"Rather, the former anchorman of the "CBS Evening News," is seeking $20 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages.

CBS spokesman Dana McClintock said: "These complaints are old news, and this lawsuit is without merit."

Rather narrated the September 2004 report that claimed President Bush skirted some of his duties during his National Guard service and that a commander felt pressured to sugarcoat Bush's record. He maintains the story was true.

But an independent review for the network determined the story was neither fair nor accurate. CBS fired three news executives and a producer for airing it.

Richard Thornburgh, the former U.S. attorney general who made up the two-man investigative panel with Louis D. Boccardi, the retired chief executive of The Associated Press, said he was unaware of Rather's lawsuit. Reached at his home in Washington, he said only: "Our report speaks for itself."

Rather worked at CBS News starting in 1962, then replaced Walter Cronkite in 1981 as "CBS Evening News" anchorman until signing off on March 9, 2005."

I saw the Bush/National Guard report replayed online.  I never watch the drive-by media, and have not done so for years.  As soon as I saw the "document", the first two lines told me it was a phony!  The first thing I noticed was the "tiny th" on the National Guard's unit number.  Now folks, I was a legal secretary back in the 70's, when this document was supposed to have been written.  I had the top of the line equipment, the IBM Selectric, with two type balls.  One was a Pica, the other was Elite, smaller than the Pica.  The Selectric was capable of turning the platen exactly one half a line.  I would type the number 7 in Pica, and would then switch the type ball and roll the platen 1/2 space up.  I would then insert the Elite type ball to type the "th".  Sorry folks, it just would not replicate the typeface depicted on the so-called report on the Blather piece in question.  I was not the only onewho recognized the report as phony!  It took very little time to "out" Blather and seeBS as phonies.

For most hunters, he'd been "outed" in the 70's.  Dan Blather did a report back in the 70's called "Guns of Autumn" [which seeBS's search machine has mysteriously "lost" from its archives] but not from hubby's memory!  When I asked him to remind me of it...well, let's just say his diatribe began again after oh so many years.  You see, pals of his were interviewed for the piece, which obstensively was to "discuss" hunting and hunters.  They were outfitters and hunters he knew well.  Their conversations with Blather were taken out of context, distorted with pictures shown as their words were spoken, and in all ways made to look like bloodthirsty mental midgets. 

All in all, I may have to champion Blather's efforts to collect $70 mil from his former co-conspirators.  I mean afterall, why should he have to be the only one to suffer the consequences of his actions?