Posted on 09/20/2004 5:32:23 PM PDT by Dont Mention the War
Posted on Mon, Sep. 20, 2004
NEW YORK - At the behest of CBS, an adviser to John Kerry said he talked to a central figure in the controversy over President Bush's National Guard service shortly before disputed documents were released.
Joe Lockhart denied any connection between the presidential campaign and the papers. Lockhart, the second Kerry ally to confirm contact with retired Texas National Guard officer Bill Burkett, said he made the call at the suggestion of CBS producer Mary Mapes.
"He had some advice on how to deal with the Vietnam issue and the Swift boat" allegations, Lockhart said Monday, referring to GOP-fueled accusations that Kerry exaggerated his Vietnam War record. "He said these guys play tough and we have to put the Vietnam experience into context and have Kerry talk about it more."
Lockhart said he thanked Burkett for his advice after a three to four minute call.
Lockhart said he does not recall talking to Burkett about Bush's Guard records. "It's baseless to say the Kerry campaign had anything to do with this," he said.
CBS News apologized Monday for a "mistake in judgment" in its story questioning Bush's Guard service, claiming it was misled by the source of documents that several experts have dismissed as fakes.
Burkett admitted this weekend to CBS that he lied about obtaining the documents from another former National Guard member, the network said. CBS hasn't been able to conclusively tell how he got them, or even whether they're fakes or not.
Kerry ally Max Cleland, a former Georgia senator, also said he had a brief conversation last month with Burkett, who told him he had information about Bush to counter charges against Kerry's Vietnam War service. Cleland said he gave Burkett's name and phone number to the campaign's research department.
Kerry spokesman David Ginsberg said nobody in the campaign's research department followed up on Burkett's offer of information.
Lockhart said Mapes asked him the weekend before the story broke to call Burkett. "She basically said there's a guy who is being helpful on the story who wants to talk to you," Lockhart said, adding that it was common knowledge that CBS was working on a story raising questions about Bush's Guard service. Mapes told him there were some records "that might move the story forward. She didn't tell me what they said."
Sure does.
We know Begala and Carville are, openly. You just know there are oodles of "informal" and "friendly" connections between the media and the organized parties and campaigns.
I've been waiting for something like this for a long, long time. God knows I shouldn't be taking pleasure from it but thats just something we'll have to discuss whan I get to the Pearly Gates.
I want Mapes subpoenaed, since she obviously had a great deal of contact with Burkett and was helping him spread forged federal documents.
For cripes sake, SHE PRODUCED THE STORY!
"...both Cleland and Lockhart make a point of saying their conversations with Burkett were 3-4 minutes..."
"I just had 2 or 3 to drink, officer."
But then Lockhart calls Burkett and "doesn't recall" discussing the records - the very reason for his call. Uh I don't think so.
Does the public realize that with all these Clinton professional liars on hand, the Kerry campaig is in the grip of totaly unethical evil? Good Lord, how corrupt a Kerry administration would be!
Joe Lockhart denied any connection between the presidential campaign and the papers. Lockhart, the second Kerry ally to confirm contact with retired Texas National Guard officer Bill Burkett, said he made the call at the suggestion of CBS producer Mary Mapes.
Umm, Ok. So if I understand this "logic", CBS (Mapes) calls the Kerry campaign (Lockhart) asking them to see if Burkett has any sludge to smear the President with. But there's no "connection" between the Kerry campaign and the forged memos.
What kind of bizzaro thinking is that?
Lockhart's only been on the Kerry team for a few weeks, and he already doesn't recall conversations?
He could have issued a flat-out denial that it never came up. Furthermore, the reporter paraphrased the comment rather than quoting directly.
-PJ
Mapes told him there were some records "that might move the story forward.
Very damning.
This is proof of the co-ordination between the CBS story and the Fortunate Son ad campaign
Abso-freakin-lutely! Otherwise, there's no way he'd admit to this so easily.
Ties that bind. LOL
I wouldn't be surprised if your sceniaro was accurate.
I think exactly what you are thinking as well -- note Blather gave Burkett no less than 3 chances to claim the forgeries were his and his alone. What does Burkett do? Leave the door open!
Lockhart is telling us that it depends on "what is...is." He didn't have "coordination with that liar..." Seems as if we've been down this path before.
And now she IS the story!! Tough luck, Mapes, you were trying to do some maneuvering behind the scenes and you ran all over yourself!
Lockhart on speaking with Burkett (from thread link):
Lockhart said he thanked Burkett for his advice after a three to four minute call.
Now here is Cleland from this link:
Parallels Drawn Between CBS Memos, Texan's Postings
excerpt:
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~
What I want to know is why the hell a CBS news producer, at least one in his or her right mind, would even think it was permissible to contact a member of either party's presidential campaign?
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