Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Suspected CBS Source Is Well-Regarded Texan: Democrat Lives Among GOP Voters
Wash Post ^ | 9/17/04 | Sylvia Moreno

Posted on 09/16/2004 8:19:10 PM PDT by Cableguy

BAIRD, Tex., Sept. 16 -- For half a dozen years, Bill Burkett has lived a pretty uneventful life in this tiny West Texas town. He and his wife are regulars at the Whistle Stop Cafe, ordering bacon cheeseburgers with jalapenos and fries or the pork chop special on Mondays. He "visits," as people like to say in these parts, with other ranchers over coffee at the Callahan County Farmer's Co-Op. And like other polite locals, he drops in on the local elected officials to introduce himself.

He is, by most accounts, a nice man who, in an overwhelmingly Republican-voting area, might be seen as somewhat eccentric for his Democratic bias

"I've made comments to him like, 'I think there's only two Democrats left in Callahan County, and I'm both of them,' " said Pete Mendez, 65, a retired federal firefighter who has lived in the county all his life. " 'It's three of us, if that's the way you look at it' is kind of what he's said."

Despite several requests, Burkett has said nothing publicly since Wednesday, after he was named in news reports as a possible source of the disputed documents CBS News's "60 Minutes" used in a Sept. 8 broadcast that said President Bush received preferential treatment while he was in the Texas Air National Guard.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: billburkett; cbsnews; killian; rather
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-69 next last
To: sinkspur

son of sharecroppers...


41 posted on 09/16/2004 9:06:37 PM PDT by LibertarianInExile (The Fourth Estate is the Fifth Column.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Cableguy
Burkett is a key component of this story but he's not the only component. He's the patsy in this one. But knowing who he is and what he's about is great news anyway because, contrary to rumors being circulated out there, the guy has "well connected Texas Democrat" written all over him.

Burkett's got a virtual hotline straight to the top tier of the Democratic Party of Texas in his lawyer, spokesman, and apparent good friend David Van Os. He was on Van Os' steering committee when the latter ran for chairman of the state party. He's also been a client of Van Os for years. And Van Os, in addition to being a two-time statewide Demcorat nominee and a holder of several party offices, is connected to several national 'rat figures and organizations including the ACLU, NAACP, and Howard Dean. Van Os has also been pushing Kerry in Texas - he organized and spoke from the podium at two huge Kerry rallies in Houston and Austin just a few weeks ago. Dean was at both of em as well, and Sheila Jackson Lee.

42 posted on 09/16/2004 9:13:15 PM PDT by GOPcapitalist ("Can Lincoln expect to subjugate a people thus resolved? No!" - Sam Houston, 3/1863)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: diamond6

This frosts me. I've probably sent CBS a dozen emails in the last few days and they've never even bothered to acknowledge a single one. Apparently they only respond to those who kiss up...


43 posted on 09/16/2004 9:16:36 PM PDT by Exigence
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: GOPcapitalist
Burkett's got a virtual hotline straight to the top tier of the Democratic Party of Texas in his lawyer, spokesman, and apparent good friend David Van Os.

Exactly. I hope those that keep saying "it's can't be Burkett because he's not high enough" remember this. He has connections in high places and those connections undoubtedly have a direct pipeline to the DNC.

44 posted on 09/16/2004 9:18:25 PM PDT by Exigence
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: Exigence

Good job. I always like it when people walk the walk when most only talk the talk.


45 posted on 09/16/2004 9:21:19 PM PDT by diamond6 (Everyone who is for abortion has already been born. Ronald Reagan)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: Ursus arctos horribilis
He went further, said any one using Burkett for a source, had better check things very carefully. In short, Burkett AKA a liar.

A nut, to be perfectly clear.

46 posted on 09/16/2004 9:22:02 PM PDT by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: IGNORANCE ON PARADE)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: Ursus arctos horribilis

He didn't exactly say he found him not credible, from what I recall (although you could infer that). He said he couldn't corroborate what he said. That guy Conn, who Burkett said witnessed what he was relating, told the reporter nothing like what Burkett was saying ever happened.

Hannity was the one who said he wasn't credible. The reporter didn't disagree.


47 posted on 09/16/2004 9:23:56 PM PDT by Hank All-American (Free Men, Free Minds, Free Markets baby!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: Paleo Conservative
hahahahaaaaa! Bet he'd be doing a fast dance then, huh? :^)

48 posted on 09/16/2004 9:25:08 PM PDT by MeekOneGOP (There is only one GOOD 'RAT: one that has been voted OUT of POWER !! Straight ticket GOP!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Hank All-American; The Scourge of Yazid; Darksheare

"He was a quiet boy ..."

Gas station attendant: John David Stutts was the most polite guy you ever met--so well-behaved. . .

Interviewer: Did he ever say anything about shooting Buckwheat?

Gas station attendant: Oh, yes, that was all he ever talked about. . .


49 posted on 09/16/2004 9:28:49 PM PDT by Fedora
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: GOPcapitalist

Abilene = Burkett
Abilene = Barnes
Abilene = Knox


50 posted on 09/16/2004 9:29:12 PM PDT by BlueNgold (Feed the Tree .....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: piasa

"it means he gets to vote twice."

Until he passes from the earth, then like all democrats his vote will count three times... each in different states.


51 posted on 09/16/2004 9:30:50 PM PDT by JSteff
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Fedora

I saw that episode of Nightline.


52 posted on 09/16/2004 9:32:09 PM PDT by Hank All-American (Free Men, Free Minds, Free Markets baby!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: Fedora

LOL!!


53 posted on 09/16/2004 9:34:04 PM PDT by Darksheare (Freedom is worth ALL of our lives if it frees even ONE person.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: Fedora

Democrat's meeting in Abilene Texas Kinko's..
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1218362/posts


54 posted on 09/16/2004 9:35:48 PM PDT by Darksheare (Freedom is worth ALL of our lives if it frees even ONE person.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: Paleo Conservative

Da Bomb hot sauce..


55 posted on 09/16/2004 9:36:40 PM PDT by Darksheare (Freedom is worth ALL of our lives if it frees even ONE person.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Azzurri
And a loner...

A young white male, shy, withdrawn, kept to himself, but was pleasant to neighbors...

56 posted on 09/16/2004 9:36:43 PM PDT by ExtremeUnction
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: NYCVirago
"this guy is constantly complaining of death threats, and said he got some in just the past day."

And that was just from the management at CBS and Dan Rather's interns.
57 posted on 09/16/2004 9:38:41 PM PDT by JSteff
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: BlueNgold

What are you talking about?


58 posted on 09/16/2004 9:47:00 PM PDT by txrangerette
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: txrangerette

Burkette is in the vicinity of Abilene.
Barnes has done business out of Abilene in the past, and he showed on this 60 min peiece.
Knox, Barnes former Biz partner, has done biz out of Abiline as recently as '96, and perhaps into 2002. Knox appears to be the same Knox who was the campaign manager for the Dem opponent of Pres Bush in his unsuccessful congressional run in '78.

This is an good-ole-boy-we-love-LBJ-Dems-are-wonderful put up job ... if I had to guess.


59 posted on 09/16/2004 9:50:48 PM PDT by BlueNgold (Feed the Tree .....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: Darksheare

And after they meet at Kinko's, they all head over to the 24-hour martinizing place next door.


60 posted on 09/16/2004 9:59:00 PM PDT by Fedora
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-69 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson