Still smarting from his Memogate spanking, disgraced former "CBS Evening News" anchor Dan Rather is trying to reclaim journalistic glory by trumpeting the claims of a supposed Boeing whistleblower. Paul at Wizbang sees an all-too-familiar scenario:
Stop me if you're heard this one....
A has-been anchorman, trying to reclaim past [false] glory tries to destroy a person or an institution by using accusations from a dubious source back-up by documents of dubious credibility. A big blogosphere welcome back to Dan Rather.
This time his target is Boeing but his reportage skills are about the same. Even without benefit of seeing the report (it airs tonight) there are already problems with it.
What problems? Well apparently the Seattle Times has found that the would-be whistleblower, Vince Weldon, has credibility issues:
It looks as though the centerpiece of Rather's story is a letter that this guy wrote to the FAA. The fact this guy has made the charge before hardly qualifies of proof the charge is true. - Well not to anyone except Dan Rather.
[...]
So why was this guy fired?
Weldon was fired in July 2006. He alleged in a whistle-blower complaint with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that the firing was "retaliation for raising concerns throughout the last two years of his employment about the crashworthiness of the 787."
But according to a summary of OSHA's findings, Boeing told investigators Weldon was fired for threatening a supervisor, specifically for stating he wanted to hang the African-American executive "on a meat hook" and that he "wouldn't mind" seeing a noose around the executive's neck.
For the referenced Seattle Times article by aerospace editor Dominic Gates, check here.
Paul offered some closing thoughts on the TV reporter who brought us Memogate:
In the end, this won't matter a bit. The people who buy airplanes of this size won't be swayed by this nonsense. It's just another sad chapter in slow motion train wreck that is Dan Rather's final years on television. All he has is a wild claim from a guy with serious credibility issues. But he ran the story anyway. Same Dan, different day.
—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters
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Rather not
September 18, 2007 - 13:37 ET by seejayWhere would us American citizens be without the protection of Dan Rather?
I heard from an inside source that Dan will produce "smoking gun" evidence that will prove once and for all that Boeing is Pure Evil and would gladly kill all of it's passengers for a quick buck!
I don't now what form the evidence will take, but I DID notice a Fedex package addressed to Mr. Rather arrived this morning. The return address was a PO box, registered in Lyon, France, to Airbus!
Back with a quack
September 18, 2007 - 14:07 ET by acumenThankfully this will be airing on Mark Cuban's HDNet so only the three stooges will be watching - Cuban, Rather and De Palma.
Greatest News People
September 18, 2007 - 15:23 ET by PAPA LA PROUD AMERICAN
In my opinion the two most believable news people are Dan Rather and Helen Thomas!!! NOT!!
Dan wont let us down
September 18, 2007 - 14:56 ET by c5thenI hear that he will have memo and video evidence of the Consumer Products Safety Commision crash tests that show the 787 performing worse than the 757 or the Airbus.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Fred08.com
Dan couldent let us down
September 18, 2007 - 15:04 ET by bassndudeDan couldent let us down any lower than he already has. He is at the bottom of the pit now, no lower to go. He needs a bigger shovel
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
Oh the Horror.
September 18, 2007 - 15:08 ET by mytwocentsI'm shocked. Shocked I tell you to find out that Dan Rather has integrity issues. This is almost as bad as finding out that Jimmy Carter is not an economic genius. It is a sad day ....
What does October 1924 have in common with October 1931?
September 18, 2007 - 15:24 ET by vrwc13That month is common to two aged men, both failing miserably at the end of careers, which had seen both of them reach the pinnacle of their respective paths - only now to flounder insipidly to regain some ounce of credibility for their final legacy in history...
my apologies in advance to anyone else born in October.
Ummmmmm...
September 18, 2007 - 16:33 ET by Fidel SarcastroHilary Clinton - October 26, 1947
The most radical revolutionary will become a conservative the day after the revolution.
Hannah Arendt
Ummmmmm...
September 19, 2007 - 10:24 ET by vrwc13Jesse Jackson - October 8, 1941
I read part of this guy's
September 18, 2007 - 15:52 ET by BruzillaI read part of this guy's memo, and theer were a couple of things that struck me as odd, being a former naval aircrewman. First, this guy says that the composite (what he calls "plastic") fuselage is more brittle than aluminum, and in a crash the body will develop holes that can allow smoke and fumes to enter the cabin and harm the passengers. Well, if there's holes that will allow smoke to enter, isn't it just as likely that other holes will open that will allow the smoke and fumes to leave the cabin? I think it's silly to think that all these holes will be one-way. Smoke follows the path of least resistance, so it's just going to go out the first exit it finds.
Second, he says that in the event of fire, the composite will burn and create toxic fumes and fiber slivers that'll kill off the passengers. I don't know what temperature the composites used in the plane would ignite and burn, but I'm guessing that since similar composites are used on the space shuttle's outer surfaces it's pretty damned hot. So I'm guessing that by the time the composites would burn and emit smoke and fumes, the fire would be so hot that the passengers would die from heat long before they suffocate from smoke and fumes.
Don't Forget
September 18, 2007 - 17:54 ET by Del DolemonteDon't forget that the burning seats and other interior materials will also "gas" the passengers rather quickly too.
Vince Weldon grabs an anchor that will take him down fast.
September 18, 2007 - 17:43 ET by CTWhatever credibility issues Vince Weldon had in the past they just took the express down escaltor with Dan Blather. Why in the world if you had an issue worth talking about would you get anywhere near this fraud.
Sorry, these are one-way
September 18, 2007 - 21:17 ET by jdhawkSorry, these are one-way "courage" holes. They only blow smoke into the cabin and at the passengers!
Next . . . lol