Burkett: Lockhart Asked Me for Rathergate Documents

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[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

Burkett: Lockhart Asked Me for Rathergate Documents

Former National Guard commander Bill Burkett has become the first player in the CBS forged document scandal to implicate John Kerry's presidential campaign, telling the Fort Worth Star Telegram that top Kerry aide Joe Lockhart pressed him to turn over damaging evidence on George Bush.

During a single phone conversation with Lockhart, Burkett told the Telegram that he suggested a "couple of concepts on what I thought (Kerry) had to do" to beat Bush.

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In return, he said, Lockhart tried to "convince me as to why I should give them the documents." Lockhart has staunchly denied that he ever discussed the forged documents with Burkett, though he confirmed that a conversation had indeed taken place in a call arranged by "60 Minutes" producer Mary Mapes.

But with Burkett now claiming otherwise, Republicans have their first evidence of Rathergate wrongdoing that directly implicates the Kerry campaign.

Burkett also complained that "60 Minutes" anchorman Dan Rather tried to set him up as a "fall guy" in the forged document scandal during his mea culpa broadcast on Monday.

"He snipped [my interview] apart to cover them," he told the Telegram. "That's all that that evening news was - to find a fall guy. And it was me."

"Dan Rather ruined my reputation in front of 70 million people," he added.

Burkett's former lawyer said Tuesday that the controversial Guardsman was preparing a lawsuit against CBS.

*********Additional Information**************
**Original Newspaper Account Corrected*******

CBS source denies plotting with Kerry

By Jack Douglas Jr.

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

This article has been corrected from the version published in the newspaper and online Friday morning to reflect that Bill Burkett was referring to conversations with CBS when he said, "They tried to convince me as to why I should give them the documents." The earlier version incorrectly reported that he had discussed the documents with Joe Lockhart of the Kerry campaign.

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

What hit me is that if cBS really cared about the validity of this story, wouldn't they have called Bush (who could verify the documents) instead of Kerry?

[jpf]

"Lockhart has staunchly denied that he ever discussed the forged documents with Burkett,"

Right, they just talked about the weather, under water basket weaving, and the writings of Albert Camus.

[Hank Rearden]

Since Burkett is "unimpeachable", I do believe See?BS! is well and truly screwed. Right?

[VRWCTexan]

Let's hope that BB's new lawyer forces See_BS to keep all the video that they shot - would prove interesting to view!!

[sargon]

Drip, drip...

Now Lockhart will have to answer more questions about this.

[JoeBob2004]

CBS did call the Bush campaign -- three hours before they broadcast the story. Then they claimed that "no response" from the Bush campaign made them think the story was true.

[Gunder]

This story is fun to follow... but Burkett sure is a putz, ain't he?

[Boundless]

> "He snipped [my interview] apart to cover them," he
> told the Telegram. "That's all that that evening news
> was - to find a fall guy. And it was me."

The legacy media is crooked. Gasp. What a stunning loss
of innocence. And all the poor guy was trying to do was
bring down a President with documents he wasn't sure
were authentic.

> Lockhart tried to "convince me as to why I should
> give them the documents."

Amusing, but we need to treat this with the same respect
that we gave the memos, unless Burkett has evidence, by
which I mean "real" evidence.

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

who cares now?

It is now time for the FBI to look into this. Hopefully, Ashcroft will direct them to do so, and with the proviso that all agents and prosecutors involved are longterm career employees.

[jpf]

"This story is fun to follow... but Burkett sure is a putz, ain't he?"

Nah, you think?

[Zellenn]

Yeah--No Exit!!

[One4Indictment]

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!

[KingNo155]

No they spoke of Macaveli, at least that's what all the crooked Dems here in NJ always say.

[SoCar]

LOL, now they have to attack Burkett so as not to call Lockhart a liar. Therefore, defending their beloved CBS is made even more difficult since CBS relied on this man the left will now have to call a nut.

Too funny.

[jpf]

I know Hillary sent Lockhart to destroy Kerry, but was it supposed to happen this soon?

[Redcoat LI]

That was Sartre.

Camus wrote "The stranger"

[MEG33]

Bush could not verify Killian's personal memos...only a dead man could do that ....

CBS did not ruin Burkett...Burkett ruined himself...He didn't ruin CBS..CBS(Rather) got drunk on the idea of smearing the President and acted to promote their agenda...Lockhart isn't acting like the smooth operator he is if he spoke to Burkett without checking him out..googling his name would have helped.

Mapes is a fool in love with promoting her agenda to fall for Burkett's story of"seeing Bush's files in a trashcan"

[sinkspur]

Right, they just talked about the weather, under water basket weaving, and the writings of Albert Camus.

I thought it was Proust, but I could be mistaken.

[sam_whiskey]

This is the smoking gun if true, don't you think??

[tame]

I have a sneeking suspicion that Burkett may attempt suicide before this is all through :o(