"Juan is saying the same thing Rather did today ... the seriousness of the charges outweigh the document's authenticity. Which is absurd."
OK, Juan, I have a copy of your secret contract with the Kerry campaign in which you promise to promote lies to smear President Bush in exchange for a patronage position in the Kerry administration (heaven forfend). What? You doubt the authenticity of the document? Well, too bad: "the seriousness of the charges outweigh the document's authenticity."
Your document has basis in fact. The Houston Chronicle wrote just such a letter to President Johnson informing him that they would not attack him in print in exchange for letting a bank merger go through.
It was revealed when the book of the Johnson Tapes came out in the 1990s.