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For the title of The Strawberry Statement: Notes of a College Revolutionary, then Columbia University undergrad James Simon Kunen drew on comments made by then Columbia vice dean Herbert Deane in an April 1967 interview with the Columbia Spectator. Speaking about the role of students in university policy, Deane commented that “student or faculty opinion should not in itself have any influence on the formation of administrative policy[.]”

He explained: “A university is definitely not a democratic institution. When decisions begin to be made democratically around here, I will not be here any longer.” Deane concluded: “Whether students vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on a given issue means as much to me as if they were to tell me they like strawberries.”

Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Deane again. Or Columbia could. That much I can tell you.

And then there is 60 Minutes. They could use a man like former head of CBS News Andrew Heyward (quoted in the final paragraph of my “Lies of Truth“ post). When 60 Minutes previewed its interview with Kamala Harris last month, Steve Hayward quoted what she had to say in “Would you like French dressing with that word salad?”

However, the quote went missing in the interview segment that 60 Minutes broadcast. I failed to note the mysterious disappearance when I posted video of the segment and commented on it in “Stop making sense, Kamala Harris edition.”

Many have wondered what Harris actually said and called for a release of the 60 Minutes interview transcript. They have drawn the inference that 60 Minutes sought to make Harris look better than she did in the broadcast than she did in the preview.

Now 60 Minutes has released a statement. The statement is juvenile in a way that brings James Simon Kunen to mind (to my mind, anyway). Here it is:

Former President Donald Trump is accusing 60 Minutes of deceitful editing of our Oct. 7 interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. That is false.

60 Minutes gave an excerpt of our interview to Face the Nation that used a longer section of her answer than that on 60 Minutes. Same question. Same answer. But a different portion of the response. When we edit any interview, whether a politician, an athlete, or movie star, we strive to be clear, accurate and on point. The portion of her answer on 60 Minutes was more succinct, which allows time for other subjects in a wide ranging 21-minute-long segment.

Remember, Mr. Trump pulled out of his interview with 60 Minutes and the vice president participated.

Our long-standing invitation to former President Trump remains open. If he would like to discuss the issues facing the nation and the Harris interview, we would be happy to have him on 60 Minutes.

In other words, 60 Minutes in fact edited out the Harris response it had previously released, but Trump! 60 Minutes offered no explanation for refusing to release a transcript of the interview. Not one word.

Former CBS News correspondent Catherine Herridge commented on the 60 Minutes statement here on X:

This statement is an indicator @CBSNews hasn’t contained the fallout from its Kamala Harris @60Minutes edit.

Releasing the full unedited transcript is consistent with journalistic transparency and it stands behind the integrity of the entire Kamala Harris edit, not just the clips under scrutiny.

CBS has the ability to immediately settle these questions and address merits of FCC complaint alleging “news distortion.”

There is ample precedent @CBSNews for releasing full, unedited transcripts.

2019 interview Attorney General Bill Barr @JanCBS

2020 interview President Trump @C__Herridge

FEB 2024 @60Minutes released its full interview transcript with Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

NOTE: CBS did not respond to earlier requests for comment.

One may reasonably infer that the 60 Minutes statement deserves a round of raspberries.