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Dan and Burkett Transcript
http://www.mudvillegazette.com/archives/001381.html ^ | Dan Rather

Posted on 09/20/2004 3:57:31 PM PDT by RatherBiased.com

Edited on 09/20/2004 4:44:25 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]

DAN RATHER: Now, news about CBS News, and the questions surrounding documents we aired on this broadcast and on the wednesday edition of "60 minutes" on September 8. The documents purported to show that George W. Bush received preferential treatment during his years in the national guard.

At the time, CBS news and this reporter fully believed the documents were genuine. Tonight, after further investigation, we can no longer say that. The documents were provided to CBS news by a former commander in the Texas National Guard, Bill Burkett. Burkett is well known in National Guard circles for a long battle over his medical benefits, and for trying, for several years now, to discredit President Bush's military service record.

Burkett initially told CBS news he got the documents from a fellow guardsman. But when we interviewed Burkett this past weekend, he changed his story, and told us he got the documents from a different source, one we cannot verify. Why did Burkett tell CBS news something he now says is not true? We put the question to him.

(from interview)

Why did you mislead us?

BILL BURKETT: Well, I didn't totally mislead you. I misled you on the one individual. You know, your staff pressured me to a point to reveal that source.

RATHER: Well, we were trying to get the chain of possession.

BURKETT: I understand that.

RATHER: And you said that you had received them from someone.

BURKETT: I understand that.

RATHER: We did pressure you to say, well, you received them from someone.

BURKETT: Yes.

RATHER: And it's true, we pressured you. It was a very important point for us.

BURKETT: Yes. And I simply threw out a name. That was basically, I guess, to take a little pressure off for a moment.

RATHER: Have you forged anything?

BURKETT: No, sir.

RATHER: He you faked anything?

BURKETT: No, sir.

RATHER: But you did mislead us.

BURKETT: Yes, I misled.

RATHER: You lied to us.

BURKETT: Yes, I did.

RATHER: Now, if you would misled us about that, which is critical, why would I or anyone believe that you wouldn't mislead us about something else?

BURKETT: I could understand that question. I can'T... that's going to have to be your judgment and anybody else's.

RATHER: Burkett still insists the documents are real, but now says he was in no position to verify them.

BURKETT: I also insisted when I sat down with your staff in the first face-to-face session, before I gave up any documents, I wanted to know what you were going to do with them, and I insisted that they be authenticated.

RATHER: The failure of CBS News to do just that, to properly scrutinize the documents and their source, led to errors in our reporting. CBS News deeply regrets it. Also I want to say personally and directly, I'm sorry. CBS News President Andrew Heyward has ordered an investigation to examine the process by which the report was prepared. It will be made public. This was an error made in good faith as we try to carry on the CBS News tradition of asking tough questions and investigating reports. But it was a mistake.

Now, some reaction to our revelations today. It comes from a spokesman for President Bush, Scott McClellan.

SCOTT McCLELLAN (White House Spokesman): Obviously there are still a number of questions that need to be answered, and we look forward to seeing the results of the investigations that other media organizations have undertaken, and that CBS says that they are now undertaking. We appreciate the fact that they have said they deeply regret it, but we still want to see those questions answered.

RATHER: And Scott McClellan repeated the the White House insistence that President Bush fulfilled his obligation to the National Guard and he was honorably discharged.

See reply 70 for an updated transcript .... Admin Moderator


TOPICS: Extended News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: burkett; cbsnews; rather; rathergate; stainedbluememo
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1 posted on 09/20/2004 3:57:32 PM PDT by RatherBiased.com
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To: RatherBiased.com

It seemed rehearsed.


2 posted on 09/20/2004 3:59:42 PM PDT by unsycophant
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To: unsycophant; John O

Ya think?

Wow...what brilliance on the part of Dan Rather to deduce that he probably shouldn't trust this fellow anymore!


3 posted on 09/20/2004 4:01:19 PM PDT by andie74 (W stands for Women)
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To: RatherBiased.com

In the interview, I could swear I heard Burkett mention somebody named "Ramon." Did anyone else here that?


4 posted on 09/20/2004 4:02:31 PM PDT by Inyokern
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To: RatherBiased.com

Not good enough, it didn't include an announcement that Rather, Mapes, Heyward and Howard had all resigned.


5 posted on 09/20/2004 4:02:59 PM PDT by RedWingsSuck
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To: RatherBiased.com
"The documents were provided to CBS news by a former commander in the Texas National Guard, Bill Burkett. Burkett is well known in National Guard circles for a long battle over his medical benefits, and for trying, for several years now, to discredit President Bush's military service record."

So Dan, you took the documents from a person who, by your own adimission has a long-standing record of discrediting President Bush's military record. Yet you refused to put others on the air because you said they were too "pro-Bush". How stupid do you think we are?

6 posted on 09/20/2004 4:03:20 PM PDT by A Citizen Reporter
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To: RatherBiased.com

Rather, the Pu$$y, will keep passing the buck, in a very subtle way. TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY Rather, and offer a public apology to OUR PRESIDENT.

After you do that, RESIGN!


7 posted on 09/20/2004 4:03:33 PM PDT by LisaMalia (In Memory of Sgt. James W."Billy" Lunsford..KIA 11-29-69 Binh Dinh S. Vietnam)
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To: Inyokern

Ramon or Raymond or something to that effect...yeah, I thought so too. Didn't tape the thing though...darn!


8 posted on 09/20/2004 4:03:35 PM PDT by andie74 (W stands for Women)
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To: RatherBiased.com

Any word from Dan Rather on why JFKerrie didn't receive an honorable discharge from the Navy until 2001?


9 posted on 09/20/2004 4:04:13 PM PDT by jimbo123
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To: All

Am I mistaken, or is Dan the Dupe only saying he made a mistake in using the documents -- not that the story is incorrect?


10 posted on 09/20/2004 4:04:54 PM PDT by Loyal Buckeye ((Kerry is a flake))
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To: unsycophant
It seemed rehearsed.

It sure did.

11 posted on 09/20/2004 4:05:54 PM PDT by Lauratealeaf (God bless our troops and their Commander in Chief, President George W. Bush)
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Comment #12 Removed by Moderator

To: RatherBiased.com
After a lull of a few days, the DUmmies are back again commenting on Memogate. For your enjoyment, here is another installment of the DUmmie FUnnies in all their HILARIOUS paranoia. My own comments are in the [brackets].

the issue is not CBS. It was who was responsible for trying to screw up this election with nationally broadcast fraudulent documents that ultimately --- undercut --- legitimate arguments against *'s war record. Think who really benefits from this farce. It must have been planned to break open just like it did.

[Ah yes! Poor little Dan Rather became entangled in a devious KARL ROVE plot.]

The truth remains that FratBoy was AWOL at the very least, and most probably a deserter, during a period of time when Americans were still dying in Vietnam. That is IRREFUTABLE. Period.

[YUP! It's IRREFUTABLE and I bet you have the forged documents to prove it.]

As I said in the other thread... It is going to come out that Max Clelan gave the docs to CBS...What are we going to say then?

[Need you ask? Just say what you have been saying....KARL ROVE forged those docs as part of a devious ROVIAN plot to discredit Kerry.]

Max Cleland is the triple amputee former Senator from Georgia who is working for the DNC now. It is being reported that Bill Burkett told a group of Texas Democrats in a mailing list that he had given Max documents to counter-attack the Swift Liars. It is implied that he is the "unimpeachable" source from CBS. CBS then simply got the documents from Burkett for sure, but it was Cleland who gave it credibility for CBS to run with it...so the story goes

[I detect a hint of rationality from this DUmmie. For that he MUST be banned from the DUmmie board!]

CBS has been working on this story for five years... ...are you trying to tell me or anyone else that CBS didn't already have these documents and more "unimpeachable sources" than just Max Cleland? Give me a break. I seem to also recall that Rather stated that the CBS lawyers were all over the documentation before they would allow it to go on the air.

[And yet that whole effort was destroyed in just a few minutes by a few pajama clad bloggers.]

No...I'm just wondering what the response will be if Cleland is at least one "unimpeachable source." It seems like this could be devastating if it starts getting coverage...or worse if it is provable.

[Hee! Hee!]

Rather screwed the pooch on this one. And he hurt Kerry. This took up WAY too much time and drowned out way too much of Kerry's message. The sooner Rather admits he was conned, the sooner we can get back to Kerry getting his message (jobs, health care, end of the war) out there.

[And the pooch Dan Rather screwed was a French Poodle.]

Your man Rather is an idiot who got duped. I hope CBS fires his sorry ass. Thanks to his incomptence, it will now look to some that the media can't be trusted to report anything negative about Bush; that if they do say something negative, it's because they have a vendetta. If this was a Rove trap, that moron Rather walked RIGHT into it. He totally ruined CBS' credibility in reporting on Bush's (non)service record.

[So somehow it is Karl Rove's fault that Rather is a biased jerk?]

Excuse me, but CBS backed Rather's report and employed four.... ...different lawyers to ensure that the facts checked out. They're not going to fire Rather because Rather will break their balls in court. You can bet your bottom dollar that Rather understands the phrase "CYA documentation"...and you can also bet that Rather knows where a lot of bodies are buried.

[The just don't come any better in the art of blackmail than Dan Rather.]

The massive stupidity of CBS. And Repugs are already floating around that the DNC had a hand in this, if so.......I'm almost afraid to imagine.

[Close your eyes and IMAGINE you are in a faraway place.]

This will help Kerry in a big way, I think. A real issue here is censorship and intimidation of American media. THAT is extremely important. This thing has not finished playing out yet.

[Correct. It hasn't played out yet. And dream on about it helping Kerry my naive little DUmmie.]

EVERYTHING going on, except this one issue, makes Frat Boy look bad. But NOOOO, CBS had to drag this out, and focus on the ONE thing that makes Bush look better?!?!?! You know all the Repugs were all, "Whew, close one, Thank God It's Fraudulent!" I wouldn't be surprised if TGIF was now a WH mantra. This is going to be an even steeper uphill battle now. And it's all thanks to CBS and those of you who encouraged CBS to "stand their ground." I hope it was worth it, I hope the feeding frenzy over the TANG documents was worth possibly costing us the election.

[Poor little frustrated DUmmie. Better take your Meds little frustrated DUmmie. Control your anger little frustrated DUmmie. But don't stop doing your Little Frustrated DUmmie act. It's funnier than a puppet show!]

Burkett is trying to pass blame and apparently is a coward for not owning up to his actions.

[SNIFF! And to think that just a week ago Burkett was a hero to all you DUmmies. Oh how the (not so) might have fallen!]

Thanks a lot, Burkett you f*cking idiot..... I imagine Rove is sending him a "Thank you" card as we speak.

["Dear Bill Burkett---Thank you for falling prey to my intricate ROVIAN plot and sucking in CBS News, Dan Rather, and almost all DUmmies. Your stupidity has been enormously helpful and will ensure the defeat of John Kerry. As an expression of our gratitude permit me to send you an invitation to President Bush's Inaugural Ball this January. Sincerely yours---Karl (Rovian Plotter) Rove."]

Damn CBS! How could they cave in like that? They should have stayed strong! I feel betrayed!

[Now we know why you are called DUmmies.]

13 posted on 09/20/2004 4:06:42 PM PDT by PJ-Comix (What's the Forgery, Dan!!!???)
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To: RatherBiased.com
"RATHER: Have you forged anything?

BURKETT: No, sir.

RATHER: He you faked anything?

BURKETT: No, sir"

Completely irrelevant and ridiculous line of questioning, Dan, because you've already said YOU (CBS) KNEW that Burkett got the documents from SOMEONE ELSE!

14 posted on 09/20/2004 4:06:54 PM PDT by A Citizen Reporter
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To: RatherBiased.com

Also, I was listening to Hugh Hewitt, who played the first part of Blather's introduction. I thought I heard Blather say that CBS went to Burkett for the documents. The transcript you provided doesn't say that. Was this a partial transcript? Did anyone else hear that?


15 posted on 09/20/2004 4:06:55 PM PDT by RedWingsSuck
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To: RatherBiased.com
My first question...if Burkett did not go to CBS, CBS went to him...what made them think he had anything anyway? Who put CBS on Burkett's trail?

Dan needs to answer and answer now.

If not fired, he should be replaced until the election is over. This is obviously a man with an ax to grind.

Wake-up Mabel...there's more crap flying around CBS news than a Texas cattle ranch in the middle of a Twister.
16 posted on 09/20/2004 4:07:33 PM PDT by schouston (Holy Katie, Matt, Al and Ann...Batman....Bush might win!)
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To: RatherBiased.com
BURKETT: Yes. And I simply threw out a name. That was basically, I guess, to take a little pressure off for a moment.

Wow! He gave them a name? This begs the question then, what was that name? Did CBS check with the named Guardsman to verify that he was the source? This excuse just doesn't pass the smell test. CBS is still stonewalling!

17 posted on 09/20/2004 4:07:39 PM PDT by HoustonTech (Remember 9/11. Vote for Strength. Vote for Bush.)
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To: andie74
Ramon or Raymond or something to that effect...yeah, I thought so too. Didn't tape the thing though...darn!

We have to find out who this Ramon or Raymond is. I'll bet he posts on Democrats.com or Americanprospect.com or someplace like that.

18 posted on 09/20/2004 4:07:42 PM PDT by Inyokern
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To: RatherBiased.com

Oh, and this throwing out a random name bit when PRESSURED??? This smacks of coverup. I am sorry, but they are trying a bit too hard here. This is about where I heard the Ramon/Raymond bit.





19 posted on 09/20/2004 4:08:33 PM PDT by andie74 (W stands for Women)
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To: RedWingsSuck

All Rather verified was that Burkett "mislead" SeeBS "News". There was no admission that the docs are fake, and no explanation of WHERE and FROM WHOM the forgeries came from. Still shovelin' BS over at Blackrock.


20 posted on 09/20/2004 4:09:01 PM PDT by MamaLucci (Libs, want answers on 911? Ask Clinton why he met with Monica more than with his CIA director.)
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