60 Minutes to Infamy- those forged memos and The Shot Heard Round the World

various FR links | 09-10-04 | The Heavy Equipment Guy

[backhoe]

Here is a pretty good current summary of the situation:

The Shot Heard Round the World   The echoes of the big Internet bang which annihilated a 60 Minutes story in under 12 hours are still resounding. The key riffs apparently started at Powerline and as Samizdata notes, the distributed intelligence of the Internet took over. Under the scrutiny of thousands of analysts, the CBS story began to melt down.

 

The start of it all:

 Documents Suggest Special Treatment for Bush in Guard

 

-more-

The Thread that broke the Camels Back:Post 47, and the Freepers who busted C.B.S.

 Let us not forget the contribution of TankerKC

 "Free Republic: Tomorrow's News Today."

 

 Forged Documents (electronic overlay of CBS PDF file and Word document) [perfect match]  CBS and the rest of the MSM - the Old media - with their JFKs - Journalists for Kerry - have been working overtime to bury Bush since he won the election. Do they stop at anything or is any lie too big for them?

 

 Authenticity of Bush memos questioned Typographical, formatting questions emerge

 

 CBS News denies Bush docs forged (CBS in credibility meltdown)

 

 CNN Still Ignoring Falsity Of Docs  Old Media-Old School. Five years ago they would have gotten away with it.
Thank you, Rush Limbaugh, the godfather of the New Media.

 

 New Documents May Shed Light on Bush Military Rec (AP ran this story even after forgery revealed)

 

 Bush Piloted Guard Trainers Before He Quit (AP buries new info on hoax)

 

 Guard Memos Fuel Another Vietnam-Era Battle; ... some question the documents' authenticity

 

Microsoft announces release of Word '73

 

 Guard memos on Bush fake, says squadron leader's son (new information about the signature)

 

 Woman at CBS Just Yelled at me and hung up! (212) 975 3691

 

 60 Minutes docs on Bush may be fake (UPI)

 

Guard records stir Democrats

- saying 'character counts' in a president --

 

Question: Who from the Kerry campaign is responsible?

 

 Democrats.com asks volunteers to replicate forged memos on their typewriters

 

CBS'S BIG BLUNDER? (Credits Free Republic)

 The Minneapolis lawyers who run powerlineblog.com were on the case early. Two of the blog's readers directed their attention to a note left on an Internet bulletin board on the freerepublic.com Web site — the 47th posting on the topic there.

 Post #47

 

 Pro-Kerry Media Expose Their Partisanship

 

 Seattle P-I running dubunked Bush docs in big headline (Day after questions arose)  "Dewey Beats Truman," only worse!

 

 Steve Malzberg on WABC with the forgery story

 

 John Ziegler on KFI (Los Angeles) discussing Forgery Documents  John Ziegler on KFI out here is all over this. His first segment was a brilliant lead in, playing all the groups and individuals attacking President Bush on the memos. He is making the case for a complete coordinated attack by the media and the DNC and the Kerry campaign.
http://www.kfi640.com/interactive/streaming.html

 

 But Why? (list of candidates who forged the CBS document)  This was going to be a late October surprise. They were going to release these forged documents on the weekend before the election, In this manner the Republicans wouldn't have time to respond. However, Kerry's numbers were so low, they panicked and release earlier

 

 Democrats Step Up Attack on Bush Guard Record  A link has been established between sKerry and the forgeries. Check out related stories on Drudge. 

 [Killian] WIDOW TO APPEAR ON 'NIGHTLINE'... Live Thread 

 CBSNEWS LAUNCHES INTERNAL INVESTIGATION AFTER SUSPICIOUS BUSH DOCS AIRED (drudge Siren)

 There's also some information on the American Spectator  

 Anatomy of a Forgery

 site that makes a connection. Kerry is a stupid desperate man right now.

 

 WHO faked the "60 Minutes" documents?

 

 Late Atlanta news ignores controvery over documents... Reports about Bush AWOL only...  Like the booing story, they will do everything they can not to retract. Folks, its painfully true - the media is not about reporting the news, but about advancing a liberal and Democrat agenda. It's becoming more and more clear.

 

 McAuliffe Statement on Breaking News About Bush's Military Record  It's too perfect to have this press release right after the story.

 

 The Media Prepare Kerry's Excuse

 

 O.K. Fill ME IN. JUST HOW WAS DAN RATHER CAUGHT WITH PANTS DOWN?

 Ra^thergate

 

 DNC ACTION ALERT: Demand the truth from Bush on National Guard service  Thanks. Once the document story settles, and (if) they are proven to be fakes, I plan to e-mail this to a lot of folks to show just how slimy the DNC can get.

 Gosh, the DNC is gonna have to stay up all night to keep up with the New Media in the future, aren't they?

 

 Burden now on CBS to authenticate its documents, lest it become a co-conspirator in fraud

 

 Valley Widow Casts Doubts on Bush Memos

 

 Killian's Wife Disputes Document Authenticity

 

 Signature on CBS documents don't match original

 

And finally, the MSM ( MainStreamMedia, AKA the Jackal Pack Press ) catches up with the New Media of the Internet & Talk Radio:

 WASH POST - "SOME QUESTION AUTHENTICITY OF PAPERS"  This is just too wonderful if this blows up in CBS face. And may I add the face of the national media as a whole who all ran with this story completely!

 False Documentation? Questions Arise About Authenticity of Newly Found Memos on Bush's Guard Service  As the honorable judge and great American Sanders Sauls of Floriduh once said during the Gore War... "It's like being nibbled to death by ducks."

 

 Killian Signed a Doc with a Different Typeface and Other Diffs One Year Later (FR EXCLUSIVE)

 

 CBS Bush's National Guard Service Documents --Hoax??

 Kudos to our friends on FREE REPUBLIC who I understand started this ball rolling. My understanding of the timeline:

Free Republic members post about the documents being BS.

Story picked up by INDC Journal http://www.indcjournal.com/archives/000838.php

The Blogosphere picks it up at:
Powerline http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/007760.php
Little Green Footballs http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/

Drudge does what Drudge does http://www.drudgereport.com/

The blogs continue to run with it and the evidence continues to mount.

The Weekly Standard picks up the story (see above posts)

CBS stands behind their story.

CBS capitulates. Then....

Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9967-2004Sep9.html

MSNBC
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5955784/

ABCNews
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Politics/Vote2004/bush_documents_040909-1.html


The Main Stream media ("MSM") is TOAST. This story show the power of the web, the power of the blog and the demise of the MSM.

The shift is shown by our Free Republic brothers, and our own Grig (with the subliminal story break).

A huge hit to the credibility of the leftist MSM has just been struck...lets stand back and bask in the glow.

Pat yourselves on the back...you deserve it.

 

Fox News to break forged document story ON NOW!  The only down side on this that I can see is that we haven't gotten to spend any time discussing Teressa calling us all "common people"...

 

 BushGuardaugust1 memo - a FAKE

 

 MICHAEL MEDVED Covering 60 Minutes Document Forgery Scandal

 

 Son of Late Officer Questions Memos Attributed to His Dad  Just to realize that in less than 24 hours, TankKC's suspicon and Freepers' fabulous investigative skills and know-how hatched the biggest story to hit the air waves since Zell's give-em-hell speech. Hell has just frozen over for CBS and Kerry/Edward...

-more-

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1211441/posts

 

 Hello SEAN HANNITY ( Hannity credits FR with breaking "Selectragate" document scandal )

 

 ABC is now raising doubts to the authenticity of the "new" memos!

 

 CBS' “new” Bush guard memos a hoax (Update w/ conclusive proof of forgeries!)

 

 HUGH HEWITT REQUESTS A THREAD

 

 "What's The Typeface, Kenneth?"

 

 "Crude and amazingly foolish forgeries"  -see my COLOCALIZATION of one of the "original" ANG documents with a Microsoft Word version written in Times New Roman.

 

 General Staudt was retired!

 Here's the article that the blog links to.

 

 CBS News denies Bush docs forged (then calls back to back off of earlier "expert" claim)

 

 Newsrooms under siege

 

Final nail in coffin:

 ANG Docs are Fake

 

Was Rather Duped by Anti-Bush Hoax?

 

 Bush Guard Documents: Forged  Well in truth CBS said the "believed" them to be authentic. They have given themselves a legal out. They didn't or can't "CERTIFY" them as authentic.

 I've been working in the field for over 20 years and currently serve with a text processing company so I am intimately familiar with these technologies. The document is an OBVIOUS forgery. Note last night I cautioned it's probably not even worth the exercise because it's not part of the current agenda. However, now that this forgery has been proven so effectively, Dan Rather must be held accountable.

 

 Text of memos about Bush suspension (AP claiming white house released forged docs!)

 They are spinnig as fast as they can. In the wake of the revelation these documents are fake they think they can spin it into a negative for the White House.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1211250/posts?page=32#32

 

 "Are the CBS National Guard Documents Fake?" (Font expert says gut tells him its a fabrication!)

 If theses DOCs are proven to be a hoax......The election is OVER and Dan Rather's career ends on the low note he'll be remembered for and rightly so.

 

THe THmoking Gun on Forged Killian Memos: UPDATE to Powerline Blog's "61st Minute" EvidenTH

 

 The Sixty-First Minute (Are latest GW Guard documents a forgery?)

 

 Bush "Memos" Look Forged  There are a couple of threads like this going, Howlin is trying to get all the info consolidated in one place. Could you repost your info here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1210702/posts?q=1&&page=301

 

 New Questions On Bush Guard Duty [CBS USES FORGERIES TO SMEAR THE PRESIDENT!!!!!]

Better read this;

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1210987/posts?page=159#159

 In summary, the variable type reveals the Killian memos to be crude forgeries, the tiny "th" confirms it in the 8/18/73 memo, and I offer my other points as icing on the cake.

 

THE "New" CBS BUSH DOCUMENTS: Let's do some investigating

Memos Show Bush Suspended From Flying

Read these:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1210783/posts?page=47#47

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1210783/posts?page=58#58

 Democrats Say Bush Lied on Guard Service

[Cicero]

Thanks for your always great work. I've saved this archive to my computer, and I don't do that very often.

We owe a tremendous vote of thanks to Howlin for raising the issue and to TankerKC for coming up with the first break in the case.

Not to mention a couple of dozen other Freepers who contributed significant points to the discussion. At this point I'm not sure that a forensic investigation could turn up much that Freepers haven't already posted.

Great job, all.

[Rightly Biased]

I am so glad algore invented the internet

actually I just wanted to be able to find this later on today.

[RightField]

Thank you for putting all this in one place.

[Thommas]

Ra^thergate!

Hahahaha..works for me.

[Diamond]

...we are cruising down the information superhighway with the afterburners lit and the supercharger spooled up, and they are still cracking the whip over Ole Dobbin's backside, trying to get the family buckboard up to speed...

All the while complaining about the outsourcing of buckboard jobs overseas.

Cordially,

[weegee]

To hear the leftist kooks at DU spin it, the documents are genuine unless Karl Rove had them faked.

Registered, you'd better be on the watch for people blaming this on you. < /sarcasm >

[hosepipe]

[ The Shot Heard Round the World ]

More likely a fart and everybody left the room... except the republicans going Ewwwwwe..

[P-Marlowe]

Thanks Howlin. The great thing is that there were still 17 seconds left on that 60 minutes watch before the damn thing blew up.

Are there any freepers out there who could create a gif of the 60 minutes watch ticking away until 8:59:43 and then have it blow up?

CBS news dies on September 8, 2004 at 8:59:43 PDT.

Thanks to all you skeptical freepers. FREEPERS RULE THE WORLD!

[WashingtonSource]

Got it!

Ra^ththergate!</font size=6>

[WashingtonSource]

I guess I didn't get it. Ha!

Here I go. TAKE TWO.

Ra^thergate!

[Howlin]

Here is the "corrected" official timeline, at least according to me.......LOL.

There is so much information OUT THERE, I decided to put up the OFFICIAL version, rather than let bloggers misconstrue what actually happened.

This is the OFFICIAL timeline:

I put this thread up for the 60 Minutes show.

Live Thread: Ben Barnes and CBS Attempt Another Bush Smear (60 Minutes) at 7:39:18 PM EDT.

At 8:19:00 PM EDT TankerKC posted this:

To: Howlin

WE NEED TO SEE THOSE MEMOS AGAIN!

They are not in the style that we used when I came in to the USAF. They looked like the style and format we started using about 12 years ago (1992). Our signature blocks were left justified, now they are rigth of center...like the ones they just showed.

Can we get a copy of those memos?

107 posted on 09/08/2004 8:19:00 PM EDT by TankerKC (R.I.P. Spc Trevor A. Win'E American Hero)

[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

To: Howlin

Every damned "witness" is now dead. I want to see an analysis of those new papers. They are all type written so it should be possible to see if it was written on a Government Issue typewriter of that era. This stinks like week old fish.

131 posted on 09/08/2004 8:24:06 PM EDT by Texasforever (Kerry's new slogan "IT'S NOT THE STUPID CANDIDATE SO STOP SAYING THAT")

[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 100 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

To: cyncooper; TomGuy; hole_n_one

Can some of you guys in the later time zones WATCH this interview and get a GOOD LOOK at those docuemtns.....how they were typed, where the signature was.....that kind of thing?

A screen grab would be great!

Who else does screen captures?

197 posted on 09/08/2004 8:44:13 PM EDT by Howlin (I'm mad as Zell)

[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 139 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

That thread continued along for a bit with people commenting on the documents and the show.

Then CBS put the documents up on their web site:

To: TC Rider; Mo1; All; cyncooper

HERE THEY ARE:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/08/60II/main641984.shtml

Scroll down on the left!!!!!!

363 posted on 09/08/2004 10:38:38 PM EDT by Howlin (I'm mad as Zell)

[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 362 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

Then Pikamax put up this thread:

Documents Suggest Special Treatment for Bush in Guard

To which Buckhead posted the shot heard round the world:

To: Howlin

Howlin, every single one of these memos to file is in a proportionally spaced font, probably Palatino or Times New Roman.

In 1972 people used typewriters for this sort of thing, and typewriters used monospaced fonts.

The use of proportionally spaced fonts did not come into common use for office memos until the introduction of laser printers, word processing software, and personal computers. They were not widespread until the mid to late 90's. Before then, you needed typesetting equipment, and that wasn't used for personal memos to file. Even the Wang systems that were dominant in the mid 80's used monospaced fonts.

I am saying these documents are forgeries, run through a copier for 15 generations to make them look old.

This should be pursued aggressively.

47 posted on 09/08/2004 11:59:43 PM EDT by Buckhead

[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

After all the questions that arose from everybody on the forum, I put this thread up:

THE "New" CBS BUSH DOCUMENTS: Let's do some investigating

As Buckhead said on another thread, many, many Freepers were involved.

This is the OFFICIAL timeline:

[TankerKC]

WE NEED TO SEE THOSE MEMOS AGAIN!

[Texasforever]

Every damned "witness" is now dead. I want to see an analysis of those new papers. They are all type written so it should be possible to see if it was written on a Government Issue typewriter of that era. This stinks like week old fish.

[nutmeg]

See post 92 for Howlin's official timeline of events.

[nutmeg]

See post 92 for Howlin's official timeline of events.

[nutmeg]

See post 92 for Howlin's official timeline of events.

[jimbo123]

Rush also mentioned the relationship between Dan Rather's daughter Robin and Ben Barnes (interviewed by Rather on 60 Minutes) and their Demoncrat fundraising activities in Austin, Texas.


Robin Rather


Ben Barnes

Was Robin Rather and/or Ben Barnes the source of the forged documents?

[nutmeg]

See post 92 for Howlin's official timeline of events.

[N. Theknow]

[CyberCowboy777]

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[Chieftain]