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Texan Involved in CBS Report Tried to Help Kerry Campaign
New York Times ^ | 9/16/04 | DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and JIM RUTENBERG

Posted on 09/17/2004 8:58:58 PM PDT by The Bandit

Edited on 09/17/2004 9:05:20 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]

BAIRD, Tex., Sept. 17 - Bill Burkett, the former Texas National Guard officer who has been caught up in the mystery of how CBS News acquired memos that seem to question President Bush's Vietnam-era National Guard service, unsuccessfully offered information and advice to help the Kerry campaign attack Mr. Bush, according to a posting Mr. Burkett wrote in an e-mail newsletter.

"I spent some time on the phone with the Kerry campaign seniors yesterday," Mr. Burkett wrote on Aug. 21 in an e-mail letter circulated to a list of about 600 Texas Democrats.

He complained that he had to "get through seven layers of bureaucratic kids trying to get a job after the election."

"I talked with Max Cleland," Mr. Burkett continued, referring to the former senator from Georgia who has been supporting Senator John Kerry's Democratic presidential bid.

Alluding to advertisements by a veterans group that deprecates Mr. Kerry's Vietnam service, Mr. Burkett continued, "I asked if they wanted to counterattack or ride this to ground and outlast it, not spending any money. He said counterattack."

"So I gave them the information to do it with," Mr. Burkett wrote. "But none of them have called me back."

Mr. Burkett did not say what information he offered. Earlier this year, he gained attention for saying that in 1998 he saw aides to Gov. George W. Bush of Texas and Guard officials dispose of pieces of Mr. Bush's National Guard record that could prove politically embarrassing. Mr. Bush's aides have denied his account.

"I volunteered to come back out with more," Mr. Burkett wrote.

Mr. Burkett, who was at home on his ranch in Baird, near Abilene, on Friday, declined to comment.

Mr. Cleland said in a telephone interview that Mr. Burkett called him "a couple of weeks ago," as he was out campaigning for Mr. Kerry.

"I couldn't swear to it whether he used the term documents or information," Mr. Cleland said. "It was some kind of stuff, some kind of information he wanted to get to the campaign, or something, regarding Bush's National Guard service. I referred him up to somebody in the campaign."

Mr. Cleland said he received up to 100 calls a week from people with tips and ideas. "He sounded like he had something," Mr. Cleland said. "But of course, in this business, you go around, every friend, everyone around the corner, has some something or other."

Campaign officials said Mr. Cleland had referred Mr. Burkett to someone at the campaign who passed his message on to the research department, where the message was set aside amid the deluge of other calls.

Mr. Burkett has returned to national attention since CBS News and "60 Minutes" reported last week on four memos reportedly from the personal files of Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, Mr. Bush's squadron commander, who died 20 years ago. The memos said that Colonel Killian was under pressure to "sugar coat" the record of the young Lieutenant Bush and that the officer had disobeyed a direct order to take a physical.

Forensic experts, a secretary who said she typed Lieutenant Killian's memos and members of his family have said that they doubt the authenticity of the documents. CBS News has said it is evaluating their legitimacy and has declined to identify its sources. But one person at CBS confirmed an account in Newsweek that Mr. Burkett had helped with the reports. The official was unable to say what role he played.

Mr. Burkett is an avid Democrat and a frequent contributor to the Texas Democratic e-mail list. His name also shows up occasionally as a contributor of criticism of the Bush administration on a Web site, onlinejournal.com. Asked about his contributions to that site, Mr. Burkett on Friday declined to comment. His wife, Nicki, later confirmed that the articles were indeed his.

His many online musings provide a glimpse of his thinking, including his intense desire to remove Mr. Bush from office. They include some inconclusive references to the possibility of more documents appearing about Mr. Bush's Guard service. Aside from the CBS report, the Pentagon on Friday released new documents from Mr. Bush's files.

Addressing Mr. Bush rhetorically in an article on the Web site on Aug. 25, Mr. Burkett wrote, "I know from your files that we have now reassembled, the fact that you did not fulfill your oath, taken when you were commissioned to 'obey the orders of the officers appointed over you.' " On Sept. 4, shortly before CBS News broadcast its report, Mr. Burkett told the Democratic e-mail list he had a hunch that more material might soon emerge to embarrass the president. "No proof, just gut instinct," Mr. Burkett added.

Mr. Burkett's lawyer, David Van Os, said his client had not fabricated any documents. "From my knowledge of Bill's character, I am 100 percent positively, unequivocally certain that Bill Burkett has not created or falsified any documents," Mr. Van Os said.

In another development, ABC News reported on Friday that former Col. Walter B. Staudt - who interviewed Mr. Bush for enrollment to the Texas Air National Guard in 1968 and who was named in a disputed Killian memo as exerting influence on behalf of Mr. Bush - said he "never pressured anybody about George Bush." He also told ABC News that he planned to vote for Mr. Bush.

David D. Kirkpatrick reported from Baird for this article, and Jim Rutenberg from New York. Nathan Levy contributed reporting from Baird.


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: billburkett; burkett; cbs; kerry; killian; napalminthemorning; rathergate; tang
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To: piasa
Thanks!! Burkett served as one of Michael Moore's advisors for Fahrenheit 911! YIKES!!

I just have a feeling that Mary Mapes knew Nick Berg and knows Michael Moore and that's where she got the Abu Grahib story and pictures!!

221 posted on 09/18/2004 2:56:27 PM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion: The Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: piasa
Thanks for replying! That's probably why I only heard such a radio caller only once and haven't read anything like it on FR.

So when you print out something 30 years old, does it take on the print type of the equipment you're using at present time, or retain the original setup? Just wondering, as I'm not well-versed at all in hi-tech matters!!

g

222 posted on 09/18/2004 5:35:48 PM PDT by Geezerette (... but young at heart!-)
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To: MagnumRancid
The most incriminating fact is that there was no one interviewed, who would have refuted those memos and the very accusations behind them. Can anyone really believe that, if Danny Boy had done a story on Juanita Broaddrick, he would have excluded anyone who would have refuted the charges? It is amazing to me how bloggers, so sneeringly looked down upon by the MSM, can present us with the entire story better than a decades old network and its centuries old prima donna "newscaster."

Dan Blather and everyone associated with that biased hit piece should be fired.

223 posted on 09/18/2004 7:23:30 PM PDT by Paul Atreides
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To: Paul Atreides

Truth is we have more "experts" at our disposal. We don't need to be professional journalists. We are scientists, engineers, IT professionals, teachers, lawyers, etc. Our talent pool dwarfs theirs.


224 posted on 09/18/2004 7:30:44 PM PDT by MagnumRancid (I need a new screen name - its left over from my Doom/Quake playing days.)
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To: shezza
Bill Burkett tells everyone that he found these incriminating records in the trash can.

Bill Burkett is a lying sonofagun looney bird. Read any Houston Chronicle article and you get the sense he's completely insane, yet, read any CNN or WaPo article and you'd get the sense he's just a good ol' boy.

225 posted on 09/19/2004 12:37:48 AM PDT by BigSkyFreeper (Real gun control is - all shots inside the ten ring)
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To: Shermy
Alluding to advertisements by a veterans group that deprecates Mr. Kerry's Vietnam service, Mr. Burkett continued...

Isn't that a 'little' slanted???

The NYSlimes couldn't even bring themselves to call the SwiftVets by their name. How pathetic.

226 posted on 09/19/2004 9:52:55 AM PDT by An American In Dairyland (Have you forgotten?)
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To: dodger

Thanks! I am always looking for some more knowledge of the language I use daily, and poorly. I wasn't trying to be a smartass, well, not much any way. I always like giving my brother/sisters in arms of the other services some good natured ribbing. Thanks again for the definition and where the phrase came from.


227 posted on 09/19/2004 9:46:31 PM PDT by church16 ("Everyone's a pacifist between wars. It's like being a vegetarian between meals.")
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To: piasa
Keep in mind that Wilson never saw the forged Niger documents.

He didn't write a report on his trip.

Keep up the good work.

228 posted on 09/20/2004 8:52:55 AM PDT by robomurph
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To: Paul Atreides
Maybe, when ol' Max was in Texas, he was doing more than "delivering" a letter to W's ranch.

Verrrry interesting....

229 posted on 09/20/2004 11:31:03 AM PDT by talleyman (Dan Rather is the love child of Josef Stalin & Matta Hari and James Carville is a space alien - E.T.)
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To: robomurph

That's very true. thanks


230 posted on 09/20/2004 4:50:01 PM PDT by piasa (Attitude Adjustments Offered Here Free of Charge)
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