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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: geros

I'm surprised they are answering the phone at all.


681 posted on 09/10/2004 4:07:01 PM PDT by Integrityrocks
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To: savedbygrace

Why would ANYONE accept a photocopy of a signature? What kind of fools does Rather think we are? Who couldn't photocopy a signature?


682 posted on 09/10/2004 4:07:07 PM PDT by Yaelle
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To: nikos1121

It's admissisble, but if there is a question about the authenticity of the signature, it's subject to attack, and the genuineness is to be determined by the jury. Any expert will tell you that you can't give a very good handwriting opinion from a photocopy. What I find significant is that Rather says he only has a photocopy, but makes no effort to explain what happened to the originals.


683 posted on 09/10/2004 4:07:08 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: Peach

Off topic but now on Drudge:

A federal prosecutor is investigating whether two NEW YORK TIMES reporters were leaked information about a terror financing investigation that may have tipped off the targets of the probe... DEVELOPING


684 posted on 09/10/2004 4:07:11 PM PDT by Peach (The Clinton's pardoned more terrorists than they ever captured or killed.)
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To: jimbo123

yes that's the guy.


685 posted on 09/10/2004 4:07:11 PM PDT by nikos1121
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To: Wild Irish Rogue

Excellent. The mainstream press cannot let Dan Rather ruin what is left of their credibility.


686 posted on 09/10/2004 4:07:13 PM PDT by Loyal Buckeye ((Kerry is a flake))
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To: Political Junkie Too
Dem position is the charges in the 60 minutes story are what matters.

That's what Juan Williams on Fox just said.

I guess that means that I can write any charge I want on a 3M Post-it and date it 1973, even stick it to a document from 1973, and they have to take the charge seriously?

Exactly!

FYI - It adds credibility if you use copies instead of original documents, and make sure family & associates don't think the document is real.

687 posted on 09/10/2004 4:07:21 PM PDT by handy (Forgive me this day, my daily typos...The Truth is not a Smear!)
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To: ClancyJ
Wow! He managed to ignore over half of the discrepancies, focused on a few and pompously claims he expected the questions, and stands by the documents.

I'm way behind on this thread but this is exactly what the media have done with the Swift Boat Vet's claims. If they have 50 claims the media tries to blow up all of them by shedding doubt on a couple of details. This is how they work.

All along I have believed the whole point of Rather's lies is to push the topic into the national debate, but I never thought even he would stoop this low.

688 posted on 09/10/2004 4:07:28 PM PDT by Dolphy (Support swiftvets.com)
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To: All

Here's the CNN story


689 posted on 09/10/2004 4:07:29 PM PDT by DaveMSmith (CEO, VRWC: When you think treason, don't think Benedict Arnold - think JOHN FORGED KERRY!)
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To: Shqipo
"Just praying for a Captain Queeg meltdown.. if not tonight, some night soon."

I think ol' Danny Boy already had a meltdown - we just haven't seen it televised yet. His voice was very raspy to the point of almost being horse.

One tends to get that way after crying and screaming and ranting! ;-)
690 posted on 09/10/2004 4:07:33 PM PDT by Skywarner (Enjoying freedom? Thank a Veteran!)
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To: jmstein7

I called and very politely asked why none of the other evidence was presented, including info from the Col's own son and wife. Basically, they hung up on me. It was obvious that they were receiving a lot of calls.


691 posted on 09/10/2004 4:07:38 PM PDT by New Girl
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To: umgud

Try google. Ask, "What's the frequency, Kenneth"?


692 posted on 09/10/2004 4:07:40 PM PDT by billhilly (If you're lurking here from DU (Democrats unglued), I trust this post will make you sick)
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To: Steven W.

FAX Andrew Heyward, the President of CBS News at:

Andrew Heyward -- CBS News
Title: President
Department: Headquarters
Phone: (212) 975-4321
Fax: (212) 975-1893
Address: 524 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019

Ask him how long he is going to allow Dan Rather to dig CBS News into the hole of irrelevancy.


693 posted on 09/10/2004 4:07:43 PM PDT by jackbill
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To: Loyal Buckeye
It appears good ole Dan received the documents, talked to a few people, disregarded some, had the signature checked, and then ran with the story.

Killian's son on Hannity that a woman from CBS called him and his mother "about 2 weeks ago" and asked to veriify the documents. Both he and his mother (without looking at them) said it was unlikely to be legit since Killian liked GW. Killian's son gave the woman two names of higher ups who flew with Bush. But he said she spoke too one of them and said she felt one of them was a Republican.

More on this tonight on Hannity's show.

694 posted on 09/10/2004 4:07:43 PM PDT by BunnySlippers ("F" Stands for FLIP-FLOP ...)
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To: Pete
What he did do was to insinuate that the Right is behind the attack on the credibility of the documents and that the allegations of forgery are just political and not based on fact.

This shows the complete arrogance of this man, and the company he works for. It will not leak out, but I bet Clinton and him had a conversation today. If he thinks this is the end of this, he is genuinely certifiable.

695 posted on 09/10/2004 4:07:44 PM PDT by woodyinscc
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To: Brilliant
They did not have photocopiers in 1971.

What? Yes they did.
696 posted on 09/10/2004 4:07:46 PM PDT by TomGuy (His VN crumbling, he says 'move on'. So now, John Kerry is running on Bob KerrEy's Senate record.)
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To: Semi Civil Servant
I conclude Dan believes his viewers will still accept what he says without question -- just like they did twenty years ago.

Perhaps he doesn't realize that the people who would have done that left when CBS canceled Doctor Quinn and Murder, She Wrote.

-PJ

697 posted on 09/10/2004 4:07:55 PM PDT by Political Junkie Too (It's still not safe to vote Democrat.)
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To: mabelkitty

You're doing good work! This is historic.


698 posted on 09/10/2004 4:08:00 PM PDT by RightWhale (Withdraw from the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty and establish property rights)
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Dan Savage on the radio now. The hits just keep coming.

The timing (end of the week) is suspicious.


699 posted on 09/10/2004 4:08:16 PM PDT by weegee (What's the provenance, Kenneth? Where did the forged SeeBS memo come from?)
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To: RatherBiased.com

Transcript up:

http://www.nationalreview.com/kerry/kerryspot.asp


700 posted on 09/10/2004 4:08:18 PM PDT by EllaMinnow (John Kerry won't be happy until he's made us all as miserable as he is.)
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