Posted on 09/21/2004 8:50:42 PM PDT by Pikamax
Now executives at the news division say that high regard may have poked a fatal hole in its checking procedures, perhaps making some news executives less vigilant in asking hard questions about how the producer obtained documents.
Well, that explains why the CBS bigwigs let her and Danny run with the story so long -- Abu Ghraib was a large feather in Mapes' cap.
But Mapes is not a fool. She lives in Dallas, and has got to be very familiar with the Texas Democratic party landscape. She's been after the TANG story for years, knew who Burkett was, as does anyone who follows politics, and had to be well aware of his eccentricities (and that's a euphemism).
The only way Mapes and Rather would use Burkett as a fall guy is if they had a source they considered reliable to vouch for the docs -- a source that needed a cover.
Burkett is bonkers, but he is exactly the kind of tin-foil whacko that would go along with anonymous phone calls and document drops at a cattle auction -- in fact, the James Bond feel of the whole thing was probably the high point of his life. I can also see him burning the originals , as he was most likely instructed to do by his anonymous contact -- not necessary, but just an added thrill for for demented old Bill.
The lawsuit and and subsequent lawyering up was also planned by Burkett's handlers to silence him in the event Rather had to give up his identity.
The whole whacky story was a setup to hide the identity of the real source, who is someone both Mapes and Rather trusted -- someone so wholeheartedly trusted that they were blinded to the objections of document experts and a host of other players.
There really is no other logical explanation.
Newsmax reported this yesterday, and Rush mentioned it on the air. Do you know for sure that the regulations that are cited are wrong?
Needs a bit of work:
"It is obviously against CBS News standards and those of every other reputable news organization to be caught associating with any political agenda," the network said in a statement.
There. That's better.
Actually it's kind of funny to think of Joe Lockhart as having more scruples than CBS. I'm sure it wasn't ethics that motivated Joe, but at least he had the good sense to anticipate getting caught.
Vincent Bugliosi once said - "the obvious is usually true." Burkett didn't use CBS, CBS used Burkett. Remember the pressure to "release the documents" on him by Mapes?
CBS/Kerry/DNC already had the documents and were pressuring Burkett, the chump, to release them so they would have a paper trail.
Buchanan says Rather is in denial; others say "it's his gigantic ego" that is preventing CBS from making the correct business decision.
The obvious is - there are extensive links and coordination between CBS and the Kerry/DNC organization and instead of bringing down George Bush, if this is disclosed it brings down Kerry.
The logical solution for any other business would be to suspend Mapes, Rather and Heyland; find the truth and reveal it; CBS WILL NEVER REVEAL THE TRUTH BECAUSE THEY ARE GUILTY AND PEOPLE WOULD GO TO JAIL.
Don't look for a resolution to this because it will not come unless criminal charges are pressed that would get people to talk. Stonewalling is the game.
Even though I'm not a fan of them, the quickest way to get these guys under oath would be a Congressional hearing... Cox is still lobbying for one.
Now that would be a perfect job for her.
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