SOMEWHERE BEHIND THE LINES, TEXAS - The Cast of the Rather-Gate scandal are connected in a stunningly simple way. The Travis County [, Texas] Democratic Party, Dan Rather, Robin Rather, Ben Barnes, James C. Moore, Bill Burkett, and others used the machinery of Autin4Kerry.org, OnlineJournal.com, GreaterDemocracy.org, and CBS 60 Minutes to publicize allegations supported by fraudulent documents.
Some cable news pundants hope that Dan Rather was conned by a devious but well meaning Bush-hater. Others theorize that CBS was duped by Karl Rove who may have planted the fake documents in a way that Dan Rather could find them and believe them to be authentic. The problem with both of these theories is that the mark has to be willing to be conned. Dan Rather and CBS News had to believe so strongly that the underlying allegations were true that they were willing to accept anything as proof.
As the Chart below demonstrates, the basic facts are that a famous Texas news man who participates in Democratic politics believed the stories told by another Texas news man. The story is based on the tales of a Texas Air National Guard veteran who believes he suffers from a rare and deadly disease that affects the central nervous system.
It seems clear that Dan Rather and CBS News wanted to be conned so badly they were willing to give up their reputations built over 35 years.
Texas politics is a rough game; a favored spectator sport in Texas. It has not been thought of as a national sport until recently, though. Thanks to Texan, Dan Rather of CBS 60 Minutes, disgraced and disgraceful Texas Democrats have been thrust under a national spotlight.
The most famous Texan in the Rather-Gate scandal is Dan Rather . He began his career in Huntsville, Texas as an Associated Press reporter. He ended up as News Director as KHOU-TV in Houston before making the leap to CBS Network News in 1962 (bio).
Dan Rather is related to the Travis County Democratic Party through his daughter, Robin Rather. She is an organizer and fund raiser for Democratic causes and the Kerry campaign. Dan Rather was the featured speaker at one of the events she organized. Robin Rather is or has been chair-person of several environmental groups in Austin, Texas. Dan Rather later apologized for participating in the fund raiser.
Dan Rather included an interview of long time Texas reporter James C. Moore in the follow-up by CBS News defending the original 60 Minutes report. Moore attempted to authenticate content of the documents telling Dan Rather, "I think what has happened is some incriminating documents have come out. The White House 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".
James C. Moore is the author of "Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W.Bush Presidential". He was also a reporter for CBS affiliate KHOU-TV 1990's. Moore's first step to stardom came when he asked then gubernatorial Candidate Bush about his TANG service during a televised debate between Bush and Ann Richards in 1994. Since then he has written 2 books and numerous articles unflattering to President Bush.
Dan Rather also interviewed former Lt. Governor of Texas, Ben Barnes who alleges he helped G. W. Bush into the Texas Air National Guard ahead of others for his (Barnes) own purposes. Barnes is still a powerful player in Texas and National Democratic politics. Senator Tom Daschle calls him the 51st Democratic Senator ("So What if He Never Got to be Governor or President?" by Paul Burka, Texas Monthly, September, 2001).
To Texans, Ben Barnes is infamously an alleged co-conspirator in the Sharpstown Bank scandal that rocked the Democratic Party of Texas and turned many Texas Democratic officials out of office in the 1970's.
Barnes recanted testimony he had previously given under oath in a video produced by Michael Nicholson and Todd Phelan of Austin4Kerry.org. In Dan Rather's interview, Barnes says he helped President Bush get into the TANG ahead of others who were equally qualified. The original Barnes video can be viewed at Austin4Kerry.org and is hosted by GreaterDemocracy.org. Events organized by Austin4Kerry.org are publicized at volunteer.johnkerry.com.
As if to complete the magic circle, James C. Moore used his email list to publicize the Austin4Kerry.org Barnes Video that Nicholson and Phelan produced. According to CBS News , "The video was posted June 25 on the Web site www.austin4kerry.org, but didn't get much attention until Friday, when Jim Moore, an Austin-based author of books about Mr. Bush, sent out e-mail messages calling attention to it...". Moore executed his spam campaign on August 27, 2004.
Lieutenant Colonel William (Bill) Burkett (Retired) is a primary source of James C. Moore. Burkett is also a source for CBS reporters John Roberts and Bill Plante. John Roberts quotes Burkett in a piece that can be found at cbsnews.com. Bill Plante's story can also be found at cbsnews.com.
Burkett lives near Abilene, Texas. There has been some speculation that he may be the source of the forged documents and is the "impeccable" source used by Dan Rather. This seems plausible given his manic persecution of President Bush. In a rambling rant titled "What Do You Say?, published at OnlineJournal.com, Burkett accuses many in Texas and the United States Government of participating in conspiracies to withhold medical treatment from him or force him to lie about "ghost" soldiers on the National Guard payroll, or of scrubbing then Governor Bush's service records.
On the same article, Burkett describes his struggle with meningoencephalitis since 1998. He unsuccessfully sued the United States over it. His suite alleges that the United States Army wrongfully withheld treatment for the disease he believes he has.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS), "meningoencephalitis (PAM), is a rare and usually deadly disease caused by infection with the ameba ( a single-celled organism that constantly changes shape )". TDSHS says the symptoms are, "Following an incubation period of 2-15 days, there is a relatively sudden start of severe meningitis-like symptoms, which begin with fever and headache. These are rapidly followed by sensitivity to light, nausea, projectile vomiting, stiff neck, and, in many cases, disturbances to taste and smell. Changes in behavior and seizures may also be present. As conditions worsen the patient falls into a coma. Death usually occurs 3-7 days after the onset of symptoms".
Robert W Tolan, Jr, MD, Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, St. Peter's University Hospital states that "only 5 survivors of PAM have been reported".
Brukett's attorney is David Van Os, a labor lawyer and long time Democratic activist. He wants a seat on the Texas Supreme Court. Van Os is also one of the lawyers who represented Al Gore in Florida during the 2000 election.
A section of his main page titled "Karl Rove's Master Plan Started with the Texas Courts" is worth a read.
On April 6, 2001, The Austin Chronicle reported that, "National Labor Relations Board, acting through its Acting General Counsel, issued a formal complaint against Van Os and Associates, based on the charges former employees filed against the firm [...]". The disposition of the employees' complaint is unclear at this time.
WHAT COULD BE WORSE?
This has not been a good week for CBS News or Texas. Dan Rather has disgraced himself, his co-workers, his employer, and his profession. The petulant defense from Rather demanding his viewers either produce indisputable proof the documents are forgeries or take his word for it that they are not seems like something from a bad movie. Dan Rather and CBS News have wandered dangerously close to conspiracy to commit fraud territory by refusing to divulge their source for the documents.
If Burkett is Dan Rather's source then CBS News has more to answer for than simply being conned. CBS Producer Mary Mapes is reported to have flown to Abilene, met Burkett, and pronounced him "impeccable". CBS News does not seem to have done any more due dilligence than that. This appearantly mystical ability to determine that a source is worth risking reputations on does not ingender the kind of trust Rather expects from his audiance.
The only thing that could possibly be worse would be to find out that Paul Begala, another Kerry supporter from Texas, produced the fraudulent documents on his laptop. It seems appropriate that this whole thing turn out be a practicle joke that got out of hand -- just like a bad movie.