I believe the documents were to cover more than one angle. People, especially other media, was supposed to push the content so much that the questions remained when the fake documents were found out. The swift response on the forgeries threw this whole piece into jeapardy.
They wanted the questions to start distracting from 911.
They want to lay the seeds for a last minute, Bush is a crackhead smear.
When the forgeries were discovered, to use the excuse to discount some of the forthcoming documents about Kerry that they fear are coming.
I think they meant to start the doubts with these documents, and fuel it with the ad campaign and book. Then grow it from there.
All of this is consistent with other smears of the Clinton White House years. And if it blew up, Kerry takes the fall.
was = were ... sorry about that.