Did the documents come from Barnes? If so, how did they make their way to Dan Rather? Was Robin Rather the conduit, either for Barnes or for some unknown party? If so, then Dan Rather's seemingly inexplicable conduct suddenly makes sense. If the disclosure of certain facts could be expected to cause his daughter severe damage, what father would not risk everything he had to attempt to insulate her?
Now that makes sense!!
Barnes, Rather Daughter Co-sponsored Dem's Fund-raiser.
September 12, 2004
Ben Barnes, the Democratic lobbyist and former lieutenant governor of Texas who was featured prominently in the 60 Minutes report that triggered the Memogate controversy, was the co-sponsor of a fund-raiser for a liberal district attorney in Texas along with Dan Rather's daughter, Robin, an Austin-based environmental activist.
According to the web site of Ronnie Earle, district attorney for Travis County, Texas, Ben Barnes and Robin Rather were among a the small group of sponsors for an October 3, 2000 fund-raising event for Earle's reelection campaign.
In 2001, Dan Rather was the keynote speaker at a Travis County Democratic Party event. He spoke there at the behest of his daughter.
Given the closeness of the Travis County, it's very likely that Ben Barnes was at the event.
You do make sense. Might it have been McPeak, tho--former SecAF who's doing ads for JFK?