Bush–Rather Confrontation

During early 1988, CBS Evening News began to air a series of profiles of the individuals who were running for the Republican and Democratic nominations for president. A major contender for the Republican nomination was George H. W. Bush, the sitting vice president under then-president Ronald Reagan. When CBS attempted to schedule time with Bush for interviews and material to construct his profile, the Bush campaign refused to participate unless the vice president could appear on the evening news live and unedited. His staff indicated that he was not willing to be interviewed on tape and have his remarks edited for broadcast by CBS.

Although unhappy about this restriction, CBS agreed and scheduled Bush's live appearance for the regular evening news on January 25, 1988. However, ...