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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[Henk]

Gee, you think Kerry acted on poor intelligence?

I wonder if there are any conclusions we might draw about how he would behave as president when he makes an impestuous, ill-advised attack based on circumspect intelligence.

[JulieRNR21]

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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LOL.....When our scheme to smear Bush fails and it looks like we (CBS) got caught with our fingers in the (DemonRATs') cookie jar of dirty tricks.....we can blame that 'mastermind of political intrigue' Karl Rove!

[Uncle Miltie]

The Kerry campaign issued suspected forgeries with no more providence than a staffer's say so?

Kerry's dead. Deader than yesterday.

[woofie]

Karl was at my house a month ago working on this ...

[Howlin]

FYI.

[LikeLight]

Well, gosh, I bet Halliburton owns a lot of computers with Times New Roman font . . . how do we know it wasn't Cheney's minions at Halliburton . . . I mean they have a lot of military connections too . . . and copy machines . . .

[SusaninOhio]

This has certainly been an interesting day.

If CBS is so stupid that they can be duped that easily, by such obvious forgeries, they don't deserve to exist any more as a serious news source.

Possibly a case of not being quite as clever as they have been telling themselves they are.

[Freee-dame]

"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."

old media bump

[hoosiermama]

Since these are falsified military document a full investigation should begin immediately....WHo emailed them to whom. WHo's finger prints are on the documents etc....

Boy would I like to see some familiar names do time.....I know just wishful thinking.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Check it, dog. West side.

[ProudVet77]

Hillary passed them along. They would do anything for her.

[Henk]

provenance

[Travis McGee]

How many days until Kerry is forced to hold a press conference, where he annuonces the "resignation" of an "overzealous junior staffer who instigated a hoax, which got out of hand."

Kerry is TOAST.

[farmfriend]

Personal list.

[Toespi]

Evidently, these docs have been around for while. Betch, they were shown to Begalia and/or Carville and they gave the nod to give them to CBS. "Hay they boays wha ya'll setten on nis heer stuff? Nis es danomite git it ta Radder rat now."

[Viet-Boat-Rider]

NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER

John Kerry has a big problem!

Diagnostic criteria for 301.81 Narcissistic Personality Disorder (cautionary statement) A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

(1) has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)

(2) is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love

(3) believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)

(4) requires excessive admiration

(5) has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations

(6) is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends

(7) lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others

(8) is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her

(9) shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

HOW MANY OF THESE TRAITS TO YOU SEE IN JOHN KERRY? I SEE ALL OF THEM. KERRY IS SICK LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AND WE CAN NOT ALLOW THIS NUT CASE TO GET ELECTED.

[jwalsh07]

Coordination between CBS and Kerry folks?

Isn't it illegal for a 527 and the Kerry campaign to coordinate?

[man from mars]

ABC is reporting tonight that their experts say the document from CBS are fake and that the Col didn't even type. He took notes only. He was proud to meet the Bush Family the day George got is wings.

[Travis McGee]

The old media never stood a chance.

They still don't get it, they don't understand that their monopoly has been broken.

Dinosaurs staring up at an incoming meteor.

[Henk]

If CBS is so stupid that they can be duped that easily, by such obvious forgeries, they don't deserve to exist any more as a serious news source.

If KERRY is so stupid that he can be duped that easily, by such obvious forgeries, he doesn't deserve to BE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF.