September 2, 2004

Dear PBS,

I was so glad to see Mr. Mark Shields take on Karl Rove during the interview with him last night at the Republican National Convention. Karl Rove has been a master of deception over the years, and as chief political advisor for the Bush Administration, he needs to be exposed as such. During said interview, he clearly misrepresented comments Kerry made in 1971 on the issue of soldiers in Vietnam. This was a classic kind of attack by Rove—attack the opponent’s strength. In this case, it backfired. It was such a joy to see Mr. Shields point out some discrepancies in Rove’s argument, and watch Rove try to walk over what Mr. Shields was presenting. This is the kind of gutsy reporter that we need interviewing our political leaders. Reporters must not go easy on them. They must ask hard questions, and must not accept faulty responses. These times are far too dangerous for weak journalism and stifled debate.

Sincerely,

Gus Stevenson

For a transcript of the interview, visit http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/july-dec04/rove_9-01.html