CBS continues to flush their journalistic reputation down the toilet. This time they are using forged emails to drum up concern that the Bush Administration will re-institute the draft. (Despite the fact that Democrats have introduced not one, but two bills to do just that.)

In an exclusive interview with reporter Richard Schlesinger, CBS spokesman Sandra Genelius, and producer Linda Karas, INDC Journal wants to know why the so-called "journalists" at CBS are using internet chain letters as journalistic evidence.

INDC: "Probably the main concern with the story is that the e-mails that are shown in the piece are false; they've been debunked on various internet sites long ago ..."

Schlesinger: "The fact is, they were going around. I know several people that got them, and it's gotten people all riled up. Whether or not there's any reality to there being a draft, is almost besides the point. Do I think there's going to be a draft? No. But it's an issue that people are talking about."

So, the reality of the rumor is "besides the point", but the fact is that there is a rumor. CBS' disregard for the truth gets worse:

INDC: "Ok, the e-mails in the story have been criticized because they've been debunked online for some time, why did you use them?"

Karas: "The truth of the e-mails were absolutely irrelevant to the piece, because all the story said was that people were worried. It's a story about human beings that are afraid of the draft. We did not say that this (e-mail) was true, it's just circulating. We are not verifying the e-mail."

Technically, they are correct. They did not say the email is true. They merely presented it as if it were true, and neglected to mention that it had long since been debunked.

They also presented facts like the Selective Service is capable of reinstituting the draft without mentioning that they have already stated there are no plans to. In addition, they presented testimony from an anti-draft political activist (without mentioning she was an activist). The poor distraught housewife cried about how she loses sleep at night over the thought that President Bush will draft her baby and send him off to Iraq to be killed. Immediately thereafter, CBS mentioned that there were two bills introduced to reinstate the draft. What they conveniently failed to mention is that the bills were introduced by Democrats.

I cannot help but think Bush could nip this all in the bud by threatening to veto the Democrats proposal, should it pass.