Part of my job requires me to work with fairly tightly controlled chains of custody. I'd get laughed out of a job if I tried some crap like this.
There is only one way CBS can come out of this: drop the "content is true although memos are false" b.s. and hang their source out to dry. Once they admit publicly that the documents are frauds, it's going to be harder and harder NOT to do that.
With this whole "chain of custody" nonsense, and Rather's idiotic, quixotic "we stand behind our flawed reporting, forgeries and all, because the general gist of it is true" line of defense...
Wouldn't this be an IDEAL time for the GOP to surreptitiously bring Sandy Berger up again? It could really drive home the essential message:
1) The Dems can't tell the truth
2) The MSM will gladly help them lie
3) The Dems can't be trusted with matters of national security
Sandy Berger has gotten a free pass the last four or five weeks. I think it's time to start demanding some answers there, as well.
Oh, they're going to hang Burkett out to dry. What they're not gonna do is trace from Burkett to the Kerry campaign or the DNC (or both).