Just when you thought CBS's woes might vanish into the memory hole, screened by the smoldering remains of Eason Jordan's CNN career....

When the CBS/Memogate/Thornburgh report was released, one producer was fired outright and three executives were asked for their resignations. I wondered at the time [I wish I'd written it down...] if in fact those three individuals would go quietly.

Apparently at least one is not.

RatherBiased.com reports that 60 Minutes Wednesday executive producer Josh Howard (who has yet to actually tender his resignation, Thornburgh's report notwithstanding) is threatening to sue for wrongful termination — a move which, given the power of the subpoena, would open the CBS editorial process to public scrutiny far more than the Memogate report managed to do. Their biases would be laid out for the world to see.

Were I in Mr. Howard's position — to wit, that of scapegoat — I think I might be inclined to do the same thing.

Secret internal documents and e-mails often tend to be damning, of course — that's why they're kept secret. If the suspicions and beliefs of half the blogosphere [and perhaps the fears of the other half] are correct, it would be hard to imagine a more damaging blow to CBS's credibility than the publication of such documents and e-mails.

Though I am not exactly tap-dancing with joy at the prospect of CBS taking such a body-blow, neither am I upset... especially given the MSM's undisguised glee when publishing other organizations' "secret" memos.

[Via Powerline.]

Posted by Russ at 12:09 AM, February 16, 2005 in News