Posted on 09/20/2004 8:54:24 AM PDT by TheGeezer
Edited on 09/20/2004 9:07:32 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Update by moderator:
EXCLUSIVE
STATEMENT FROM DAN RATHER:
Last week, amid increasing questions about the authenticity of documents used in support of a 60 MINUTES WEDNESDAY story about President Bush's time in the Texas Air National Guard, CBS News vowed to re-examine the documents in question—and their source—vigorously. And we promised that we would let the American public know what this examination turned up, whatever the outcome.
Now, after extensive additional interviews, I no longer have the confidence in these documents that would allow us to continue vouching for them journalistically. I find we have been misled on the key question of how our source for the documents came into possession of these papers. That, combined with some of the questions that have been raised in public and in the press, leads me to a point where—if I knew then what I know now—I would not have gone ahead with the story as it was aired, and I certainly would not have used the documents in question.
But we did use the documents. We made a mistake in judgment, and for that I am sorry. It was an error that was made, however, in good faith and in the spirit of trying to carry on a CBS News tradition of investigative reporting without fear or favoritism.
Please know that nothing is more important to us than people's trust in our ability and our commitment to report fairly and truthfully.
"Game on"
The WH picks its battles. My guess is they feel pretty good about this one.
Sweet!!
September 18, 2004
Excerpt:
In an Aug. 21 posting, Burkett referred to a conversation with former senator Max Cleland (D-Ga.) about the need to counteract Republican tactics: "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. But none of them have called me back."
Cleland confirmed that he had a two- or three-minute conversation by cell phone with a Texan named Burkett in mid-August while he was on a car ride. He remembers Burkett saying that he had "valuable" information about Bush, and asking what he should with it. "I told him to contact the [Kerry] campaign," Cleland said. "You get this information tens of times a day, and you don't know if it is legit or not."
~snip~
Straight from Max's lips.
Post #390..pretty darn good. Thanks.
Not to be picky but the "Never mind!" line is from Gilda Radner's Emily Letilla character as in when Letilla goes on a rant about "violins on tv" and how she believes Leonard Bernstein was no threat to viewers. When she's stopped and informed that the subject was actually "violence on tv" she does her classic, "Oh...that's different....never mind!"
The pic is of Roseanna Roseannadana and her catch phrase was, "...and I thought I was gonna die" and "...it's always something." Those phrases would still work in skit form in regards to Dan Blather.
Bill Burkett is going to take the fall for it.
Nevermind that the memos supposedly came through Kerry campaign/DNC'ers to CBS.
Right before the DNC airs the 'fortunate son' ads.
The memos were groundwork for the ad.
Too bad they're going to have Burkett take the fall completely and not affix blame where it goes.
Since the memos and the fortunate son ad show collusion.
Wolfie is hammering Rather because this reflects on ALL of them not just Rather. They know we won't stand for their biased, partisan reporting anymore...we'll find out the truth on our own, thanks, and they just don't know what they're going to do.
Lots of hand wringing going on.:) They fear the Pajama People!
I do agree, however the President is specifically, by name owned an apology. He is an amazing man, to be slandered on national television, to have his honor called into question, under the guise of "investigative reporting", he has acted Presidential.
Partianship blinded RATHER and CBS. When they are investigating other stories, they are lied to. Do they beleive every single thing they are told? They wanted to these memos to be real.
The questions remains to CBS. Why did it take so long to admit this? Does the hatred of Burkett and the lengths he would go to attempt to discredit the President impeach the testimony of Barnes? After all, can't Barnes be a liar just like Burkett? Can you coorborate ANYONE in the TANG
with the statments of Barnes? Did you interview the General who made the decisions who got into the guard? The same one that said President Bush did NOT recieve any special treatment. If not, why?
This was a pure hit piece. Because the memos were exposed, the entire CBS news organization's credibilty is gone.
Lastly, these are allegations against POTUS. If they do not fully investigate allegations against POTUS, how can we believe any other trash they show on thier network?
In Watergate, there was a burglary, which is criminal. Given the criminal activity, there was an investigation. Under the innvestigation to a criminal event, some people committed perjury.
The problem here is that, best I have been able to cbble up, there is no clear criminal activity to investigate in the first place. This seems to play solely in the political arena.
I'll be surprized if there is NO proposal for legislation, to criminalize the forgery of any papers that serve to defame a candidate for federal office. That wouldn't stop rumors, lies and deception, but it would stifle the fabrication of corroborating evidence.
BTW, I was blurring my way through. Thanks for the links.
I suppose the next step is for someone in the MSM to deliberately plant a false story that can prove that the pajamahadeen don't have what it takes to-- oh, wait, they've already done that.
I have not had a chance yet to read all the posts, and am sure this has been said many times, but we must freep the hell out of our local CBS affiliates. I have done so with KHOU here in Houston, as they have a forum up on their site for comments. I should add that I was pleasantly surprised to see the other comments. They were overwhelmingly negative toward CBS and Dan Rather.
See my post #604 where Cleland HIMSELF says he referred Burkett to the Kerry campaign.
I don't doubt the campaign and the DNC were all involved in the scheme...I've always stated since I realized these were forgeries that CBS colluded with the DNC and the Kerry campaign.
He can't "take the fall for it". Too much on the record for that to fly.
That doesn't rule out civil action from the Killians or Gen. Staudt for defamation or slander. CBS would be forced to give up its source and could not hide behind "confidential sources" without incurring contempt of court, since the docs are phonies.
Now that I think about it, this could be exactly why CBS is not referring to the docs as phony, only unverifiable.
§ 37.10. TAMPERING WITH GOVERNMENTAL RECORD.
(a) A person commits an offense if he:
(1) knowingly makes a false entry in, or false alteration of, a governmental record;
(2) makes, presents, or uses any record, document, or thing with knowledge of its falsity and with intent that it be taken as a genuine governmental record;
(3) intentionally destroys, conceals, removes, or otherwise impairs the verity, legibility, or availability of a governmental record;
(4) possesses, sells, or offers to sell a governmental record or a blank governmental record form with intent that it be used unlawfully;
(5) makes, presents, or uses a governmental record with knowledge of its falsity; or
(6) possesses, sells, or offers to sell a governmental record or a blank governmental record form with knowledge that it was obtained unlawfully.
(b) It is an exception to the application of Subsection (a)(3) that the governmental record is destroyed pursuant to legal authorization or transferred under Section 441.204, Government Code. With regard to the destruction of a local government record, legal authorization includes compliance with the provisions of Subtitle C, Title 6, Local Government Code.
(c)(1) Except as provided by Subdivision (2) and by Subsection (d), an offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor unless the actor's intent is to defraud or harm another, in which event the offense is a state jail felony.
(2) An offense under this section is a felony of the third degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the governmental record was a public school record, report, or assessment instrument required under Chapter 39, Education Code, or was a license, certificate, permit, seal, title, letter of patent, or similar document issued by government, by another state, or by the United States, unless the actor's intent is to defraud or harm another, in which event the offense is a felony of the second degree.
(d) An offense under this section, if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the governmental record is described by Section 37.01(2)(D), is:
(1) a Class B misdemeanor if the offense is committed under Subsection (a)(2) or Subsection (a)(5) and the defendant is convicted of presenting or using the record;
(2) a felony of the third degree if the offense is committed under:
(A) Subsection (a)(1), (3), (4), or (6); or
(B) Subsection (a)(2) or (5) and the defendant is convicted of making the record; and
(3) a felony of the second degree, notwithstanding Subdivisions (1) and (2), if the actor's intent in committing the offense was to defraud or harm another.
(e) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution for possession under Subsection (a)(6) that the possession occurred in the actual discharge of official duties as a public servant.
(f) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a)(1), (a)(2), or (a)(5) that the false entry or false information could have no effect on the government's purpose for requiring the governmental record.
(g) A person is presumed to intend to defraud or harm another if the person acts with respect to two or more of the same type of governmental records or blank governmental record forms and if each governmental record or blank governmental record form is a license, certificate, permit, seal, title, or similar document issued by government.
(h) If conduct that constitutes an offense under this section also constitutes an offense under Section 32.48 or 37.13, the actor may be prosecuted under any of those sections.
(i) With the consent of the appropriate local county or district attorney, the attorney general has concurrent jurisdiction with that consenting local prosecutor to prosecute an offense under this section that involves the state Medicaid program.
Contrary to that posters's perception, Wolf Blitzer was not hammering Rather.
They're all trying to figure out how to spin it best while conceding the irrefutable.
Is it a forgery? Yes. Does the forgery purport to represent action or notes related to a fedeal military unit? Yes, TexANG and Killian were agents of the Federal government.
But, there forgeries do not have the qualities necessary to make the fabrication of them a criminal act. More particularly, even they were authentic, they would have no legal effect. Bush doesn't have to follow the order. Forgery of history is not illegal.
Forgery, Yes. Federal forgery, yes. Criminal, No -- but I am open to persuasion otherwise.
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