Apparently, it pays big dividends to 'mysteriously uncover' classified documents and to illegally obtain evidence in a criminal trial.  AP's Television Writer, David Bauder, reports that  a Peabody Award  will be given to CBS News for its story on the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal last April.

The leftist media and its fawning awards machine continue to play bait and switch on the Rathergate phony memo fiasco versus the far more serious crimes related to the chain of connection that resulted in CBS, Dan Rather, and Mary Mapes obtaining sensitive photos and documents related to the Abu Ghraib legal case.  Horace Newcomb, the Peabody Awards director said the Sixty Minutes II broadcast deserved honor, and that,

"We feel that this story stood on its own merit," Newcomb said. "It was really an important moment in television this year."

Next, a clever bit of misdirection occurs, when the report says:

The Abu Ghraib story aired last April, while the story about Bush's military service ran in September.  Mapes was fired in January 2005 and Rather was admonished for his role in the Bush story.

So we are supposed to feel that justice triumphed since Mapes was fired and Dan Rather was 'admonished' over the Bush National Guard story.  The American people must never forget that not only were classified documents and evidence in a crime handed over to these so—called journalists, but that CBS broadcasted the abuse photos while US and the Coalition forces were in the middle of pitched battles in Fallujah and Najaf.

Even though the Pentagon announced months before that an investigation into the abuses was ongoing, General Richard Myers, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff had to plead with CBS not to broadcast the photos for fear that,

'...the actual pictures would further inflame the tense situation that existed then in Iraq and further endanger the lives of coalition soldiers and hostages."

So the selfish acts of a few propagandists placed the lives of Coalition soldiers and civilians in greater danger during crucial campaigns in Iraq.  Now that we are almost a year removed from these battles in the Sunni Triangle and Najaf, I wonder how the loved ones of those killed and wounded feel about the Rather and Mapes propaganda operation.  Not only did they go unpunished for these heinous acts, but they have now been rewarded for them.

Perhaps the Peabody Board should hear from these heros' family members and other Americans who know that the lives of our service members were considered expendable, just so Rather and CBS could further bash Bush and Rumsfeld and in the process make a bigger splash than the other legacy networks.

To be rewarded for this behavior is beyond the pale, and the Peabody organization deserves our scorn.

Doug Hanson     04—08—05