SwiftVets.com

[VAW11_Vet]

Am I reading this correctly? Is CBS suggesting that the fault lies with the Whitehouse?

Next they will be suggesting that the Whitehouse knew all along that they were forgeries and just waited for the story to be broadcast so they could turn loose the conservative Bloggers.

Unbelievable!!!!!
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VAW-11 NAS North Island 1961-1966

[ccr]

I don't read that article and take from it, "it's the White House's fault".

I read that article and see a story of a news organization that forgot everything they ever learned in fact checking 101. It is the story of a producer who wanted a story to be true more than she wanted to get the truth.

It is also one more piece of documentation that put the lie to Rather's central defense -- that no one has disputed the central thrust of this story.

It is a story that will not help their cause among their affiliates (who know the news business and know fact checking).
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Whose side is John Kerry really on? Take this quiz and decide for yourself.

http://www.learnthat.com/quiz/

[JustSomeDude]

This is my first post, so I think I'll start by just introducing myself. Andrew here from Denver, CO! Hi all!

Anyway - I just saw on PowerlineBlog that some one spotted Rather on a flight this morning to Texas - most likely trying to dig up some more dirt on this story...

[USAF66-70]

As Sun said, all warfare is based on deception … except here CBS deceived itself. How ironic, how poetic, how appropriate. CBS has met the enemy, and he is him. Comedy at tragedy rolled into one … the extinction of an MSM relic … and you were there. It just don’t get no better.

Mr. Dan, Mama always said life is like a box a chocolates, never know what you're gonna get … Good-bye Mr. Dan.

[Debs]

So NOW, two weeks later, they decide to blame the White House - and to think, some of their Koolaid drinkers might have actually bought this if they had come up with this excuse earlier. They only sent copies of the memos to the White House one day before the 60 minutes show, and even if the White House had said they were not authentic and they were not true, does anyone really believe SeeBS and Blather would have not run with the story??. This is unbelievable and hysterical.

When will SeeBS ever stop digging their hole. No matter what the White House would have said, they knew SeeBS would run with it - seems that dumb ole cowboy Bush just gave them enough rope to hang themselves - I think it's called rope a dope. One more notch in Bush's belt. This is great.

Debbie
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"No greater love..."

[Dimsdale]

The WH got the forgeries from CBS!

Like everyone else, they assumed that Rather actually did the proper background work to validate his source and the docs, and distributed them as a prelude to Rather's broadcast fiction.

Knowing what we know now, it seems apparent that this was a huge bluff (under the "it is not the nature of the evidence, but the seriousness of the charge) by Rather to get the President to make some admission or statement that they could use to go "gotcha!" and the forgeries would be soon forgotten.

You can see it with Rather's insistent "answer the question, Mr. President" crap, hoping to salvage the scheme, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

Too bad for Dan it turned into a "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory" situation!!! LOL!
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Everytime he had a choice, Kerry chose to side with communists rather than the United States.

[homesteader]

Let's follow the bouncing ball.

The White House gets the memos from CBS and almost immediately releases them without comment. What does this say about President and White House operations?

First option: They had no reason to question them so they did not raise any "red flags". The fact they released them without comment would indicate they saw no threat from the contents. President Bush is very comfortable with who his is and what he did in the NG. At worst the memos describe a Squadron Commander documenting his not being able to talk a promising young officer to stay in the NG after all the investment the NG had put into him. Lt Bush had decided to leave the NG and there was no talking him into staying. Having decided to leave there was no reason to take an annual physical. These memos, when read in the context of the give and take of a flying squadron's efforts to maintain manning levels, currencies and qualifications, reflect nothing negative about the commander, his superiors or Lt Bush.

Second option: They recognized them as the fakes they are and set up the sting by releasing them without comment, knowing CBS would do what they did. Given the very short time they had to react between receipt and release, this would indicate a very nimble and crafty operation at the White House. They can think on their feet, maintain tight OPSEC and COMSEC and appear to be above it all.

What is the DNC and the Leftworld doing through all this? Bumbling all over themselves. Given a choice, I'll vote the same way I did the last time, thank you very much.

[Wit]

I wonder if Mary Mapes told Dan Rather " These documents are a SLAM DUNK!

[debinNC]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31727-2004Sep18.htm

This article is from tomorrow's Washington Post. It is clear that Rather is going to be portrayed as only a secondary player. The sacrificial lamb seems to be John Roberts (and perhaps Mary Mapes). One interesting tidbit is that the White House had to ask CBS to be interviewed about any new information they are going to air. The documents were delivered to the White House at 7:45 a.m. on the morning of the broadcast and three hours later John Roberts interviewed Dan Bartlett. THREE HOURS! and now they are blaming the White House for failure to vet the memos?

[Mary Ann Parker]

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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1218004/posts

This site features a chart, an article and posted responses much like ours here.
It will help you keep up with the cast of characters in Texas!

After reading available accounts, I ask you;

-Mary Mapes is a CBS producer in Dallas with an obsession with the subject.
-Burkett is a person who admits that he has an axe to grind against Bush
-His (Burkett's) attorney has political aspirations.
-Rather's daughter is a confirmed liberal, environmentalist,with political aspirations of her own.(2001 wanted to run for mayor of Austin if Kirk Watson would drop out of race)
-Rather's daughter has him speak at a fund-raiser for the Dems to the tune of $1,00 a plate;(You are invited to an evening with Dan Rather)
that subsequently raised money SPECIFICALLY for the Democratic Party.
-Dan Rather has to apologize and claimed he did not realize the nature of the function. (Duh)
-Ben Barnes is a storied Democrat with a past fraught with scandal that he still is clearly associated with. (his own daughter calls him a liar)
-The KERRY CAMPAIGN in Texas has photos linking Burkett's lawyer with all of the major and minor players. Some of his photos go back to 1998 with Clinton. He is shown with Carville, etc.
-The people cited in the documents have denied their authenticity.
-The experts have as well.
-Max Cleland was SENT by the KERRY campaign to CRAWFORD to deliver the famous letter asking Bush to denounce our beloved SWIFTEES. (I for one do not think he rolled up to the farm, dropped the letter off and whisked back to Washington!) I think he huddled with Texas Democrats!!!

I invite reasonable thinking people to recognize that HITLER DID NOT LEAVE SO MANY CLUES!!!

However, I am saddened by a couple of things. Regardless of his background, Burkett is a certifiable, and troubled man. (Bet the attorney is already firing up the mental defect defense) He has already admitted that Bush served honorably etc. Later, he said otherwise. (Flip Flop Jr.??)
Both stories are on public record.
I am also sad that people keep exploiting Max Cleland. Regardless of his politics, people stick him out in the public in roles that they know will be ASSUMED by a maority. Meaning that here is a war hero that left most of his body on the battlefields of Viet Nam. I assure you that they are not aware of how he suffered his wounds. I do not take anything away from his service, however, getting off a chopper to have a few beers with your buddies and falling on a grenade that he thought HE had dropped is not the same thing as combat with the enemy. Somehow I am always sad when I see him.
So..if one takes the time to put the names, motives, opportunities and means together.....if they are not guilty they are missing a very good chance!
Rather has a long history of bias; Nixon, Reagan, Bush 41 (who humiliated him about the 7 or 8 minute "walk-off" during tennis matches)
his constant reference to Kenneth Starr as the "Republican Counsel investigating President Clinton". He rarely said "Independent Counsel"
I think he was eager to run with sloppy work and given the motives and passion of all involved he did not have a "twisted wrist".

My only advice for Dan Rather is "Don't miss any good chances to shut up".
Make it a great day!
Mary Ann Parker

[MJB]

[lrb111]