September 13, 2004

Crank or whistle-blower?
Posted by McQ

Newsweek has identified the CBS source of the memos as one Bill Burkett, an former Guard officer who claimed, some years ago, that he'd witnessed a "sanitization" of George Bush's Guard records. The two individuals he claimed were present and did the sanitzing said his story was 'absolute garbage'.

Where did the documents come from? CBS won't say. But the trail pieced together by NEWSWEEK shows that in a sulfurous season like this one, the difference between obscurity and power is small, and anyone can get a hearing. A principal source for CBS's story was Bill Burkett, a disgruntled former Guard officer who lives in Baird, Texas, who says he was present at Guard headquarters in Austin in 1997, when a top aide to the then Governor Bush ordered records sanitized to protect the Boss. Other Guard officials disputed Burkett's account, and the Bush aide involved, Joe Allbaugh, called it "absolute garbage." Burkett may have a motive to make trouble for the powers that be. In 1998, he grew gravely ill on a Guard mission to Panama, causing him to be hospitalized, and he suffered two nervous breakdowns. He unsuccessfully sued for medical expenses.

Still, in theory, Burkett may have had access to any Guard records that, in a friend's words, "didn't make it to the shredder." Fellow officers say he wasn't a crank, but rather a stickler for proper procedure—a classic whistle-blower type. Burkett was impressive enough to cause CBS producer Mary Mapes to fly to Texas to interview him. "There are only a couple of guys I would trust to be as perfectly honest and upfront as Bill," says Dennis Adams, a former Guard colleague. The White House, through Communications Director Dan Bartlett, called Burkett a "discredited source." Indeed, Bush strategists are convinced—or have convinced themselves—that the issue will backfire on its purveyors.

The "theory" put forth here is they destroyed any records that would have refelcted poorly on W. Well, except those memos from Killian to Killian. Memos which non-typing Killian conveniently put together with future technology so they'd be easily readable by CBS.

"Fellow officers say he wasn't a crank, but rather a stickler for proper procedure—a classic whistle-blower type."

A fellow who'd seen his "whistle" discredited these many years and who harbored resentment because of that. A fellow who wanted badly to get back at those who dismissed his allegations. A fellow so much a stickler for proper procedure that he fabricated 6 memos on technology that was non-existent in 1973 and referenced officers who were no longer serving in the TANG.

In other words, a "crank".

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Comments

Doesn't wash.


* Assuming the documents were genuine, and ignoring all the technical and factual descrepancies around these documents... Where were these docs before this? If this guy had all these docs all this time, why did he not produce them years ago during Mr. Bush's first run at the Presidency? Why did he not produce them, for that matter, as Bush made a run for the Texas Govenor's chair?

* Now, taking those technical and factual descrepancies into account; Does it stike anyone as a little off the bubble that someone with a reputation as a stickler for detail would cough up documents that were so badly forged? Wouldn't he know the procedures and document styles well enough to create a document that was harder to ID as being forged?

* Further, does it stike anyone as a little off the bubble that someone with a reputation as a stickler for detail would cough up documents that were forged at ALL? Would he not, rather, stick to the book, and the correct way of doing things, rather than cheating this way?

Finally, is this supposed to let CBS off the hook, here?

Posted by: Bithead at September 13, 2004 12:23 PM

I think the real story is being missed in all of this.... What did the White House do when CBS faxed them these new, never before seen documents......without checking them out on their own, they released them to the media. I think that goes to show that GWB is not trying to cover anything up.
He released these documents as soon as he got them!

Posted by: The KGB at September 13, 2004 12:28 PM

The 'stickler & whistleblower' certainly bided his time to blow his whistle on this one didn't he?

So it wasn't wrong in 2000? But it became wrong in 2004 and he just had, I say, I say, just had to tell the world about it. ummmmmm yeah.

Fortunately enough, he's a stickler, and he keeps his forgeries numbered for just such an occasion.

Posted by: looker at September 13, 2004 01:30 PM

Bit:

Didn't say it washed, in fact called the guy a crank.

I'm of the opinion that if he'd had these memos when he first made his allegations, he'd have produced them at that time (not that whoever would have disclosed them then would have done any better than CBS is now).

If they came out of Texas, one of the possible sources is this guy, another in Rather's daughter, Robin (who may have been in contact with this guy) and then via the Kerry campaign.

From the NEWSWEEK article:

Rumors about the memos had circulated in the Democratic Party and media circles for weeks; in fact, CBS had used their existence to help persuade Barnes to talk.

So the existance of these memos was apparently widespread in "Democratic Party" circles.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but if I were, this would be some interesting stuff to dig into. The Kerry campaign would be dead if these memos are ever tied to it.

Which means that we can expect never to see the real or original memos and we can further expect never to have the real source revealed.

Burkett is simply the fall guy that's being tossed out there, in my opinion.

Posted by: McQ at September 13, 2004 01:51 PM

This from American Spectator

Now a'int THIS a pretty kettle of fish - my emphasis in the quote....

MEANWHILE, OVER THE WEEKEND journalists from around the country were attempting to track down the original source of the documents. "We're having a hard time tracking how we got the documents," says the CBS News producer. "There are at least two people in this building who have insisted we got copies of these memos from the Kerry campaign by way of an additional source. We do not have the originals, and our sources have indicated to us that we will not be getting the originals. How that is possible I don't know."

Posted by: looker at September 13, 2004 02:19 PM

I smell cranks and they smell like wingnuts. The only fraud is what is being done by you far right wackos trying to smear hardworking reporters and spread fear (AS USUAL!) -- soo fascist.

see here to be DEBUNKED wingnuts:

http://www.mahablog.com/2004.09.05_arch.html#1094852190259

You kooks are going down.

Posted by: Bush STILL Lied at September 13, 2004 02:28 PM

Hi BSL!
We've all BEEN there, LEFT comments, and GIGGLED at what passes for intelligent deconstruction.

I'll leave one note here, I've been leaving these after you on... gosh, I've lost track of how many places now.

There is a difference between an IBM Selectric, and an IBM Selectric Composer. The SC can get _close_. Proportional type using just 3 or 4 widths is completely different than modern computer output. Duh. Buy a typewriter, try it out.
http://www.ibmcomposer.org/

Posted by: Al at September 13, 2004 03:03 PM

BSL - yeah, whatever. All you have to do is convince the other MSM there's not a story since they clearly smell blood in the water. Oh, and you'll need to send your helpful post to the various experts that are questioning the documents who aren't Blogging, you know, handwriting experts, typography experts, people we tend to rely on instead of just the other 'wingnuts' posting on the net.

Fascists - yes, another sure method of persuasion to win over the opposition.

What you don't like is that we bother to examine facts, which your 'hardworking reporter' didn't bother to check.

Dan? Is that you?

Posted by: looker at September 13, 2004 03:13 PM

Hey BSL,

I think this is the evidence you are looking for.

A memo that CBS hasn't released but it has none of the typography errors of the others.

Yeah, you should take a look. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Posted by: capt joe at September 13, 2004 08:32 PM