What's Up With Wallace?
By Cam Edwards Posted in User Blogs — Comments (3) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
He's a trusted reporter, praised even by "conservatives" like Bill O'Reilly as "the best American broadcaster in history. He's had a long and distinguished career at CBS News, winning 19 Emmy Awards, 3 Peabody Awards, and is in the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
He's also a big fan of Art Buchwald, and presumably a big fan of gun control as well.
Two weeks ago, Mike Wallace hosted a Brady Center fundraiser (and birthday party for Buchwald) in Washington, D.C. At the event, held at the French Embassy, Wallace played a clip of his "60 Minutes" interview with then-NRA president Charlton Heston, whom he described as the "self-righteous enemy of the Jim and Sarah Brady Bunch". Afterwards, he mocked Heston by holding his hands above his head (as if holding a rifle), and said "in my dead hands... remember when he used to hold up..." while the crowd tittered. He told Buchwald he'd made his $250 contribution to the Brady Center. And I haven't seen any mention of this at CBS.
Listen, I've got no problem with Mike Wallace having an opinion on an issue like gun control. I disagree with Wallace's position on gun control, but he has a right to his opinion. I think Wallace's appearance at the Brady Center event certainly calls into question his past reporting on the gun control issue as well, but that's not really the issue.
I just want to know a few things: does CBS have a policy prohibiting their air talent from appearances like this (hard to believe they do with Dan Rather's appearance at a Travis County, Texas Democratic fundraiser a few years ago), will CBS let us know about Wallace's fundraising activity for the Brady's the next time he does a piece on gun control, and did Wallace violate any CBS rules by using the clip from "60 Minutes" at the event?
I've emailed Vaughn Ververs at Public Eye, but haven't received a response. I'm hoping that other bloggers will pick up on this and perhaps we can get an answer.
Here's the email I sent to Mr. Ververs.
On Sept. 28th of this year, Mike Wallace from "60 Minutes" appeared at a Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence Event at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C. During his appearance, Mr. Wallace used a clip from a "60 Minutes" interview he conducted with then-NRA President Charlton Heston.Does CBS have a policy regarding on air talent appearing at special interest events like this, and does CBS have a policy regarding use of their broadcast material at events like this? Further, do you believe Mr. Wallace and "60 Minutes" have an ethical obligation to disclose Mr. Wallace's support for the Brady Center the next time the program does a story on guns and/or gun control?
I'll let you know if and when I hear anything.
Update- CBS has responded. More thoughts soon.
They've just got a real boring entertainment lineup where old people sit around and talk toward the camera.
help on the false but true Audi bs a few years back?
Wouldn't it be great if we could find out jsut how interconnected CBS news and CBS news talent's financial interests were intertwined?
The home mold scam in Texas was started by a big case outside of Austin. the woman whose house was ground zero for the legal scam and panic got million$. Now, when 60 minutes did their hard hitting sotry, did they disclose the fact that the woman had collected huge $money in New York cliaming similar stuff? Did they also disclose that Dan Rather was a very close personal friend?
Texans will be paying higher home insurance premiums for many years to come, thanks to the fiction they promoted about mold.
They're doing news now? Ididnotknowthat.