Posted on 09/09/2004 1:22:10 PM PDT by TastyManatees
Are the CBS National Guard Documents Fake?
(UPDATED: "At Least" 90% Positive They're Fake)
INDC Exclusive. Must Credit INDC.
Based on Powerline's suspicions of forgery over the documents put forth regarding George W. Bush’s National Guard service, I decided to do some legwork and track down the opinions of forensic document examiners that may have an expertise in old typefaces.
After contacting several experts, a rather notable Forensic Document Examiner named Dr. Philip Bouffard took the time to examine a pdf of the documents and perform an initial visual analysis of their authenticity. Dr. Bouffard has a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Michigan, but got involved in forensic examination of typefaces after working in “graphics” with NCR until 1973 and taking a two-year Certification Program in Document Examination at Georgetown University. After completing the program, he became specifically interested in typewriter classification and went to work for a prosecutor’s crime lab in Lake County, Ohio.
Using something called the Haas Atlas, the definitive collection of various typefaces, Mr. Bouffard (and other forensic document examiners) examined the veracity of various documents for over 30 years. Beginning in 1988, Mr. Bouffard hired a programmer to write a computer database program that catalogues the nearly 4,000 typefaces that appear in the Haas Atlas. This computer program is now a forensic standard that is sold as a companion to the Haas Atlas by American Society of Questioned Document Examiners (ASQDE).
UPDATE: The name of the program that Dr. Bouffard developed is called "The Typewriter Typestyle Classification Program" (C:\TYPE).
What did Dr. Bouffard think of the documents?
First, the necessary caveats:
• The pdf document is of poor quality. It seems to have been copied and recopied several times, blurring letter characteristics.
• Also, certain types of analysis can only be done on the original documents, which don’t seem to be available, even to CBS.
So Dr. Bouffard is very clear that his analysis is not 100% positive. That being said …
“It’s just possible that this might be a Times Roman font, which means that it would have been created on a computer. It’s very possible that someone decided to create this document on a computer... I’ve run across this situation before … my gut is this could just well be a fabrication.”
The reasons why?
• Right off the bat, Dr. Bouffard noted what others in the blogosphere have been talking about – something called “proportional spacing,” which means that each letter does not take up the same amount of width on the page. On old typewriters that do not have proportional spacing, the letter “i” would be as wide as the letter “m.” Except for professional typesetting, proportional spacing was only available on a very few models (an IBM model, "Composer" and perhaps one or two other models) that were not widely available in 1972-73; the vast majority of typewriters did not have proportional spacing. Because of this, Dr. Bouffard’s computer program immediately eliminated “over 90%” of the possible fonts from typewriters that could create such a document, narrowing it down to perhaps 15 fonts used by a very few models.
• Next, Dr. Bouffard began entering individual characters in an attempt to match them to the remaining fonts that were available on proportional spacing typewriters of that era, focusing on numbers. Thus far, one character stood out, the number “4.” In the document provided by CBS News, the number 4 does not "have a foot" and has a “closed top,” which is indicative of Times New Roman, a font exclusive to more modern computer word processing programs. other characters matched the old proportional spacing fonts (available on only a small few typewriters of the era), but this number did not (please note that this is only an initial analysis with numerical characters).
Dr. Bouffard ran this number and could not find a match in his entire database of over 4,000 typewriter fonts that have been maintained and collected into his computer database since 1988. Otherwise, the font is very indicative of Times New Roman, the font that is only available on computer word processing programs.
The final word?
Once again, let’s not forget the qualifications: it's a bad copy of a copy and we have no original document for review, but, based on the initial analysis of the documents by an industry expert with over 30 years of experience in typesetting and forensic document examination, the documents “could just well be a fabrication.”
In light of this information, I think that it would be highly appropriate for CBS News and the Boston Globe to attempt to obtain a copy of the original document for more thorough vetting, and run a correction/addendum to the story.
I still have two other forensic document examiners that are examining the pdf file, and I will update if/when they get back to me. I also plan to ask Dr. Bouffard more detail about the nature of the "th" on the end of dates, though in our first conversation he indicated that some typewriters had the capability to do something in that format.
UPDATE: Dr. Bouffard called me again, and after further analysis, he says that he's pretty certain that it's a fake.
Here's why
* He looked through old papers he's written, and noted that he's come up against the inconsistency of the "4" several previous times with forgeries that attempt to duplicate old proportional spaced documents with a computer word processing program.
* Regarding the small "th" after the date, Dr. Bouffard told me that it was possible to order specialty keys that would duplicate the automatic miniaturization completed by word processors after a numerical date, but it was certainly not standard, and wouldn't make a lot of sense in a military setting. "That by itself, while suspicious, is not impossible, but in conjunction with the (font irregularity of the) number four, it is really significant," he said.
* Dr. Bouffard said that signature analysis isn't that relevant because the signature could have easily been copied and pasted onto one of the photocopied forgeries from another document.
* He said that he didn't know who CBS contacted to verify the document's authenticity, but that there is really only one other man that may be more qualified to determine authentic typefaces than himself. I think that the burden of proof may be on CBS to reveal this information.
I asked him to put a percentage on the chances that this was a fake, and he said that was "hard to put a number on it." I then suggested "90%?" Again he said it's "hard to put an exact number, but I'd say it's at least that high, sure. I pretty much agree that that font is Times New Roman."
I hesitate to render verdicts, but based on an initial visual analysis by one of the country's foremost forensic document analysts that specializes in old typefaces, it looks like CBS was duped.
I spent enough time manually preparing our school's newsmagazine, including service as an article typist relying upon an IBM Seletric that I can say I never saw a superscript 'th' on any of the various Selectric golf balls then available. My stint in this role is around the same time of these documents, and would apparently involve similar typewriting equipment.
"1/2", "1/4" are characters that even some other typewriters I used then, and some of those currently in my collection of same, include.
Why a superscript "th" but no "st" or "nd", for another example?
I further agree about the type itself; the Selectric is the only model of the time in my recollection that would allow for changeable fonts, and Times New Roman was not available until the advent of software word processing.
PBS' Lehrer is about to do a segment on this in a few minutes.....
I thought one site had a great line:
"It's getting to the point where if it were not for the obvious coordination with the Kerry campaign, the New York Times could probably file papers as a 527."
http://www.etalkinghead.com/archives/ny-times-prints-unverifiable-charges-against-bush-2004-09-09.html
PBS' Jim Lehrer bought the SeeBS line, hook and sinker. No mention of the authenticity of the documents. Nobody ever accused Jim Lehrer of asking tough questions. Let's set the hook tomorrow.
The "document" does not use a superscripted "1st Lieutenant". That doesn't mean anything either way, though... if it was a fake, the author might have overlooked 111th, if it was real (haha), the author may typed out "st" rather than hitting the st key.
Maybe a professional can chime in and let us know if it's easier to type st/th or hit some obscure custom key :)
Oops, I had too many windows open. I meant to say this here on this thread: (instead of here http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1211238/posts?page=3#2)
LOL, hey rocklobster11 ! I saw where you first posted it. Good job, showing how easily the fakes could be done!! I agree, with someone quite earlier, who said 'send this to CBS' - LOL. Please do it.
Great skills, you have, I might add.
I think most are still reading stuff about it right about now. Reading and not responding...quite yet.
But this issue should resonate. Ya done good showing how a person could make a fake look somewhat real. My hat's off to you.
You can change Word settings, probably on when to superscript things even.
212-975-3691
Number found on this thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1133594/posts
Ask just what "investigation" went into authenticating the memos and whether they will offer an on-air retraction.
Demand they apologize for this EXTREME lapse of journalistic practice and basic skills.
Also, contact the president of CBS News, Andrew Heyward:
Phone: (212) 975-4321
Fax: (212) 975-1893
no problem. perhaps it will get people to go to this thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1211238/posts?page=1
It's definitely worth a read.
"Geez, even the most incompetent forger would try to match actual documents from the period."
"Geez, even the most incompetent forger would try..." to find a similar typewriter from the period and then make the forgeries.
This whole episode is so insulting to anyone with a minimal level of commonsense.
FUUUUny!
Hey CBS:
Check out that last phrase of Numbers 32:23.
I'm heading out to watch the Patriots (I'm a New Englander)but I've forwarded the memo to ABC and NBC to see if they'll run it (ha, ha).
Take care!
Tell it to the President of CBS News, Andrew Heyward.
Andrew Heyward -- CBS News
Title: President
Department: Headquarters
Phone: (212) 975-4321
Fax: (212) 975-1893
Address: 524 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019
FAX him. Load his desk tomorrow morning. My FAX is already there.
I basically asked him if he was satisfied having his reputation dependent on Dan Rather and the folks at 60 Minutes.
The low-powered moron who typed this garbage used the default settings. Therefore, busted.
What are the chances that a heterosexual male would have these skills in the early 1970s, before computers made typists of us all, though?
1-- proportional spacing not generally available
2 -- superscripts not generally available
3 - small "th" single element not generally available
4 - Smart quotes. Curved apostrophes and quotation marks were not available
5-The blurriness of the copy indicates it was recopied dozens of times, tactic of forgers
6--Signature block. Typical authentic military signature block has name, then rank, then on the next line the person's position. This just has rank beneath the name.
7--Margins. These look like a computer's unjustified default, not the way a person typing would have done it.
8 -- Date usually with three letters, or in form as 110471.
9 - words run over consistent with word processor
10 - may be a Times Roman or similar font not generally available then (per Haas Atlas)
11 - signature looks faked
12 - no errors and whiteout
13 - no letterhead
14 - exact match for Microsoft Word Processor
15 - Paper size problem, Air Force and Guard did not use 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper until the 1980s.
16 - Overlap analysis is an exact match
17 - absence of hyphens to split words between lines, c/w 1970's typewriter.
18 - 5000 Longmont #8 in Houston Tx. does not exist
19 - Box 34567 is suspicious, at best. The current use of the po box 34567 is Ashland Chemical Company, A Division of Ashland Oil, Incorporated P. O. Box 34567 Houston
20 - it would have been nearly impossible to center a letterhead with proportional spacing without a computer.
21 - Bush's grade would "normally" be abbreviated "1Lt" not "1st Lt"
22 - Subject matter bizarre
23 - Air Force did not use street addresses for their offices, rather HQ AFLC/CC, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433.
24 - kerning was not available
25 - In the August 18, 1973 memo, Jerry Killian purportedly writes: "Staudt has obviously pressured Hodges more about Bush. I'm having trouble running interference and doing my job." but General Staudt, who thought very highly of Lt. Bush, retired in 1972.
26 - Language not generally used by military
27 - Not signed or initialed
28 - Not in any format that a military person would use, e.g. orders not given by Memo.
abc has already questioned if the CBS docs are legit.... I know... amazing isn't it:)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.