Not always. To be criminal, the forgery has to have some legal effect, if it is taken as (as in "assumed to be", not as "passes off as") authentic.
It is perfectly legal to forge documents that cannot have a "present legal effect."
But, selling a forgery while presenting it as authentic? That is fraud. I assume CBS didn't pay for these papers. Well, they are paying now, heheheheheh.
Remember Max Clelands theater on the road in front of President Bush's ranch. He kept speaking about Bush's involvement in the Swift boat book and advertisements -all the while he knew the DNC and Kerry and Cleland with some help from some unsavory texans - were planning this pathetic frontal assault on our president. If they are innocent why did they not come forward over the past 10 days and offer what information they had. Now it is too late. The electorate is coming to know what freepers have long known - democrats will stop at nothing to recapture power. These "dirty tricks" have crossed over into federal crimes. The attorney general's office should prefer charges against these thugs. By the way Abilene is not in Travis county. It is in Taylor county. There are a lot of good Texans who need to contact the D.A.'s office in Abilene and demand prosecution.