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White House: Kerry may be behind hoax
Boston Herald ^ | 9/21/04 | Andrew Miga

Posted on 09/21/2004 12:21:26 AM PDT by kattracks

WASHINGTON -Anchor Dan Rather admitted he was duped on documents used to assail President Bush's military service - shattering CBS' credibility and sparking White House charges John Kerry's campaign may be behind the hoax.

``It was a mistake. I want to say personally and directly, `I'm sorry,' '' Rather said on last night's CBS newscast.

The network's esteemed public face who reported the story as a blockbuster on ``60 Minutes'' nearly two weeks ago, was contrite - insisting the mistakes were in ``good faith.''

``I didn't dig hard enough, long enough,'' Rather, who turns 73 next month, told a reporter. ``I trusted someone who changed his story.''

Bill Burkett, a retired Texas National Guard official, was CBS' source for the bogus documents containing claims the officials gave Bush preferential treatment even as he refused to take a required physical.

Burkett, in an interview aired last night with Rather, admitted misleading a producer about the origin of the documents, and said he told the network it needed to authenticate the memos. CBS now admits it rushed the story.

Burkett, who previously claimed he got the memos from a former National Guardsman, has changed his story.

``Now he says he got them from a different source,'' CBS said in a statement, noting Burkett refused to divulge the new source.

Bush's spokesman, meanwhile, bluntly hinted that Democratic challenger Kerry's campaign may have played a role in the forged document scandal - a charge Kerry officials adamantly denied.

``This raises a lot of questions,'' White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. ``There were media reports about Mr. Burkett speaking with senior - or having senior-level contacts with the Kerry campaign.

``What were those contacts and what was discussed with Bill Burkett? Who was the original source of these documents and who was responsible for forging these documents?'' he asked.

The Bush camp offered no proof to bolster its claim, but in an e-mail last month to some Texas Democrats, Burkett, a Democrat, reportedly claimed he had passed along information to ex-Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.), who is a key Kerry supporter, to blunt attacks on Kerry's Vietnam military record.

Cleland said he lacks ``any knowledge'' about the CBS documents.

Kerry adviser Joe Lockhart confirmed he had a phone conversation with Burkett at the urging of a CBS producer, but that the conversation involved advice over the swiftboat flap and did not involve the National Guard documents.

``It's baseless to say the Kerry campaign had anything to do with this,'' Lockhart said.

CBS cited four memos by the late Air National Guard Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, Bush's former commanding officer, saying he ``sugarcoated'' Bush's performance ratings after pressure from his commanders. Bush's father was a congressman at the time. The memos also purported to show that Bush refused orders to take a flight physical.



TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
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To: Pete'sWife

On Fox n Friends this morning, ED said that on Sept 9, CBS said that they had a source who had seen the actual documents being written.

That would now appear to be a big lie. ED would like that question answered. Me too.


21 posted on 09/21/2004 5:21:58 AM PDT by baseballmom (You Know Where I Stand - GW Bush - 9/2/04 We're standing with you, Mr. President)
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To: baseballmom

...seen the documents written?

In 1972 or 2004?


22 posted on 09/21/2004 5:30:09 AM PDT by Pete'sWife (Dirt is for racing... asphalt is for getting there.)
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To: kattracks
The Democrat Party the cess pool of America aided by CBS and the communist/socialist party.
23 posted on 09/21/2004 5:30:21 AM PDT by solo gringo (Don't be a girlie man vote Bush/Cheney in/04)
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To: solo gringo

Repeat after me.....

What did Kerry Know???.....When did He Know IT???
What did Kerry Know???.....When did He Know IT???
What did Kerry Know???.....When did He Know IT???
What did Kerry Know???.....When did He Know IT???
What did Kerry Know???.....When did He Know IT???


24 posted on 09/21/2004 5:33:01 AM PDT by renotse
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To: turbocat
They are forged or they're not. Interviews were NOT conducted (killians, secretary, Hodges recanting, Staudt). So I don't care WHO changed a story - this is a red herring.... a diversion apology

 Yup! Rather & Kerry hope this is going to blow over and we'll forget about this. NEVER! This is huge!

25 posted on 09/21/2004 5:34:26 AM PDT by PilloryHillary (John Kerry LIED http://www.johnfkerrysucks.com)
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To: baseballmom

I remember that Dan Rather originally said the memos were real because his unimpeachable source saw the memos being written.

Must find link.


26 posted on 09/21/2004 5:37:33 AM PDT by Republican Red (We're going to win one for the gipper...they're going to lose one for the flipper)
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To: kattracks
Steve Pitkin story, he said his "testimony" was a hoax.

JFKerry somehow managed to get a special Senate perk in 1986 when he gained access to Secretary of Navy Lehman's, signature/autopen.

JFKerry still has that same group that produced that hoax of testimony all those years ago, and something needed to be done to take the attention away from Swift Vets.
27 posted on 09/21/2004 5:39:47 AM PDT by Just mythoughts
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To: kattracks
Follow the bouncing cue ball...


28 posted on 09/21/2004 5:43:48 AM PDT by Hatteras
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To: Anti-Bubba182
"There were media reports about Mr. Burkett speaking with senior - or having senior-level contacts with the Kerry campaign."

__________________________________

If this proves to be true, after the election the perpetrators of this fraud should be prosecuted mercilessly. Very long sentences and super-heavy fines assessed.

No Mercy!

29 posted on 09/21/2004 5:54:28 AM PDT by daylate-dollarshort
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To: wtc911

"Yep, that's exactly how NYC handled 9-11, just like that. If we didn't have you brave southern souls to come to our rescue the rubble would still be there smoldering."

Sorry if I stepped on your toes. I thought It was obvious that I was referencing the behavior of politicians.

I would not impugn the character of real men. I do not think there is any question the the Police and Firefighters of NY are Real Men.


30 posted on 09/21/2004 9:23:11 AM PDT by TASMANIANRED (What did Kerry know and when did he know it?)
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To: stockpirate
Fox News this morning had a former CCN news manager on and he siad that he thinks most people in the US believe that Bush pulled a Qualye and got speical treatment it's jkust that they can't find any proof.

The Rats have been throwing that canard out for so long, that it's pretty much impossible to undo that in the minds of people even if the so-called "proof" is discredited. The "big lie" theory works, and the Rats know it.

31 posted on 09/21/2004 9:26:05 AM PDT by dfwgator (It's sad that the news media treats Michael Jackson better than our military.)
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To: kattracks
CBS now admits it rushed the story.

I read something that said they were working on this story for WEEKS.

32 posted on 09/21/2004 9:26:08 AM PDT by UsnDadof8 (Proud Virginian)
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To: TASMANIANRED

No problema.


33 posted on 09/21/2004 9:32:36 AM PDT by wtc911 (I have half a Snickers...it was given to me by a CIA guy as we went into Cambodia)
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To: kattracks
The Bush camp offered no proof to bolster its claim...

They got it from an unimpeachable source. CBS. The White House claim is that there are media reports of contact between the Kerry campaign and Burkett.

In all fairness, the Kerry campaign shouldn't be in the position of having to prove a negative, but if the shoe were on the other foot, the story in the LSM would be about Republican dirty tricks.

34 posted on 09/21/2004 9:35:34 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (Islam: Men defend most violently, not what they know to be true, but what they fear may be false.)
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To: UsnDadof8
I read something that said they were working on this story for WEEKS.

They were working on this story for YEARS.

35 posted on 09/21/2004 9:37:09 AM PDT by Chieftain (Support the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and expose Hanoi John's FRAUD!)
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To: UsnDadof8

I heard they were working on it for YEARS!!! see BS was obsessed with bringing down W. (OK, I just heard a whole lot of "no s$%t"s....)


36 posted on 09/21/2004 9:54:15 AM PDT by BamaDi
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To: kattracks
Joe Lockhart confirmed he had a phone conversation with Burkett at the urging of a CBS producer...

This is the most explosive detail to come out of this story, if you ask me. Why is a CBS producer "urging" a Democrat operative to talk to a source with damaging information about Bush? It stinks. She either was collaborating with the DNC or she was calling for a comment because the documents are linked to the DNC. Either way, the DNC is involved.

37 posted on 09/21/2004 10:04:46 AM PDT by Novel
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To: kattracks

It isn't a hoax - it's a felony.


38 posted on 09/21/2004 10:12:17 AM PDT by mabelkitty (Watch for a CBS employee in a trench coat going by DeepWord.....)
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To: NutCrackerBoy

Who is Khan/Cahn, the guy Burkett originally said gave him the documents, then lied and named Lucy Ramirez?


39 posted on 09/21/2004 10:13:42 AM PDT by mabelkitty (Watch for a CBS employee in a trench coat going by DeepWord.....)
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