Posted on 09/09/2004 4:30:03 PM PDT by Mike Fieschko
DOCUMENTS CITED Wednesday by 60 Minutes in a widely-publicized expose of George W. Bush's National Guard Service are very likely forgeries, according to several experts on document authenticity and typography. The documents--four memos from Killian to himself or his files written in 1972 and 1973--appear to indicate that Bush refused or ignored orders to have a physical exam required to continue flying. CBS News anchor Dan Rather reported the segment and sourced the documents this way: "60 Minutes has obtained a number of documents we are told were taken from Col. Killian's personal file," he said. The 60 Minutes story served as the basis for follow-up news reports for dozens of news organizations across the country. The memos were almost immediately questioned in the blog world, with blog Power Line leading the charge.
And according to several forensic document experts contacted by THE WEEKLY STANDARD say the Killian memos appear to be forgeries. Although it is nearly impossible to establish with certainty the authenticity of documents without a careful examination of the originals, several irregularities in the Killian memos suggest that CBS may have been the victim of a hoax.
"These sure look like forgeries," says William Flynn, a forensic document expert widely considered the nation's top analyst of computer-generated documents. Flynn looked at copies of the documents posted on the CBS News website (here, here, here, and here). Flynn says, "I would say it looks very likely that these documents could not have existed" in the early 1970s, when they were allegedly written.
Several other experts agree. "They look mighty suspicious," says a veteran forensic document expert who asked not to be quoted by name. Richard Polt, a Xavier University philosophy professor who operates a website dedicated to typewriters, says that while he is not an expert on typesetting, the documents "look like typical word-processed documents."
CBS' 60 Minutes, aka, the Death Rattle of the Old Media.
Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, get down on your knees right now and thank God for TALK RADIO and the INTERNET.
Trust me; CBS was the perp here, not the vic.
CUT THE VICTIM OF A HOAX, CRAP, WEEKLY STANDARD AND YOU'D HAVE IT ABOUT RIGHT!
I don't just want to see Rather and Hewitt fired, Terry McAuliffe outed as the source of the forgeries, and John Fraud Kerry buried under an electoral landslide. I want the next Sunday 60 Minutes devoted to an hourlong apology in which Brother Dan, Brother Mike, Brother Ed, Sister Leslie and Brother Andy are forced to admit that President Bush is an honorable man and commander in chief whom they have done their utmost to knowingly and despicably smear. Then I want to see their show cancelled, and replaced by John Stossel's GIMME A BREAK!
"Several irregularities in the Killian memos suggest that CBS may have been the victim of a hoax."
The willing are not victims.
But wait! Reader Amar Sarwal points out that General Staudt, who thought very highly of Lt. Bush, retired in 1972.
This is from NRO's Kerry Corner.
Could this have been a Karl Rove trick to get Democrats and Dan Rather/CBS off Bush's back? Pre-emptive strike? Probably not, but some food for thought.
...and then I woke up and remembered that the old Media is controlled by socialist scum. Very nice thought, though.
Would you settle for an extra 30seconds of Andy Rooney? Because that's all you gonna git.
ROTFLMAO
AMEN!
READ THE POST RIGHT IN LINE BEFORE THIS ONE!! IT IS A BOMBSHELL...
IN THE CYA MEMO, KILLIAN SUPPOSEDLY **DOES** THE CYA BECAUSE A GENERAL WAS PROTECTING AND RUNNING INTERFERENCE FOR BUSH...
PROBLEM IS, THE GENERAL RETIRED IN 1972, THE MEMO ABOUT THE GENERAL RUNNING INTERFERENCE WAS FROM AUGUST OF 1973. ABOUT A YEAR AFTER THE GENERAL'S RETIREMENT!!!
NOW I KNOW THAT GENERALS ARE POWERFUL MEN, BUT THIS GENERAL HAS GOT TO HAVE SOME, **REALLLLLLYYYYY** BIG CAHONEYS!!!
Co-Conspirators....
Oh, I wanna see a public apology by "60 Minutes" and a very personal apology from Tan Blather. Oh, I wanna see that very much.
I admit it. It was my idea. I have since been sentenced to double secret probation.
Was it worth....you decide.
/fixed
Don't faint!
> Could this have been a Karl Rove trick ...
The use of the word "hoax" signals that the legacy
press can be expected to attempt to blame the RNC
for a dirty trick.
As I have {half} joked on other threads ...
And in other news, DNC commissar Terry McAwful said:
"These fake documents were White House plants.
They hoodwinked the DNC and CBS, taking
advantage of our lust for power and general
gross incompetence on technical stuff.
It's all just so unfair."
___________
But the forgery was SO obvious (in hindsight)
that it does not strike me as a deliberate
ruse on CBS. Anyone with 1/4 brain functioning
could have caught it.
The 'victims' or the perpetrators?
After this, Blather will be lucky if he can get a job on the Sponge Bob Square Pants show.
kerry must be having a bad day as he watches his "New and Improved" gang........... go down the toilet!!
SCRAPPLEFACE:
1972 Email Casts Doubt on Bush Guard Service
(2004-09-09) -- CBS reporter Dan Rather today released the text of a recently discovered email from then-Lt. George W. Bush's Air National Guard commanding officer which casts more doubt upon the military service of the man who would become the 43rd President of the United States.
The revelation of the email comes just hours after questions were raised about the authenticity of typewritten memos from the same officer, shown yesterday by Mr. Rather on 60 Minutes.
According to the previously unseen email message sent in May 1972 by squadron commander Jerry Killian, Lt. Bush phoned Col. Killian because "his internet connection was on the fritz and he couldn't IM me."
Lt. Bush apparently wanted to talk about "how he can get out of coming to drill from now through November."
According to Col. Killian's email, the young Bush wanted to go to Alabama to work as webmaster for a Republican candidate's website.
Mr. Rather said the authenticity of the 32-year-old email has been confirmed by several Nigerian officials who specialize in electronic funds transfer by email.
Dear Editors:
This morning you posted a story about some memos which cast the President's service in the National Guard in a very negative light.
http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2004/09/09/nation/10054841.txt
It now appears that these memos are hoaxes. While I understand you were simply using a wire service story, nonetheless you have some responsibility to your readers for what you print. BTW, the AP story was inaccurate also in saying the memos were released by the White House. AP's own copies of the documents on their website show they were faxed by CBS News, who appear to have bought into a very amateurish hoax, hook, line, and sinker.
Please correct this in tomorrow's issue. An apology to the President you libeled would also be a nice touch. I've long ago given up on CBS, but it would be nice to think my hometown paper has some integrity.
The best current source on the hoax, BTW, is this:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/004/596astgo.asp
but numerous other experts have expressed the opinion that the memos are hoaxes.
From DU:
skypilot (1000+ posts) Thu Sep-09-04 10:46 AM
Response to Original message
4. If they were forgeries...
...someone other than a dumbass freeper would have figured that out by now. Jesus, we are in the 21st century we don't need some goofy ass freeper to figure out if something is real or not. There are professionals out there that are very good at these things.
Yeah, I know, but it felt good to let it out.
They don't have the character to do as you'd like, though I'd be thrilled if they did.
AP has been busted for the "Boo" line. CBS is being busted for forged documents. Today is about to carry Kitty's sewage. Why does Al-Jazeera bother operating in this country? They can't compete against our Old Media!!
Traitors.
It is one thing to have the freedom to question our government and its leaders, quite another to attempt to destroy them.
Our President is a honorable God fearing man that performs his job to the best of his capabilities. He loves this country, he honorably served this country, and he has suffered immensely for seeking to protect her. If they were capable of any shame, they wouldn't be able to drag themselves from their bed let alone appear on camera after what they have done.
Hey, if 60 Minutes did that, I might even watch.
Me too. But I'd probably have to get up too early to catch the "60 MINUTES Special 4 A.M. Sunday Edition"
Well, there's the problem. What's the average age of the people over at 60 Minutes?...about 75? I'd say it is due to advanced senility.
Can't trust any documents anymore. War forgeries, military record forgeries, etc.. There is something wrong when "facts" are reported without authenticity.
CBS must do more than acknowledge the fraud-- they must disclose their source, otherwise they are complicit in the fraud. And when the source becomes known, the entire election could unravel, unless the Dems have covered their tracks very, very well...
I smell ol'crusty...
HOAX? Funny word to use. Isn't that what DNC operatives called "Unfit for Command" ?
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.
CBS is still pushing the story. They rehashed the story on this evening's news, AFTER it was obvious the documents were forged.
This is more than a hoax, this is CBS' Watergate.
Yep it's still a feature story on their website... how long before someone on CBS staff has the sense to type in their browser "drudgereport.com"
What are you smoken"
If they had that much sense, the rat would have already jumped off the sinking ship that is CBiaS News.
"Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, get down on your knees right now and thank God for TALK RADIO and the INTERNET."
Today I stood awestruck by the power of the New Media. I have never seen it in motion before. It is truly the power of the people. No longer does the Old Media have control over what we hear like they used to, like Pravda/Izvestia used to do. Secrets are outed and spread over the world immediately through the internet. The power of word-of-mouth through the New Media is undeniable.
Yesterday, what started out in the blogosphere, spread out to the New Media and forced Old Media to deal with the potential TANG forged documents. What I saw from this morning was:
FreePress postings -> Littlegreenfootballs -> Powerline -> Hannity & Colmes -> Rush Limbaugh -> Drudge -> Fox News -> ABC News -> Washington Times/UPI -> Weekly Standard --> all pressuring CBS News to respond!!!
It was incredible to watch. Obviously the power of the New Media is growing and that of the Old Media is waning. I just never realized how much the balance of power had shifted between them. New Media rules!
Is a $25 bill with a portrait of President Dewey a forgery?
They were the victims of a self-inflicted hoax.
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