ANG Colonel Denies Bush Got Preferential Treatment (Col. Staudt-CBS Memos are fakes) [must read]

ABC News ^ | 9/17/04

[Cableguy]

The man cited in media reports as having allegedly pressured others in the Texas Air National Guard to help George W. Bush is speaking out, telling ABC News in an exclusive interview that he never sought special treatment for Bush.

Retired Col. Walter Staudt, who was brigadier general of Bush's unit in Texas, interviewed Bush for the Guard position and retired in March 1972. He was mentioned in one of the memos allegedly written by Lt. Col. Jerry Killian as having pressured Killian to assist Bush, though Bush supposedly was not meeting Guard standards.

"I never pressured anybody about George Bush because I had no reason to," Staudt told ABC News in his first interview since the documents were made public.

The memo stated that "Staudt is pushing to sugar coat" a review of Bush's performance.

Staudt said he decided to come forward because he saw erroneous reports on television. CBS News first reported on the memos, which have come under scrutiny by document experts who question whether they are authentic. Killian, the purported author of the documents, died in 1984.

[mlbford2]

Uh-oh, Dan. Maybe another interview with the 87yr old biddy is in order for damage control.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

Retired in 72, we are fortunate he is alive and without Alzheimer's.

[hispanarepublicana]

WOOHOO! I've been waiting for the print version of this since the ABC Radio news story broke.
Let's keep it bumped!

[xzins]

A general can retire as a colonel. It's some kind of weird formula they have in the Pentagon about rank versus retired rank.

The article says he is Colonel Staudt but that he was brigadier general of the unit. Anyone know how this works?

[maryz]

That's what I was worried about when he didn't come forward before!

[TexasCajun]

And DNCBS didn't bother to interview Retired Col. Walter Staudt?
Gezzz, that producer gal is definitely going down!

Ya know Dan's ego will not let him do the right thing.

[shield]

I'm glad he is stepping forth; thank God!!!

[MindyW]

Could be he was promoted to BGen before he retired and didn't put in enough time afterward to retire at that grade.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

CBS another-nail-in-the-coffin BUMP!!

[Zhangliqun]

We are all still waiting for evidence that Gen. Staudt was some sort of behind-the-scenes Svengali at TexANG years after he retired. Somebody warm up that Kinko's fax in Abilene...

[Thickman]

Could be the final nail in the CBS coffin. This was the only damaging accusation left in rather's arsenal. Now he'll have to insist that the President answer why he did not go for donuts, as required by all incoming pilot trainees, when ordered by most senior Lt. What a shirker that W was!

[Rutles4Ever]

Oh boy - CBS just hired a hard-hitting lawyer to manage their case...

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'll be brief. The issue here is not whether CBS broke a few rules or took a few liberties with our worldwide viewers -- we did. But you can't hold a whole television network responsible for the actions of a few sick, perverted individuals. For if you do, then shouldn't we blame the whole television network system? And if the whole television network system is guilty, then isn't this an indictment of the news media in general? I put it to you ... isn't this an indictment of our entire leftist society? Well, you can do what you want to us, but we're not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth the United Socialist States of America!"

[Shqipo]

Dan promised to report any major developments that counter his initial report. This appears to be a fine opportunity for him to ignore or refute this development, and dig the grave a little deeper. We shall see tonight.

[Tempest]

Fake but accurate. LOL!!!

[xzins]

I'm certain it's that way for pay.

But I thought they could keep the highest rank as their retired title.

What do you think?

[BoBToMatoE]

flood drudge with this report. this is huge and could be the death kneel.

drudge@drudgereport.com

[R_Kangel]

I just heard an official statement from Dan Blather on CBS:

"I won't believe his statements until I see some sloppily forged documents to back his words up. Besides he is still alive, how can we possibly trust him?"

In case you didn't notice, the above statement was my attempt at humor.

[snooker]

We'll call your little ole lady and raise you 20.

Take that cBS.

Hey Dan, put the shovel back in the garage. You are going to break through to China by Monday at this rate.

ABC out to get cBS. Fun to watch.

[glock rocks]

I bet Brit will be all over this tonight.