They were trying to get really down and dirty -- even dirtier than the shirking of duty story that they couldn't prove after 5 years of digging. These documents were forged to frame the President by showing that he disobeyed a direct order from a superior officer. They were going for the jugular. They are NOT going to get away with it. I imagine behind the scenes that President Bush is furious about this.
I just figured out why Burkett would want to talk to someone in the Kerry campaign before turning over the documents - he was asking for a job in the Kerry administration in exchange for the documents.