The Reason Behind the Forged Memos

the Manchurian Candidate ^ | 09/15/2004 | Me

[rocklobster11]

Now that we know the memos were forged, the question is who created them and why? It has been reported that these memos came

to CBS from the DNC and may have originated by a disgruntled former Army National Guard member who has an axe to grind with

President Bush. I'm sure the who will be discovered by other news sources soon. I want to focus on the why.

When I originally saw these memos, I couldn't figure out what the purpose of them was. There didn't seem to be any new facts in

them, as everyone agrees that Bush missed his annual flight examination which was scheduled for July 1972, and had his flight

status suspended on August 1. These memos just appeared to provide backup.

However, upon further analysis, it appears that these memos were meant to lay the ground work for further charges that Bush used

cocaine while in the National Guard and had to be quickly shuffled out of Texas to Alabama to cover it up. These are rumors that

have circled amongst the Bush haters, but there has been no proof, and the timeline didn't really support the conspiracy

theories. Lets look at how these memos were an attempt to forward this rumor:

What is behind each of the memos:

Fake Memo	What is says	Why was it created
May 4,1972	Orders Bush to get his annual physical within 10 days	To change the timeline for Bush getting his annual physical, which wasn't actually due until the end of July. Create the impression that Bush left in a hurried panic for Alabama to avoid drug testing
May 19, 1972	Phone call from Bush asking about getting transfered to Alabama because he wants to run a campaign. Followed by discussion of getting the physical later if he decided to keep flying	Show that Bush left town on May 15, called his commander after the fact to see if he could transfer to Alabama. Also, create a confirmation that Killian was aware and ok with the fact that Bush missed the physical. If the order from May 4 was disobeyed, you would expect some sort of official reprimand or follow-up. Since there is nothing in the record, the May 19 memo provides an answer.
August 1,1972	Bush suspended from flight status due to failure to perform to USAF/TexANG standards and failute to meet annual physical examination as ordered. Plus order of the creation of a flight review board IAW AFM35-13.	Make it look like there was something more to the suspension of flight status than just missing the physical. Create the impression that a flight review board was ordered, so that they can then ask why Bush has not released this document (ie, there must be a cover-up). It must show that Bush was suspended for using drugs
August 18, 1972	CYA Memo about being pressured to sugar-coat the Bush review. Mentions something about backdating information	Perhaps to show that there was some pressure from higher up for a coverup. However, I wonder what record would need to be "backdated" in order to fit in with the subsequent conspiracy theory that they plan to release. Perhaps we will find out, or perhaps they will abandon the next phase of the plan now that the forgeries have been uncovered

Why did 60 Minutes run this story last week? I believe it was meant to be a lead in to the Kitty Kelly book, which also makes

these unfounded claims of Bush drug use. 60 Minutes expected there to be a 4-5 day news cycle discussing how Bush had not

completed his guard duty or had been given preferential treatment. After the Kitty Kelly book came out, they could look at them

again in a new light to help spread the rumors of Bush's drug use.

[dinasour]

Great Minds Think Alike

Thanks, considering your pedigree here, that's a great compliment.

We are making history this day, I can feel it.

[Common Tator]

What confessions and firings will come from CBS?

Are there any rulings on keeping sources secret when the source is not leaking news.. but leaking lies?

If I were still in the media I would be scared to death that this could end up really watering down the media's right to keep sources secret.

It is one thing to keep secret the indentity of someone blowing the whistle on goverment wrong doing. It is another to keep secret the identity of some one trying to committ fraud on the voters.

There has to be a heck of fight going on at CBS. They had best be able to prove the validity of whatever position they take. They could lose the licenses to all their stations if they are not careful.

My understanding it the licensee who is liable. they did not fine Janet Jackson.. they fined the licensee. Rather is home free no matter what he did.. at least with the FCC. But CBS O&O stations could end up inline for license revocation.

From 12 noon to 3pm to 5 Pm.. there has to be some real fears and recognition of the danger being considered at CBS.

[rocklobster11]

Given these gaffes based on lack of knowledge of how things worked, I am not prone to place this on Burkett (sp), the disgruntled Guardsman w/a history of mental/emotional instability. Seems to me, he would know those details cold. He's there as a conduit in making the link, IMO

I'm not sure Burkett is the source either, although the 86 year old secretary sure wants you to believe he's the source. Her interview in the Dallas Morning News mentions how the memos were using Army terminology (eg, billets), which wouldn't have been used by the Air Force. It just turns out that Burkett is Army National Guard. Is it a coincidence that she points the finger to Burkett, or is that what the DNC told her to do when they went over the talking points with her( "unfit for command", "selected, not elected")?

My theory is that someone used the Burkett story about memos in the trash to create the memos and then gave them to Burkett to pass on to the DNC. Knowing that Burkett had suffered 2 nervous breakdowns, the forger knew he would fall for the memos and knew that the DNC would use them if they came from Burkett.

[okie01]

Proof that stupid people can be diabolical.

Or that someone smart came up with the concept, and someone stupid was responsible for the implementation

The difference in competence level between the forgeries themselves and the Grand Strategy they were a part of is mind-boggling.

One wonder which came first: the forgeries or the strategy?

Did the forgeries appear from an independent source, then give birth to the Grand Strategy at the DNC?

Or did the Grand Strategy come first, then the dirty work farmed out to some seventeen-year old?

In either event, the leadership level of the Democrat party and the Kerry campaign are clearly implicated at the strategic level. Thereby explaining Gunga Dan's reluctance to 'fess up or identify a source...

CBS, the 'Rats (and Kerry) are well and truly f****d.

[rocklobster11]

I think the memo was either created by someone too young to understand what a typewriter is or someone too old to understand the power of the internet. They didn't expect to be challenged by the media, and they wouldn't have been if it were for those meddelsome pajama kids.

[reformedliberal]

I doubt they ever thought of having to back up that, or anything else.

This was conceived by people who do not understand the instant availability of information via google &/or the myriad connections we all have in cyberspace to experts of varying kinds thru lists or even just by googling someone's website and then contacting them. These are elitists who do not have lots of email lists they have participated on for years, building up a network of back channel correspondents.

They may have passed off the actual fabrication of the forgeries to some young staffer whom they were used to using for net/tech assignments. That person never stopped to think about the blogs/FR/google or maybe just trusted that the big shots had all the bases covered. From my time on the left, warm bodies rarely even met big shots and in every cadre of warm bodies there were some who were ambitious and were intent on replacing the big shots, if only because there is a lot of money to be made as one. Perhaps the forger was also used to operating only on the left side of the Web, like DU, where you can get away with saying anything if it is ideologically correct.

On the left, since the 70s, one bit of conventional wisdom is that if 5% of the population believes something, it is then true. They figured that with the repetition within the echo chamber of the media, print and electronic (perhaps even w/entertainment media, not just news), coupled with the dependable flak catchers who would go forth on the TV shows and repeat the allegations as though they were fact, they could make it *fact* in the minds of the people they are so contemptuous of...............us. Especially knowing that there are many TV anchors/hosts who would never challenge them. This is aimed at the Evangelicals and principled conservatives and the goal was to peel off a portion of the base. It has worked before. Donks are nothing if not predictable. Why else would they recycle the same old loser advisers into this campaign? They have enough contempt for us that they see no reason to come up with any new, creative or plausible tactics, let alone offer proof of credibility.

[rocklobster11]

The word is that protecting the truth of these forged memos is so important that CBS has stalled all day on an announced press conference so they can fly the little old lady (Knox, Killian's Secretary) to New York to vouch for Dan.

[reformedliberal]

I keep thinking this was set up by Lehane or Mulholland. Lots of cut outs being used. Absolutely no compunction about who took the fall, as long as it wasn't them. Manipulation on a grand scale. And all of it so outrageous, that, if it worked, the perp/idea man would be the strategist of the millennium for the Donks.

Lehane's DUI strategy almost worked. Mulholland went to the wall for Davis/Bustamente in the California recall. They both are in need of redemption if they are to keep their positions in the DNC Mafia/RICO. They both specialize in sewage and aim to kill.

Isn't Lehane an attorney? Is Mulholland? Couldn't they lose their license to practice?

[okie01]

I think the memo was either created by someone too young to understand what a typewriter is or someone too old to understand the power of the internet.

Given that the memo was created on MS Word, my guess is that it's not the latter. If you can use a computer, you probably have some grasp of the internet.

In my view, the creator was, as you say, too young to be familiar with typewriters. But the contractor, i.e., the person he/she handed it to, was the one who was too old to understand the power of the internet.

Based on USA Today's description of their source ("familiar with the workings of the Texas NG, worried about retaliation", etc.), Bill Burkett is the logical candidate. And Marianne Carr Knox fingered him, as well.

I've no doubt that Burkett is involved and, perhaps, was even part of the chain-of-custody. But I don't see Burkett either a.) creating the documents or b.) handing them over to Dan Rather...and thus serving as his "unimpeachable source".

At this point, I would suggest that the chain-of-custody would look something like:

creator-unknown hands (inc. Bill Burkett)-DNC-Kerry campaign-unknown hands-unimpeachable source-Mary Mapes-Gunga Dan.

That look right to you?

[okie01]

Just noted that this thread is buried in Bloggers & Personal. Yet, the article's premise and its contents would seem to warrant broader exposure.

Perhaps a listing in the News/Activism sidebar...???

[rocklobster11]

creator-unknown hands (inc. Bill Burkett)-DNC-Kerry campaign-unknown hands-unimpeachable source-Mary Mapes-Gunga Dan.

I agree 100%

[rocklobster11]

I don't know how to get it added back to the sidebar. It was there originally, but I think they just scroll off or someone reclassified it.

[MizSterious]

Here is what I have found so far:

http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/d10101wch1_120994/d10101p.pdf

It's a pdf file dated December 9 1994, "Subject: Military Drug Abuse Testing Program." It lists references, the earliest of which is August 25 1980. A memorandum titled "Urinalysis Testing for Cocaine" is dated July 29, 1986.

I'm still researching it, but I think my husband and others who say testing didn't start until the 80's are all correct. The technology might have been there, but it doesn't seem to have been put into use until (as near as I can tell) August 25, 1980.

[dinasour]

Or did the Grand Strategy come first, then the dirty work farmed out to some seventeen-year old?

Not a seventeen-year old, just some liberul who has never actually done anything in its life.

All hat, no cattle.

[MizSterious]

And all for nothing, if their purpose was to "prove" that Bush skipped the physical to avoid a urine test. If he was skipping the physical for any reason, it wasn't for that one. The earliest mention of drug testing came in DoD Directive 1010.4, August 25, 1980.

[Howlin]

On Fox, Brit Hume just said he had heard from Vietnam ear pilot who said he'd never heard of anybody being ORDERED to take a physical; that pilots just knew they had it done on or near their birthday.

[Common Tator]

The big factor is the Supreme court ruling in the FCC VS Red Lion Broadcasting case circa 1970.

The Surpreme court ruled in that case the failure of a station to air both sides of a controversial story is grounds of revocation of the station license. Red Lion broadcasting lost their station.

CBS only aired one side of this issu. It could lose its stations... Either to revocation or or an FCC forced sale. This could cost CBS in the Hundreds of millions.

This is huge gamble made by an arrogant corporation that is in effect telling the Judge you can't fine us. WE are CBS.

[FreedomSurge]

excellent

[JustAnotherSavage]

I think you're right on....tell the lie, tell it often. Amazing isn't it. Bill Clinton's best buddy is Dan Lassiter (sp?) the biggest cocaine dealer in the south, Roger is conviced for use, several eyewittnesses to drug use, refusal to release his medical records....and...NOTHING out of the media. Hypocrites!

[dinasour]

Thanks.

I've been waiting for your input. You have expertise on this issue that I value.

I've already written the News Directors of my local affiliates.

Perhaps it is time to write another letter.

The last thing that I want to do is boost their ratings.