Sunday, Sept. 12, 2004 10:18 a.m. EDT
CBS Won't Deny Kerry Link to Forged Docs
In a development that could have devastating implications for John Kerry's presidential campaign, CBS News is refusing to say whether the top Democrat, his campaign aides or any other prominent party officials had anything to do with supplying "60 Minutes" with a National Guard memo about President Bush that experts say was forged.
Asked about a Kerry connection to the forged memo, a senior CBS official told the New York Post, "I can't answer that question."
The unnamed CBS executive then promptly hung up.
Since Wednesday, when he first aired the Bush Guard document as authentic, CBS anchorman Dan Rather has steadfastly refused to identify its source. Ruling out the Kerry campaign, however, certainly wouldn't violate that confidentiality pledge.
On Friday, Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe vehemently denied that his office or anyone at the Kerry campaign was involved.
"No one here at the Democratic National Committee had anything at all to do with any of those documents," McAuliffe told reporters. "I can unequivocally speak for the Kerry for President Campaign Committee, nor do they have anything to do with these documents. Absolutely not."
It's unclear whether McAuliffe had actually investigated a possible Kerry link to the forged documents, or was just offering his opinion.
****ASKED BY WHOM???
As usual, a Newsmax article with NO ATTRIBUTIONS.
Asked about a Kerry connection to the forged memo, a senior CBS official told the New York Post, "I can't answer that question."
I would assume "asked by a reporter from the New York Post". Checking with their news desk now.
Which rat is going to fall on the sword for the good of the party? My bet is the mail room guy.
McAuliffe told reporters. "I can unequivocally speak for the Kerry for President Campaign Committee, nor do they have anything to do with these documents. Absolutely not."
Here's a partial post of Hugh Hewitt's interview with Terry McAuliffe from the RNC. I only posted the part where McAuliffe will not speak for the Kerry campaign.
HEWITT: Do you believe that John Kerry took a CIA man into Cambodia and kept his hat?
MCAULIFFE: Uh, I have no idea.
HEWITT: You have no idea that he made that story to the Washington Post and that he made it again in 2004 to the LA Times?
MCAULIFFE: If John Kerry said he did something, I’ll take John Kerry at his word.
HEWITT: Do you think that he ran guns to anti-communists in Cambodia which he told the U.S. News & World Report on May of 2000?
MCAULIFFE: I don’t know. You’d have to ask John Kerry about that. I don’t know what he did in Cambodia or didn’t. That was a war 35 years ago. I want to talk about this year. HEWITT: Did he go to Cambodia on Christmas Eve --your understanding-- in 1968?
MCAULIFFE: I think he probably did and probably George Bush when he was in the Alabama National Guard was driving the boat.
HEWITT: Obviously though, George Bush never made that claim but John Kerry has made numerous claims about his record in Cambodia. Does that matter to you?
MCAULIFFE: Oh sure, everything matters what people say. Absolutely. George Bush also said that he showed up in the Alabama National Guard and never showed up.
HEWITT: You’re still holding that story that he never showed up . . .
MCAULIFFE: Hugh, wait a minute. They’ve released the documents and all we’ve got is more questions. He had one dental appointment. Big deal.
HEWITT: Now, should John Kerry meet with the press and answer all the questions about the Cambodia stuff?
MCAULIFFE: I think John Kerry ought to go before the press and answer any questions they put out there. I’m always for that. Absolutely. I also want George Bush to answer some questions why he said he now miscalculated the war in Iraq. He says that we can’t win the war on terror. I have a lot of questions for Bush.
HEWITT: Why hasn’t John Kerry met with the media since the Chris Wallace interview on the Sunday after the convention for extensive questions? He’s had a couple passerby’s on the airplane but nothing on film and he hasn’t met with the press.
MCAULIFFE: This is all news to me, Hugh. I don’t know. I will be glad to ask Senator Kerry why he’s not met with you or any other the other . . .
HEWITT: Not me, but anybody. But Chairman of the party aren’t you concerned he’s hiding from the press?
MCAULIFFE: John Kerry is out campaigning every single day. There are press on his plane, 40 press, there’s a backup plane loaded with press, he talks to them on the rope line going in and out of the plane. I’m on the plane. I see him talking to press every single day.
HEWITT: He hasn’t answered any of these questions about Swift Vote Veterans ads. People want to ask about the CIA man in Cambodia in 2003. Don’t they have a right . . .
A day after Terry McAuliffe told me he had never heard of the CIA man and the magic hat, McAuliffe told the bloggers that Kerry went into Cambodia twice, once with the CIA man.
"No one here at the Democratic National Committee had anything at all to do with any of those documents," McAuliffe told reporters. "I can unequivocally speak for the Kerry for President Campaign Committee, nor do they have anything to do with these documents. Absolutely not."
If he is so certain of this, it must mean he knows the source
---On Friday, Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe vehemently denied that his office or anyone at the Kerry campaign was involved.
"No one here at the Democratic National Committee had anything at all to do with any of those documents," McAuliffe told reporters. "I can unequivocally speak for the Kerry for President Campaign Committee, nor do they have anything to do with these documents. Absolutely not."
It's unclear whether McAuliffe had actually investigated a possible Kerry link to the forged documents, or was just offering his opinion. ---
It's interesting that the DNC had official comments up on 8Sep04, the same day as the show aired! He's making official comments on the DNC website from a TV show?
---Sep 8, 2004
McAuliffe Statement on Breaking News About Bush's Military Record
Washington, D.C. - Responding to breaking news regarding George W. Bush's military record, Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe issued this statement:
"George W. Bush's cover story on his National Guard service is rapidly unraveling.
"Tonight's CBS New report made clear that President Bush has misrepresented the nature of his National Guard service for decades to the American people. And now that questions are being raised, only Bush can settle this once and for all by answering the unanswered questions about his Guard service.
"CBS News exclusively obtained documents that flatly contradict two of Bush's often repeated claims about his time in the National Guard - that he received no special treatment and that he fulfilled his duty.
"According to these new military documents, political pressure was applied and strings were pulled for President Bush at every step of the process: to get in the Guard, to stay in the Guard, and to exit the Guard.
"These are serious charges. They have not been leveled by his opponent. Or by a political party. Or by an outside group. They are based on documents from the personal files of Col. Jerry Killian, Bush's squadron commander.
"George W. Bush needs to answer why he regularly misled the American people about his time in the Guard and who applied political pressure on his behalf to have his performance reviews 'sugarcoated'?"---
https://www.democrats.org/news/200409090001.html