I am shocked.Shocked.
Posted on 09/18/2004 8:26:29 PM PDT by NavVet
AUSTIN, Texas - A retired Texas National Guard official mentioned as a possible source for disputed documents about President Bush (news - web sites)'s service in the Guard said he passed along information to a former senator working with John Kerry (news - web sites)'s campaign.
Also Saturday, a White House official said Bush has reviewed disputed documents that purport to show he refused orders to take a physical examination in 1972 and did not recall having seen them previously.
The long-running story on Bush's Texas Air National Guard service took an unusual twist when CBS broadcast a report on what it said were the newly discovered records. The authenticity of the documents has come into doubt.
In his first public comment on the CBS documents controversy, the president told The Union Leader of Manchester, N.H., "There are a lot of questions about the documents, and they need to be answered."
The retired Guard official, Bill Burkett, said in an Aug. 21 e-mail to a list of Texas Democrats that after getting through "seven layers of bureaucratic kids" in the Democrat's campaign, he talked with former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland about information that would counter criticism of Kerry's Vietnam War service. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the e-mail Saturday.
"I asked if they wanted to counterattack or ride this to ground and outlast it, not spending any money. (Cleland) said counterattack. So I gave them the information to do it with," Burkett wrote.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
"'I asked if they wanted to counterattack or ride this to ground and outlast it, not spending any money. (Cleland) said counterattack. So I gave them the information to do it with,' Burkett wrote."
Seems pretty straightforward.
If the parties were reversed it would be "Bush-Backer Source of Files"
Post this over on DU ...and watch them faint.
I am shocked.Shocked.
Has Max Cleeland been gambling?
Yeah, on a job in the Kerry White House.
Thought Max Cleland is/was working for the Kerry campaign?
Hey can someone roll me over to Kinko's?
Granted, it's about a 2hr drive, but I wonder if Burkett was anywhere around when Cleland went to Crawford to deliver the letter to Bush a few weeks back...
I live in Georgia, so I can say unequivocally that Max Cleland is a troll.
It sounds as if Max Cleland would be an "unimpeachable" source and someone that CBS would want to protect. They are thinking long and hard before giving up the amputee. Therefore it does have DNC connections.
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 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
Cleland would seem more likely worth protecting. Dan would be more (in my opinion) willing to hold the tough line for him and memo's chain of custody. If this does get attributed to the DNC it would be a total disaster for the party. Maybe Zell can lead the way for the new new Dems (wishful thinking).
Absolutely, it's as clear as a bell. He gave THEM the information. THEM.
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