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."
Everyone knows that Lockhart is a hack. It's the question of how he, or Mapes, felt it was professionally ethical (on her part) for him to follow up on a lead which she supplied to him and that could've affected the outcome of a federal election.
He must've known that the whole thing, at the very least, would appear to stink to the high heavens. But hey, you have to care about appearances in the first place, and I think that the Kerry camp is so desperate to come up with a "smoking gun", that they'll stoop to any measure at this point in time in a vain attempt to pull the old rabbit out of the hat.
By the way, how can CBS claim to have had "absolute confidence" from "very reliable sources" that the memos were real, just based on Burkett throwing out a name, whom CBS obviously didn't speak to? Just who would CBS think a Bush hater with a nutter background should be trusted about anything? It is one thing to use the guy as a lead, another to rely on him. Crazy.
Blood in the water!! Let's throw some chum in and see what snaps first. ROTFLMJO!!!!!!
Lockhart is evidence of collusion between CBS and the Kerry campaign. He's a goner.
Of course a Kerry operative is going to pursue leads. Why shouldn't he? Bashing Lockhart is a non starter. If the Kerry campaign was in the chain of custody of the forged documents, that is another matter.
Wait, here we are worried about the wrong thing. Maddie Not@Albright is on H&C now, teaching us where we went wrong in Iraq. Colmes is listening. I think Sean is snoring lightly.
Republican campaign: a group of people with strong leadership working together in a coordinated and organized manner for a cause larger than themselves.
Democrat campaign - a group of people with no coherent leadership, each looking out for #1, pushing their way to the front and jockeying for power, money and personal glory.
Observe the difference in result, grasshopper.
Is it too gruesome to post an Arkancide watch?
"If Mapes had the story, what possible reason would she have to call Lockhart and say that there were some "records that could move the story forward"?
Was she asking him to "authenticate" the documents?"
---
Good point. This is what they would have us believe the conversation went like:
Lockhart:Hi Mary
Maples: Hi Joe. I just wanted to let you know you might want to contact Bill Burkett.
Lockhart: Ok. About what?
Maples: Well, we have some new documents about Bush's national Guard service. They might move the story forward.
Lockhart: oh yea. That story is common knowledge. Great. Thanks Mary. You have a Great day.
Maples: You too. Take care.
Now...... could this possibly have happened?
The conversation more likely went like:
Maples: Hey Joe, I heard you wanted to talk to me.
Lockhard: Hey Mary, yea I just talked to Max, Beth and John and everything is a go with those docs.
Maples: Ok, you need to talk to Burnett to make sure he is strait. I talked to him the other day and he is going to be our source. Just make sure he has the documents.
Lockhard: Ok, and you guys have Barnes signed up for an interview right? I talked to him ealier and he's got his playbook.
Maples: Yeah, yeah, its all taken care of. This should be a great hit.
Lockhart: No doubt. I can't wait to see their faces. Your doing a great job keep up the good work.
Maples: Thanks. Let me know if there is anything else we can do.
Lockhart: Bye
Maples: Bye
...
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. ...
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."
Points:
1. Mapes calls Lockhart in the Kerry campaign suggesting he contact Burkett about records "that might move the story forward." The 60 minutes producer of the bogus story offering suggestions to the Kerry campaign regarding a story they were about to break? CBS must investigate, if this report is true Mary Mapes crossed way over the line from journalistic integrity to blatent unfair political partisanship and should be fired.
2. Why would a Kerry campaign insider tell a reporter all of this? It doesn't make sense, unless you consider that this admission my Lockhart (and Max Clelands) is just more damage control. It appears that a much bigger story than just fake documents and Dan Rathers gullability is breaking here....
Hilary, Hilary should be a little more less obvious, discreet
He may be gone, because why would Kerry want to have to deal with it, but this goes on all the time. It is called back scratching. The Kerry campaign is not expected to be fair and balanced, but CBS is.
Hannity and the former CBS guy.
Lockhart and Max are goners. Mapes goes to journalism jail without passing go.
Burkett gets another 6 months on Nurse Ratchets ward.
Life in the political realm is good. Enjoy it.
And both a reporter at the Boston Globe and one from Newsweek said publicly on TV last week that Burkett was *not* a reliable source. When even the rest of the media knows the guy's a loon, why did Dan Rather think he had the goods?
Yes, the 527 connection is crucial, for that would show illegal coordination between the campaign and the 527, not to mention the forger (who very well may be Glenn Sith or someone in his group). Glenn Smith and Texas Veterans For Truth should be hounded by every media organization in the country, and they should not be permitted to throw the story back toward Bush.
Every sleazebag associated with this fiasco should be required to answer all questions in public, NOW, not after the election or blanketed in attorney-client privelege.
I know that's too much to hope for, but if some of the reporters do their job then no one associated with the scandal should be able to play any further role in the campaign or CBS, etc. because they should be peppered with questions every time they appear in public.
Bump for later - frickin' unbelievable.
Yes, that one caught my radar, too. Mapes, the CBS producer, giving heads up to the Kerry campaign? Ah, so, the plot ... aw, you know!
Bad Spelling, sorry.
Hillary, Hillary you should be a little less obvious, and discreet
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