Posted on 09/20/2004 5:32:23 PM PDT by Dont Mention the War
Posted on Mon, Sep. 20, 2004
NEW YORK - At the behest of CBS, an adviser to John Kerry said he talked to a central figure in the controversy over President Bush's National Guard service shortly before disputed documents were released.
Joe Lockhart denied any connection between the presidential campaign and the papers. Lockhart, the second Kerry ally to confirm contact with retired Texas National Guard officer Bill Burkett, said he made the call at the suggestion of CBS producer Mary Mapes.
"He had some advice on how to deal with the Vietnam issue and the Swift boat" allegations, Lockhart said Monday, referring to GOP-fueled accusations that Kerry exaggerated his Vietnam War record. "He said these guys play tough and we have to put the Vietnam experience into context and have Kerry talk about it more."
Lockhart said he thanked Burkett for his advice after a three to four minute call.
Lockhart said he does not recall talking to Burkett about Bush's Guard records. "It's baseless to say the Kerry campaign had anything to do with this," he said.
CBS News apologized Monday for a "mistake in judgment" in its story questioning Bush's Guard service, claiming it was misled by the source of documents that several experts have dismissed as fakes.
Burkett admitted this weekend to CBS that he lied about obtaining the documents from another former National Guard member, the network said. CBS hasn't been able to conclusively tell how he got them, or even whether they're fakes or not.
Kerry ally Max Cleland, a former Georgia senator, also said he had a brief conversation last month with Burkett, who told him he had information about Bush to counter charges against Kerry's Vietnam War service. Cleland said he gave Burkett's name and phone number to the campaign's research department.
Kerry spokesman David Ginsberg said nobody in the campaign's research department followed up on Burkett's offer of information.
Lockhart said Mapes asked him the weekend before the story broke to call Burkett. "She basically said there's a guy who is being helpful on the story who wants to talk to you," Lockhart said, adding that it was common knowledge that CBS was working on a story raising questions about Bush's Guard service. Mapes told him there were some records "that might move the story forward. She didn't tell me what they said."
Right. It's not the release date with which to be concerned, but rather its date(s) of production.
Let's not forget that Joe Lockhart's most recent gig before the Kerry campaign was flacking for the loathsome Michael Moore at the Cannes Film Festival!!!
We need to gather all the info from that time period (May 2004, I believe) and hang Lockhart and Michael Moore around Kerry's neck.
What did they say?
Keep up the good work, guys. I'm going to bed but I'm sure your guys will stay on this tonight.
I hope you are wearing your "official" pajamas...
I think there is more to this in the Kerry camp that most would know. Mary Beth Cahill has to be feeling squeezed by Sasso, Begala, Carville and Lockhart. CBS is keeping Mapes firmly under wraps, as the Kerry campaign has done with Cahill. I can't help but feel that she's not secretly smiling at the discomfiture of the Clintonistas.
The video was released on that date, but if it went to local affiliates, it would have had to be distributed before that date. I still wonder what was the earliest date that a station or network RECEIVED that video. Was it earlier than the 14th?
Who?
It means nothing. Look, CBS discredited the Pajamahadeen last week.
We had best simply drink our warm milk, watch Leno and go to bed. Nothing to see here.
Oh yeah,...This rocks
Thanks for the ping!
You mean like "bail bonds"?
Howard Cosell used to say to "Dandy" Don Meredith, "Succinctly put, Danderoo!"
It was a blue CNN SUV.
Don't own any pajamas, so you can imagine what I wear to bed.
Hilarious! Lockhart couldn't even get his first "modified limited hangout" story right. The reason that Mapes asked Lockhart to call Burkett had NOTHING to do with the actual content of the call he made, and he never ever discussed TANG records or documents of any sort with Burkett, they just chatted about the weather and mentioned to each other that Karl Rove is one tough dude.
Is the Demagogic Party full of idiots, or do they just think the rest of us are idiots? (yes and yes)
What a bunch of, well, scumbags!
It was reported on Fox that Mapes' own father called her a feminist liberal hack from the time she entered journalism school! LMAO
These clowns at SeeBS have been on this story for five friggin' years...and their prejudice was so blinded that they didn't even check their sources...
There are none so blind as those who refuse to see!
Mapes is gone and Blather should resign...but not for another sixty days...LMAO
If it walks looks like a duck, waddles like a duck and quacks like a duck, it HAS to be a duck. No way to spin that, brahs.
Using a tahRAYsah term, hmmmm?
A Kennedy vs Clinton fight?
Now that could be interesting.
If this is an all out civil war for control of the DNC my hope is the two camps destroy each other, and the few remaining rational Dems pick up the pieces.
If you are correct, though, it would explain why they are ratting each other out. I never thought they'd give up names this easily. Civil war from within would explain it. The kerry team is evenly divided between Clintonites and the Kenedy Compound. The despise each other. They'll be out for blood.
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