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babylonsister

(171,066 posts)
Mon Jan 2, 2017, 09:16 PM Jan 2017

A lie, is a lie, is a lie: Dan Rather shreds WSJ editor for reluctance to call out Trumps bullsh*

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/01/a-lie-is-a-lie-is-a-lie-dan-rather-shreds-wsj-editor-for-reluctance-to-call-out-trumps-bullsht/

A lie, is a lie, is a lie’: Dan Rather shreds WSJ editor for reluctance to call out Trump’s bullsh*t
Tom Boggioni
02 Jan 2017 at 19:35 ET


Legendary CBS newsman Dan Rather lit into the Wall Street Journal’s editor-in-chief for saying he was reluctant to call out obvious lies by Donald Trump by saying one had to consider the president-elect’s “moral intent.”

On Sunday’s Meet The Press, WSJ’s Gerard Baker was asked about Trump’s penchant to blurt or tweet things off the top of his head that have no basis in reality. According to the Baker, calling those things a “lie” would be going too far.

“I’d be careful about using the word, ‘lie.’” Baker said. “‘Lie’ implies much more than just saying something that’s false. It implies a deliberate intent to mislead…I think if you start ascribing a moral intent, as it were, to someone by saying that they’ve lied, I think you run the risk that you look like you are, like you’re not being objective.”

On Facebook, Rather blasted Baker by opening with “A lie, is a lie, is a lie.”

“Journalism, as I was taught it, is a process of getting as close to some valid version of the truth as is humanly possible. And one of my definitions of news is information that the powerful don’t want you to know,” Rather wrote.

“It is not the proper role of journalists to meet lies—especially from someone of Mr. Trump’s stature and power—by hiding behind semantics and euphemisms. Our role is to call it as we see it, based on solid reporting. When something is, in fact, a demonstrable lie, it is our responsibility to say so,” he continued. “As I have said before and will say as long as people are willing to listen, this is a gut check moment for the press. We are being confronted by versions of what are claimed to be ‘the truth’ that resemble something spewed out by a fertilizer-spreader in a wind tunnel. And there is every indication that this will only continue in the Tweets and statements of the man who will now hold forth from behind the Great Seal of the President of the United States.”

Rather concluded by warning news consumers, “You as the paying, subscribing public, can use your leverage and pocketbooks to keep those who should be honest brokers of information, well, honest. ”

19 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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A lie, is a lie, is a lie: Dan Rather shreds WSJ editor for reluctance to call out Trumps bullsh* (Original Post) babylonsister Jan 2017 OP
The Wall Street Journal just told everyone you can't trust anything they print liberal N proud Jan 2017 #1
i wrote them off after murdoch bought it....fishwrap spanone Jan 2017 #3
If I say one thing while knowing it is untrue I am lying. guillaumeb Jan 2017 #2
Even Donald Trump is not "mistaken" so many times everyday! Dustlawyer Jan 2017 #7
Come on , we're not talking about you kacekwl Jan 2017 #13
Watch for Con Job to smack Rather. Wellstone ruled Jan 2017 #4
Rather is like a bulldog over his disdain of drumpf ailsagirl Jan 2017 #5
You know, WSJ editor, you could just call it "wrong." Why won't you go even that far? tclambert Jan 2017 #6
Exactly! laserhaas Jan 2017 #8
Moral Intent????????????? Seriously? bucolic_frolic Jan 2017 #9
I nominate Dan moondust Jan 2017 #10
Yes, Rather career was "swiffboated" FormerOstrich Jan 2017 #11
Oh, thanks! moondust Jan 2017 #12
So glad Dan Rather called this asshat on his bullshit. AgadorSparticus Jan 2017 #14
All they need to say is "the facts do not support Mr. Trump's statement" Hamlette Jan 2017 #15
My father in law, during the Reagan administration, used to call RR "that asshat LuckyLib Jan 2017 #17
Well put! "Liar" imparts a motivation, when "stream of consciousness" more accurately describes immoderate Jan 2017 #18
Responsibility SujiwanKenobee Jan 2017 #16
Thank ou Dan Rather! NastyRiffraff Jan 2017 #19

liberal N proud

(60,334 posts)
1. The Wall Street Journal just told everyone you can't trust anything they print
Mon Jan 2, 2017, 09:23 PM
Jan 2017

Making the rag, nothing more that toilet paper.

spanone

(135,838 posts)
3. i wrote them off after murdoch bought it....fishwrap
Mon Jan 2, 2017, 09:27 PM
Jan 2017

thank God for the Dan Rathers of the world. today's news personalities haven't a clue.

guillaumeb

(42,641 posts)
2. If I say one thing while knowing it is untrue I am lying.
Mon Jan 2, 2017, 09:27 PM
Jan 2017

But if I say something that I believe to be true, even if that something is false, am I lying, or simply mistaken?

Dustlawyer

(10,495 posts)
7. Even Donald Trump is not "mistaken" so many times everyday!
Mon Jan 2, 2017, 10:41 PM
Jan 2017

The SOB is freaking lying, it's his M.O.!

A better title for his book should have been "The Art of the Con!"

tclambert

(11,086 posts)
6. You know, WSJ editor, you could just call it "wrong." Why won't you go even that far?
Mon Jan 2, 2017, 10:23 PM
Jan 2017

Just because some imbecile believes something wrong doesn't make it right. Maybe he is too dumb to know the nonsense he just tweeted is false. But his lack of knowledge doesn't turn the false thing into the truth. But we, the public, need to know.

moondust

(19,984 posts)
10. I nominate Dan
Mon Jan 2, 2017, 11:00 PM
Jan 2017

to be on the committee that tries to decide what to do about all forms of fake news and propaganda warping people's perceptions and reality in the Internet age. Didn't he lose his job because of somebody else's lies or half-truths?

FormerOstrich

(2,702 posts)
11. Yes, Rather career was "swiffboated"
Tue Jan 3, 2017, 12:01 AM
Jan 2017

I remember it well. Last night I watched the movie "Truth". Robert Redford plays Rather. The move is very good. I highly recommend it.

AgadorSparticus

(7,963 posts)
14. So glad Dan Rather called this asshat on his bullshit.
Tue Jan 3, 2017, 01:48 AM
Jan 2017

Will never click on the wsj again. People need to cancel their subscriptions.

Hamlette

(15,412 posts)
15. All they need to say is "the facts do not support Mr. Trump's statement"
Tue Jan 3, 2017, 03:48 AM
Jan 2017

Last edited Tue Jan 3, 2017, 08:37 PM - Edit history (1)

it is not calling him a liar, it is perfectly accurate and a much bigger put down than name calling (liar)

It's an old lawyers trick. Technically it is difficult to prove someone is lying (you have to prove Trump did not KNOW people were not protesting in NJ after 9/11). We lawyers say "the record does not support our opponents version of events." Slap.

The facts do not support Mr. Trump's allegations.

And maybe we revert to calling Trump what republicans called FDR for 13 years: "That man in the white house".

LuckyLib

(6,819 posts)
17. My father in law, during the Reagan administration, used to call RR "that asshat
Tue Jan 3, 2017, 04:17 PM
Jan 2017

in the White House." We would respond with, "And who did you vote for, Dad?"
Answer: "That asshat in the White House."

 

immoderate

(20,885 posts)
18. Well put! "Liar" imparts a motivation, when "stream of consciousness" more accurately describes
Tue Jan 3, 2017, 04:35 PM
Jan 2017

emanations of Trumpiness. Trump does not speak. He blurts! Lying requires too much thought. Trump leaves the impression that nothing he does is intentional.

--imm

SujiwanKenobee

(290 posts)
16. Responsibility
Tue Jan 3, 2017, 04:11 PM
Jan 2017

The problem is people who speak or write emotionally--off the cuff. When someone, especially those in power, use the voice or media, they should be taking extra care to watch that what they impart has facts to back it up or at least uplifts us using a higher intent.

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