Rather Defends CBS's Use of Memos (WP not buying it).

washington post ^ | 9/10/2004 | Howard Kurtz

[jhouston]

Dan Rather vigorously defended his "60 Minutes" story on President Bush's National Guard service yesterday, saying the 30-year-old memos he disclosed on the show this week "were and remain authentic," despite questions raised by some handwriting and document experts.

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

Thanks for jogging my memory with that interesting exchange.

[Positive]

... Necessary forms can be obtained from any Texas Air National Guard unit. ... TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD. 147 TH MSF/DPC. 14657 SNEIDER STREET. HOUSTON, TX 77034-5586. ...
www.agd.state.tx.us/human-resources/ Jobs/Air%20Tech/147th/147-AGR-04-20.htm - 60k -

[bannie]

He knows the truth;
but if he WERE to release the memos, WE would know the truth, too...naw, we already know it.

[Positive]

147 Fighter Wing
14657 Sneider Street
Houston, TX 77034-5586
TOLL FREE: 1-800-843-1652

MSgt Cynthia J. Frank (281) 929-2527 Military: 454-2527
MSgt Michael Fruge (281) 929-2529 Military: 454-2529
TSgt Rodney Evans (281) 929-2526 Military: 454-2526

[Toidylop]

They have an expert who' s paid by them and they refuse to allow anyone else to interview him

Wait... Do you think this See^BS expert eager to grant interview? Uh huh, his so-called expert career is just about OVER!!!

[omstrat]

Im on your side buddy.Just wanted to check the zip for myself.I'd be the first to cheer Rather going down in a ball of flames.

[radiohead]

The address listed on return address on those docs is a FAKE!

Get out! I'd heard about the PO Box, but they can't even fake the zip code right? Morons!

I just hope the hurricanes and 9/11 memorials don't kick the legs out from under this story. I need to see Ra^ther skulk outta Black Rock in shame.

[GeorgiaYankee]

very good Flash demo of the forgery!

[okie01]

Somebody needs to get to the bottom of whether the type set on the memos was kerned.

It was.

The perfect centering of every line of the letterhead block and the line breaks that perfectly mimic the wordwrap feature of Word are both prima facie evidence of kerning.

[Mike Fieschko]

Yeah, I had seen that, too.

The question is, would there be a PO Box without a Post Office building for 77034, back in the early 1970s.

I thought that there were other docs (not ones from DNC-BS), that had that P.O. Box 34567, Houston, Texas address.

[Reactionary]

Dan Rather is an idiot.

[babygene]

Yhis is BOGAS... Do a google search on 77034.

[philman_36]

Maybe I misunderstand you. ZIP Code use began on July 1, 1963.
Me too. It has been a while, and I may be incorrect, but I seem to remember that being the zip code for an area around the Almeda Mall/Freeway Manor area of Houston.

[philman_36]

Thanks. That is what I thought. That was a zip code from my youth.

[Wolfhound777]

One thing that I don't understand and have not seen explained is how in the hell did they get these so called documents that were in "personal" possesion of a deceased person? Both the wife and son, said they never saw them or gave them up. Did someone break into their home and steal them? How did they know where to look? Were they in a storage facility? Does anyone here know?

[NYCVirago]

Shout out to NYC Virago, for being one of the first to loudly cry FRAUD the other night. Well done!

Very cool. Thanks so much!

[ambrose]

Said this elsewhere:

It is disturbing, in a way, that so much has been directed towards discussing that the docs couldn't have been made in the 70s... Why is that disturbing? If Rather/Kerry had done their homework (if they were indeed behind the forgery), they could have simply typed it up on an old typewriter and they would have gotten away with it.

I mean, these documents would never see the light of day in a court of law, even if they had been typed on a typewriter - impossible to lay a foundation. Yet, what could not possibly have been used in court could have been used to smear the President.

The other odd thing about the documents is they're hardly very damaging, even when taken at face value.

[hobson]

You've got to see this: Results of experiment with actual typewriter

[jordan8]

I think the public is smart enough to see from whom some of this criticism is coming and draw judgments about what the motivations are . . . It's hard to separate legitimate concern from political blowback and propaganda

We don't have to answer embarrassing questions regardless of what the facts may be if the source is deemed by us to be hostile. Real touch of Stalinism there. I wonder what Danny boy would have said if Nixon had adopted this attitude.

[AlexW]

Someone should be looking more into who Mr. Matley really is.
That he is from San Francisco is enough for me to smell a RAT.

If SeeBS is so sure that the documents are real, they should have no problem with having other experts review Matley's opinion, but obviously SeeBS knows they are not authentic.