Divide Now, Unite Later
Reported by Eleanor - September 11, 2004 -
Fox & Friends Week-End (Sept. 11, 7:00 a.m.) discussed the Bush service records again. Dan Rather was presented as "defensive" on these records. "Partisan operatives" have questioned their authenticity. They are authentic, but are degraded by photocopying. CBS has been looking at this issue since before the 2000 election.
Fox interviewed Ellen Ratner, democrat, and Jim Pinkerton, republican, on this issue. The world-wide blogger community said they were done on a word processor, saying the story is accurate, but the documents are fake. Ratner said the typeface has been around since the 1930's, and Jerry Killian could have dictated to a secretary if he couldn't type, plus a conversation was remembered similar to what was in the memos. Experts say they are accurate.
Pinkerton noted that Kerry needs to get on a message about Bush, and not focus on CBS trying to hurt the president. Juliet Huddy asked if this will affect the president's numbers as the swift boat story affected Kerry. Ratner replied that it won't help him, and we must get back to the issues.
The rest of the program was devoted to interviews with NYC leaders in honor of the 3rd anniversary of 9/11. Mike Bloomberg, George Pataki, and Rudy Guiliani were guests. When asked about the furor over Cheney's comments concerning the election of democrats inviting attacks, Guiliani said he doesn't want to talk about politics today. He "hopes and prays" that Bush gets elected. If not, we must all be united.
