Max Cleland's August 25th Texas Road Trip

MapQuest ^

[SolomoninSouthDakota]

Please refresh us. What was the big issue that Cleland, famed man who can't get over his defeat, was trying to raise in his letter to President Bush. I'm having a mental block.

[76834]

Lets see now:
Os is Burkett's lawyer and is also a big dim player
Os and Robin Rather are both major figures in Austin politics.
Ben Barnes was a player in Brownwood politics, just a stone throw from Burkett's residence.

One thing for certain, they play politics very rough here in Texas.
November 22, 1963 for example

[kellynla]

Max Cleland, the dumbest soldier the U.S. Army ever produced!!!

[Use It Or Lose It]

Doubts raised on Bush accuser

Key witness disputes charge by Guard retiree that files were purged

By Michael Rezendes, Globe Staff, 2/13/2004

...snip

Burkett's allegations also will be a major focus of a book on Bush to be published next month.

But the book's author, James Moore, a former Houston TV news correspondent, concedes he never interviewed some of the key players who could have verified Burkett's charges, including Conn and retired National Guard Colonel John Scribner -- the officer Burkett says he saw removing items from the Bush file.

Moore, told yesterday that Conn contradicts Burkett's story, said he believes Burkett's allegations are true. "I think we're into a classic he-said, she-said," Moore said.

...snip

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/02/13/doubts_raised_on_bush_accuser/

Resendez appeared on "Hannity and Colmes" last week. He said again that Moore refused to talk to those who would discredit Burkett's account.

[counterpunch]

It was some whining for Bush to end the Swift Boat Vets attacks on Kerry, even though they are an independent organization who don't take orders from the Bush campaign, and Bush could not by law even communicate with them to try.

[MadelineZapeezda]

The letters stalemate: Former Sen. Max Cleland, center, and fellow Vietnam veteran Jerry Patterson, left, in Crawford, Texas.

Max Cleland turned away from Bush ranch

[andie74]

http://blog.johnkerry.com/blog/archives/002569.html

[OldGuard]

>>Who is the "we" Burkett is referring to concerning the documents being "reassembled"?
Perhaps "reassembled" was from the "memory" of the old secretary. If you saw her interviewed, she said "she did not type those docs, but similar to them"

>>Did Cleland help Burkett forge the documents on that day?
No, not even Cleland would be stupid enough to do that. But if the documents were presented to Cleland in a fashion that be was made to believe they were originals, by Burkett and old secretary, I'm sure he'd head straight to Boston with them.

>>Other than Burkett, who are the other sources?
>>Why did CBS consider Burkett "unimpeachable"?
Rather's CBS apolgy interview on the web this evening, claims there to be another source besides Burkett for the documents. I believe there was a trio of tale spinners, Ms. Knox, Burkett, and Cleland.

[andie74]

I'd add Jim Rassmann to the ranks.

[Pharmboy]

Whoa...quite impressive.

And, you just might be correct.

[maggief]

Kewl ... Max and Bill's Excellent Adventure.

[andie74]

And now we add Joe Lockhart to the mix:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1221907/posts

[G L Tirebiter]

Can we tell if the forged docs were typed by a one-handed typist?

[get'emall]

I feel your pain.

I'm sure Max would reach out to you and lend a hand if he could.

What's important is that we remain on sound footing and have a good grasp of the issues involved. We mustn't be caught spinning our wheels when we should be taking every step forward to advance the ideas Max is stumping for.

Please give us a hand as we creep out on that limb and take that crucial step as we grab that grenade on the floor and replace the pin before it blows up in our faces.

[SolomoninSouthDakota]

Thanks. Yes it was the Swiftboat vets.

Interesting that that propaganda piece starts right out with a statement hinting at some extraordinary long trip made by Cleland and Rassman. It would be good to know the truth of their contacts that day.

Also, I found this interesting in the linked article you sent.
"calling on the Commander-in-Chief to quit dishonoring the service and sacrifice of veterans by standing silent as John Kerry’s combat record is smeared by Bush’s close allies. "

How ironic that the libs have stupidly impugned the service of all Guard members who served in Vietnam. Never did they come out for Kerry to denounce the CBullShit fraudulent story.

[MadelineZapeezda]

The senators signing the letter Cleland delivered to President Bush included Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, Ernest "Fritz" Hollings of South Carolina, Tom Harkin of Iowa, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Tom Carper of Delaware and Jon Corzine and Frank Lautenberg, both of New Jersey.

Maybe one of them helped Burkett write it?

[counterpunch]

I believe you may be correct on many points.
Just as someone else suggested that it was probably Burkett who arranged to go to Crawford or Waco to meet Cleland on that day.

We do not know the answers to these questions for sure.
What matters is that someone asks them, and they get fully investigated (by someone else besides Dan Rather.)

One of my biggest questions, which I implied by on retrospect realize I didn't ask in certain enough terms is whether or not it is even possible for 60 Minutes to have considered Burkett to be "unimpeachable."

I believe he HAD to have had someone with more credibility -- someone like Cleland or Barnes -- playing a role in supplying or vouching for the documents.

Knowing what has been widely known about Burkett for years, it would be the ultimate journalistic fraud for 60 Minutes to take the sole word of Burkett on these documents. It would be the absolute end for CBS News. There is no way the story could have gotten as far as it did without someone else that CBS trusted highly giving them assurances these documents were legit.

[pointsal]

Where was Molly Ivins????
Anyone of NOTE that might have hauled old Max C. up to the meeting????

[AmericanVictory]

Ditto to that.

[PhiKapMom]

If you can find where he flew into and out of and what time, you theory IMHO will be confirmed. My guess is that he met him in Dallas/Ft Worth after landing or before he took off. People going to Waco usually fly into Dallas/Ft Worth. Cleland wouldn't be landing at the Army base at Killeen like AF One.