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Downing Street Memo Originals Destroyed -UGH!
NewsMax ^ | 6/20/05 | Limbacher

Posted on 06/20/2005 7:55:48 AM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection

The so called Downing Street Memo - which was presumed to be authentic when Bush administration critics began touting it last month as evidence the president committed impeachable crimes - is actually a manually recreated copy - with the source of the memo now admitting he retyped the document before destroying the originals.

British reporter Michael Smith, who broke the memo story in the London Times on May 1, revealed to the Associated Press over the weekend that he "he protected the identity of the source he had obtained the documents from by typing copies of them on plain paper and destroying the originals."

Smith's admission means there's now no independent way to determine the accuracy of the Downing Street Memo, i.e., whether he made any typos or transcription errors that could have changed the memo's meaning.

The revelation has conjured up memories of the CBS News forged document scandal last year, where anchorman Dan Rather argued that damaging records he obtained from President Bush's National Guard file were essentially accurate, even though they had been faked by his source.

While British officials hadn't disputed the authenticity of the Downing Street Memo, a senior member of the Blair government who reviewed the Downing Street Memo in light of reporter Smith's admission could say only that its contents "appeared authentic."

That official, however, requested anonymity, refusing to make an on-the-record endorsement of the memo's accuracy.

New questions about the authenticity Downing Street Memo come at a particularly awkward time for Democrats in America. Only last week, House Democrats staged a mock impeachment hearing based on the re-created document.

Former presidential candidate John Kerry announced on June 2 that he intended to confront Congress with the Downing Street Memo, believing at the time that the document's authenticity was beyond reproach.

"I think it's a stunning, unbelievably simple and understandable statement of the truth and a profoundly important document that raises stunning issues here at home," he told a reporter.

Last week, a Kerry aide said his boss was sending a letter to President Bush demanding that he answer questions about the fake memo.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: britishmemo; downingstreetmemo; fakebutaccurate; news; schadenfreude
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1 posted on 06/20/2005 7:55:48 AM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Only last week, House Democrats staged a mock impeachment hearing based on the re-created document.

Schadenfreude.

2 posted on 06/20/2005 7:57:44 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection

The truth behind this story is becoming Rather apparent now.


3 posted on 06/20/2005 7:58:44 AM PDT by msjhall
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection

The Minneapolis Star/Tribune (aka The Red Star) has thoroughly researched this issue (in other words, have beaten it to death) and are convinced that the Downing Street memo is completely accurate.

And I believe them....each and every word.

(sarcasm off)


4 posted on 06/20/2005 7:59:13 AM PDT by MplsSteve
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection
"he protected the identity of the source he had obtained the documents from by typing copies of them on plain paper and destroying the originals."

Please give me a break.... does this guy work for Dan Blather and Complete Bull Stuff News?
5 posted on 06/20/2005 7:59:50 AM PDT by schwing_wifey (Coffee, Today's Toons, and Flaming Trolls - Yeeeaaaarrrgggggg PDT +9hours)
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection

rah, rah!


6 posted on 06/20/2005 8:00:00 AM PDT by fooman (Get real with Kim Jung Mentally Ill about proliferation)
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection

I'm not suprised at all. How many times will these Democrats walk away with egg on their face and still never learn from it? John Kerry is an ass.


7 posted on 06/20/2005 8:00:09 AM PDT by Ragtop (We are the people our parents warned us about)
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To: MplsSteve

Yeah I er ah, I typed them myself and burned the originals, yeah that's the ticket, that's what I did alright!


8 posted on 06/20/2005 8:00:46 AM PDT by marlon
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection

Typed a copy and destroyed originals: Should read: Typed phony documentation furnished by ???????????????


9 posted on 06/20/2005 8:00:48 AM PDT by Sacajaweau (God Bless Our Troops!!)
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection

Yeah right. WHAT ORIGINALS. By trying to make everyone BELIEVE he destroyed the originals, he assumes we will think his articles are based on facts. NICE TRY....better luck next time A-hole.


10 posted on 06/20/2005 8:01:38 AM PDT by marty60
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To: 1rudeboy
Last week, a Kerry aide said his boss was sending a letter to President Bush demanding that he answer questions about the fake memo.

Wouldn't you love to be in charge of the President's response? You know, send a reply on plain paper, typed on a manual typewriter and tell them it's a reproduction of the President's response but we lost the original?

11 posted on 06/20/2005 8:01:54 AM PDT by GraceCoolidge
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection

Fake, but accurate. . . .


12 posted on 06/20/2005 8:02:24 AM PDT by jtminton (Help stop second hand rap!)
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To: msjhall

I agree. HOWEVER - because the media/Left so desperately want this to be the THE smoking gun, I foresee a loooooong dely in them admitting that this is bogus.

Once again - it will be the bloggers who must work this story.


13 posted on 06/20/2005 8:02:27 AM PDT by Scarchin (www.classdismissedblog.com.)
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection

Kerry is sooooo desperate! Desperate times, desperate measures.

It's a pitiful thing to watch a grown man make a fool of himself.


14 posted on 06/20/2005 8:02:52 AM PDT by peacebaby (We can't become what we need to be by remaining what we are. Oprah Winfrey)
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection
I find this Rather amusing.
15 posted on 06/20/2005 8:02:53 AM PDT by Samwise (In the battle between good and evil, evil often wins unless good is very, very careful.)
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection

I guess Smith et al knew better than to produce the "original" document--it was likely a forgery and would have been picked apart instantly. To suggest the problems might be limited to just a typo or two is certainly generous, but unlikely.

Any more, it appears that if you can't find the news you want to report, just make it up.


16 posted on 06/20/2005 8:03:22 AM PDT by MizSterious (First, the journalists, THEN the lawyers.)
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To: msjhall
The truth behind this story is becoming Rather apparent now

But we have his Word about the Document ...

17 posted on 06/20/2005 8:03:45 AM PDT by tx_eggman (Liberalism is only possible in that moment when a man chooses Barabas over Christ.)
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To: Ragtop

Exactly - Kerry was soooo 'concerned' about this disturbing memo. What does he have to say now? What's that senaotr? I can't HHHHHEEEEEEEAAAARR yoouu.


18 posted on 06/20/2005 8:05:37 AM PDT by SueRae
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection

Paging Dan Rather!


19 posted on 06/20/2005 8:05:37 AM PDT by 6ppc
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To: GraceCoolidge
"Last week, a Kerry aide said his boss was sending a letter to President Bush demanding that he answer questions about the fake memo."

It's just too funny!

20 posted on 06/20/2005 8:06:28 AM PDT by Enterprise (Coming soon from Newsweek: "Fallujah - we had to destroy it in order to save it.")
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