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Rather Files a New Suit Against CBS

By PAUL J. GOUGH, Reuters

Posted: 2008-05-07 09:10:50

Filed Under: Celebrities in Court, TV News

NEW YORK (May 7) - Dan Rather fired off a new lawsuit against his former network Tuesday, charging that CBS News labeled the anchor "too hot to handle" and prevented him from being hired by other networks after his acrimonious departure.

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Dan Rather is giving a lawsuit against his former employer, CBS, another try in an attempt to find out what transpired after his departure in 2005. The former anchor believes CBS prevented him from finding work by branding him "too hot to handle" to other networks.

Rather was rebuffed in an earlier suit, when many of his claims were knocked down by a New York state judge. But the judge also allowed Rather to resubmit his claims.

In the latest filing, Rather claims that CNN, ABC, NBC and other networks met to talk about possible employment but that all eventually declined for reasons that included, according to the lawsuit, Rather's having had "too much baggage." The claim says he lost other business opportunities as well. He later signed with HDNet.

"Mr. Rather's exposure is dramatically limited and, accordingly, his reputation and standing in his trade and profession have not recovered from the damage caused by the defendants' conduct," the lawsuit says.

In a statement, CBS said: "Mr. Rather is trying to put forth fraud complaints that the court has already determined to be legally unfounded. We believe he will fail a second time. We will find an appropriate motion to dismiss."

CBS was served with the amended complaint Tuesday; it was to be filed in a New York court Wednesday.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on Monday before the filing, Rather said the reason he is going through the legal proceedings is to find out what happened in the wake of the 2004 "60 Minutes II" report on President Bush's military service during the Vietnam War.

"The story was true. What we said in the report was true, despite what others have tried to have you believe about the documents, which were one, and only one, part of the story," Rather said.

Rather claims in the lawsuit that CBS forced him to keep silent when he wanted to defend the report and himself after bloggers and others questioned the documents. An independent report didn't rule on whether the documents were faked.

CBS News has hit back hard against its former anchor, something that hasn't been lost on Rather.

"I've never lost sight of the fact that this is a long, hard, expensive road and the odds are against," he said. "I knew that going in. I've known that every hour I've been in it. I'm in this alone. I bear the whole, total expense, which comes out of my pocket."

CBS' defense is funded by CBS Corp., Rather noted. "What they sought to do is get it all dismissed," he said. "Now what they want to do is string it out for as long as they can, hoping to wear me out and run me out of money."

Copyright 2008 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

2008-05-07 06:50:58

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mamaluzi 01:48:52 PM May 08 2008

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There's never been PROOF the document in question wasn't authentic and certainly no evidence Rather intentionally deceived anyone (unlike FOX whose own reporters have accused them)

mamaluzi 01:23:54 PM May 08 2008

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I don't watch TV news so I don't care about Rather--- except to the degree I dislike the way the predominantly Conservative media handled the affair then and the revisionist history the Right engages in now.
The single document that got him fired was not fully authenticated to everyone's satisfaction -- but it was, in fact, never proven to be a fake either. And no one ever claimed he intentionally manufactured it, just that he should have checked more thoroughly.
The document was a minor part of a story that Bush was a no-show for months of his National Guard duty, a fact he has lied about. The story was true. If the news were not so slanted to the Right these days, the Bush failure to meet his service obligations and his lies and attempts to cover up would have been treated as far more newsworty and relevant to the average American than a reporter's POSSIBLE mistake.

mamaluzi 01:08:49 PM May 08 2008

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His other suit was filed he said, to require CBS bigwigs to admit in depositions how they routinely avoided reporting news stories that were negative for the administration. He has a lot of proof of their efforts to kill the Abu Ghraib story, which they refused to run for weeks after he had the photos. They only reluctantly aired it when they found out Hirsh also had the story and they didn't want to be scooped. Similar reports come from other media including NY Times. None of the media wants to report news critical of Conservatives these days. So they either refuse to allow what the reporters uncover altogether, or they do so only when the reporter threatens to take it public himself.
It's no wonder McCain and his staff have referred to the media as "his base"
BIG MEDIA IS AS REPUG THESE DAYS AS BIG OIL.

butteparts1 09:55:03 AM May 08 2008

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Does a LIBERAL throwing a LAWSUIT seem like news?? You would think there might be something more newsworthy out there today.

yahshoe 09:49:39 AM May 08 2008

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Bittenessr, Hate, Anger, and Revenge are elements that can destroy
even the Honest...For sometimes honesty doesn't pay.
It can get you kill economically, when messing around with the Wrong
crowd...with strings, Money and power Connections..
But, this guy is willing to die fighting...
Who Cares ? Who Remembers what the allegations were for or against who ?

Mdavidmy 09:29:40 AM May 08 2008

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Dam Blather, you're on the ash heap of history. Go home and shut up.

While you are at it, take that moron Jimmy Carter with you.

BUZZ52490 08:42:08 AM May 08 2008

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wiseoneiknow

I guess you didn't do YOUR research on who owned CBS

BUZZ52490 08:41:21 AM May 08 2008

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CBS is not owned by Republicans. Its part of Viacom which is owned bySumner Murray Redstone (born Sumner Murray Rothstein. A Jewish Liberal

catrel2 08:38:53 AM May 08 2008

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DAN EPITOMIZED THE Communist Broadcasting System

BUZZ52490 08:36:58 AM May 08 2008

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I can't believe the morons who would defend Dan Rathers actions because they hate Bush. One thing should have nothing to do with another. Rather went way beyond the line on Journalistic Honesty

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