As noted earlier this week, Newsweek reported on yet another CBS News story involving forged documents, this time an exploration of bogus documents connected to the Niger yellowcake controversy. CBS was planning to make a wholly false connection to President Bush famous "16 words" in the 2003 State of the Union speech, a connection proven to be untrue by two official investigations.
Now a newly gun-shy CBS says it will NOT air the story, at least not until after the election.
CBS News has shelved a "60 Minutes" report on the rationale for war in Iraq because it would be "inappropriate" to air it so close to the presidential election, the network said today.The report on weapons of mass destruction was set to air on Sept. 8 but was put off in favor of a story on President Bush's National Guard service. The Guard story was discredited because it relied on documents impugning Bush's service that were apparently fake.
CBS said no other reports on the presidential election have been affected.
It's too much to think CBS News has really backed off its relentless drive to defeat President Bush, but at least there is a certain line of self-humiliation beyond which they are unwilling to go. Maybe that's a bit of progress -- the rediscovery of some sense of shame would be healthy.
Posted by Alan at September 25, 2004 03:29 PM