" Who suggested to Burkett that he would have to have "documents" to be taken seriously in his claims against Bush;"
- According to articles that I read earlier this week, CBS has been nosing around this "story" for over a year. Mapes in particular has made a number of trips to Texas to dig up more ammo - she was probably under pressure from Blather to come back with something - anything, that would back his theory of Bush's Guard service. It's known that she spoke to Burkett on at least one of these visits. The article that I read made the point that CBS in these interviews and by their questions clearly telegraphed to the interviewee what they were after. For examples, questions like, "Have you ever heard stories that Bush was reprimanded for skipping his medicals?"
Burkett could easily have divined what Mapes was interested in and fed her back what she was looking for.
Unfortunately, Mapes wanted to believe because it would take the pressure off her and give her career brownie points, while Rather wanted to believe because it fed his preconception of reality.
This story has been around ever since W entered public life. Most people have no trouble believing that powerful people get favors, the fact that this story has been pursued for something like 15 years, and the only documentation that CBS can produce is:
1. Ben Barnes, who has barely stayed out of jail, is a partisan Democrat, and has taken part in fund-raisers making over $100,000 for Kerry.
2. Documents that are obviously forgeries.
3. An 86 year old pool secretary who admits that the documents CBS is using are forgeries and is a partisan Democrat.
4. An ill, irrational man who hates George Bush for an unrelated reason.
What's even more amazing is that they're continuing to pursue this story, which is a loser for Kerry and all the Democrats on all fronts. Even if every allegation were proven true, so what? They're blowing September saying "we hate Bush because he skipped some guard meetings." Rather has become Ahab, and the CBS news division is close to becoming an Alzheimer's ward.