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Live Thread: CBS Evening News (Dan tells us why we're all wrong)
www.freerepublic.com | September 10, 2004

Posted on 09/10/2004 3:18:38 PM PDT by Howlin

Edited on 09/10/2004 4:53:58 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]

Have at it.

******Transcript************



'KEY CHALLENGES TO NATIONAL GUARD DOCUMENTS ANSWERED'
Fri Sep 10 2004 19:03:11 ET

The biggest challenges to the authenticity of the documents featured in the 60 MINUTES segment on President Bush's Texas National Guard service are answered in a report to be broadcast on the CBS EVENING NEWS tonight (6:30-7:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. The report states that the type style, typewriter and the superscript function critics claim did not exist at the time the memos from President Bush's former Texas National Guard commander were typed were indeed all available. In fact, similar raised "th" superscripts have been found on other National Guard documents the White House has released from the president's file.

Furthermore, Marcel Mately, the document and handwriting expert used to authenticate the documents for CBS News and 60 MINUTES, asserts that copies of the memos critics are examining have been degraded by reproduction though photocopying, computer scanning and faxing and are not reliable representations of the memos.

A transcript is attached:

BUSH DOCUMENTS

EVENING NEWS WITH DAN RATHER

9-10-04

Rather Lead In: There were attacks today on the CBS News "60 Minutes" report this week raising new questions about President Bush's Vietnam-era time in the Texas Air National Guard. The questions raised by our report include:

--Did a wealthy Texas oilman-friend of the Bush family use his influence with the speaker of the Texas House of Representatives .. to get George W. Bush a coveted slot in the National Guard .. keeping him out of the draft and any probable service IN Vietnam?

--Did Lieutenant Bush refuse a direct order from his commanding officer?

--Was Lieutenant. Bush suspended for failure to perform up to standards?

--Did Lieutenant Bush ever take a physical he was required and ordered to take? If not, why not?

--And did Lieutenant Bush, in fact, complete his commitment to the Guard?

These questions grew out of new witnesses and new evidence -- including documents written by Lieutenant Bush's squadron commander.

Today, on the internet and elsewhere, some people -- including many who are partisan political operatives -- concentrated not on the key questions the overall story raised but on the documents that were part of the support of the story.

They alleged the documents are FAKE.

Rather: MANY OF THOSE RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CBS DOCUMENTS HAVE FOCUSED ON SOMETHING CALLED SUPERSCRIPT... A KEY THAT AUTOMATICALLY TYPES A RAISED "TH". CRITICS CLAIM TYPEWRITERS DIDN'T HAVE THAT ABILITY IN THE 70S. BUT SOME MODELS DID....IN FACT, OTHER BUSH MILITARY RECORDS ALREADY OFFICIALLY RELEASED BY THE WHITE HOUSE ITSELF SHOW THE SAME SUPERSCRIPT.

HERE'S ONE..... FROM 1968.

SOME ANALYSTS OUTSIDE CBS SAY THEY BELIEVE THE TYPEFACE ON THESE MEMOS IS NEW TIMES ROMAN.... WHICH THEY CLAIM WAS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE 1970S.

BUT THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY THAT DISTRIBUTES THIS TYPING STYLE.... SAYS IT HAS BEEN AVAILABE SINCE 1931. DOCUMENT AND HANDWRITING EXAMINER MARCEL MATLEY ANALYZED THE DOCUMENTS FOR CBS NEWS.

HE SAYS HE BELIEVES THEY ARE REAL...BUT IS CONCERNED ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT IS BEING EXAMINED BY SOME OF THE PEOPLE QUESTIONING THE DOCUMENTS....BECAUSE DETIORATION OCCURS EACH TIME A DOCUMENT IS REPRODUCED.....AND THE DOCUMENTS BEING ANALYZED OUTSIDE OF CBS HAVEBEEN PHOTOCOPIED, FAXED, SCANNED AND DOWNLOADED.... AND ARE FAR REMOVED FROM THE DOCUMENTS CBS STARTED WITH WHICH WERE ALSO PHOTOCOPIES.

DOCUMENT AND HANDWRITING EXAMINER MARCEL MATLEY DID THIS INTERVIEW WITH US PRIOR TO THE 60 MINUTES BROADCAST.

HE LOOKED AT THE DOCUMENTS AND THE SIGNATURES OF COLONEL JERRY KILLIAN.... COMPARING KNOWN DOCUMENTS WITH THE COLONEL'S SIGNATURE ON THE NEWSLY DISCOVERED ONES.

Matley: "WE LOOK BASICALLY AT WHAT'S CALLED SIGNIFICANT OR INSIGNIFICANT FEATURES TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT'S THE SAME PERSON OR NOT. I HAVE NO PROBLEM IDENTIFYING THEM.

I WOULD SAY BASED ON OUR AVAILABLE HANDWRITING EVIDENCE, YES. THIS IS THE SAME PERSON."

Rather: MATLEY FINDS THE SIGNAT'URES TO BE SOME OF THE MOST COMPELLING EVIDENCE...WE TALKED TO HIM AGAIN TODAY BY SATELLITE.

Matley "SINCE IT IS REPRESENTED THAT SOME OF THEM ARE DEFINITELY HIS... THEN WE CAN CONCLUDE THEY ARE HIS SIGNATURES."

Rather: "ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT QUESTIONS COME ABOUT THESE. WE'RE NOT, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF YOU'RE SURPRISED."

Matley: "I KNEW GOING IN THAT THIS WAS DYNAMITE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER AND I KNEW THAT POTENTIALLY IT WAS FAR MORE POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO ME PROFESSIONALLY THAN BENEFIT ME. AND I KNEW THAT. BUT WE SEEK THE TRUTH. THAT'S WHAT WE DO. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO PUT YOURSELF OUT. TO SEEK THE TRUTH AND TAKE WHAT COMES FROM IT."

Rather: ROBERT STRONG WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER FOR THE TEXAS AIR NATIONAL GUARD DURING THE VIETNAM YEARS. HE KNEW COL. JERRY KILLIAN, THE MAN CREDITED WITH WRITING THE DOCUMENTS.... AND PAPER WORK... LIKE THESE DOCUMENTS...WAS HIS SPECIALTY. HE IS STANDING BY HIS JUDGEMENT THAT THE DOCUMENTS ARE REAL.

Rather: "WHEN YOU READ THROUGH THESE DOCUMENTS, IS THERE ANY DOUBT IN YOUR MIND THAT THESE ARE GENUINE?"

Strong: "WELL,, THEY ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE WAY BUSINESS WAS DONE AT THAT TIME. THEY ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE MAN THAT I REMEMBER JERRY KILLIAN BEING. I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN THE DOCUMENTS THAT'S DISCORDANT WITH WHAT WERE THE TIMES, WHAT WERE THE SITUATION OR WHAT WERE THE PEOPLE INVOLVED."

Rather: STRONG SAYS THE HIGHLY CHARGED POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE OF THE GUARD AT THE TIME... WAS PERFECTLY REPRESENTED IN THE NEW DOCUMENTS

Strong: "IT VERGED ON OUTRIGHT CORRUPTION IN TERMS OF THE FAVORS THAT WERE DONE, THE POWER THAT WAS TRADED. AND IT WAS UNCONSCIONABLE. FROM A MORAL AND ETHICAL STANDPOINT. IT WAS UNCONSCIONABLE."

Rather: IT IS THE INFORMATION IN THE NEW DOCUMENTS THAT IS MOST COMPELLING FOR PEOPLE FAMILIAR WITH PRESIDENT BUSH'S RECORD IN THE NATIONAL GUARD. AUTHOR JIM MORE HAS WRITTEN TWO BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT.

Rather: "YOU'VE STUDIED PRESIDENT BUSH'S RECORDS FOR 10 YEARS.. ARE THESE DOCUMENTS CONSISTENT WITH THE RECORD AS YOU KNOW IT?"

Moore: "THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY CONSISTENT WITH THE RECORDS AS I KNOW IT."

Rather: "PUT IT IN CONTEXT AND PERSPECTIVE FOR US ... THE STORY AND WHAT WE CALL THE COUNTERATTACK ON THE STORY. WHERE ARE WE RIGHT NOW?

Moore "I THINK WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS SOME INCRIMINATING DOCUMENTS HAVE COME OUT. THE WHITE HOUSE, YOU SHOULD REMEMBER, HAS NOT DISCREDITED THE DOCUMENTS. THEY'RE RELYING ON THE BLOGOSPHERE AND OTHER PEOPLE TO DO THAT. BECAUSE THE WHITE HOUSE PROBABLY KNOWS THESE DOCUMENTS ARE IN FACT REAL."

Rather Tag: The "60 Minutes" report was based NOT solely on the recovered documents .. but on a preponderance of evidence .. including documents that were provided by un-impeachable sources .. and interviews with former officials of the Texas National Guard. If any definitive evidence to the contrary of our story is found, we will report it.

So far, there is none.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons; Politics/Elections; US: Alabama; US: District of Columbia; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: 2004electionbias; brithume; bush; cbs; cbslies; dannyrather; danratherbiased; disgraceful; dnctalkingpoints; downwiththeship; foxnews; fredbarnes; frequency; juanwilliams; jumpedtheshark; killian; lyingliar; mediabias; memos; outofworkhack; ratherbiased; resignnow; tang
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To: Howlin

I'm going nuts. With Hannity's memo, the content was irrelivent, but the leak must be examined. This time it dosen't matter if the memo is even real, but what it suggests is fact and Bush must pay. It boggles the mind, it does.


1,261 posted on 09/10/2004 8:00:30 PM PDT by bk1000 ("We will take things away from you for the common good.": -HRC)
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To: nopardons

I'll tell that to my cat next time he's picking on his sister.


1,262 posted on 09/10/2004 8:00:30 PM PDT by stands2reason (Limousine Liberal--a man who has his cake, eats his cake, and complains that other people have cake.)
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To: AndyJackson
Quite a few. Good work.

Are you wearing pajamas?

1,263 posted on 09/10/2004 8:01:54 PM PDT by bvw
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To: reformedliberal

My wife is playimg internet mah jongg next to me. I don't own PJ's. This is tres terrible -- sans pajamas. Now I have to go and buy some.


1,264 posted on 09/10/2004 8:05:00 PM PDT by bvw
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To: Howlin; All
OK Just got home again...What have you freepers been up to today?....Has "hell" thawed out any today? ANy new developments worth reading through 1000+ posts to see?
1,265 posted on 09/10/2004 8:07:12 PM PDT by hoosiermama (Bush Democrats = Zell's Angels)
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To: Congressman Billybob

Half a loaf's better than none, I suppose.

Can we tar and feather a bunch of them, anyway? < g >


1,266 posted on 09/10/2004 8:07:31 PM PDT by reformedliberal (W stands for WINNER!)
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To: Howlin
"AND ARE FAR REMOVED FROM THE DOCUMENTS CBS STARTED WITH WHICH WERE ALSO PHOTOCOPIES."

So there are no originals available...the signatures may indeed be real...but cut and pasted. I bet they ran these through some older thermal fax machines, which tend to run the letters.

1,267 posted on 09/10/2004 8:08:56 PM PDT by Katya (Homo Nosce Te Ipsum)
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To: Dolphy
In most states, public officials or figures as plaintiffs are required to prove negligence or actual malice on the part of the publisher. To prove actual malice, a person needs to show that at the time of publication or broadcast, those responsible for the story either knew it was not true or had a reckless disregarded for the truth.
See http://www.hfac.uh.edu/comm/media_libel/libel/defense.html
1,268 posted on 09/10/2004 8:12:13 PM PDT by bvw
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To: bert

"Not quite right Mondonico.
Juan has a contract with National Public Radio.NPR has the contract with the Kerry campaign and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the DNC."

You are quite right.


1,269 posted on 09/10/2004 8:12:55 PM PDT by mondonico (Peace through Superior Firepower)
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To: Howlin
Did I miss the part where he said where they got the memos??
Where are the originals????

I just watch the tape .. at the end of the segment he mentions their "solid sources" but he does not name them

1,270 posted on 09/10/2004 8:15:45 PM PDT by Mo1 (FR NEWS ALERT .... John Kerry over dosed on Botox and thinks he's Bob KerrEy)
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To: AndyJackson

Thanx.


1,271 posted on 09/10/2004 8:16:27 PM PDT by reformedliberal (W stands for WINNER!)
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To: Loyal Buckeye

I heard that, too.


1,272 posted on 09/10/2004 8:18:49 PM PDT by reformedliberal (W stands for WINNER!)
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To: Congressman Billybob
There is a web site for the IBM Selectric Composer, which evidently first came out in 1966. It could do proportional spacing, and the manual, which they have as a PDF which has scanned-in pages, shows that they had, among other type faces, one called "Press Roman," which looks a lot like Times Roman. (In the US, fonts aren't copyrightable--but names of fonts can be trademarked. That's why you see all those CDs with "20,000 Fonts!" that are ripped-off versions of fonts, scanned in, fed to a font editor, and turned into TrueType without bothering to add kerning hints so the results suck, and with names changed to protect the guilty.)

Now, that said, the Selectric Composer was a major proctalgia to use. Someone once said the Selectric was a triumph of engineering over design, and that goes in spades for the Composer. You had to type everything twice. The first time you typed each line, a little pointer would point at a color, and when you retyped the line, you got to set an indicator to the color that was pointed at, if I understand the description correctly.

What kind of idiot would go to that much trouble--over twice as much work as to use a regular typewriter--to type documents that didn't need to be all that pretty? I'm sorry, but the independent twin I-beam suspension on my disbelief can't handle that much of a load.

1,273 posted on 09/10/2004 8:21:34 PM PDT by jejones
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To: Mike Fieschko
ahhh... i do believe the draft started in 69
1,274 posted on 09/10/2004 8:21:57 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist ©®)
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To: stands2reason

It depends upon the cats involved. :-)


1,275 posted on 09/10/2004 8:25:21 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: igoramus987
Marcel Matley is a doozy. Has this been posted?

"The Expert Ambush...
How to hold off your opponent until the cavalry arrives"

by Marcel Matley
February / March 1999 issue of San Francisco Attorney magazine

[snip]
The expert ambush need not be a handwriting expert; it could be any kind of expert. Since I know about handwriting, I will use it to illustrate how to hold out until you can call in your own expert trooper, of whatever brand expert. Not being an attorney, I cannot tell you about laws and rules, only about techniques for taking the upper hand over the expert who knows it all, while you know nothing at all about that expertise.

He's a kook. And a trial lawyer shill.

1,276 posted on 09/10/2004 8:26:08 PM PDT by Timeout (My name is Timeout....and I'm a blogaholic)
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Link to Marcel Matley magazine article above:

http://expertpages.com/news/expert_ambush.htm


1,277 posted on 09/10/2004 8:28:01 PM PDT by Timeout (My name is Timeout....and I'm a blogaholic)
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To: bk1000

>> It boggles the mind, it does.

It reminds me of this passage: "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time". (Revelation 12:12)


1,278 posted on 09/10/2004 8:31:19 PM PDT by PhilipFreneau
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To: Petronski
I think telling the blogosphere to F**k Off is a very bad idea, like fighting a fire with gasoline.

Danny's never been very bright

Where's the popcorn ... cause this is gonna be fun to watch :0)

1,279 posted on 09/10/2004 8:32:51 PM PDT by Mo1 (FR NEWS ALERT .... John Kerry over dosed on Botox and thinks he's Bob KerrEy)
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To: nikos1121
Will photocopy stand up in court as evidence? I don't think so.

Under special circumstances, yes...but it requires a witness and a chain of custody - at least that's my experience.

1,280 posted on 09/10/2004 8:46:51 PM PDT by lepton ("It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into"--Jonathan Swift)
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