Memogate: 4th expert James J. Pierce says "CBS is wrong" and in the middle of studying them

Athens Banner-Herald ^ | September 19, 2004 | Gary Moon

[igoramus987]

Moon: Saga of Bush's National Guard documents getting more involved

CBS News and anchor Dan Rather have been in a considerable amount of hot water during the past week, ever since it became evident a story Rather broadcast on "60 Minutes II" concerning President Bush's National Guard service was based upon forged documents.

The documents in question are a set of four memos supposedly authored by Lt. Col. Jerry Killian in 1972 and 1973. Killian was Bush's squad commander in the Texas Air National Guard during that time period. However, many (if not most) of the reputable forensic document experts in the country believe the memos are forged, mainly based upon the fact that they appear to have been composed using a computer and a modern word processing program (Microsoft Word) instead of an early-1970s era typewriter. Col. Killian died in 1984, and obviously is not available to clear up the matter.

CBS News said it relied upon four document and handwriting experts who, according to Rather, verified the authenticity of the memos prior to their broadcast of the story. But two of the experts "60 Minutes II" used now say they did not tell CBS the documents were authentic - quite the opposite. As the Baltimore Sun reported this week:

"CBS also identified the four experts it had consulted to authenticate the Killian papers. In recent days, Linda James and Emily Will, two analysts who said they were asked by CBS to review the documents before the broadcast, have stepped forward to say they raised questions about the memos before the broadcast, but the network brushed their doubts aside. A fourth examiner, James J. Pierce, also continues to support the documents, the network said."

"I did not authenticate them," Linda James said in the Sun article. "This keeps on getting more and more involved." "60 Minutes'" third examiner, Marcel Matley, has since stated he could not definitively verify documents by photocopy, which is all CBS supplied him with. That leaves, Pierce, the "fourth examiner" referred to in the article, as the sole expert still defending the authenticity of the memos for CBS, as stated in this Sept. 15 article on the "60 Minutes" Web site:

"Another expert, James Pierce, wrote, 'the balance of the Jerry B. Killian signatures appearing on the photocopied questioned documents are consistent and in basic agreement.' Pierce also stated that based on what he knew, 'the documents in question are authentic.'"

The CBS quotations of Pierce come from a 'Professional Opinion' memo Pierce sent to "60 Minutes" staff on Sept. 14, which was then posted as a PDF document on the CBS News Web site (along with Pierce's home address in the letterhead). But to hear James Pierce tell it, his experience seems to parallel that of James and Will.

This columnist contacted Pierce by telephone Sept. 16. He said he was unable to talk specifically about the work he has been doing for CBS, because - contrary to how CBS News portrays it - he says he has not yet in fact rendered a definitive conclusion on all, or even some, of the documents in question.

According to Pierce, his 'Professional Opinion' letter was only a preliminary opinion, not a final judgment. "They didn't inform me that they were using it for that purpose," Pierce said, referring to the "Professional Opinion" memo. "CBS is wrong."

Pierce says he is only "midway" through his examination of all the Killian memos and "other documents." Other documents? Pierce says there are many more documents related to Bush's National Guard service that "60 Minutes" producers have provided to him, "lots more" than just the four memos used in its stories, but he would not elaborate further.

Pierce, sounding harried and tired, says he now regrets having agreed to take on the document analysis job, given CBS has plastered his name and home address all over the Internet. "CNN was stalking my house at 5 a.m. this morning," complained Pierce, who had to call police to prevent the CNN crew from trespassing on his property. He says news reporters have been "hounding" him all week. His phone now rings nonstop. "It's hellish," says Pierce.

Pierce reiterated that he really could not share more details with me on his analysis of all the documents, but he concluded by saying there is a great "misrepresentation of findings" associated with the "60 Minutes II" story.

The forged documents saga is "getting more and more involved," indeed.

* Garry Moon, an Athens resident, works in corporate marketing for a national travel agency. He can be reached by e-mail at garrymoon30606@yahoo.com

[igoramus987]

Not one of CBS's four document experts fully authenticated any of the memos, yet CBS ran with the story.

CBS and Rather misled? No

Rather and CBS wanted to run a hit piece on Bush? Yes

[Drango]

Garry Moon, an Athens resident, works in corporate marketing for a national travel agency

What? If he isn't a professional, what value is he? And does he does this in his PJs?

[smith288]

Pierce, sounding harried and tired, says he now regrets having agreed to take on the document analysis job, given CBS has plastered his name and home address all over the Internet. "CNN was stalking my house at 5 a.m. this morning," complained Pierce, who had to call police to prevent the CNN crew from trespassing on his property. He says news reporters have been "hounding" him all week. His phone now rings nonstop. "It's hellish," says Pierce.

There is a lesson here... Dont be a Devil's advocate (in this case, literally)

[woodb01]

Fact is, there are a LOT of VERY serious issues that should be pushed HARD about the documets.
1. The widow and son were IGNORED
2. Document experts were IGNORED
3. Hodges was MISLED
4. The old secretary was NOT INTERVIEWED until afterward
5. The opinions of the experts were MISREPRESENTED
6. The swift boat veterans were MALIGNED
7. George Bush's roomate DURING HIS GUARD YEARS, who AGREED TO SPEAK TO THEM WAS TURNED DOWN BECAUSE HE WAS TOO "PRO BUSH"...

And the list goes on. Fact is, this was a HIT PIECE ON BUSH. And just because dnCBS owns up to fake documents does NOT CLEAR THEIR PROPAGANDA / DNC REPORTING!!

If the documents were the ONLY ISSUE in this, without all of the other plainly propaganda driven results, it wouldn't be such an issue.

THE DOCUMENTS ARE JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG! THE ICEBERG IS THE MANIPULATION AND DECEPTION OF THE PUBLIC!!

[CurlyDave]

Not having seen the full correspondence between CBS and the so-called "experts" I am going to offer up a different opinion.

It smells to me as if the "experts" really did give initial opinions authenticating the documents. In particular, Matley and Pierce seem to have initialy said they were authentic, but for some reason did not even think to look into the printing.

It took a bunch of non-experts in pajamas to see the now-obvious flaw.

Whatever these guys got paid it was way too much...

[MrMarbles]

Amen! I agree with you 100%.

[VRWC_minion]

THese experts won't be on any attorney's short list.

[streek53]

The real idiot in all of this docu-dementia is "handwriting expert" Marcel Matley. He clearly stated that he couldn't authenticate the documents, just the signatures.

The signatures aren't even close. In the originals, Killian signed his "J" exactly like I write mine. (The name I go by begins with "J.") In the obvious fakes, the "J" only vaguely resembles Killian's "J"...and mine.

A child could look at the two and tell a difference.

Marcel is a fraud as far as I'm concerned...and he's just the icing on the cake.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

"You're traveling through another dimension,
a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind;
a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are
that of imagination. That's the signpost up ahead-
- your next stop . . .
The Twilight Zone!"

[CaptRon]

He's also a brand new FReeper.

[soccermom]

Don't forget Staudt wasn't even interviewed! And their "unimpeachable source" appears to be Burkett.

[Truth Table]

Actually the iceberg is the ID of the source of the memos. I would say that that iceberg is floating in DNC waters and the kerry campaign is heading right for it, full steam.