Word: contra
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...unpredictable. A taped interview allows for editing and shaping; a live interview gives the subject a chance to manipulate the conversation. The subject can filibuster, deftly evading a probing question. CBS had already produced a hard-hitting five-minute introduction examining Bush's contradictory claims about his Iran-contra role. Executive Producer Tom Bettag saw three options: run the five-minute intro on its own, kill the story or accede to Bush's conditions. Finally CBS agreed to do the interview live, and warned Bush's staff that Rather's questions were going to be tough and pointed...
...weekend before the broadcast, CBS began airing promotions for the Bush-Rather interview and calling political writers to flag for them the "first interview on Iran-contra that Bush has done with any network." The day of the interview Rather had three one-hour rehearsals with the six people involved in the broadcast. He was coached as if he were a candidate preparing for a debate or a pugilist preparing for a fight, rather than a journalist going into an interview. Howard Rosenberg, a producer from CBS's Washington bureau, played Bush. "We knew it was going...
Though CBS never directly informed the Bush camp that the interview would focus exclusively on Iran-contra, its intentions were hardly a secret. "We kept getting reports that it was going to be an ambush," said Bush's chief of staff, Craig Fuller. "CBS was leaking so badly that if they'd been Dutch they'd have been under water," said Teeley. On Monday Teeley telephoned Bush to inform him of the rumors about a potential on-air confrontation, suggesting that Bush have a briefing for preparation. "I don't need a briefing, " Bush replied. He had just returned from...
When Rather began the interview with an Iran-contra question, Bush came came out firing. He quickly accused CBS of bad faith: "I find this to be a rehash and a little bit, if you'll excuse me, a misrepresentation on the part of CBS, who said you're doing political profiles on all the candidates...
...benefit for me to dwell on it. I was amazed at the response everywhere we went this week -- Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa -- but there's no point in my trying to capitalize on it." Did Bush feel his judgment or integrity has been called into question by his Iran-contra role? "I think most people think it's been exhaustively looked into, that I haven't done anything wrong, though they might question my judgment. But the record speaks clearly on all that. So let the people decide...