Anatomy of a Forgery

The American Spectator ^ | 9-10-4 | Washington Prowler

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Anatomy of a Forgery

By The Prowler

Published 9/10/2004 12:09:06 AM

More than six weeks ago, an opposition research staffer for the Democratic National Committee received documents purportedly written by President George W. Bush's Texas Air National Guard squadron commander, the late Col. Jerry Killian. The oppo researcher claimed the source was "a retired military officer." According to a DNC staffer, the documents were seen by both senior staff members at the DNC, as well as the Kerry campaign. "More than a couple people heard about the papers," says the DNC staffer. "I've heard that they ended up with the Kerry campaign, for them to decide to how to proceed, and presumably they were handed over to 60 Minutes, which used them the other night. But I know this much. When there was discussion here, there were doubts raised about their authenticity." The concerns arose from the sourcing. "It wasn't clear that our source for the documents would have had access to them. Our person couldn't confirm from what file, from what original source they came from." The documents that CBS News used were not documents from any of Bush's personnel files from his time in the National Guard. Rather, CBS News stated that they were documents uncovered in the personnel files of Killian. That would explain why the White House or the Pentagon had never before released or even seen them. According to a Kerry campaign source, there was little gossip about the supposedly hot documents inside the office of the campaign on McPherson Square. "Those documents were not something anyone was talking about or trying to generate buzz on," says the staffer. "It wasn't like there were small groups of people talking about this as a bombshell. I think people here weren't sure what to make of it, because provenance of these documents was uncertain." A CBS producer, who initially tipped off The Prowler about the 60 Minutes story, says that despite seeking professional assurances that the documents were legitimate, there was uncertainty even among the group of producers and researchers working on the story. "The problem was we had one set of documents from Bush's file that had Killian calling Bush 'an exceptionally fine young officer and pilot.' And someone who Killian said 'performed in an outstanding manner.' Then you have these new documents and the tone and content are so different." The CBS producer said that some alarms bells went off last week when the signatures and initials of Killian on the documents in hand did not match up with other documents available on the public record, but producers chose to move ahead with the story. "This was too hot not to push. If there were doubts, those people didn't show it," says the producer, who works on a rival CBS News program. Now, the producer says, there is growing concern inside the building on 57th Street that they may have been suckered by the Kerry campaign. "There is a school of thought here that the Kerry people dumped this in our laps, figuring we'd do the heavy lifting on the story. That maybe they had doubts about these documents but hoped we'd get more information," says the producer. "If that's the case, then we're bigger fools than we already appear to be judging by all the chatter about how these documents could be forgeries." ABC News' political unit held a conference call at 7:00 p.m. Thursday evening to discuss the memo and its potential ramifications should the documents turn out to be a forgery. That meeting took place around the time that the deceased Killian's son made public statements questioning the documents' authenticity. According to one ABC News employee, some reporters believe that the Kerry campaign as well as the DNC were parties in duping CBS, but a smaller segment believe that both the DNC and the Kerry campaign were duped by Karl Rove, who would have engineered the flap to embarrass the opposition.

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[Treeless Branch]

Have you never heard of a document scanner?
You can scan docs and then email them.
This works for old docs too.

Don't focus on this aspect, the rest of the evidence is too strong.

[fortheDeclaration]

"Man, Karl is soooooo clever! He knew the DNC would suspect the fake Bush docs he typed up, but he also knew that Kerry would push them onto a media source. He knew, of course, that the MSM souce would question the authenticity of the docs, but he knew that they were too juicy for them not to make a prime time special out of. Are we talking strategery or what???"

Yea, I am sure glad he is on our side!
LOL!

[fortheDeclaration]

"CBS will now turn on the Kerry camp for giving them forged documents and making them look like fools. They will run stories harmful to Kerry, and may out his campaign as the source of the documents in order to pay Kerry back for making them look stupid. Sure, they're lefties, but this is business, and politics is thrown out the window when someone threatens your profits."

That is the assumption that CBS did not know they were forgaries.
CBS was so anxious to slam Bush that they took them without a serious investigation.
I do not think there will be any reaction against Kerry over this.
They will do some damage control and continue their efforts against Bush.
It will be the New Media which is going to generate the heat, the Old Media is going to circle the wagons with alot of weasel words 'possiblity''maybe''likely' blah, blah, blah

[Graymatter]

CBS blaming Kerry campaign...

This is VERY interesting :) CBS provides the vehicle for the drive-by shooting, and now they're annoyed? You know, even if the docs turn out to be genuine, the damage is done --- not to GWB but to the Kerry campaign and the media! And the media is about the only friend John Kerry has. They could get really nasty if they decide to blame Kerry for their embarrassment.

[Fishtalk]

but a smaller segment believe that both the DNC and the Kerry campaign were duped by Karl Rove, who would have engineered the flap to embarrass the opposition.

You spelled out pathetic in caps and I couldn't agree more. If one silly CBS person repeats this insanity then they will look even stupider.

Demo strategist on Fox now saying documents were come by via the FOIA(Freedome of Info Act). Isn't that in direct contradiction with this article? Dem spin doctor says absolutely not was the Kerry camp responsible for this. Also says time to stop talking about all of this.

Wowie, do yourselves a favor and listen to all the spin doctors from the Dems.

Dem strategist saying it's Bush's fault.

Also, since FreeRepublic broke this damaging story, well I heard, ahem, there have been documents found....it's really bad, guys.

They have compromising pictures of Howlin with a homosexual midget. Also JohnHuang2, got some documents of his divorce papers...seems he's been married four times, all at the same time.

I don't even want to tell you what they've got on Jim Robinson.

All authentic and verified, mind you. And all sent to CBS.

[veronica]

I remember when Rove was accused of that whole debate rehearsal tape flap in the 2000 cycle. Wasn't so!

This forgery thing is hilarious.

[alwaysconservative]

Karl Rove and his mind control ray are making Kerry look foolish again!

This is a perfect example of why I love FReepers so! What a GREAT line!

[fortheDeclaration]

"Last night after reading the posts about the TANG memos on 60 Minutes, I sent up a very earnest prayer to God that He snatch the evil arrows of lies being thrown at our President and reverse their direction so they shoot the Accuser in the foot.
I love the sound of one foot hopping!!"

Amen!
"Keep me from the snares wich they have laid for me and the gins of the workers of iniquity

Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst I withal escape"

Psa. 141:9-10

[Graymatter]

I can't agree that CBS will stick with Kerry. No honor among thieves. Especially if they knew the docs were forgeries, they are likely to turn on Kerry. The guy doing the shooting and the guy driving the getaway car do not stay friends on the way to criminal court.

If CBS didn't know they were forgeries, CBS is guilty of slipshod journalism, to put it mildly. (After all we are talking about the falsified military records of the POTUS.) They have to shift the blame.

Indeed, for CBS it is a worse thing to be party to a fraud, than to be partisan. Whether or not they knew the docs were phony, the essential point is they didn't care.

[fortheDeclaration]

"So who gave the copies to CBS?"

Maybe the same person who hired Livingston?
We never did find out who hired him did we?

[fortheDeclaration]

Thanks.

[steveegg]

What did Kerry know and when did he know it?

The question should be extended to include Hiliary.

[Talking_Mouse]

There is now coke all over my keyboard and monitor. I blame you, not Karl Rove.

[Poohbah]

B.S. Even Rove would not think so many people could be so stupid as to ignore the obvious problems with these documents.

But the Force gives Rove power over weaker minds. (c8

[Rutles4Ever]

Good God! My jaw is absolutely hitting the floor. CBS is gonna throw Kerry under the bus!

These brainiac producers that pushed the story because it was "hot", instead of erring on the side of caution, just saw there careers vanish into thin air. TPTB at CBS are going to punish the Kerry campaign ruthlessly...

[Poohbah]

CBS didn't stand a chance. They were like a placid tree-grazing brontosaurus, staring up at an incoming meteor.

Priceless image.

[Rutles4Ever]

Disagree. Many careers are on the brink because of this. No one's going to be loyal to Kerry when the paychecks stop because of this stupid stunt. Kerry is persona non grata to the media at this point. I don't think his campaign can deliver any more material to the networks with their integrity so seriously wounded.

[Poohbah]

Osama's dead. I'd bet a large amount of money on that. But his head will do.

I want to drink a pint of Guinness out of Osama's skull! (c8

[xzins]

If they are this deceitful, they are also malicious enough to pay off the original source to claim he received it from some Bush operative -- Rove or otherwise.

[Thane_Banquo]

"This was too hot not to push. If there were doubts, those people didn't show it," says the producer, who works on a rival CBS News program.

Translation: CBS News knew the documents were fake but decided to run the story anyway in hopes that they could win some votes for Kerry.