Posted on 09/20/2004 5:32:23 PM PDT by Dont Mention the War
Posted on Mon, Sep. 20, 2004
NEW YORK - At the behest of CBS, an adviser to John Kerry said he talked to a central figure in the controversy over President Bush's National Guard service shortly before disputed documents were released.
Joe Lockhart denied any connection between the presidential campaign and the papers. Lockhart, the second Kerry ally to confirm contact with retired Texas National Guard officer Bill Burkett, said he made the call at the suggestion of CBS producer Mary Mapes.
"He had some advice on how to deal with the Vietnam issue and the Swift boat" allegations, Lockhart said Monday, referring to GOP-fueled accusations that Kerry exaggerated his Vietnam War record. "He said these guys play tough and we have to put the Vietnam experience into context and have Kerry talk about it more."
Lockhart said he thanked Burkett for his advice after a three to four minute call.
Lockhart said he does not recall talking to Burkett about Bush's Guard records. "It's baseless to say the Kerry campaign had anything to do with this," he said.
CBS News apologized Monday for a "mistake in judgment" in its story questioning Bush's Guard service, claiming it was misled by the source of documents that several experts have dismissed as fakes.
Burkett admitted this weekend to CBS that he lied about obtaining the documents from another former National Guard member, the network said. CBS hasn't been able to conclusively tell how he got them, or even whether they're fakes or not.
Kerry ally Max Cleland, a former Georgia senator, also said he had a brief conversation last month with Burkett, who told him he had information about Bush to counter charges against Kerry's Vietnam War service. Cleland said he gave Burkett's name and phone number to the campaign's research department.
Kerry spokesman David Ginsberg said nobody in the campaign's research department followed up on Burkett's offer of information.
Lockhart said Mapes asked him the weekend before the story broke to call Burkett. "She basically said there's a guy who is being helpful on the story who wants to talk to you," Lockhart said, adding that it was common knowledge that CBS was working on a story raising questions about Bush's Guard service. Mapes told him there were some records "that might move the story forward. She didn't tell me what they said."
At the rate things are going, he may never even need to play em. LOL.
This is the earliest "Fortunate Son" article that I can find at google news, dated September 9th:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apelection_story.asp?category=1131&slug=Bush%20Fortunate%20Son
And this World Net Daily article:
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=40449
says the video was released on the 14th.
Don't worry, the New York Times is on it as we speak!
I'll betcha Burkett faxed to those other news outlets, independent of his jiggery-pokery that he was conducting with Mapes/Rather.
Like I said, this has now gone into the criminal acts realm, with proven forgery of government documents.
Man, I sure would hate to be Burkett right now~ He's a dead man forging.
How far were his eyes bugging out of head when he said this?
You are correct.
Best not to jump right on this tarbaby
Really? Yeeks.
I think you hit the nail on the head.
Really. Wouldn't just love to know a tenth of what Karl has?? ;-)
The only problem is they are not forged documents, they are just plain fakes.
If they cut and pasted a scan of Killian's signature (which looks like they did and it shrunk more via the repeated faxing and copying) then maybe you could go for identity theft.
But forgery can't be proven.
Does that include stealing them from the National Archives, shoving them down your pants, marking them up and then returning them later?
The "I don't recall" defense is along the same lines as what we call the S.A.D.D.I. ("soddy") defense. You know, "some other dude did it". Neither of the two have been anything but marginally successful as a defense in the criminal courts.
Though it did work for Clinton. Hmmmmm.....
But where the hell does Barnes fit in? This smells like Martin Frost involvement.
The ad came out the Tuesday after Dan's document dump
The question is .. when exactly was that interview of Barnes done? .. because that is in the ad also
That ad was planned ahead of time ... or those folks at the DNC are REALLY REALLY fast in putting it together and making copies to be sent to the TV stations
I just started reading this, but must pause now to go and don my silk pajamas!!!!
A special occasion if I've ever heard one!!!
Woopie!! The rats can't bail out fast enough to keep from sinking now.
Yup, my thoughts too. If Fox had done this with Bush, the dems would already be starting impeachment procedures. As it stands now, if Kerry pulls out a miracle and wins, he will be brought down hard by this. He wouldn't even be able to govern.
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