BUCKHEAD: Your intrepid watchfulness deserves a SALUTE:
Now, here it comes: the Socialist backlash. A few days ago, I posted a few no-nonsense things you coud do to harden you as a target - take them to heart, on behalf of all of us.
Posted on 09/20/2004 6:13:09 AM PDT by johnny7
ATLANTA — An Atlanta lawyer, Harry W. MacDougald, has become a key figure in the controversy over whether CBS News relied on forged documents to question President Bush's service in the National Guard.
Writing under the nickname "Buckhead" in a posting on FreeRepublic.com, a conservative Web site, MacDougald was the first to question the authenticity of documents purportedly written in 1972 because the proportionally spaced fonts used in the memos were not used in typewriters at that time. "I am saying these documents are forgeries, run through a copier for 15 generations to make them look old," he wrote in a message posted less than four hours after the Sept. 8 broadcast of "60 Minutes" in which the documents were revealed.
Overnight, "Buckhead" became an Internet hero to conservatives as his five-paragraph posting touched off a cascade of questions about the documents. One suggested he be named "Freeper of the Year," using the name FreeRepublic posters call themselves. On Democratic blogs, meanwhile, questions were being raised about how "Buckhead" could have analyzed the typefaces so quickly, and whether the questioned documents could have been a Republican plant. MacDougald, 46, confirmed he was "Buckhead" after the Los Angeles Times traced his identity through biographical hints posted on the Web site. He declined to comment further to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution or to the Los Angeles Times.
MacDougald serves on the advisory board of the Southeastern Legal Foundation, a conservative advocacy group, and as a sole practitioner was involved in two of the foundation's high-profile cases: a challenge to the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill, and the Arkansas disbarment proceedings against former President Bill Clinton. He also wrote an amicus brief for FreeRepublic.com in a breach of copyright case brought against the Web site by the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post. Phil Kent, a former president of the foundation, said he was "tickled" to learn of MacDougald's involvement. "He's always been kind of an Internet watchdog," Kent said. "Harry's a jack-of-all trades. He's very aware of a lot of things most of us wouldn't pick up on."
Former Atlanta City Councilman Lee Morris, who was deposed by MacDougald as a friendly witness in one of several whistle-blower cases he successfully litigated against the city, described him as a "meticulous" attorney, who "seemed like he was fired up for the right reasons." Former Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Colin Campbell, who interviewed him several times about the whistle-blower cases, said MacDougald struck him both as "a man of integrity" and "someone who loves to stir the pot." While several associates referred to MacDougald as a prodigious researcher, none knew of any experience he has had in identifying forged documents.
MacDougald works for Womble, Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, a North Carolina-based firm that opened its Atlanta branch in 1993. He's a graduate of Brown University and the University of Georgia Law School. He's also a member of the Atlanta chapter of the Federalist Society, a conservative legal group from which a number of the Bush administration's federal judicial nominees have been drawn.
The memos reported on by CBS were allegedly written by Bush's Texas Air National Guard commander, Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, suggesting that Bush had received preferential treatment and failed to show up for a required physical. The Washington Post reported Saturday that Bill Burkett, the former Guard officer suspected of providing the documents to CBS, contacted former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland in August to offer the same information to Sen. John Kerry's campaign. Cleland confirmed that he told Burkett in a brief phone conversation to contact others in the campaign. Burkett wrote in a Web posting that the Kerry campaign didn't call him back. The Post also pointed out several words and phrases which were repeated in the alleged Killian documents and in Web postings made recently by Burkett. In addition to the speed with which the typeface discrepancies were pointed out, Democrats have questioned the immediate release of copies of the documents by the White House, which had obtained them from CBS.
As more information filtered out, "Buckhead" became more cautious than he was in his initial post. Congratulations were "premature" he replied to one admirer on Sept. 9, saying his conjecture was "not 100% conclusive because the IBM Executive and IBM Selectric Composer would do proportional fonts."
Later in the day, "Buckhead" wrote to another poster that he felt additional information was confirming his suspicions. "As for my part, this tsunami would, without any doubt whatsoever, have happened w/o me, so it ain't no big thang," he wrote. "I will have a cold one tonight, though."
Ha!
Finally, Atlanta based Cox (Atlanta Urinal-Constipation), gets onto a story they should have been on in the beginning.
Buckhead RULES!
(Yes, I am a product of the 80's)
BUCKHEAD: Your intrepid watchfulness deserves a SALUTE:
Now, here it comes: the Socialist backlash. A few days ago, I posted a few no-nonsense things you coud do to harden you as a target - take them to heart, on behalf of all of us.
Although this was not done in this case, I think it raises the standard question as to whether an experienced hacker could get into FR files and find the exact indentities of certain posters (i.e. their DNS numbers, or e mails or actual names) based on information provided when we sign up to receive our monikers and posting rights. This may have been addressed in the past, but some are probably still wondering.
What kind of pajamas does he wear?
The implication is, "...because he's a conservative, he was in on the hoax, which was a trap for CBS, set by conservatives." I don't listen to NPR but I can hear this 2nd day PM lead story already.
I see him as Atticus Finch--fighting injustice, etc.........I'm sure that's not how MSM sees him.
Regardless of precautions that websites use to protect their participants, anyone with the proper equipment (Protocol Analyzer) can capture the traffic on a specific IP address, trace it to its origin, then do a search and locate that person. If anyone wants to catch you, and they have the proper resources, they can.
Yes a "man of integrity" brought down the unprofessional journalist--Dan Rather.
Who Is Dan Rather? Dan Rather is DUPEthroat
LOL! Not too bright over there are they?
Harry W. MacDougald. Kudos to ya sir.
Fact is, there are a LOT of VERY serious issues that should be pushed HARD about the documets.
1. The widow and son were IGNORED
2. Document experts were IGNORED
3. Hodges was MISLED
4. The old secretary was NOT INTERVIEWED until afterward
5. The opinions of the experts were MISREPRESENTED
6. The swift boat veterans were MALIGNED
7. George Bush's roomate DURING HIS GUARD YEARS, who AGREED TO SPEAK TO THEM WAS TURNED DOWN BECAUSE HE WAS TOO "PRO BUSH"...
And the list goes on. Fact is, this was a HIT PIECE ON BUSH. And just because dnCBS owns up to fake documents does NOT CLEAR THEIR PROPAGANDA / DNC REPORTING!!
If the documents were the ONLY ISSUE in this, without all of the other plainly propaganda driven results, it wouldn't be such an issue.
THE DOCUMENTS ARE JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG! THE ICEBERG IS THE MANIPULATION AND DECEPTION OF THE PUBLIC!!
When the FReeper pj's come out for Christmas, they must have FReeper names on the shoulders, ya know like baseball uniforms? I nominate Buckhead for the FR pj's.
They should be looking into how the forgeries came to CBS. That is knowable and doesn't require this level of speculation.
..and IGNORED!
Correct me if I'm wrong but to this day their facts have not had a hearing on CBS. DISMISSED as partisan attackers when in fact most are fed up Democrats.
Zellocrats!!!
Unfortunately if the MSM put half the effort into things like the Rather Forgeries or the Swiftboat charges there would have been no need for Buckhead or anyone else to out the forgeries. And the fact that LAT spent time trying to discover Buchead's identity and NOT trying to find who forged and distributed the memos shows why Buckhead, Bloggers, and especially Free Republic are desparately needed.
The 'Topics' screen was filled with nonsensical drivel.
BTTT!
Following through, to the logical conclusion of any CBS spin like that....
If it was a trap, then this a "sting" operation, which was designed to expose Rather's bias.
Couldn't happen to a lousier guy.
At any rate, as Buckhead says, other Freepers, also, noticed how "funny" the memos were. It's very odd that CBS's experts didn't notice the anachronisms.
Chronologically arranged documentation of the FreeRepublic posts is at FOR THE RECORD: CBS Memos Controversy on Free Republic
Thank you Buckhead for providing us in the VRWC weeks (maybe months) of joy and laughter at watching Rather and his dim supporters squirm, and exposing them for the frauds they are.
Right on bro!(yes I am a product of the 60's)
Hmmmm, a whole new line of "Buckhead" pajamas coming to a store near you.
Dan Rather should have spent time investigating a real scandal, like the UN Oil for Food program.
I have a memo from Cox that says he doesn't wear PJs!
Not quite. The analyzer has to be set up in a location where the traffic passes, and there's no simple way to associate an IP address with a particular person, unless you have access to his ISP's internal billing records.
I have no experience with forged documents either. But like probably millions of others I've used typewriters and computers extensively. It was only a matter of time until *somebody* figured out why the fake, forged memo's looked so wrong.
bump for later...
Is that how they "really" did it?
Correct me if I'm wrong but to this day their facts have not had a hearing on CBS. DISMISSED as partisan attackers when in fact most are fed up Democrats.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All the more reason why dnCBS would NEVER run anything favorable about them. Kerry would be lucky to get the hard core, radical, insane feminist / Log Cabin Republican / and Union vote to the tune of 15%. Think about it, it comes out that these are DEMOCRATS, and that they're VETERANS who served with Kerry?
Beyond well-done, the Kerry campaign would be a charcoal brickette.
LOL. . .they did not 'go there'. . .
Love the good press that BuckHead is receiving and by association; Free Republic ;^)
And of course, kudos to BuckHead!
I have sold dozens to the NSA for doing just what I described.
Don't tell them that they can't do it, okay?
Here's to ya!
#15. Excellent post. Thank you for laying it all out for us.
Stay safe Buckhead.I fear the smearing is just beginning.
You don't have to be an expert on the forgery of documents... you just have to know the history of the IBM 'Composer' typewritter.
Plus the other 'incidentals' like; The wrong format for the documents. Witnesses who retired before the memo was written. The background of Burkett and the hatred that Rather has for the Bush family.
I worked on a 'Composer' when I got out of college... 1974... and once I saw the PDF's I smelled a turd.
Way to go Buckhead!
I've been following every moment since you started reporting your findings and questions on Gunga Blather. Great work, all bloggers!
I believe you are pretty close to being right on the dot. They've (CBS News, particularly Rather and his producer) wanted to do this hatchet job on Bush for a very long time and any "evidence", no matter how thin or forged, in support of that goal was happily received.
However, there's more to this little farce that needs to be uncovered. CBS said they had "unimpeachable sources" and this guy Burkett is a tin-foil hat type from way back and his grudge against Bush is obvious to even the most casual observer. Burkett would have NEVER gotten by the receptionist at CBS. So, obviously somebody that CBS trusted completely "fronted" this story to CBS and vouched for this Burkett guy? Who has that kind of credibility to have CBS private phone numbers, and would know who had a predisposition to do a hit piece of reporting on Bush?
That's the person that needs to be identified and outed! And, I'm betting that there is a very clear, top level DNC/Kerry campaign connection. Remember all the stuff floating around this weekend about Cleland saying he spoke with Burkett? How does a goof like Burkett get Cleland's cell phone number? A middleman, or information clearing house, from CBS to the DNC/Kerry campaign is painfully clear!
You're absolutely right on this part -- there is a clear attempt to manipulate the news and deceive the public. CBS has to come completely clean and tell us who are their co-conspirators! Some little "mea culpa" and a "never mind, let's move along" just is NOT going to cut it here!
Buckhead,
SeeBS and Dan Rather need to thank you publicly for uncovering fraud. Bill 'em by the hour and send the bill to Danny Boy...it should at least cover the cost of new custom fitted Kevlar pajamas. :o)
Best regards,
Liberty
I got to use one of these justifying margin typewriters back in 1979-80. The way it stored some words and appeared to be typing slightly slower than I was hitting the keys was eerie.
You have to keep in mind that Cox and the Urinal/Constipation hate conservatism even more than CBS and Dan Blather hate it.
One would think they would be interested in who forged these documents
Reports from CBS insiders are that they came from Bill Burkett .. it shouldn't be to hard to find out .. IF THE LOOKED INTO IT
I would gladly give to a fund which would supply Buckhead with free beer for life, he so deserves it...
I joined Free Republic because one of its earliest missions and goals was to expose the liberal bias in the MSM. Finding a place to gather and vent with others who could understand the relentless bullsh*t propaganda masquerading as journalism which dominated the media saved my sanity many times.
That a Freeper exposed that bias more convincingly than any any other effort I've seen to date is such a vindication, it is a spectacular success of this forum. Thank you Buckhead.
That he is a FREEPER honors us all.
Thanks, sir!
*rolls eyes* I really feel sorry for Buckhead. This is the MSM's Gestapo tactics. Expose us and we'll smear you.
"-You have to keep in mind that Cox and the Urinal/Constipation hate conservatism even more than CBS and Dan Blather hate it."
We wouldn't take the Urinal and Constipation even if they gave it to us to wrap our fish in. We tell them that, everytime they call to try to sell us the paper and ....we tell them why :)
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