Texan Involved in CBS Report Tried to Help Kerry Campaign

New York Times ^ | 9/16/04 | DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and JIM RUTENBERG

[The Bandit]

BAIRD, Tex., Sept. 17 - Bill Burkett, the former Texas National Guard officer who has been caught up in the mystery of how CBS News acquired memos that seem to question President Bush's Vietnam-era National Guard service, unsuccessfully offered information and advice to help the Kerry campaign attack Mr. Bush, according to a posting Mr. Burkett wrote in an e-mail newsletter.

"I spent some time on the phone with the Kerry campaign seniors yesterday," Mr. Burkett wrote on Aug. 21 in an e-mail letter circulated to a list of about 600 Texas Democrats.

He complained that he had to "get through seven layers of bureaucratic kids trying to get a job after the election."

"I talked with Max Cleland," Mr. Burkett continued, referring to the former senator from Georgia who has been supporting Senator John Kerry's Democratic presidential bid.

Alluding to advertisements by a veterans group that deprecates Mr. Kerry's Vietnam service, Mr. Burkett continued, "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," Mr. Burkett wrote. "But none of them have called me back."

Mr. Burkett did not say what information he offered. Earlier this year, he gained attention for saying that in 1998 he saw aides to Gov. George W. Bush of Texas and Guard officials dispose of pieces of Mr. Bush's National Guard record that could prove politically embarrassing. Mr. Bush's aides have denied his account.

"I volunteered to come back out with more," Mr. Burkett wrote.

Mr. Burkett, who was at home on his ranch in Baird, near Abilene, on Friday, declined to comment.

Mr. Cleland said in a telephone interview that Mr. Burkett called him "a couple of weeks ago," as he was out campaigning for Mr. Kerry.

"I couldn't swear to it whether he used the term documents or information," Mr. Cleland said. "It was some kind of stuff, some kind of information he wanted to get to the campaign, or something, regarding Bush's National Guard service. I referred him up to somebody in the campaign."

Mr. Cleland said he received up to 100 calls a week from people with tips and ideas. "He sounded like he had something," Mr. Cleland said. "But of course, in this business, you go around, every friend, everyone around the corner, has some something or other."

Campaign officials said Mr. Cleland had referred Mr. Burkett to someone at the campaign who passed his message on to the research department, where the message was set aside amid the deluge of other calls.

Mr. Burkett has returned to national attention since CBS News and "60 Minutes" reported last week on four memos reportedly from the personal files of Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, Mr. Bush's squadron commander, who died 20 years ago. The memos said that Colonel Killian was under pressure to "sugar coat" the record of the young Lieutenant Bush and that the officer had disobeyed a direct order to take a physical.

Forensic experts, a secretary who said she typed Lieutenant Killian's memos and members of his family have said that they doubt the authenticity of the documents. CBS News has said it is evaluating their legitimacy and has declined to identify its sources. But one person at CBS confirmed an account in Newsweek that Mr. Burkett had helped with the reports. The official was unable to say what role he played.

Mr. Burkett is an avid Democrat and a frequent contributor to the Texas Democratic e-mail list. His name also shows up occasionally as a contributor of criticism of the Bush administration on a Web site, onlinejournal.com. Asked about his contributions to that site, Mr. Burkett on Friday declined to comment. His wife, Nicki, later confirmed that the articles were indeed his.

His many online musings provide a glimpse of his thinking, including his intense desire to remove Mr. Bush from office. They include some inconclusive references to the possibility of more documents appearing about Mr. Bush's Guard service. Aside from the CBS report, the Pentagon on Friday released new documents from Mr. Bush's files.

Addressing Mr. Bush rhetorically in an article on the Web site on Aug. 25, Mr. Burkett wrote, "I know from your files that we have now reassembled, the fact that you did not fulfill your oath, taken when you were commissioned to 'obey the orders of the officers appointed over you.' " On Sept. 4, shortly before CBS News broadcast its report, Mr. Burkett told the Democratic e-mail list he had a hunch that more material might soon emerge to embarrass the president. "No proof, just gut instinct," Mr. Burkett added.

Mr. Burkett's lawyer, David Van Os, said his client had not fabricated any documents. "From my knowledge of Bill's character, I am 100 percent positively, unequivocally certain that Bill Burkett has not created or falsified any documents," Mr. Van Os said.

In another development, ABC News reported on Friday that former Col. Walter B. Staudt - who interviewed Mr. Bush for enrollment to the Texas Air National Guard in 1968 and who was named in a disputed Killian memo as exerting influence on behalf of Mr. Bush - said he "never pressured anybody about George Bush." He also told ABC News that he planned to vote for Mr. Bush.

David D. Kirkpatrick reported from Baird for this article, and Jim Rutenberg from New York. Nathan Levy contributed reporting from Baird.

[crushelits]

Continued...

“We are the vets that know Bush best, that is why we are supporting John Kerry for President.  We are building a strong organization here in Texas,” said Rick Bolanos co-chair of the Texas Veterans for Kerry.  The Bolanos Brothers have organized veterans across Texas for Kerry, they have a database of over 94,000 veterans and are launching a website: www.veteransforamerica.com.  “The veterans of Texas are ready to fight to put John Kerry in the White House.  We are tired of Bush’s broken promises to America’s veterans.”

[Graymatter]

Wow, this is tangled. If you switched the political affiliations, it would be a world-class VRWC. But it's Democrats so I guess it's ok. :(

[crushelits]

I found this:

http://www.aim.org/media_monitor_print/1019_0_2_0/

<![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]>

Dan Rather Pulls an Al Gore
By Reed Irvine and Cliff Kincaid  |  April 25, 2001

"I made an embarrassing and regrettable error in judgment by going to this event." <![if !vml]><![endif]>

      Several weeks ago there was a flurry over a rumor that CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather was being replaced with Tim Russert, Washington bureau chief of NBC News and host of NBC's Sunday interview program, Meet the Press. CBS denied it. Ironically, if Rather were going to be replaced by Russert, one Democrat would be taking over for another. Russert worked for leading Democrats before going to work for NBC News. However, Russert has developed a reputation as a newsman who can be tough on both political parties, while Rather wears his pro-Democratic Party bias on his sleeve.

      In a further irony, Russert has come to the rescue after Rather admitted raising funds at a Democratic Party event in Texas. "He got into trouble for trying to be a good father," Russert said, referring to the fact that Rather's daughter Robin had asked him to speak at the event. Russert added that he would probably have done the same thing if his son Luke had asked for a similar favor.

      Rather's full statement was that, "I made an embarrassing and regrettable error in judgment by going to this event. It was a serious mistake, which I acknowledge. No one believes more strongly in CBS News standards than I do, and I have let those standards down." Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post, who broke the story, said Rather claimed he didn't know it was a fundraiser, but that he probably would have participated even if he had known.

      In making that claim, Rather told Kurtz that he feared he might sound like Al Gore claiming ignorance about the notorious fundraiser at the Buddhist Temple. Gore had claimed he didn't know it was a fundraiser, but all of the evidence suggested otherwise. The incident became known as another example of Gore's tendency to lie. Rather said that by the time he got to his event, he did realize it was a fundraiser. A spokesman for CBS News said Rather's appearance was "an honest oversight" on his part.

      The flap reconfirms Dan Rather's pro-Democratic, anti-Republican bias, and that he is willing to pull a Clinton or a Gore in trying to excuse it. When Russert says he was only doing a favor for a child, that bears analysis as well. Rather's daughter Robin is described as an environmentalist considering a run for mayor of Austin, Texas. She was a host of the event featuring her father and has been a consultant for David Butts, another host of the event who is a campaign advisor to the current mayor, Kirk Watson. In short, this "good father" Dan Rather may have been deliberately assisting the political plans and ambitions of his daughter. The event raised $20,000 for the Travis County Democratic Party.

      Dan Rather's nightly newscast is already number three in the ratings, behind ABC and NBC. His program may be more biased than the others, but probably not by much. His appearance at the fundraiser tell us three things: he has a liberal bias, he is above the law at CBS, and he's got a liberal daughter who wants to exploit her father's notoriety.

<![if !supportEmptyParas]> <![endif]>

[Socratic]

"missing link"

Yes, I have seen her picture posted. (Great preponderance of paternal genes).

[MagnumRancid]

(Great preponderance of paternal genes).

That's not her fault. :^)

[July 4th]

Isn't this the most f***ing incredible thing you've ever seen in the MSM!? You could write a book about what's happened since that 60 Minutes episode. People, LIBERAL people, are climbing all over themselves to destroy CBS. God, please wake me up!

[July 4th]

Or not!

[NYCVirago]

Something's afoot. Earlier tonight Joe Trippi was on MSNBC complimenting Free Republic, and Buckhead and TankerKC by name, for their "legitimate questions". Yes, he offered some whacko theory on how the documents came to be, but I and others noted he had adopted a tone of reasonableness. To say the least, it was jarring and I and others figure he sees an investigation coming and coming quick. I ascribe the same motive to Cleland.

I didn't see Trippi's appearance, but I did see his comments about freerepublic on the msnbc blog. He was the only person I've noticed, besides here on this board, who commented that Dan Rather didn't like the bloggers, but he ended up using an "expert" from a left-wing blog!

[tvn]

MEDIA ETHICS PROJECT SEEKS FCC RULING AGAINST CBS NEWS FOR RATHERGATE



Media Ethics Project (“MEP”) of New York today petitioned the FCC to sanction CBS News and its parent organization, Viacom, Inc., for its recent broadcast of news reports based on forged documents.

In announcing the FCC filing, MEP Chairman William L. Whitely stated: “Most people familiar with Dan Rather’s reports have seen solid evidence from various credible sources showing the documents to be forged. Yet, day in and day out, CBS has stubbornly continued to maintain that the memos are authentic. This supremely arrogant conduct violates the public trust and FCC rules and policies. Viacom cannot be allowed to flaunt the Commission’s rules in this manner. ”

MEP seeks a ruling by the FCC finding that the deliberate actions of CBS and Viacom maintaining the authenticity of the documents, constitute broadcasting of falsified, faked, distorted or staged news reports in violation of e Commission policies. MEP is asking the FCC to sanction Viacom including imposing fines and ordering forfeiture of one or more broadcast licenses .

Mr. Whitely added that, “This whole episode must be regarded as a remarkable failure of management. It is truly sad that the proud traditions of professionalism of CBS News, the division built by the likes of Morrow, Severeid, Reasoner, Mudd and Cronkite, have been allowed to slowly fade away. In their place is an organization where unprincipled ego, bias, negligence, partisanship and vindictiveness apparently determine the setting of management policy. Such changes are not in the best interest of CBS, the CBS affiliates and CBS shareholders, nor, most certainly, are they in the public interest as well. Staying to this course, the House that Paley Built will likely become the Network that Rather Wrecked.”

MEP has asked that the FCC expedite its consideration of the group’s Petition for Declaratory Ruling against CBS News.

See a full copy of the MEP Petition for Declaratory Ruling at http://mediaethicsproject.blogspot.com/ or www.mediaethics.8k.com

With MEP's filing, the FCC now has a formal Petition to review requesting that CBS be found guilty for violating Commission policy prohibiting the broadcasting of falsified, faked, distorted or staged news reports as contrary to the public interest.

All interested parties will now be able to contact the FCC to request that it take immediate action on the MEDIA ETHICS PROJECT Petition For Declaratory Ruling Against CBS News.

FCC Contact Information:

Chairman Michael K. Powell: Michael.Powell@fcc.gov ---
Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy: Kathleen.Abernathy@fcc.gov --- Commissioner Michael J. Copps: Michael.Copps@fcc.gov ---
Commissioner Kevin J. Martin: KJMWEB@fcc.gov ---
Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein: Jonathan.Adelstein@fcc.gov

[momofsixgirls]

bookmark

[crushelits]

Howard Stern is afiliated to CBS, he is going to have a fit. Hahahahahahhhhhaaaaa and hates Chairman Michael K. Powel

[stands2reason]

You can maybe trust the WaPo once in a while, but never trust the NYT. They won't run anything that isn't okay with top Dem officials.
This was spin to absolve the Dems -- cut Burkett out of the herd, isolate him, and sacrifice him. Thus endeth the investigation. Don't be surprised is the WaPo takes the hint and drops it.

It's a very common tack that government officials take when backed up against the wall. NYT is only happy to carry the DNC's water.

[crushelits]

Robin Rather works here: Tuerff-Davis EnviroMedia Inc
http://www.enviromedia.com/

For Immediate Release:
February 6, 2004
For information contact:
Ted Burton, 512-476-4368, ext. 306

Robin Rather Joins EnviroMedia's Growing Research Department
Founding CEO of Mindwave Research named Director of Research

(AUSTIN) - Austin-based Tuerff-Davis EnviroMedia Inc. is teaming with Robin Rather to expand the agency's in-house research department.

"We couldn't be more pleased to have Robin working with us," said Valerie Davis, EnviroMedia co-founder and principal. "It's a huge coup for our clients. Research guides everything we do at EnviroMedia - it's the foundation that supports all of our social marketing campaigns. With Robin's expertise, we'll continue to find new and innovative ways to use research to change public behavior about things like renewable energy, littering, smoking, conserving water and cleaning up the air we breathe."

Rather is the former CEO of Mindwave Research, which she founded in 1999. She brings to EnviroMedia more than 20 years of market research experience and is also well known in Austin as a passionate environmentalist and community activist. She is the former chair of Save Our Springs Alliance, vice president of the Hill Country Conservancy and on the advisory board of Environmental Defense. She serves on the executive committee of Envision Central Texas and as the chair of LiveableCity.

As Director of Research for EnviroMedia, Rather will oversee research strategy, focus groups and manage the agency's research vendors. Rather will continue her research consulting business and other environmental advocacy work from her office at EnviroMedia.

Rather and EnviroMedia have both earned national reputations for their innovative research. Rather has been recognized for her use of new research methods, for creating cutting-edge tracking studies and for her dynamic presentation style. EnviroMedia has won several national and state awards for its use of attitude and behavioral marketing for clients like the Texas Department of Transportation's "Don't Mess With Texas" litter-prevention campaign and the Texas Department of Health's tobacco-cessation effort.

"Robin's experience will help us take our research capabilities to an even higher level," said Kevin Tuerff, president of EnviroMedia. "Plus, she understands our clients' needs and believes in what they're trying to accomplish."

"This is a perfect fit for me," said Rather, who sold Mindwave Research to her partners in 2002 to focus on raising her young son. "EnviroMedia shares my passion for research and protecting the environment. I'm excited to apply the research skills I practiced for 20 years in the technology industry to truly meaningful social marketing campaigns.”


who in turn has hired this company.
http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:FxBhcJnBl14J:www.nrc-recycle.org/congress/programinfo/track3.htm+&hl=en
AND
http://www.nrc-recycle.org/

TERESA HEIZ KERRY IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL WITCH WHO GIVES TONS OF MONEY TO THESE KIND of ORGS. NEED A LINK...

[Factfinder]

"Cleland is now on record confirming that he spoke with Burkett and referred him to the Kerry campaign."

Exactly, it seems the NYT is building the case that the Kerryistas secretly referred the forger to CBS, for THEM to follow it up, which is how this is done. That way they can claim no connection.

Some on this thread fear the NYT is covering for CBS. But I'm with those thinking the journal sharks are smelling blood. (By the way, they seem to be sidestepping Van Os in this piece, though his connections to the DNC are deep.)

It doesn't matter, sooner or later some shark connects the unconnected dots. It's what makes them tick.

[crushelits]

Check this: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1218568/posts

[Dolphy]

Joseph C. Wilson! You know I follow HIS saga with keen interest.

It's funny to see his name come up right now. Remember his arrival on the scene, in the NY Times, when he said about the uranium memo:

As for the actual memorandum, I never saw it. But news accounts have pointed out that the documents had glaring errors — they were signed, for example, by officials who were no longer in government — and were probably forged.

[crushelits]

The rather out of touch Theresa Heinz

I heard on Rush Limbaugh today that a Kerry Campaign advance staffer (the dudes that case the events before the cnadidate arrives) had been quoted as saying that they didn't allow Theresa Heinz to go to the NYSE yesterday because it was not a staged event and they would not be able to have any control over Theresa's public interactions. Seems the fuss is all about her "shove it" remark during the DNC Convention last Sunday.

Additionally, Theresa is so out of touch with real people that when she, John Kerry and the Edwards went to an Ohio Wendys to celebrate the Edwards' 27th anniversary, she had trouble chosing something to eat from the menu. Apparently, nothing was good enough for her. She pointed to a picture of chili and asked what it was, ordered it and then ended up tossing it in a trash bin uneaten before the entourage left.

And their wondering where that post-convention bump is...

[DB]

Dan Rather's "unimpeachable" source...

Gotta love it!

The fire's going to get really hot when that starts to sink in.

[nonkultur]

Let's take another look at Burkett's lawyer

Van Os & Cleland

[Walkenfree]

Greetings to all, from "Walkenfree",in California. Thanks Magnum for the opportunity to help with your screen name. Suggestion: Keep the Magnum, drop the Rancid.