Click for the entire CouNTeRPuNcH Collection
Political Parodies and more
www.counterpunch.us
Posted on 09/22/2004 3:18:10 PM PDT by counterpunch
Barnes' timeline is highly suspicious.
Here we see that the discovery of these documents was a deciding factor for Barnes agreeing to speak to 60 Minutes:
Rumors about the memos had circulated in the Democratic Party and media circles for weeks; in fact, CBS had used their existence to help persuade Barnes to talk. He told Democratic friends before the "60 Minutes II" broadcast that if documents the network was hunting for were found—and were authentic—"the election is over."
But now we learn that it was Barnes who called Dan Rather ready to talk to CBS just a few short days before CBS received the documents:
During the Republican National Convention in New York, Rather got a call from Ben Barnes, a onetime Texas lieutenant governor and veteran Democrat who has known the anchor, a former Houston TV reporter, for 30 years. Barnes said he was ready to say before the cameras that he had pulled strings to get Bush a coveted slot in the Texas Guard in 1968. Mapes had long been urging Barnes to tell his story.
On Friday, Sept. 3, the day after the convention ended, Mapes hit pay dirt. She told Howard her source had given her the documents.
If it was the documents that convinced Barnes to do the interview, and he decided to do the interview a couple days before CBS got them, then this would mean that the Kerry campaign -- which Barnes is co-chair of -- got the documents first, then CBS received them a few days later.
The close proximity of these correlated events is almost certainly not a coincidence.
My money's on Michael Moore on the fake docs.
Speaking of coincidences:
"..By Sept. 3, CBS producer Mary Mapes had some of the documents in her possession and began writing the story that would air on "60 Minutes II" on Sept. 8. Meanwhile, in the very same week, the Kerry campaign launched "Operation Fortunate Son," a campaign video that depicts Mr. Bush as "a very fortunate son who uses connections and pulls strings for special favors," according to an AP story dated Sept. 9. The story also mentioned "newly unearthed memos by the late Col. Jerry B. Killian" as being part of the ad..."
"..Finally, is it believable that the Kerry campaign's launch of "Operation Fortunate Son" the day after the "60 Minutes II" story aired was entirely coincidental?.."
I smell a big fat slovenly rat here.
Pat Caddell claimed on Fox News today that CBS called Bukett looking for the documents, Burkett did nor call CBS.
It sounds like the Democrats/Kerry either created them or got them from someone who did, then passed them to Burkett anonymously via the mythical Lucy Ramirez, then had CBS retrieve them from Burkett.
Meanwhile the Dems worked on their "Operation Fortunate Son" to cordinate with the hit piece they had constructed.
This is an out an out fraud and The Dems are at the heart of it.
I think it's payback time, lets create some documents that prove the theory...:-)
So Burkett was a source for Michael Moore...hmmm......I think Mary Mapes and Michael Moore know each other and know Nick Berg....I think that's how she got the Abu Grahib pictures.
from the LA Times
Emily Will, a professional document examiner in North Carolina consulted by the network to help assess two memos related to Bush's military service, said her copies showed a fax footer with a time stamp that read 6:41 p.m. Sept. 2.
I'm sure they knew what was coming before the memos were faxed.
That doesn't even make sense.
The Abu Ghraib photos were in the posession of the DoD, as they were in the military system of justice already. There are a lot of political people there, and I suspect a Clinton appointee got a hold of them and passed them on the 60 Minutes, probably through one of the linton people who had "done business" with them before.
If I had to predict, I would predict that Burkett along with a person named Paul Lukasiak, a Philadelphia caterer, gay activist and known Bush hater. Lukasiak has written lengthy paranoid diatribes about the President's TANG service. Between the two of them there is a possibility they had a "folie a deux"; relationship. While both would have the facts more or less down they would not have the Air National Guard lingo completely down even though Lukasiak published a long screed on this including copies of TANG records.
There is an excellent discussion Lukasiak on the American Thinker Blog at http://www.americanthinker.com/comments.php?comments_id=719. Most of what I am positing is there: I just draw a different conclusion.
I do not think Burkett possessed the ability to think through and do the memos by himself, but the time lines are such that he must have played some part in their composition. I do feel the American Thiner Blog is onto something; however, they ascribe everything to Burkett.
Incidentally, Burkett has a history of seizures and had one when being interviewed. He claims brain damage from some disorder contacted in Panama. He claims two "mental breakdowns' and has been described in the papers as having had a "depression"
Like many troubled people ?Burkett developed a delusion that the President had conspired to ruin his health and deny him Veteran's health and other benefits. Like many paranoid people he would seem to be clear and specific in his complaints and very persuasive since, in his way of thinking, he is not lying but simply advocating his beliefs and experience. Where CBS went wrong is that he created a pseudo-community of persecutors wherein he was the center of an attack by important people because of his great ability to perceive the wrong doing of others. While not mentioned in the things I have read, I would bet he is a very isolated and mostly neglected person with no real community support although his family may continue to give hims some psychological support.
Another bet is that when the Fed closes in he will turn state's evidence and claim a lack of criminal responsiblity on the basis of his mental health history and current problems.
I really think a Fed investigation is in line here. I also find it interesting that MM has not mentioned this subject, really quiet, for the big fat slovenly pig.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
