USA Today acknowledges that it independently received the documents

USA Today | 9/13/04

[Tempest]

Waaaaayyyy too fishy. Now if this isn't a news story I don't know what is. It's time for some SERIOUS investigative reporting.

Now if only real journalist existed nowadays.

[plushaye]

They think it's relevant to show Bush supposedly didn't complete his service while Kerry did i.e "war hero". The thing is nobody in flyover country cares. It's the last 4 years which counts. They don't see that at all.

[N. Beaujon]

Interesting how only now, when the walls are closing in on Dan Rather and CBS over these forgeries, does USA Today come forward and admit they received copies as well. I believe they call this "running for the tall grass."

I honestly dont think they care. Are their circulation numbers tanking? I doubt it. Believe me, they couldnt care less. Unless the DOJ opens an independant investigation (and they wont) they are just hoping this will die from lack of oxygen. They think the blogosphere emits only gas.

[N. Beaujon]

I agree, this goes beyond typical dirty tricks and into criminal activity. I just don't understand why the GOP does not seem to be making a stink and investigating who made these memos. Forging government documents is a serious offense and can't just laugh it off.

The hallmark of the Bush administration is that they never seek revenge. Remember when the Clinton animals destroyed the White house when they left? Remember FBI file gate? I mean there are so many times the Bush administration could have dirtied their hands going after these creeps and they dont. They just let them sink themselves in their own ships.

I marvel at their self control. It makes the Dims look primordial in comparison.

[weegee]

"How To Steal An Election" and "J. Goebbels' The Big Lie And Making It Work For You" are both on the recommended reading list of the DNC/Kerry Campaign.

[jocon307]

"I could pretend to be a disgrunted Kerry campaigner and drop off some forged documents of my own explaining how Kerry is a closet communist.

I am not that bad with photoshop either."

No, no, no. That is the same mistake the person or persons unknown made. USE A TYPEWRITER! Come to my office, we've even still got some carbon paper and onion skin around. Real IBM Selectrics too!

Now all we need is a convient dead guy to play the role of author.

[mombonn]

The specific purpose is to CYA, when one's actions might later be questioned.

Why, in 1972, would ANYONE have felt the need to write a CYA memo about Bush? Sure, his Daddy was "someone", but to envision the future of the SON would have only been worthy of Nostrdamus.

That alone makes it clear to me that these are forged.

[Agrarian]

You're exactly right, and I made this point elsewher. Furthermore, the expected "audience" would be military brass, not the general public, and the tone doesn't feel right to me on that.

Also, the memo doesn''t at all make clear just what personal risk the "author" was trying to avoid -- rather the memos seemed designed to hurt Bush's political career. Taken as a whole, trying to find a common theme that Killian might be putting together to protect himself, I just can't make sense of it.

My point was just that these documents are not official government documents, and thus may not have some of the characteristics of officially filed documents. Whoever forged them knew enough to forge them as memos for record, and not as official memos.

[Winfield]

""It is unclear where the documents, if they are real, had been kept in the intervening three decades."

That is easy! For decades they didn't even exist. WE NOW KNOW (as the Demos love to say) those documents were only recently created.....on a computer no less! "Shazaam! Looky what we just found! Pulled it right out of that hat! Would you believe it?" (NO!)
Bye-Bye, Dan Rather! Bye-Bye, CBS,Viacom and friends!
Bye-Bye, John Kerry! HELLOOOOOOO, President Bush!!!!

[Argus]

This campaign is now officially over. Kerry is toast.

KERRY IS FRENCH TOAST.

[hershey]

If the mystery forger types fast, he/she can turn out docs from now 'til Nov., and USA Today, The Boston Globe, and CBS can smear GW nonstop for weeks. This is classic gutter Carville and Sasso.