Anatomy of a Forgery

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

[hope]

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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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[MamaLucci]

Here ya go.

[JesseJane]

Thanks MamaLucci!!

[Cboldt]

That may be the angle that will hang them, because it looks as if CBS is about to be terminally embarrassed.

File letters with your local CBS broadcast affiliate, expressing that this action demonstrates CBS is not broadcasting in the public interest. The station MUST hold letters on file, for when their broadcast license comes up for review.

[MamaLucci]

My pleasure. :)

[hope]

read this!

[Spunky]

W doesn't stand for Women.

W doesn't stand for Wrong.

Wstands for WHOOP A--!

[SunkenCiv]

Ernest, looky, Karl Rove *deceived* the Kerry campaign into using false documents!!! ;')

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.

Y'know, I wonder what good damage control is when it results in even more damage? Oh, I know...

George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per cent

[white_wolf]

And the first line in number 2 is off slightly after the halfway point because you forgot to put a space between "147" and the "th". The reason the "th" did not superscript in the forgery (if it was done in MS Word) is also because of this space put in by the forger (if MS Word sees a "th" or "st" with no space after numbers, it assumes it means "fifth" or "first" or similar, and superscripts it). If you put the space in as it is in the forgery, it will line up even better.

[bert]

"I told you so" GWB

[finnman69]

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.

[Aquinasfan]

Now, the producer says, there is growing concern inside the building on 57th Street that they may have been suckered by the Kerry campaign.

An unfortunate mental image...

[728b]

Bump for keepsake.

[ride the whirlwind]

Would not CBS revealing the source be against MSM rules? I don't expect that to happen, particularly if it would tarnish Kerry. When in doubt, side with the liberal.

They're too

[ThomasMore]

Dem strategist saying it's Bush's fault.

People forget real quick that the whole Viet Nam mess and the military service and duty mess was originated by the Dems. (before Herman Munster was expected to make it through the primaries). When GW landed on the aircraft carrier, the Dems called it reckless and then brought into question his military service. They started this whole issue. GW produced his file. Next, Kerry made his Viet Nam service record (BS) his platform. Now they want all this to end. Sorry Dummy's, but you opened pandora's box. Live with it!

[dinasour]

Thanks Linda.

You are a great asset.

BTW, you and Registered should have children together. :-)

[Veto!]

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.

Nah, Rove is busy engineering Hurricane Ivan to hit Florida so Bush can go in and look like a hero again.

The "smaller segment" no doubt includes Rather, the most unbiased reporter ever.

[baseballmom]

"Now, while young Americans are dying in the sands of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan, our nation is being torn apart and made weaker because of the Democrat's manic obsession to bring down our Commander in Chief.
Zell Miller

We're mad as Zell, and we aren't going to take it anymore.

[halosfan2002]

PING

[formercalifornian]

LOL

[ravingnutter]

That someone doesn't remember one person who came a few times and read flight manuals is not at all surprising.

Actually there WERE people that remembered him, several of them if I remember correctly. I know that Lt. Col John Calhoun was one. He pointed out the fact that Bush signed in on the Duty Sheet that Calhoun kept on his desk.