This morning’s lead editorial in the Dallas Morning News slams CBS over the Killian forgeries (registration required, try bugmenot.com).
In the world of investigative journalism, they don’t come any bigger than 60 Minutes. That’s why the lightning-quick takedown of the venerable CBS News program’s tale of President Bush’s alleged sweetheart Vietnam-era treatment in the Texas Air National Guard was so shocking.
We don’t know for certain if CBS and correspondent Dan Rather were really snookered by forged documents. CBS is sticking by its story that the papers on which it based its damning report were authentic. But that report was shredded by the school of piranhas in the blogosphere – and Old Media reporters who followed quickly in the Web bloggers’ wake.
The attack started immediately after 60 Minutes II aired the report Wednesday. Hours later, posters at the Free Republic Web site noticed something odd about the documents. The lawyer-run Powerlineblog.com site got interested, and then graphic designer Charles Johnson at littlegreenfootballs.com showed on his site how the documents were likely designed using Microsoft Word and its Times Roman font – which did not exist when Mr. Bush was in the Guard.
Sensing blood in the water, the professional sharks at ABC News, Newsweek, The Dallas Morning News and others took big bites out of the report’s credibility in other areas. Result: The story is now about CBS and what looks like its sloppy reporting, not Mr. Bush and what he did during the Vietnam era.
There’s a little more after this, but I think it’s fairly safe to say that the fat lady’s song has started on this story. Also, good to see another MSM recognize the role that Power Line and lgf played in this. INDC Journal and Allah deserved plugs, as well.