Isikoff is right. This reeks. Burkett was the courier. He was a vulnerable figure with enough baggage to throw him under the bus if the forgeries were uncovered.
My gut is telling me Cleland is not involved as deeply as we think. It doesn't make sense that he would come out and admit that he talked to Burkett if he was the main guy involved.
The Carl Cameron quotes regarding Kerry open up a whole new can of worms. Cleland's not the guy, though. It's someone higher up.
Mark for later - what a day to have to work!!!
If the White House is going to issue a statement, this story takes on yet another dimension entirely.
1. They know this is working for the President politically.
2. They are angry, especially at the CBS trashing of the First Lady.
3. They know as much or more than CBS, and are going on the offense.
I would LOVE to see a criminal referral to the Department of Justice mentioned in the White House statement.
Cleland merely serves as evidence of connection of the Kerry Kamp to this fraud. He's the one who spoke with Burkett about "what he had" and referred him to the campaign. I have every reason to believe Burkett's posting that when he spoke with Cleland, Cleland said to attack.
Other than that, I agree with you. At this point it appears that Cleland played a significant but peripheral role.
Wrong, I think. If Cleland is in this, his blood would have run cold when Buckhead broke this and it exploded. Then he would do just what he did - a preemptive admission that Burkett communicated with him, but nothing came of it.
Cleland is as dirty a DemOp as any of them.