Former CBS news anchor Dan Rather continues to defend his controversial 2004 election-campaign story on President Bush's Texas Air National Guard service, insisting it is "absolutely true" and maintaining – despite compelling evidence to the contrary – the documents used to make the case are legitimate.
In a testy exchange on WPTF radio in Raleigh, N.C., Rather reiterated at least four or five times his claim the story is accurate, according to blogger Confederate Yankee.
Rather stepped down as anchor of the "CBS Evening News" in March 2005 after an independent panel concluded the network failed to follow basic journalistic principles in the preparation and reporting of the Sept. 8, 2004, "60 Minutes Wednesday" segment.
But the veteran journalist will be on the air tonight during Comedy Central's coverage of the midterm elections with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.
In a promo for "'Indecision 2006': The Midterm Midtacular," Comedy Central says the show will be "unburdened by objectivity or even accuracy."
Next week, Rather will launch his "Dan Rather Reports," a weekly hour-long news show on HDNet.
One year ago, Rather told former newsman Marvin Kalb in an interview broadcast on C-SPAN that the "facts of the story were correct."
"One supporting pillar of the story, albeit an important one, one supporting pillar was brought into question. To this day, no one has proven whether it was what it purported to be or not."
As WorldNetDaily reported, CBS News initially stood by its claims in the face of widespread accusations – brought first by bloggers – that early 1970s documents used in the story to discredit Bush were forgeries, created with a modern word-processing program.
Among the assertions the news program derived from the documents – four memos purportedly by Bush's late squadron commander Col. Jerry Killian – were that the commander was pressed to "sugar coat" a performance evaluation for Bush and that the future president did not follow an order to report for a physical.
However, report by former Republican Attorney General Dick Thornburgh and retired Associated Press president and CEO Louis Boccardi concluded CBS News failed to follow basic journalistic principles in the preparation and reporting of the segment.
After defending the story for 11 days, Rather finally relented and issued a statement saying he no longer would back the authenticity the documents.
"We made a mistake in judgment, and for that I am sorry," he said. "It was an error that was made, however, in good faith and in the spirit of trying to carry on a CBS News tradition of investigative reporting without fear or favoritism."
Nevertheless, the independent report says: "Rather informed the Panel that he still believes the content of the documents is true because 'the facts are right on the money,' and that no one had provided persuasive evidence that the documents were not authentic."
Related special offers:
POISON PRESS: How the big media's death throes are heralding a stunning information revolution
THE NEWS MAFIA: A groundbreaking look at media bias and the future of the free press
WND book exposes 'Journalistic Fraud: How the New York Times Distorts the News'
Previous stories:
Dan Rather unrepentant: Story on Bush 'accurate'
CBS station scraps poll on airing Rather tribute
Blogs blast CBS panel's 'no bias' conclusion
CBS News urged: Get out of NYC!
Affiliates distance themselves from CBS
Rather apologizes for CBS 'mistake'
CBS News claims: We were deceived
Col. Staudt denies Bush got special treatment
Group petitions FCC against CBS
CBS docs traced to Texas Kinko's
Democrats hammer Bush in new video
Ben Barnes' daughter: Father lied about Bush
Rather backs docs on Evening News
CBS News denies Bush docs forged