Texan has a history of attacks on Bush

WASHINGTON - Bill Burkett, who has emerged as a possible CBS source for disputed memos about President Bush's Guard service, has a long history of making charges against Bush and the Texas National Guard. But Burkett's allegations have changed over the years, and have been dismissed as baseless by former Guard colleagues, state legislators and others. Even Burkett has admitted some of his allegations are false.

I had heard that Burkette actually worked for the Bush campaign when Bush was running for governor of Texas. At some point Karen Hughes found it neccessary to fire him from the campaign.

Thus the vendetta. Burkette had been a big Bush supporter until Bush fired him. It seems Burkette is motivated entirely by money. He was pissed off because of a bunch of psychiatric medical bills that the VA wouldn't pay.

We may find out from the fleshing out of this story that Burkette was paid a huge sum from 60 minutes for these documents. If so, I think he's going to the pokey real soon. And I guess we'll be paying for that too.

Bill Burkett sounds as fruity as they come.

His story has changed over the years. He has contradicted himself several times. He appears to have a vendetta against George W. Bush because of a perceived slight -- perhaps the then Texas governor not intervening with the Texas National Guard?

What I did notice about this story is that Burkett's homestead looks like something out of the Dust Bowl era. In a previous story Burkett accepted a commission in the Texas National Guard at the grade of lieutenant colonel when the Texas National Guard couldn't afford to pay his consulting fee of $154 an hour. (That's more than $300,000 a year!) No one in the National Guard makes that kind of money. So why did Burkett accept a position that pays maybe 25% of what he was making previously? The answer to that question may be the real story here.

Bill Burkett claims he was "stricken by a deadly case of meningoencephalitis".

Here is a description of that disease:

What is primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM)?
Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare and usually deadly disease caused by infection with the ameba ( a single-celled organism that constantly changes shape ) Naegleria fowleri.
What are the symptoms of PAM? What does PAM cause?
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.
How common is PAM?
The ameba that causes the infection lives in soil and in freshwater ponds, lakes, rivers, poorly or non-chlorinated pools, discharge or holding basins, and hot springs throughout the world. Naegleria thrives in warm, stagnant bodies of fresh water when temperatures are high, usually above 80 degrees.
Although the ameba is commonly found in the environment, PAM is very rare. In the last 30 years, only a few hundred cases have been reported worldwide.

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