RightMarch Ad Demands 'Accountability' From CBS Over Forged Bush Documents

By Jimmy Moore
Talon News
September 22, 2004

Conservative political action group RightMarch.com is releasing a new ad in USA Today on Thursday that will seek "accountability from Dan Rather and CBS News" over the forged documents questioning President George W. Bush's service in the Air National Guard.

Stating that Rather was "caught red-handed in their blatant bias against President Bush," RightMarch.com said its supporters sent CBS over 100,000 messages last week which forced them to admit they were wrong for running the story.

"They're 'sorry' they got caught," RightMarch.com exclaimed in an e-mail to supporters.

Noting the "collusion with the Kerry campaign," RightMarch.com said former Sen. Max Cleland (D-GA), Kerry campaign aide Joe Lockhart, and Democratic Party strategist Ben Barnes were all connected to the fake documents about Bush.

"[I]t's outrageous that a network news operation has deliberately tried to alter the outcome of a presidential election, due to the bias of Dan Rather and his cronies," RightMarch.com accused.

In an attempt to "turn up the heat" on CBS, RightMarch.com said the USA Today ad (view ad here) will get the message out to millions of readers about Rather's "liberal, anti-Bush bias, and telling them to demand that CBS News come clean and rein him in!"

"Don't they deserve to know the truth about Dan Rather and CBS News? And don't they deserve the chance to take action, demanding to know the truth about the bias of Dan Rather, and the lies of CBS News?" inquired RightMarch.com.

Demanding accountability for "such lopsided, incompetent, unprofessional, anything-goes 'reporting,'" RightMarch.com said they believe their ad will help people respond to this scandal by "demanding a thorough investigation of 'Rathergate' and the connections to the Kerry campaign."

RightMarch.com said this ad comes at a good time since "much of the liberal press went silent even as evidence mounted" against CBS.

"Now that Rather has 'apologized,' there's a good chance the mainstream media will try to ignore the big story of anti-Bush complicity," RightMarch.com warned. "Don't let the network wiggle off the hook!"

Questioning the motive of CBS News for failing to "check the facts" on this story before running with it, RightMarch.com said America deserves to know why this was not done.

"Was it due to Rather's readily apparent anti-Bush bias that he pushed to air the groundless smear? Was the intent to counter President Bush's jump in the polls? And why didn't the network not take an even-handed, in-depth look at the mounting evidence of fraud?" RightMarch.com inquired.

Revealing that the source of the forged document, Bill Burkett, is a "disgruntled former National Guard officer who suffered two nervous breakdowns and unsuccessfully sued for medical expenses," RightMarch.com said it is no surprise why CBS "staunchly refused to admit his name for so long!"

"This is enough to make anyone furious," RightMarch.com stated. "At best, Rather and the CBS News staff are guilty of gross incompetence by allowing their desire to smear the President outweigh their professional duty to properly check the facts."

"At worst, CBS News may be guilty of deliberately reporting what they knew to be false, and engaging in libel and slander against the President of the United States during a time of war."

Expressing the need to "expose Dan Rather's glaring -- and deliberately biased -- 'mistake,'" RightMarch.com said this is a change to "strike a major blow against the mainstream liberal media."

"Don't let this chance get away," RightMarch.com declared. "[F]ight back against these who betray the public's trust in order to sway America with outright lies!"

Asking people to donate to this cause, RightMarch.com said their new ad is a part of the "'battle strategy' to counter the liberal media and the Socialist-led 'blame-America' crowd."