CBS Anchorman Dan Rather Apologizing for Story Based on Lies
HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. 7:30 here in New York. More on the controversy at CBS. Boy, it's getting a lot of talk this week, huh?</s>COLLINS: It sure is.</s>HEMMER: In a moment, we'll talk to the man who wrote the book on the program, "60 Minutes." David Blum is his name. How does a story of this magnitude, 42 days before an election, make it past what many consider to be the most respected news program on television. We'll get to that in a moment.</s>COLLINS: Also parts two of our series on election year issues. Today we're looking at one of the biggest issue of all, the plan for Iraq. Kelly Wallace will tell us what each candidate has in mind and how the two differ. In fact, we're going to check on stories now in the news with Kelly Wallace right now. Good morning, Kelly, once again.</s>WALLACE: Good morning again to you. And good morning, everyone. New threats from a group responsible for the killing of an American in Iraq. Eugene Armstrong was apparently beheaded yesterday by a group with ties to terrorist Abu Musab Al Zarqawi. The group is now threatening to behead the two remaining hostages unless all female prisoners are released from Iraqi jails within 24 hours. American officials deny they are holding any female prisoners. Grim news out of Haiti this morning. At least 620 people were reportedly killed by Tropical Storm Jeanne has it tore across the island. Distraught relatives have filled morgues searching for their loved one. The number of dead is expected to rise as flood waters recede. New York police and the Secret Service are looking for a man who they say made a credible threat against President Bush. That's according to a New York television station. The suspect apparently has a history of mental illness. Security around the president has been beefed up. And Martha Stewart might serve her five months in prison near her Connecticut home. The Bureau of Prisons says Stewart may be able to get a spot at a minimum security prison in Danbury. That's Stewart's top choice, because mostly it would allow her mother, who turns 90 this week, to visit her. That's a quick look at the headlines. Now back to Bill.</s>HEMMER: All right, Kelly, thanks. And to the black eye at CBS News today. The network says it cannot authenticate documents cited in a "60 Minutes" segment that question the president's military service. Last night Dan Rather apologized for their -- quote -- mistake in judgment, and aired part of his interview with the source of the disputed documents. That's the former National Guardsman, Bill Burkett.</s>DAN RATHER, CBS ANCHOR: Have you forged anything?</s>BILL BURKETT, FMR. NATIONAL GUARDSMAN: No, sir.</s>RATHER: Have you faked anything?</s>BURKETT: No, sir.</s>RATHER: But you did mislead us. You used the word "lie."</s>BURKETT: Yes I did.</s>HEMMER: Well, the author of "Tick, Tick, Tick: The Long Life and Turbulent Times of 60 Minutes" is David Blum. He's my guest now here in New York. Good morning.</s>DAVID BLUM, AUTHOR, "TICK, TICK, TICK": Good morning.</s>HEMMER: You wrote the book. I think a lot of viewers at home want to know how intense, or how detailed is the vetting process for a story before they go to air at "60 Minutes."</s>BLUM: Well, normally, it's quite thorough. But in this case, I think there was a rush to get it on. They wanted a story that would make waves in this campaign, and Dan Rather has always been looking for more opportunities to get on air with big stories, and just about anybody else at CBS News has been that way.</s>HEMMER: But you know that Bill Burkett has got a problem with the National Guard in the first place, has for years. You know he's got a problem with George Bush, has for years. Well-respected producer in Mary Mapes (ph) is working with Dan Rather, their star anchor on this story. You put all that together, and it seems like the stakes are even higher before you go to air.</s>BLUM: It's incredible, and yet the pressure was there, but not enough to get her -- to force her to admit who her source was and how biased her source was, and that really was the fundamental break in the rules of journalism.</s>HEMMER: Let me go back to the interview last night that aired on CBS Evening News and talk about the pressure that each side apparently put on each other. Listen here.</s>BURKETT: Well, I didn't totally mislead you. I did mislead you on the one individual. You know, your staff pressured me to a point to reveal that source.</s>RATHER: Well we were trying to get the chain of possession.</s>BURKETT: I understand.</s>RATHER: And you said you had received from someone.</s>BURKETT: I understand that.</s>RATHER: And we did press you to say, well, you received them from someone...</s>BURKETT: Yes.</s>RATHER: And it's true, we pressured you, because it was a very important point for us.</s>BURKETT: Yes. And I simply threw a name that was basically -- it was I guess to get a little pressure off for a moment.</s>HEMMER: As a viewer watching that last night, I was struck by how honest they were about the amount of pressure that was applied on both sides. Were you?</s>BLUM: Well, they were honest up to a point. But there's still a hot of holes in the story. Where did the documents come from? What are these documents. I mean, Dan Rather he apologize, but he wasn't clear exactly what he was apologizing for. They still seem to be standing by the essence of the story. But when have you a story where the evidence itself isn't -- turns out now to be true, it undercuts the entire premise.</s>HEMMER: In a broader sense, what does this say to viewers of this program, of "60 Minutes?" What does it say to readers? Or maybe even your students at Columbia?</s>BLUM: Well, sadly, you know, students, viewers, have looked at "60 Minutes" for the 36 years as the last 60 years as the gold standard of TV journalism, certainly in the newsmagazine format, and now I think it's tarnished slightly, although I think ultimately the long, strong record of "60 Minutes" will hold. Something, though, will have to be done to clear the air, just as when "The New York Times" had its scandal last year, it's top editor had to resign, and I think we can expect some resignations at CBS News?</s>HEMMER: Dan Rather?</s>BLUM: I doubt it. Though he is already, as people are now saying, in the twilight of his career, whatever that means. And I think this will possibly hasten it slightly. But he's much too anxious to stay in the limelight for a little while longer for him to be forced out.</s>HEMMER: David Blum, you wrote the book. Thanks for joining us this morning -- Heidi.</s>BLUM: Thank you.</s>COLLINS: New polls out. Three battleground states show President Bush ahead of Senator John Kerry. According to the latest CNN/USA Today"/ Gallup poll, Bush leads Kerry among likely and registered voters in Iowa. In Missouri, the president has a 7 percentage lead, with 9 percent still undecided, an in Ohio, 50 percent of registered voters back the president, with 42 percent for Kerry, and 2 percent for Ralph Nader. Well, one of the biggest complaints of voters during a presidential campaign is that they don't hear enough about the issues. And so today, we continue our five-part series "Promises, Promises," five days, five different issues. Our focus today, Iraq. It's one of the top three issues on voters minds according to our recent CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll. Here's kelly Wallace now. Kelly, certainly a lot of people talking about Iraq, no question. Everyday we see it in the news.</s>WALLACE: Everyday. As you know, yesterday, the debate dominating -- the debate about Iraq dominated the campaign trail. That is expected to continue today. But what we tried to do is clear through the debate and answer this question: What does each candidate promise to do to eventually get the U.S. out of Iraq?</s>WALLACE: Listen to what President Bush and Senator Kerry...</s>KERRY: At every critical juncture in Iraq and in the war on terrorism, the president has made the wrong choice.</s>BUSH: Incredibly, he now believes our national security would be stronger with Saddam Hussein in power, not in prison.</s>WALLACE: And what's clear is that with few good options in Iraq, the candidates largely criticize each other, instead of getting specific. President Bush's plan for the future, stay the course.</s>BUSH: Get on the path of stability and democracy as quickly as possible, and then our troops will return home with the honor they deserve.</s>WALLACE: The president promises to bring U.S. troops home, once the mission is completed, but he hasn't said when that will be. He promises to spend what is necessary to restore the peace, but he doesn't mention a price tag, which nonpartisan experts say could ultimately reach $200 billion or more. He says other countries are sharing the burden, but doesn't mention how the 138,000 U.S. troops make up 85 percent of the coalition force. And he touts Iraq as a model for the Mideast, but doesn't note that ongoing violence could jeopardize Iraq's first free election in January.</s>KERRY: The president now admits to miscalculations in Iraq. Miscalculations? This is one of the greatest understatements in recent American history.</s>WALLACE: Senator Kerry is criticizing the president's handling of the war more harshly now than in the past, but he voted for the war resolution two years ago, even said last month he would do so again knowing what he knows now.</s>KERRY: Yes, I would have voted for the authority.</s>WALLACE: The senator promises to convince NATO and other allies to send troops to Iraq, but fails to explain how he can persuade world leaders who are reluctant to put boots on the ground. He promises to start bringing U.S. troops home six months after taking office, but is that even possible if other countries refuse to send forces in? And he promises to persuade European countries to help rebuild Iraq by giving them a share of reconstruction contracts, but he can't guarantee he can convince world leaders to pitch in, especially as the violence continues. The death toll now for Americans, above the 1,000 mark.</s>WALLACE: President Bush has staked his presidency on the war and, therefore, has the most to lose. So if dissatisfaction in the United States grows, Senator Kerry, Heidi, who so far has been unable to gain an upper hand on the issue, could benefit.</s>COLLINS: Well, actually, yesterday, we saw some video from NYU, and he reveal this four-point plan for Iraq. But is any of what he's got planned really different from what President Bush is trying to do right now?</s>WALLACE: Well, that's why White House advisers were so quick to react. They say all the things that Senator Kerry is talking about doing, the president is already doing. He's reaching out to the international community, they say. They say he's also trying to speed up training of Iraqi forces. But what the Democrats will say is he's just not doing it very well, that the Americans can see what is happening on the ground in Iraq, and so their argument is, if the Americans are not happy with what is happening, they have a choice, an alternative, John Kerry.</s>COLLINS: All right, Kelly Wallace, thanks so much for that. I want to remind everybody tomorrow, on our "Promises, Promises" series, it will focus on taxes and spending. The economy is tied now for No. 1 as the top issue on voters minds. In our recent CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll, once again, we will look at what each candidate promises to do when it comes to your wallet and the nation's budget. Be sure to log on to CNN.com/am. There you can compare the candidate's positions and what they promise to do on various issues -- Bill.</s>HEMMER: About 20 minutes before the hour now, Heidi. A pregnant mother was pulled to safety over the weekend. An amazing videotape as well. Alicia Correll (ph) got in deeper than she thought Saturday when the Tennessee River, rising with the rains of Hurricane Ivan, washed over the road she was on. The 30-year-old woman, almost up to her neck in water when she called 911 for help. She clung to her cell phone, broke open a window and kept her head above floodwaters until rescuers got to her and got her to safety. Good ending there.</s>COLLINS: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING today, a new call to duty for America's military veterans, but it's got more to do with nail guns than machine guns. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" on that.</s>HEMMER: Also in a moment here, there's a police witness testifying that Scott Peterson had his own theory about Laci's disappearance. Jeff Toobin has that in a moment on AMERICAN MORNING.