Some interests groups are more legitimate than others, at least according to Dan Rather--some are "respected" while others are "partisan." Rather calls the NRA "potent" and "high-powered." He labels the Christian Coalition as the "quote" Christian Coalition because he does not think that all Christians agree with it. His assumption is correct, he himself being a somewhat religious man who dislikes the group. But he doesn't take issue with the National Organization for Women's name and never calls it, "the group that calls itself the quote 'National Organization for Women,'" despite the fact that all women do not agree with it. See also Religious Right.

"The head of the Republican political lobbying group that calls itself, quote, 'the Christian Coalition' said today he's leaving to start a political consulting business. Ralph Reed's group took a beating on some of its hard-right agenda in the last election."
--Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News, April 23, 1997.

"The National Rifle Association has leveled withering fire against cities seeking damages for gun-related violence. Last week the city of Atlanta filed suit against 17 gun manufacturers. Today the Governor of Georgia, a Democrat, signed a bill backed by the high-powered lobbied that prohibits such lawsuits."
--Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News, February 9, 1999.

The NAACP filed a lawsuit against the gun industry:
"It was launched by one of the nation's most-respected and largest civil rights organizations."
--Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News, July 12, 1999.
Note: In 1994 Dan Rather hosted a $175-a-plate fund-raiser for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund's 40th anniversary."

"Good evening. What a difference a day makes. The Republican-led U.S. Senate is backing off and looking for a way out just 24 hours after rejecting a modest gun control measure. The potent gun lobby and its allies in Congress are changing their strategy under wide-ranging and withering fire, especially in the wake of reaction to the Columbine High School massacre."
--Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News, May 13, 1999.

In the battle over creation of the Homeland Security Department, Democrats and Republicans in Congress denounced each other for putting "special interests" ahead of the country. CBS, however, only chose to relay one side of the argument.

During the debate, Democrats argued that Republican provisions limiting lawsuits against companies who may have to deal with terrorism in the future were nothing more than the GOP's desire to protect the "special interests" of the industries involved; accordingly, Democrats sought to strip such amendments from the bill before it passed. Republicans, on the other hand, argued that companies wouldn't be interested in dealing with preventing or responding to terrorism if doing so might leave them open to the risk of exorbitant tort damages. Democrats, Republicans argued, wrongly opposed the bill because their party is beholden to wealthy trial lawyers.

Unfortunately, Dan Rather and his colleagues decided not to relay any of the Republicans' views in their report. Showing that they fully understood the Democrats' point, both Rather and CBS's Bob Orr referred to the bill's "special interest" provisions but made no mention of the Republicans' view of why Democrats were against them.

See the story for yourself:

DAN RATHER: The Senate is about to give final congressional approval to the creation of a new Cabinet department, the Department of Homeland Security. It will mean a huge reorganization of the government, creation of a new bureaucracy and spending more money in hopes of defending America from terrorists. The bill survived one final hurdle today: a failed attempt to remove controversial special-interest benefits for businesses tucked into the bill. The bill in this form seals a big victory for President Bush, who's now off to a NATO summit in Europe. Our coverage begins with CBS's Bob Orr on Capitol Hill.
TRENT LOTT (R-Miss., Sen. Minority Leader): We have some good news for you.
BOB ORR: Senate Republicans were almost giddy as they phoned the president with word of his latest win.
GEORGE W. BUSH: We're making great progress in the war on terror.
ORR: More than a year after 9/11, the Senate cleared the way for final approval to the Department of Homeland Security, the most sweeping overhaul of government in more than 50 years. With 170,000 employees, Homeland Security will be the third-largest Cabinet department. It consolidates 22 disparate government agencies under one roof. Customs, Secret Service, Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration and FEMA will all report to Homeland Security.
JOE LIEBERMAN (D-Conn.) that's going to help our--our government see the terrorist threats before they attack and, therefore, to stop them.
ORR: The department will have sweeping responsibilities, from securing airports and stopping drug smugglers to patrolling the shores and responding to disasters. It will be charged with combating biological and chemical terrorism. And even though the FBI, CIA and National Security Agency are not part of the new department, Homeland Security will be charged with assessing their intelligence information.
In the final bill, Congress made two key changes in aviation security. The December 31st deadline for scanning all checked bags for bombs is being extended for another year. And over objections from the Bush administration, thousands of commercial pilots will be permitted to carry guns in the cockpit.
The bill also contains several controversial provisions Democrats criticized as Republican giveaways to corporate contributors. Drug companies who provide vaccines will be protected against lawsuits from people who suffer side effects; even existing lawsuits would be thrown out. Manufacturers of aviation security equipment will be guarded against liability claims in the event of a terrorist act. And the bill makes it easier for companies who move out of the country to escape taxes to land government security contracts.
TOM DASCHLE (D-S.D., Senate Majority Leader ): These items make a mockery of the legislative process. Everybody who has their fingerprints on these issues ought to be ashamed of themselves.
ORR: To assure final passage today, Republican leaders promised some of their own wavering members that they will work to eliminate some of those special interest provisions. But that will have to wait until Congress comes back to work back next year. Dan.
DAN RATHER: Bob Orr reporting live from the Capitol.
--Dan Rather and Bob Orr on the CBS Evening News, November 19, 2002.

"Paula Jones's lawsuit was rejected by a federal court judge. And today the National Organization for Women said it will not support Jones's appeal. The organization says it's not a good test case and its members don't want to work with quote, 'disreputable right-wing organizations and individuals,' unquote."
--Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News, April 22, 1998

"There was another ruling with possible far-reaching impact, this one issued by the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS notified the powerful lobbying group calling itself the Christian Coalition that it is not entitled to the tax exempt status of a religious group. The reason given: Too much partisan political activity."
--Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News, June 10, 1999.

Congressman Cass Ballenger of North Carolina spoke on the floor of the House about an unbalanced report by Dan Rather a week earlier. Here's Ballenger's remark and Rather's report:
"Dan Rather and CBS Evening News became the newest advocates for the so-called striker replacement bill, H.R. 5, a proposal to put an end to the use of replacement workers during a strike.
"Last week, Dan Rather introduced the lengthy feature on the subject with the phrase 'One Strike, You're Out.' Surprise, surprise -- this is the title of the AFL-CIO slick and pricey video on H.R. 5.
"Dan Rather provided supporters of H.R. 5 with millions and millions of dollars of free advertising and a wide viewer audience to promote the opinions of organized labor on an extremely controversial bill. Furthermore, to ensure the AFL-CIO commercial articulated all of big labor's views, more than 95 percent of the segment explained why organized labor wants the bill passed."
--On the floor of the House, April 10, 1991.

Dan Rather:
"Coming up next, hard times for organized labor in America. Union men and women find out that one strike and you're out in the new ball game."
"[T]he use of permanent replacements in other American industries is making the right to strike pretty much an empty threat. More about that from business correspondent Ray Brady."
--The CBS Evening News, April 3, 1991. print_file('footer'); ?>