"From Lucy Ramirez? That's good enough for me!"
Posted on 02/21/2005 11:16:23 PM PST by RatherBiased.com
Bill Burkett, the former Texas national guardsman who provided CBS with the bogus documents it used to allege that President Bush evaded the draft and used family connections to cover up his shoddy military service, spoke out against the network in a 2,600-word letter addressed to the quasi-independent panel which CBS had appointed to investigate the whole Memogate affair.
In the letter, which the panel's legal representative confirmed receiving, Burkett says that CBS blamed him for its own failures in order to minimize the damage to its own reputation. He also continues to stand by his revised explanation of how he obtained the documents, which allegedly came from the personal files of Bush's commanding officer, now deceased. Burkett says he obtained the documents from an anonymous man at a Texas livestock show who was apparently acting on behalf of an unknown woman who identified herself as Lucy Ramirez.
"As I openly stated, backgrounded in excruciating detail to Mapes, Rather and CBS, the documents had to be able to be 'free standing' before I would release them. I had to be satisfied that CBS had the capability and intent to fully authenticate the documents," Burkett wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by the ezine Salon.com. "CBS, through its employees, had to make a critical decision as to whether they were willing to take that risk. There were no expressed or implied warranties about the documents. Yet I believed them to be authentic."
In his message, Burkett implies that he is considering legal recourse for being maligned by CBS, the panel, and Dan Rather's "Evening News."
Is it possible that the much-maligned ex-guardsman really is telling the truth about how he got the documents? Was he used as a patsy by Democratic Party operatives at the state or national level (or someone else) who knew he had some established contacts with CBS? Why would Burkett stake his reputation giving papers to CBS he knew to be third-rate forgeries? Why would Burkett come up with such a ridiculous-sounding scenario of how he got the documents (even if it was his third one) and continue to stick with it?
At this point, we do know that Burkett had been used as a source in other CBS stories prior to the document one. The "CBS Evening News" ran a story on February 12, 2004 which gave prominent play to a letter that he had written to Texas legislators saying that then-governor Bush had directed staffers to "scrub" his military records for incriminating information.
Burkett's speaking out and the actions of the three CBS News executives who are refusing to quit after being asked to resign are ensuring that the story of Memogate remains fully in play. To get the full truth, however, will require subpoena power. So which Texas prosecutor has the guts and the brains to take up the case? When will we get to see the trial of this young century?
One scenario is that they (CBS, Burkett) were working together, with CBS using Burkett as in the past, as a source.
Perhaps little did CBS and Burkett know that this time, FR and the blogs would bust up their little scheme with unprecedented scrutiny and coverage.
Now they can't point their grimey fingers at each other fast enough.
Golly, who would have seen that coming?
"As I openly stated, backgrounded in excruciating detail to Mapes, Rather and CBS
Oh please Bill, don't pretend you didn't relish every moment of it.
Why would Burkett come up with such a ridiculous-sounding scenario of how he got the documents (even if it was his third one) and continue to stick with it?
I'll take 'Burkett's a complete looney tune' for $500 Alex.
Didn't Rather's mother ever tell him that if you lay down with crazy people you get up with your arms tied around your back?
"From Lucy Ramirez? That's good enough for me!"
I have some documents I got from an unknown man at the swine pavillion at the County Fair who claimed he represented the Unknown Woman in the Kangaroo Cowboy Boots. These suckers are veritable dynamite and I'm willing to sell them to CBS or NYT real, real cheap.
This guy will run for office, bet on it.
Lucy!!!!!You got some 'slpainin to do!!!!!
karmic bump
Mary Mapes looks and sounds to me like a psychopath. A psychopath obsessed with "getting Bush". I think it is entirely plausible that Mapes is, in fact, "Lucy Ramirez". She simply used the "anonymous man at a Texas livestock show" to launder the forgeries.
Not from Abilene Texas he wont.. He is a hated more than an overflowing toilet at a Texas chili cook-off.
Hey, Burkett can always move. Is he really that despised down there?
I tell you what, whenever I want good up to date news I always head to my nearest livestock show. You gotta watch those anonymous people with papers in their hands though.
I went to school down there. HARD CORE CONSERVATIVES. Yes he is shunned in the small community of Baird ( just outside Abilene) His family has been threatened. You see he not only betrayed the military, he betrayed a native son, a fellow texan.... he might as well have peed on the alamo, there some things you just don't do in Texas. Especially West Texas.
Yuk, yuk, yuk! Go, nut, go! I hope this loon sues SeeBS and danny for years!
(It's all Rove's fault. Pass it on.)
So which Texas prosecutor has the guts and the brains to take up
the case? When will we get to see the trial of this young century?Oh, Ronnie Earle will step forward I'm sure!
Oh, wait! Burkett's not a Republican. Nevermind.
LOL
LOL... I'll get his hat.
Or how about this:
Making sh*t up, so Peter Jennings doesn't have to!
So he's thinking of suing for maliging him? How could his reputation be damaged, many people already thought he was a nutcase...
ROTF!
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