got the impression he will call the president as a witness. Possibly both of them: 41 and 43. He implied the suit is not against them, but what the suit is about stems directly from his antagonistic relationship with them.”

In the lawsuit, Rather claims he was unjustifiably squeezed out of CBS by network executives following a 2004 story about President Bush’s service record in the Texas Air National Guard. After evidence emerged that the story’s primary documents were possibly faked or forged, Rather stated on air that “if I knew then what I know now, I would not have gone ahead with the story as it was aired, and I certainly would not have used the documents in question.”

Joynt asked Rather if he believes the president hates him, and Rather responded by saying that “hate is a strong word.” Then, he began to well up. “You’ve never met anybody who had more respect for the presidency than I do,” said Rather, choking back tears. He stood by his 2004 story, saying “we got the truth, but we left ourselves vulnerable.”

Book ’em, Dano!

Franken’s Opponent Undercharged for Attack Ad

Trish

Al Franken is getting a refund. After incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) was underchanged for an ad characterized by Franken as, “criticizing me for criticizing a Senate resolution that criticized MoveOn.org for taking out an ad in the New York Times criticizing Gen. David Petraeus,” the paper decided to even the billing score.

The Star Tribune charged Coleman, R-Minn., around $20,000 for Tuesday’s ad criticizing Franken for not condemning the MoveOn.org ad. Two months ago it charged Franken around $32,000

…the Star Tribune, a Minneapolis newspaper, is refunding about $12,000 to Al Franken, a Minnesota Democratic Senate candidate, after undercharging Sen. Norm Coleman, for a full-page advertisement spawned by the one in the Times…

The Star Tribune said it charged Coleman, R-Minn., around $20,000 for Tuesday’s ad, which criticized Franken for not condemning the MoveOn.org ad. Two months ago, according to the newspaper, it charged Franken around $32,000 for a full-page ad in the paper criticizing Coleman’s record on the Iraq war.

Star Tribune spokesman Ben Taylor said Wednesday that a new sales representative had incorrectly quoted the Coleman campaign the local retail rate, rather than the rate charged to national advertisers.

Coleman’s ad accused Franken, who has entertained troops in Iraq four times as part of the U.S.O. tour, of undermining the troops by supporting an end to the Iraq occupation.

Meanwhile, the Pelosi-led House passed an idiotic resolution mirroring the Reid-led Senate’s earlier idiotic resolution condemning MoveOn’s Petraeus ad. I think Franken has it right.

As I go around the state, I don’t hear a whole lot about ads in the New York Times. What I do hear is that Minnesotans want this war to end, and that if this president won’t end it, they want the Senate to force him to end it…

Bush and his allies in Washington have blocked increases to veterans’ benefits, refused to be held accountable for the mistakes that ruined our military’s efforts in Iraq, and dodged every effort to bring our troops home…

As a satirist, I find the whole thing ridiculous. But as a Minnesotan who wants to bring the troops home, I also find it sad.

Romney Says Fund Raising Deficit is a Strategy

Trish

You have to hand it to Mitt Romney’s campaign folks. They are painting the millions he’s contributing to his own campaign as a choice to remain independent of special interests.

Right.

To date, the venture capitalist has contributed $9 million to his campaign, nearly a quarter of his overall contributions.

But that’s a good thing, he says.

Romney has contributed $9 million to his own campaign, nearly a quarter of the overall contributions

“I’m not beholden to any particular group for getting me into this race or for getting me elected. My family, that’s the only one I’m really beholden to, they’re the ones who let their inheritance slip away, dollar by dollar.”

Of course, the Romney boys are soaking up a lot of that future inheritance right now.

Yet, Romney’s rugged independence isn’t stopping him from holding $1,000-a-plate fund-raising dinners. The problem appears to be that the cash, and the poll numbers, aren’t increasing.

…a new CNN/WMUR-TV poll in the early voting state of New Hampshire showed that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has pulled into a statistical dead heat with Romney, with Romney garnering 23 percent of the vote and Giuliani 22 percent. In July, Romney had a clear lead, 33 percent to Giuliani’s 18 percent.

Bush: “Childrens Do Learn”

Trish

…But presidentses have lost the ability to form sentences.

On pretty much a daily basis, Bush says something weird or phrases something wrong. Yesterday was no exception.

With a group of New York City elementary school students standing behind him, President Bush touted higher national test scores by proudly declaring: “Childrens do learn.”

…Bush followed with another cringe-worthy slipup: “Congress needs to work with this administration to pass legislation that helps gives our children the education they deserve.”

We believe the evidence indicates Bush has moved beyond the cute dumb stage to the dangerously incoherent stage, and someone needs to act. Very soon.