Apparently, the current news cycle doesn’t offer columnist Michelle Malkin adequate grist for her taste.
I may not be all that bright, but that’s the only explanation I can muster for her dredging up a 14-year-old story.
Her recent effort (“Memo to Dan Rather…”) refers to a “News-Gate” involving the “Sixty Minutes” crew that’s covered pretty well in the film “Truth,” starring Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford.
What’s interesting about this is the allegation that sitting president George W. Bush (and first son of an ex-president to hold that title since John Quincy Adams in the first half of the 19th century) was able to avoid the draft during the Vietnam era because his father — who was a Republican Congressman at the time — pulled some strings to get him a cushy job flying planes for the Texas Air National Guard.
According to the film, the story is true — but the news crew fouled up on some of their fact-checking.
CBS News and “Sixty Minutes” holds a very high standard regarding that sort of thing and some heads rolled at CBS as a result.
I recommend seeing the film — especially for anyone who is angered by Ms. Malkin’s snippy comments. You may end up with a different perspective.
Ron Hatch,
Sequim