Memo lawyer is party activist

Washington Times ^ | Wednesday, September 22, 2004 | By Rowan Scarborough

[JohnHuang2]

The Washington Times
www.washingtontimes.com

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Memo lawyer is party activist

By Rowan Scarborough
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published September 22, 2004

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The attorney for the man who leaked discredited memos to CBS News' Dan Rather is a Democratic Party activist in Texas who has vowed to defeat what he says is a White House "master plan" for "a one-party America."
    David Van Os, a San Antonio lawyer and defender of retired Texas Air National Guard Lt. Col. Bill Burkett's role in supplying forged memos detrimental to President Bush, has held a number of local party posts, including chairman of the Travis County Democratic Party.
    Mr. Van Os referred to the suspect memos this way in a Sept. 15 e-mail to reporters: "What difference would it make" if "someone in the year 2004 had prepared on a word processor replicas of documents that they believed had existed in 1972 or 1973?"
    He did not respond yesterday to a telephone message or to questions in an e-mail to his law office.
    Mr. Van Os served in Austin, the Travis County seat, as party chairman from 1996 to 1998, and also served as chairman of the North East Bexar County Democrats in San Antonio from 2000 to 2003.

[Miss Marple]

Glad to see someone is paying attention to the lawyer. I think he may be more involved in this than people think.

[calcowgirl]

I guess his running for Chair of the State Democratic Party isn't important either. /s

Texas Democrats Elect San Marcos Lawyer New State Party Chairman
Clay Robison.
Knight Ridder Tribune Business News.
Washington: Oct 26, 2003. pg. 1

Oct. 26--AUSTIN, Texas--Charles Soechting, a lawyer from San Marcos, won the Texas Democratic Party's top job Saturday and vowed to lead the struggling party in an aggressive comeback against Republican officeholders.

(snip)

Soechting's election, which required a majority of the 64-member committee, took two ballots. On the first, he led Mauro, 28-22.

Malcolm abstained from voting for her successor, and the remaining 13 votes were split among state Rep. Garnet Coleman, D- Houston, committee member Mary Moore of Bryan and lawyer David Van Os of San Antonio.

[JohnHuang2]

Agree -- my guess is we've seen only the tip of the iceberg so far.

[Tempest]

So can someone explain to me how a retired TANG officer can afford a lawyer like Van Os????

[Tempest]

bump

[Miss Marple]

Good question. Or is Van Os working pro bono...and if so, why?

[Libertina]

"What difference would it make" if "someone in the year 2004 had prepared on a word processor replicas of documents that they believed had existed in 1972 or 1973?"
In other words, what difference would it make if I used a word processor in 2004 to write that you are a pedophile (from documents I believe existed in 1973?

RATS are insane. It is indeed a mental disorder! Do they hear themselves speak or are they too far gone?

[GOPcapitalist]

[GOPcapitalist]

So can someone explain to me how a retired TANG officer can afford a lawyer like Van Os????

Damage control. Having a well-connected Dem like Van Os on the scene and making all the polished statements for Burkett to the press keeps the Democrat Party in the driver's seat as opposed to Burkett going out on his own and shooting his mouth off.

[Tempest]

Pro Bono? Burkett hasn't even been charged with anything. I don't know of any lawyer willing to work for free just because of the specter of a possible criminal trial.