Rather Unrepentant

Rather issued his non-responsive response to the Panel's findings.

He speaks vaguely of "lessons learned," but one strains to find any admission of error, any apology, or any acceptance of responsibility:

My strongest reaction is one of sadness and concern for those individuals whom I know and with whom I have worked. It would be a shame if we let this matter, troubling as it is, obscure their dedication and good work over the years.

First of all, I think his strongest reaction is his continued arrogant refusal to accept he was badly in error.

But even if this is his "strongest reaction" -- how about his second or third strongest? Is he upset he got a big story so wrong? Does he feel apologetic towards President Bush and his viewers?

Obviously not. He's had 110+ days to say so.

We should take seriously the admonition of the report's authors to do our job well and carefully, but also their parallel admonition not to be afraid to cover important and controversial issues.

Once again, he casts his utterly incompetent handling of the story as the unavoidable side-effect of his enormous bravery.

Dan, can you imagine a newsman who is both brave and yet scrupulous about reporting the facts? Apparently you can't-- for you, there are only two options. 1, Cowardice which nevertheless comports to the facts as can be reasonably confirmed, or 2, False stories which are either slapdashedly-incompetent or calculatedly-partisan which nevertheless demonstrate a newsman's "courage."

I have seen us overcome adversity before. I am convinced we can do so again. That must be our focus and priority.

He speaks of "adversity," which of course connotes an external impediment or opposition. And that's of course how he continues to imagine all of this-- that he did the right thing, but was beset on all sides by "internet political partisans" who were more interested in niggardly journalistic standards of fairness and evidence than in the "truth" he knew -- and still knows -- in his heart.

"Adversity" is external, Dan. This entire fiasco was an internal problem. It was your partisan agenda, and your incompetence, and your out-to-lunch near-senility that caused this.

Not the "internet political partisans" you still blame.

I'd wish you "Courage," Dan, but you'd just take that as an invitation to rush more transparently-forged documents to the air.

You're an unprofessional, ego-driven, arrogant, and thorougly past-his-prime hack, Dan. And you've been so for a long time.

Good riddance to bad rubbish. You will not be missed.

Similar sentiments at Thoughts OnLine.