Reply #2: Well, you need to keep a few things in mind [View All]

[Warpy]

One, the memos were never proven to be false, either.

Two, Killian's secretary, Mrs. Knox, verified that everything in the memos was true, although she couldn't verify the wording nor could she state with certainty that she'd typed them. According to her best recollection, those were not memos she herself had typed, although she had seen and typed similar ones.

Three, the real subject was Stupid's special treatment within the Guard, not whether or not Rather got burned by a pile of paraphrased but essentially true documents.

Four, the network bosses had wanted a more photogenic, younger anchor for a long time, but the separation of the news department from the entertainment department had limited their ability to force a change. They would have gone with any scandal, so they manufactured one out of what was essentially good reporting on the truth.

I don't think Rather screwed up. I think the basic information in those memos, which he did verify, was news that should have been brought to the public's attention in a close election race. That the network bosses colluded with Rove to get a good man fired for telling the truth is one of the most shameful things I've ever seen.