[igoramus987]

Rather: "Until and unless someone shows me definitive proof that they are not (genuine), I don't see any reason to carry on a conversation with the professional rumor mill."

from link

"DOCUMENT AND HANDWRITING EXAMINER MARCEL MATLEY ANALYZED THE DOCUMENTS FOR CBS NEWS.

HE SAYS HE BELIEVES THEY ARE REAL...BUT IS CONCERNED ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT IS BEING EXAMINED BY SOME OF THE PEOPLE QUESTIONING THE DOCUMENTS....BECAUSE DETIORATION OCCURS EACH TIME A DOCUMENT IS REPRODUCED.....AND THE DOCUMENTS BEING ANALYZED OUTSIDE OF CBS HAVEBEEN PHOTOCOPIED, FAXED, SCANNED AND DOWNLOADED.... AND ARE FAR REMOVED FROM THE DOCUMENTS CBS STARTED WITH WHICH WERE ALSO PHOTOCOPIES."

Note that the documents that everyone is analysing are the pdf documents that CBS put on their website.

Their own document expert tells CBS that he has concerns about authenticating a document that has deteriorated, yet instead of first getting a copy of the original memos and authenticating them, CBS and Dan Rather unprofessionally and unethically decide to air the story based on copies of the memos that CBS say are [deteriorated] photocopies.

[mtntop3]

Even deteriorated originals and degraded copies retain essential typographical information. If there were the slightest ambivalence in the documents as to authenticity, CBS should have so acknowledged at the outset. Stating, post-presentation, that it is incumbent upon the public instead of CBS to verify the documents'authenticity is simply irresponsible and - asinine. Again, I hope that plaintiffs' attorneys explore the issue - where discovery will be well utilized.