Inside Politics

Rather report

CBS anchorman Dan Rather has assumed the status of soap opera star as observers continue to plumb the meaning of his pending resignation from the chair.

Online newsman Matt Drudge has revealed that on Nov. 22, the day of Mr. Rather’s resignation, CBS brass received the report of the private internal investigation of his reliance on forged documents for a “60 Minutes” story that said President Bush had compromised his National Guard service three decades ago.

“I was told that last Monday, the preliminary report on the Rather document matter was given to management at CBS,” Mr. Drudge told his talk-radio listeners in the early morning hours yesterday.

“This is before the Rather announcement, and I’ve got immaculate sources at CBS. So [the report] must not be good. CBS News President Andrew Heyward is now in the bulls-eye. They can’t let too many people go. They don’t have that many left.”

Mr. Rather denied yesterday that his resignation hinged on the “60 Minutes” debacle.

Will all this hubbub have any dampening effect on the rest of the press?

Fans of the Media Research Center say no: An online poll from the Alexandria-based conservative watchdog group finds that 91 percent of its readers say Mr. Rather’s resignation will have “no effect” on liberal bias in the news media.

Schundler on list

With Democrat James E. McGreevey gone, the Republican dance card for New Jersey governor is filling up.

Republican Bret Schundler, who lost the 2001 race to Mr. McGreevey, announced yesterday that he will seek the job again in 2005.

According to the Associated Press, Mr. Schundler told cheering supporters during a Jersey City announcement that he would cut taxes by keeping state spending below the rate of economic growth.

The former mayor of Jersey City is the second prominent Republican to announce that he will seek the party’s gubernatorial nod. Businessman Douglas R. Forrester, who lost the 2002 U.S. Senate race to Democrat Jon Corzine, announced last week that he will run.

Among Democrats, Mr. Corzine and acting Gov. Richard J. Codey, who assumed the post Nov. 16 in the wake of Mr. McGreevey’s resignation over a homosexual scandal, are said to be considering runs.

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