Bush Guard Memos Scrutinized (Kerry's lying pals at CBS begin a slow back-peddle)

CBS supposed "News" ^ | Friday, September 10, 2004

[JohnHuang2]

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Bush Guard Memos Under Microscope
NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2004


Questions were raised Thursday about the authenticity of newly unearthed memos purporting to have been written by one of President Bush's National Guard commanders in 1972 and 1973.

The memos, which were publicized on CBS News' 60 Minutes, say Mr. Bush ignored a direct order from a superior officer and lost his status as a Guard pilot because he failed to meet military performance standards and undergo a required physical exam.

The network defended the memos, saying its experts who examined the memos concluded they were authentic documents produced by Lt. Col. Jerry Killian.

But Killian's son, one of Killian's fellow officers and an independent document examiner questioned the memos.

Gary Killian, who served in the Guard with his father and retired as a captain in 1991, said he doubted his father would have written an unsigned memo which said there was pressure to "sugar coat" Mr. Bush's performance review.

"It just wouldn't happen," he said. "No officer in his right mind would write a memo like that."

The personnel chief in Killian's unit at the time also said he believes the documents are fake.

"They looked to me like forgeries," said Rufus Martin. "I don't think Killian would do that, and I knew him for 17 years." Killian died in 1984.

Independent document examiner Sandra Ramsey Lines said the memos looked like they had been produced on a computer using Microsoft Word software. Lines, a document expert and fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, pointed to a superscript — a smaller, raised "th" in "111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron" — as evidence indicating forgery.

Microsoft Word automatically inserts superscripts in the same style as the two on the memos obtained by CBS, she said.

"I'm virtually certain these were computer generated," Lines said after reviewing copies of the documents at her office in Paradise Valley, Ariz. She produced a nearly identical document using her computer's Microsoft Word software.

In the Wednesday broadcast, 60 Minutes said the purported memos were "documents we are told were taken from Col. Killian's personal file. The program says it consulted a handwriting analyst and document expert who believes the material is authentic.

"As is standard practice at CBS News, the documents in the 60 Minutes report were thoroughly examined and their authenticity vouched for by independent experts," CBS News said in a statement. "As importantly, 60 Minutes also interviewed close associates of Colonel Jerry Killian. They confirm that the documents reflect his opinions and actions at the time."

The White House distributed the four memos from 1972 and 1973 after obtaining them from CBS News. The White House did not question their accuracy.

Robert Strong was a friend and colleague of Killian who ran the Texas Air National Guard administrative office in the Vietnam era. Strong, now a college professor, also believes the documents are genuine.

"They are compatible with the way business was done at the time. They are compatible with the man that I remember Jerry Killian being," says Strong. "I don't see anything in the documents that is discordant with what were the times, what was the situation and what were the people involved."

The documents were described in a 60 Minutes that featured a retired Texas politician's claim that he pulled strings to get young Mr. Bush, then a college graduate at the height of the Vietnam War in 1968, into the Guard — a posting that made service overseas unlikely.

Former Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes — then the 29-year-old speaker of the Texas House — told CBS News Anchor Dan Rather that he used influence on Mr. Bush's behalf at the request of a Houston businessman friendly with the Bush family, oilman Sid Adger.

Mr. Bush has denied he received special treatment. The White House ascribed Barnes' remarks to political motives. Barnes is an adviser to Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry.

The president's service record emerged as an issue during the 2000 race and again this winter. The Killian documents revived the issue of Mr. Bush's time in uniform after weeks in which Kerry, a decorated Vietnam combat veteran, has faced questions over his record as a Navy officer and an anti-war protester.

In May 1968, Mr. Bush signed a six-year commitment to fly for the Air Guard. Mr. Bush was honorably discharged from the Guard in October 1973 and left the Air Force Reserves in May 1974.

Early in his military career, Mr. Bush received glowing evaluations from Killian, who called Lt. Bush "an exceptionally fine young officer and pilot" who "performed in an outstanding manner."

Documents released this week show Mr. Bush with scores of 88 on an airmanship test, 98 on aviation physiology and 100 on navigational abilities.

The questions about Mr. Bush's service center on how Mr. Bush got into the Guard and whether he fulfilled his duties during a period from mid-1972 to mid-1973.

After taking his last flight in April 1972, Mr. Bush went for six months without showing up for any training drills.

That May, Mr. Bush skipped a required yearly medical examination. In response, his commanders grounded him on Aug. 1, 1972.

In September 1972 he received permission to transfer to the Alabama unit so he could work on a political campaign there.

What the Killian memos purported to show is that Mr. Bush defied a direct order to appear for the physical, that his performance as an officer was lacking in other ways and that Mr. Bush used family connections to try to quash any inquiry into his lapses.

In a separate revelation, the Boston Globe this week reported that Mr. Bush promised to sign up with a Boston-area unit when he left his Texas unit in 1973 to attend Harvard Business School. Mr. Bush never signed up with a Boston unit.

Bartlett claimed in 1999 that Mr. Bush had joined a Boston unit. Bartlett told the Globe this week that he "misspoke."



©MMIV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[SuziQ]

Do you know what position he held at the time?

I read on FR that, at the time of George W.'s entry into the Guard, Barnes was the Speaker of the House in the Texas legislature. He has actually said UNDER OATH that he was NOT pressured by the Bush family or anyone else to get George W. into the Air Natl. Guard. Even Bob Barnes' daughter is saying that he is lying now when he says he DID help George W.!

Dan Rather also apparently never mentioned in the report that Bob Barnes is now a MAJOR fundraiser for John Kerry. I didn't see it, but that's what I've read. Interesting that those ties weren't mentioned, but the Swift Boat Vets are continually impugned because their start up money came from a well known Republican booster in Texas.

[Pharlap]

Barnes was Speaker of the Texas Legislature when Bush joined the TANG. The Austin Chronicle QUOTES Barnes (Sept. 3, 2004) as saying that he helped Bush get into the Guard when he (Barnes) was Lt. Governor. The paper then, in the quote uses brackets to say that Barnes was: "[actually Texas House Speaker]". There is no further reference to, or dicussion of, this aspect of the matter. However, Barnes is a major fund raiser for Kerry. Others have come forward to counter Barnes' claim, including a woman who says she is his daughter. I went with the point about Barnes because he said it and the paper did not explain further (other than to factually recognize that Barnes was Speaker when Bush entered the Texas Guard). Also, state guards, unless federally activated are under the jurisdiction of the state executive, not the legislature. I'm sure that Barnes, as Lt. Governor, had much more influence over the TANG, than he did as Speaker of the House (even though Speaker clearly was an important position).

[JulieRNR21]

I want to know who was behind this blatant plan to smear the record & reputation of GWB.......the BIG STORY is WHO made these documents and WHO gave them to CBS!

If it was the KERRY people......America needs to know how they operate.....lies, deceptions, forgeries, character assasination......no ethics.

If these are forgeries & they sure look like that....it was clearly done to try to make GWB's NG service the big story of this week....not the thousands of Vietnam Vets for Truth in DC on Sunday telling America about the real John Kerry....a Judas who betrayed and falsely smeared all the 2.5 million who served honorably.

[b4its2late]

LOL!!!

[RightWingMama]

WOW! What a great job. Thanks.

[ShandaLear]

Bill Gates supports the re-election of George Bush.

[Publius6961]

Back-peddle?

Did a mainstream journalist put this headline together?
Great job!

< /sarcasm >

[Jet Jaguar]

I think some are past denial and moving into acceptance of the forged documents.

"Put the documents aside, press, and just ask the damn questions!"

"A Bush win and Americans in exile.



I am considering a run for the border. I know many other people are probably going to do the same thing. Would you guys accept a few exiled Yanks at your door?

Let's hope Bush does not win but....let's hope for the best expect the worst."

" The Swifties are discredited? Good. The documents are forgeries? Good."

Just three opinions at the DU that did not contain vile language.

JJ

[DadTXB]

I just checked, I never signed up there. Lets just say Denial isn't just a river in Egypt. DU is all over the place, from 'it's a repuke plot' to 'typewriters in 1972 can do this easy' to 'it's a repuke plot'.

Basically, they're melting down.

It's funny.

[DadTXB]

I'd tend to agree. There is a large conservative base at Microsoft. We've got our liberals, but from my perspective the majority swings right at Microsoft on the Texas campus.

Sorry to be off topic.

[VRWC_minion]

or the lack of any typographical errors.

The issue is even an excellent typist in the 70's couldn't produce 4 flawless documents with no typo's or strike-overs.

For someone who doesn't type do have done this is amazing. Further, the documents show that the typist perfectly centered proportionate type. This would require at least a knowledge of the pica value of each letter (and even then it couldn't be perfect). The fact that this man was not a typist but yet could do the calculations needed to perfectly center is also amazing.

[mvpel]

"Dan Rather must have been a key part of the scheme. He was not duped because he found an expert to authenticate the documents and even found an "eyewitness." His expert is the only one who found nothing suspicious. Dan Rather is not an innocent victim. He made it happen."

Like Bernie Goldberg observed in "Bias," you can find an expert to say absolutely anything you want, as long as you make enough phone calls.

[DadTXB]

Good point sir.

All I know is that I took typing class in 1990, and even THEN we had to roll the platen up half a space for superscript.

These forged documents just tickle me to death. I understand the severity of the deception, but I do like watching the democrats squirm.

[Preachin']

"In the Wednesday broadcast, 60 Minutes said the purported memos were "documents we are told were taken from Col. Killian's personal file. The program says it consulted a handwriting analyst and document expert who believes the material is authentic."

How stupid.

Why would anyone ever keep these records?

There is a suspense (or destroy) date for most documents.

The democrats are eating crow!

[ShandaLear]

I work for MS too at Redmond. I can tell you it swings very left there. But I also know for a fact that both Ballmer and Gates have made max contributions to the Bush campaign and have contributed nothing to the Kerry campaign. They have also been involved along with other execs in sponsoring fund raising in Seattle for the Bush campaign.

They know better than anyone what side their bread is buttered on.

[APFel]

I wouldn't worry about what happens at the DU. They don't have 1/8th of the power FR has. After reading a few of the threads over there, I truly believe that they have absolutely nothing to say, but they say it loudly.

I was thinking of setting up a "mole" account over there, but I don't think I could ever fake that much vitriol and hatred. I could be a professional creative writer and I still wouldn't be able to fake it.

Screw the DU.

APf

[Chieftain]

Un-freaking-BELIEVABLE!!

[jtminton]

CFS: It's Official

Sorry, but no. "CFS" stands for chicken fried steak where I come from. You will not destroy the sanctity of chicken fried steak with CBS.

[mvpel]

Looks like the democrats.org website could be owned by a very subtle hacker. But what's scary is that you can't even tell the difference.

[Jeff Head]

Read this very carefully:

I don't see anything in the documents that is discordant with what were the times, what was the situation and what were the people involved

Liberal speak for, "This is the type of memo I believe he would have written, therefore it is what he wrote regardless of where it came from.".

These people are cretins and undeserving of respect, honor or notice...except to note that they are pathological liars bent on the destruction of all we hold dear and to take appropriate measures to protect against that.

At the deepest core of this, my own feeling remains, since I voiced it early on yesterday, that someone is trying to set Hitlery up for success in 2008.

If they are, what they do not realize (what they have never realized throughout history) is that this type of mud and filth cling to those slinging it. Ulitmatley it will cover them too and be outed.