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Dan Rather sues CBS, claims he was made ‘scapegoat’
BY SAMUEL MAULL The Associated Press

   NEW YORK — Dan Rather fi led a $70 million lawsuit against CBS and his former bosses Wednesday, claiming they made him a “scapegoat” for a discredited story about President Bush’s military service during the Vietnam War.
   The 75-year-old Rather, whose final months were clouded by controversy over the story, said the actions of the defendants damaged his reputation and cost him signifi cant financial loss.
   The lawsuit, filed in state Supreme Court in Manhattan, claims the network intentionally botched the aftermath of the story about Bush’s time in the Texas Air National Guard and had Rather take the fall to “pacify” the White House. He was removed from his job at “CBS Evening News” in March 2005.
   Besides CBS Corp., the suit names former CBS parent company Viacom Inc., CBS President and CEO Leslie Moonves, Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone, and Andrew Heyward, former president of CBS News. The suit seeks $20 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages.
   “These complaints are old news, and this lawsuit is without merit,” said CBS spokesman Dana Mc-Clintock. Viacom had no comment.
   Rather narrated a September 2004 report saying that Bush had disobeyed orders and shirked some of his duties during his National Guard service and that a commander felt pressured to sugarcoat Bush’s record.
   In his lawsuit, Rather maintains that the story was true, but that if any aspect of the broadcast wasn’t accurate, he was not responsible for the errors.
   The story relied on four documents, supposedly written by Bush’s commander in the Texas Air National Guard, the late Lt. Col. Jerry Killian. Critics questioned the documents’ authenticity and suggested they were forged.
   A CBS review determined the story was neither fair nor accurate. CBS fired the story’s producer and asked for the resignation of three executives because it could not authenticate documents used in the story, and Rather was forced out of the anchor chair he had occupied for 24 years.
   Rather’s lawsuit says he was forced to apologize, although “as defendants well knew, even if any aspect of the broadcast had not been accurate, which has never been established, Mr. Rather was not responsible for any such errors.”
   By making Rather apologize publicly, “CBS intentionally caused the public and the media to attribute CBS’ alleged bungling of the episode to Mr. Rather,” the lawsuit claimed. As a result, some news media called the event “Rathergate.”
   He also claimed that after removing him as anchor of the “CBS Evening News,” the network gave him fewer and less important assignments and little airtime on “60 Minutes” and “60 Minutes II.”
   At the time, Rather was making $6 million a year, the lawsuit says.
   Rather claimed in the suit that his departure was ultimately caused by Viacom Chairman Redstone, who found it best for the company to curry favor with the Bush administration by damaging Rather. An “enraged” Redstone said the newsman and anyone associated with him had to go, according to the lawsuit.
   Richard Thornburgh, the former U.S. attorney general who made up the two-man investigative panel with Louis D. Boccardi, the retired chief executive of The Associated Press, said he was unaware of Rather’s lawsuit.
   Reached at his home in Washington, Thornburgh said only: “Our report speaks for itself.”

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By making Rather apologize publicly, “CBS intentionally caused the public and the media to attribute CBS’ alleged bungling of the episode to Mr. Rather,” the lawsuit claimed. As a result, some news media called the event “Rathergate.”

Just what we need, another "gate."

Maybe he needs to get advice from OJ or Ms.Spears.......hhhhmmmm......he is just a journalist(although not really),,,maybe just an anchor? 'pretty face'(ha)?......He should stop while he is ahead and just write a book,,,like every other narcistic boob......

Rather was the one who reported the story in the first place and it's his responsibility to do[or have done] the research to verify the accuracy of the story.

Quoted from Shadow

Rather was the one who reported the story in the first place and it's his responsibility to do[or have done] the research to verify the accuracy of the story.

Only if he was/is a 'true' journalist.....or is he just an anchor that reads a teleprompter with stuff written by someone else approved by the producer and the director and the show owners/investors and the channel it airs on etc etc....in which case he just liked to hear himself talk and be seen.....

Quoted Text

Dan Rather filed a $70 million lawsuit against CBS and his former bosses Wednesday, claiming they made him a “scapegoat” for a discredited story about President Bush’s military service during the Vietnam War.

I actually believe this to be true. I think Rather was a scapegoat for CBS. All of the major networks are relentless. There are no loyalties with any network anymore. If what Rather claims is true, I hope he wins his case.

loyalties with networks---geez how about just news with known facts....stop the BS with 'experts' and the what if's, what then, and what the hell....our 'news' has become nothing more than a football, baseball, tennis or anyother sport.....instead of reporting on the play that just happened they ask the coach/star player 'if you practiced more would it have turned out different,what did the trainer think, what did the defensive coach do and think etc etc'........folks we need to wake up and smack 'em up side the head......crap crap crap crap....