In Rush to Air, CBS Quashed Memo Worries

Washington Post ^ | 09/20/2004 | Howard Kurtz, Michael Dobbs

[jhouston]

In the early-morning hours of Sept. 8, Dan Rather was preparing to fly to Washington for a crucial interview in the Old Executive Office Building, but torrential rain kept him in New York.

White House communications director Dan Bartlett had agreed to talk to "60 Minutes," but only on condition that the CBS program provide copies of what were being billed as newly unearthed memos indicating that President Bush had received preferential treatment in the National Guard. The papers were hand-delivered at 7:45 a.m. CBS correspondent John Roberts, filling in for Rather, sat down with Bartlett at 11:15.

[2nd amendment mama]

That was exactly my thought. In fact, I can't believe that CBS fell for it....LOL

[Diddley]

These people (Including Burkett and Rather) have such a long-standing, unhealthy, psychotic hatred of Bush (and conservatives) that they have literally driven themselves crazy, IMO.

[okie01]

August 21, and Cleland came to Texas August 24.

Burkett circulated an e-mail on August 21, saying he had been in touch with Cleland. The phone might have taken place on August 21...or sometime earlier.

[bitt]

Dan Bartlett played this perfectly. My hat is off to him.

[VRWCTexan]

On August 25, he posted the message that "we have reassembled [Bush's] files".

$64.00 question who is the "we" besides Burkett = Mapes, Kerry campaign??

[plangent]

You're right on the news value. And, consider that Texas was such a Republican dominated state in 1968 that favors were essential. Now the question is why in heck would a Democrat in a Democrat controlled state put such energy (and remembrance) in helping out kid of a Republican Congressman? Something about Barnes is as phoney as his stock swindle.

[Inyokern]

$64.00 question who is the "we" besides Burkett = Mapes, Kerry campaign??

Ben Barnes?

[hobson]

You are correct. I should have been more clear.

[bitt]

for info on Sharpstown Scandal, see
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1210174/posts

[VRWCTexan]

My money is on Mapes - Barnes comes out and says he's ready to talk - then just two days later (after 4+ years of searching by CBS) the written "proof" suddenly shows up on Mapes door-step - NOT LIKELY!!!!

WE may never know for certain, but I have to believe that Burkett had some "help" in compiling these fakes.

[bitt]

see this good graphic for comparison of docs.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/daily/graphics/guard_091404.html

[TXnMA]

I believe FReepers have observed that the latest Bush-bashing ad series ("Favored Son"?) parrots the CBS story line. Could it be that Rather was in a rush to get this story out to bolster the forthcoming DNC/MoveOn ad campaign?

Of course, it may have simply been that Rather childishly couldn't wait to get his "Big Gotcha!" on the Bushes...

-----------------------

But you have to admire Bush and the white house guys. Makes you wonder if Bush hasn't fished for catfish: "When you feel ol' Whiskers nibble on the bait, release the reel so there's no drag on the line -- and let him run with it. There's plenty of time to set the hook after he swallows the bait!" ;-}

[traviskicks]

wow! nice visual. did you make that? The perfect picture of inscestual depravity! One question, it says on there that David Van Os (Burkett's lawyer) campaigned with Max Cleland? Do you have sources for that? That could be a key part of the puzzle.

[counterpunch]

CBS says docs first, then Barnes.

Well really, as I remember it, it was Barnes who said docs first them him, and cited the docs as the reason he decided to finally tell the world the "truth" after all these years.

This was a huge step for him, if you believe he is sincere. He was freed at last when he saw these memos. He no longer had to live the lie!

No memos, no Barnes coming forward. Therefore, he saw then before Mapes or Rather did, but only by a couple days.

That is one extraordinary coincidence if it wasn't coordinated, or as has been suggested, part of a package.

Perhaps Barnes called Dan Rather and said, "I've got documents, and I want to do an interview." Then Dan says: "Ok, fax me the documents so we can "authenticate".

Where is Barnes from..? does he live within a 125 mile radius of that Abilene Kinkos..?
Who says it had to be Burkett that faxed the memos..?
It sounds like he physically handed off the documents, and then was left in the dark, at least up until the time of that email he sent out.

His participation may have ended at the hand-off to the Kerry campaign, and Barnes ran with it from there.
Barnes would make a lot more sense as the "unimpeachable source."

I bet 'ol Dan never even knew it actually came from that Burkett nutjob!
Hahaha! He was duped by Kerry's campaign!
No wonder he was so adamant that it was real.
And no wonder he has so stubbornly protected his sources.

[igoramus987]

The 4th document examiner James J. Pierce is not happy with CBS. c.f. link...

Moon writes:

I called Pierce at about 7:30 p.m. Thursday night [9/16]. I told him I was with the Athens Banner-Herald newspaper, doing a piece about the Killian memos. He asked me how I got his home phone number, and I told him. I thought he might hang up, but he stayed on the line... maybe because I was upfront with him and not aggressive in asking him questions. He said he couldn't give me many details about his analysis of the documents that CBS gave him because he was still “in the middle of studying them“. More on that to come...

- The key point: Pierce seemed upset that CBS is using his ‘Professional Opinion’ memo of 9/14 to prop up their defense about the Killian memos being authentic. Pierce said “CBS is wrong, CBS is wrong” to portray it that way, saying it twice for emphasis. He said that his PO memo was only a preliminary judgment, “not a final conclusion” on all the documents.

- The (for me) stunner: Pierce said that the reason he hadn't rendered a final conclusion yet was that he was only “midway through his analysis” of all the documents - speaking as though there were many docs. CBS gave you other documents besides the four that 60 Minutes used in the story? “Lots more documents” were his exact words.

in http://politicalities.typepad.com/ September 15, 2004 entry...

there is a link to http://www.signascan.com/testimonials.htm which contains
TRIAL EXPERTS Plaintiff: Tracey Charles, anesthesiologist. James Pierce, handwriting analyst.

from link...

September 16, 2004

Who is this James J. Pierce anyways

Not listed on the American B of Forensic Document Examiners, not listed in the White Pages or Yellow pages for Newport Beach which would be surprising for someone who seems to be a freelance document examiner. He's the "Stealth" document examiner...one wonders how he gets business...

He's not on the Superior Court of LA's list of Expert Witnesses though Matley is on that list.

Pierce is quoted as still reviewing the documents on 9/16, more than one week after the airing. Was Peirce even consulted for his opinion prior to the airing, opposite to what CBS maintains?

[KingKongCobra]

"It's nice to an out of control commie scoundrel like Mary Mapes get her come uppance. Hopefully she'll get the boot."

This article targets her very directly. They make several efforts to point out her mistakes (gathering the doc, verifying the doc, ignoring her experts, telling Heyman and the lawyers it was OK at the last minute. They've pinned this on her and I'm beginning to think Dan may survive but she is finished.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

What is left of the story? What are the allegations? This CBS story is the shoddiest piece of journalism I have EVER SEEN. I cannot believe it. If I was the CEO of a company that were this incompetent I would fire the lot.

Agreed. It's going to happen. But not in "the heat of the moment". Rather and the rest of these clowns are already fired. They just don't know it yet.

[Cboldt]

On Friday, Sept. 3, the day after the convention ended, Mapes hit pay dirt. She told Howard her source had given her the documents

That's funny .. wasn't it reported they had the documents for 6 weeks??

Actually, that makes sense. Somebody "primed" Mapes by telling her they had documents. That somebody is inside the Democrat party, maybe DNC, maybe Kerry campaign, maybe Barnes, on orders from DNC or Kerry campaign. Then, after she has been "primed," the source provides the documents on September 3.

[bayourod]

Barnes is as big a cad as Kerry. In 1971 he was dating the UT homecoming queen. He dumped her to marry a rich older widow with three kids and run for Governor.

[t2buckeye]

And this chart will make it on the front page of the New York Times.............
yeah, right