September 2004September 30, 2004
Interesting Forged Forgery
Looks like another forger has been exposed. This one, however, was attempting to show the forged CBS documents are authentic (a very difficult task). To do so the "expert" had to resort to using photoshop . . . "Here is a hint for the good Professor-- If you are going...Kerry's One Position on Iraq
Kerry has argued that his own positions on Iraq have been consistent, despite the president's portrayal of the senator as flip-flopping between support for and opposition to the war. [Associated Press - see also Blogs4Bush]. For the sake of clarity Kerry's positions over the last 10 years, based on his...Texas Attorney Launches Rathergate Probe
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has launched a criminal investigation into forged military records allegedly obtained from President Bush's National Guard file that were aired by CBS News three weeks ago, referring a congressional request for the probe to the investigative division of the Texas Rangers....Pro-Life Blogs?
Are you pro-life and at least occasionally blog on pro-life issues? List your blog here....Why Bush Will Win
Nearly two in three likely voters who support President Bush -- 65 percent -- said they were "very enthusiastic" about their candidate while 42 percent of Sen. John F. Kerry's supporters express similarly high levels of enthusiasm for their choice, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News Poll. That's a...Pro-Life Pharmacist Faces Charges
Every pharmacist knows the hormonal birth control pills act, at times, as an abortificient. Here is one who decided to do something about it....September 29, 2004
Top Ten Bush Flip-Flops by CBS
Whether or not one agrees with the president on this issue, there is a profound difference between a thoughtful change in position (Bush) and a flip-flop for the purpose of political expediency (Kerry). There is a difference between being wrong and admitting it (Bush) and waffling about a myriad of positions while claiming to have only one (Kerry). Bush never voted for something before voting against it and his positions have not changed on a daily basis. CBS has again done itself a disservice by representing Bush as "flip-flopping."
Christian Carnival XXXVII
This weeks Christian Carnival is hosted by www.IntolerantElle.com. I entered a brief post on the plight of Christian college students who are fed to experienced theological wolves....September 28, 2004
The Draft, Scare Tactics and Hoaxes (and yes, more from CBS)
On 9/30 INDC interviewed CBS representatives including the story's author. Great job, great interview!
September 27, 2004
League of Reformed Bloggers
This is the "official" announcement launching the League of Reformed Bloggers, a news aggregator and blogroll featuring bloggers who write from the perspective of a Reformed worldview....Short Shots v3
Published at irregular intervals, Short Shots are news clips, summaries, and places I think you will find useful or, at least, interesting. Submit your site for a Short Shot listing: Click Here Abortion - Bush and Kerry on the issues: Should girls be required to tell their parents before having...Forced Abortion by the Chinese Government Enables Death Penalty
Chinese criminal code prevents giving the death penalty to pregnant criminals. Since Ma was “unwilling to cooperate,” they knocked her out and aborted the fetus. Now they are free to execute this first-time offender and former mom-to-be for carrying a couple of pounds of heroin. [more]...Do You LifeChain?
Sunday, October 3, in its annual event, National Life Chain will occupy public sidewalks in more than 1,000 North American cities and towns. With firm commitment to the sanctity of human life, participants will stand silently and pray, while holding signs that include Abortion Kills Children; Adoption: The Loving Option;...September 26, 2004
Bias Pervasive in MSM Reporting - an Example
Hindrocket over at Powerline has a good article exposing deep bias and conflict of interest on the part of an Associated Press reporter. As I read it I recalled today’s AP article, Kerry Rips Bush on 'Mission Accomplished' Remark, and noted an interesting pattern....CBS Plans Spring Retirement for Rather
Just a headline from Drudge as of 9pm Pacific with a few comments here. Update: Here is the the New York Times article referred to by Drudge....INDC Catches Up with Bob Schieffer
In an exclusive interview, INDC caught up with CBS veteran reporter Bob Schieffer....A.W. Pink on Justification by Faith
How are we justified by faith? Not by faith as a joint cause with works (Romanists), not by faith as an act of grace in us (Arminians), not by faith as it receives the Spirit's witness (Antinomians).......Irreligious Studies Challenge Christians
World Magazine has a distressing article this month on the buzz saw that many young Christians run into during their first course on religion in college. Reportedly, many collegians are "shocked and awed" by Bible-criticizing religious studies professors, such as the University of Texas Professor Michael White, whose "Rise of...Syria, Iran Plot Deal on Nuke Scientists
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is attempting to broker a deal with Iran to secure safe haven for a group of Iraqi nuclear scientists who were sent by Saddam Hussein to Damascus before the U.S. invasion. [more]...September 25, 2004
The Hidden Hand in the CBS Memo Scandal
According to The Washington Post, Rather had little involvement in reporting the story; Mapes wrote the script, and he read it... more...CBS Inundated with Calls, Rather Fights for Job
The LA Times reports that CBS has switched from "what went wrong" to who gets blamed for the forged memo scandal. While many point to CBS producer Mary Mapes, Rather's position is not certain. What is the decision is reportedly in the hands of the affiliates:...The Case of the Biased Killian-Memo Poll
Over the past weeks I’ve written several posts about the CBS debacle involving forged memos and Dan Rather. For those interested, I created a poll with the following question and answers: CBS’ Killian Memos Are Fake True Who Cares Authentic I don’t know With great amusement I watched as 95%...Book Takes Aim at the Purpose Driven Life
Book Review - Who's Driving The Purpose Driven Church? Suffice it to say that he does exactly what he claims to do, examining each aspect of the Purpose Driven program in the light of Scripture. While he finds that some is acceptable, the vast majority of the program fails under...September 24, 2004
Know Your Liberals - an Easy Self-Test
What founder of a well-known and widely publicized U.S. based organization said the following: “The most merciful thing that the large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it” “[aboriginal Australians are] the lowest known species of the human family, just a step higher than the...Party Scare Tactics . . . Not So Bright
While Sen. John Kerry promises Bush is going to reinstate the draft, Republicans claim "liberals" are trying to ban the Bible [more from Poliblogger]. Exaggeration for the purpose of scaring constituents is manipulative deceit - it is lying. And, a position built on exaggeration is not worth holding. Accurately comparing...Complaint About CBS Memos Alleges Illegal Activity
The Center for Individual Freedom today filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission charging that CBS and Kerry-Edwards 2004, Inc., illegally coordinated election communications. The jist of the complaint is that without the DNC getting involved with CBS' prime source, the fraudlent story would not have been aired. The...One-Sided Polls Favor Bush
President Bush this week reached a symbolic milestone, overtaking Democratic challenger John Kerry in New Hampshire and Iowa to claim more than 300 electoral votes in CNN's weekly Electoral College scorecard. [source: CNN] Neophytepundit gets the hat tip. Updates: BlogsforBush: Things continue to look good for Bush. John Kerry might...September 23, 2004
Burkett Blames CBS, the White House and Bloggers - Believes Memos Authentic
"The coordinated attacks against the documents, then against me, which CBS did nothing to deflect or defend, and then against Dan Rather and CBS producer Mary Mapes have not been against the validity of the documents, but rather as an attack against anything being considered at all," Burkett said.
Where to begin to combat terrorism?
An interesting post by NeophytePundit lists terrorist groups by location and discusses the strategies of Bush vs Kerry. Region # of Groups Africa 29 East & Central Asia 4 Eastern Europe 19 Latin America 44 Middle East / Persian Gulf 40 North America 32 South Asia 32 Southeast Asia &...Kerry Pulls Out of Arizona
According to the AZ Republic, Sen. John Kerry's campaign scrapped plans for television advertising in the state Wednesday, prompting Republicans to declare "it's over" for the Democratic candidate in Arizona.
Judge In Norma McCorvey Case Blasts Roe v. Wade Abortion Decision
Most people have heard of Roe v. Wade - it is a court case that has become almost synonymous with abortion. The "Jane Roe" of the case sued for the "right" of elective abortion and won in 1973 (after giving birth). Subsequently, courts have continued to protect the practice of...More Bad News for CBS, Mapes
Another question that is implied in Powerline is how deep (or high) the probe will go. In a New York Times article CBS President, Heyward, is clearly linked to and dirtied by the scandal.
September 22, 2004
CBS Forgery Bumps Expose' of Forgery
What great irony it would have been if the CBS story that was based on forged documents (about President Bush’s military record) bumped a different story that exposed forgery. Wait a minute! This actually happened....CBS Appoints Panel to Investigate Memo Scandal
The Honorable Dick Thornburgh, former governor of Pennsylvania and United States attorney general under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and Louis D. Boccardi, retired president and chief executive officer of the Associated Press, will comprise the independent review panel that will examine the process by which a recent "60 Minutes Wednesday" report was prepared and broadcast.
Focus of External Criticism is on CBS Producer
Major news networks continue to criticize Mary Mapes, producer of the fake story about President Bush that was based on forged memos. Mapes put confidential witness, Bill Burkett, in touch with Democratic operatives and assured network executives the story was solid. Burkett has admitted to lying and is a well...Without Memos CBS Had No Story
Zelnick was right as quoted in the Washington Post. Bob Zelnick, a former ABC correspondent who now chairs Boston University's journalism department, faulted CBS's apology, saying: "There's one word I haven't heard so far: retraction. They've yielded inch by inch on the authenticity of the documents and the reliability of...September 21, 2004
CBS Puts Confidentail Unimpeachable Source in Contact with Top Democrat
In what many are calling a stunning development, news organizations are reporting that CBS put their key and confidential source, Bill Burkett, in contact with John Kerry Adviser, Joe Lockhart. This happened, of course, prior to CBS' insistence that it would not disclose Burkett's name. CBS arranged for a confidential...Catholic Hospitals Perform Live Birth Abortions on Handicapped Newborns
A most horrific report from Lifenews: A reporter named Tom Szyszkiewicz, who writes for the Catholic publications Our Sunday Visitor and the National Catholic Register, was calling to tell me he had discovered two Catholic hospital systems were committing the induced-labor abortion procedure - live-birth abortion - on handicapped babies....Burkett Reveals His Role - Truth is Now Out?
USA Today provides an informative article into Burkett's role as a "conduit" for the guard memos. He apparently doubted their authenticity and warned CBS. Rather acknowledged this and apologized. Newsmax reports that Burkett said, "I insisted that they be authenticated." Burkett also admitted that he lied to newspapers and CBS...September 20, 2004
Republicans Question CBS' Source Link to DNC
Washington, DC--Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie issued the following statement on CBS’s admission today that memos regarding the President’s National Guard service are not real....Dan Rather Speaks, CBS Expresses Regret
CBS News said Monday it cannot prove the authenticity of documents used in a 60 Minutes story about President Bush's National Guard service and that airing the story was a "mistake" that CBS regretted. CBS News Anchor Dan Rather, the reporter of the original story, apologized. Of note is...September 19, 2004
CBS Close to an Admission (of being misled)
CBS now (probably) admits that the memos, which are the key to their story, are fake and that they were misled, literally victimized, by an anonymous unimpeachable source (or Bill Burkett). The White House is to blame, too. However, the story is accurate and Dan Rather is confident.
An Upcoming Interview with Bill Burkett
The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz reports that CBS will broadcast an interview with Bill Burkett in "an effort to resolve" the dispute over the authenticity of Bush Guard Memos [more]. Apparently it will not be broadcast until midweek....Stewardship of God's Grace
Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it is serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. – 1Peter 4:8-9 Grace, the undeserved favor of God (blessing and good that is given to those who deserve the...September 18, 2004
CBS Insiders are Worried - Investigation Ongoing
The New York Times reports that Betsy West, a top CBS news executive, has taken over the investigation of the forged memo scandal and Newsweek reveals that the network has directed substantial resources to investigate the controversy over 60 Minutes' use of forged memos to criticize the president....DNC Had Forged Memos Before CBS?
Although CBS previously reported that they had been working on the Killian Memo story for six weeks prior to broadcast, an LA Times article indicates that 60 Minutes received the memos just days before broadcast [Allahpundit and Wizbandblog]. Now the Washington Post and New York Times are following suit. The...September 17, 2004
Staudt Speaks Out - Memos Fake, Not Accurate
One of many notable discrepencies in the CBS Memos is that they refer to an active role by Col. Walter Staudt despite the fact that he retired 1.5 years before they were written. The memos suggest that Staudt exerted pressure against Lt. Col. Jerry Killian in an attempt to gain...AP Story Reports Boos Rather than Bush's Act of Kindness
I had a very close friend in the audience of exceptionally character that provided more information about the situation. She sat close to the front, near Mrs. Bush and said there no boos, "none." However, she did tell me that during the President's speech an acquaintance of hers fainted in the audience. After the speech, the President and Mrs. Bush visited the woman who passed out to make sure she was alright and express their concern for her well being. The elderly lady was, of course, delighted by both the concern and attention she was given by the President of the United States and his wife.
September 16, 2004
A Likely Source for the CBS Memos Part II
Update: CBS has issued a statement and Rather has apologized. There is no admission of inaccuracy but the network does say it was misled by Burkett regarding the source of the memos [more]. Burkett will be interviewed on the CBS evening news 9/20. Previously I documented the possible role that...September 15, 2004
60-Minutes Interviews Knox, Rather Speaks Out
The spin from CBS is that the authenticity of the records they reported does not matter because they believe their story is true. Having witnessed Rather's profound inability to admit error, I lack confidence in his ability to report accurately the actions of those he is biased against.
CBS' Anticipated Statement
Statement by the President of CBS News, Andrew Heyward, concerning the CBS Memo Scandal (from Drudge): "We established to our satisfaction that the memos were accurate or we would not have put them on television. There was a great deal of coroborating [sic] evidence from people in a position to...Networks Continue to Criticize Bush Despite Memo Suspicions
While the media feeding frenzy is well on its way there is likely to remain an awkward and obvious inconsistency in the articles by those who irrationally want the story to be true even though the evidence is false. Could this be THE DEATH CRY OF SNOB JOURNALISM ?
The Twists and Turns of CBS's Memo Controversy
The CBS controversy is based on the use of forged documents by 60-minutes and CBS. This is what the experts tell us. President Bush may or may not have conducted himself poorly during his military service. The former is what Democrats want to be true. Items 1 and 2 are...September 14, 2004
Document Experts Warned CBS Prior to Broadcast
While the media feeding frenzy is well on its way there is likely to be an awkward inconsistency in the articles by those who want the story to be true even though the evidence is false. Poliblogger notes, "The pro-Bush side is going to scream that they were right, that the docs were fake and the anti-Bush side is going to say, ok, they were fake, but the basic info in them is correct."
WorldMagBlog Interviews Last CBS Witness (Strong)
The CBS witness Robert Strong has been tracked down and interviewed by WorldMagBlog [note PowerlineBlog previously talked to him - see below]. It looks like his testimony was reported optimistically in favor of Bush's critics. The bottom line is that he says he can't authenticate the documents. "His testimony is...USA Today Editor: White House Provided Memos
USA Today editor Ken Paulson revealed that his news agency was first given memos matching CBS's from an undisclosed source. What is interesting is that Paulson states four memos, matching the original six, were released to the USA Today by the White House....Lead Expert Admits Forgery Possible
In a New York Times article, Marcel Matley, CBS' lone "document" expert, has now admitted that the signature he authenticated in several Texas National Guard Memos could have been previously lifted from any document for the purpose of forgery. Asked if the signature could have been lifted from an official...September 13, 2004
The End is Near - Lead Source Can't Authenticate.
Following CBS' publication of an article listing, unanswered, serious questions about Dan Rather's representation of the Bush-Guard Memos, the Washing Post and New York Times have published highly critical, credible and persuasive reports that the memos are forged. Remarkably, CBS' document (actually handwriting) expert has not publicly denied that he authenticated the memos. Captain’s Quarters remarks, "You know that CBS is drowning when it relies on an "expert" with no credentials as a document analyst who refuses to authenticate the memos because he only saw them on line."
CBS Article Undermines Prior Assertions
Many items contradicting the CBS/Rather defense were reported and remained unanswered in a CBS/AP article and stood in stark contrast to Rather's feeble yet forceful assertions reported by WizBangBlog.
September 12, 2004
A Likely Source for CBS Bush Guard Memos?
Update: CBS now identifies Burkett as the source of the Guard Memos and is publicly stating that they were misled by him [more]. Burkett will be interviewed on the CBS evening news 9/20. Who is the most likely source for the Bush Guard Memos quoted by CBS? Ace of Spades...Polycarp's Faithfulness
Some time ago I heard a message on the book of Revelation that beautifully connected the letters to individuals known in history. Revelation 2 contains a letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna: And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last,...List of Experts Mounts Against CBS Memos
Blogs for Bush has a summary of experts who believe that the Bush Guard Memos are likely not authentic. From my list of sources I would add one more. The benefit of the doubt goes to the accused and the burden of proof is on the accuser. Where's the proof?
Iranian Christians Suffer Persecution
Every single person present was put under arrest, blindfolded and taken in for interrogation.
September 11, 2004
Another CBS Source Turns, Undermining Memos
The New York Times interviews CBS source Hodges who suggests the CBS documents are falsified, INDC interviews Dr. Bouffard who claims he was misquoted, Wizbangblog catches CBS repeating the misquote and notes CBS' star witnesses previously written skepticism of copied documents.
Mushroom Cloud Seen in North Korea
The Associated Press, Reuters and the BBC are reporting the siting of a large mushroom cloud following an explosion. The explosion, apparently of unknown origin, produced a cloud 2-2.5 miles wide. However, South Korea is downplaying the possibility of a nuclear weapons test and CNN is reporting that U.S. officials...Pentagon: Documents are Fake
More from the Powerline Guys on the CBS document scandal: KELLY WRIGHT [FOX NEWS]: Tony, here's the latest that we're finding out on this story. At least three Pentagon sources believe the documents about President Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard are fakes. CBS as you mentioned is...Our Nation Remembers - Remember More
With quavering voices, parents and grandparents of those killed at the World Trade Center slowly read the names of the victims early Saturday to mark the third anniversary of the attacks that brought down the twin towers. [more] Confronted with the horrible tragedy of the past and with evil men...September 10, 2004
CBS Against the World - Memos, memos, memos
Fox News (via Backcountry Conservative) reports in a teaser to open their 9 a.m. programming that CBS is supposed to issue a statement today related to the allegedly forged National Guard memos. No word on the nature of the statement. While CBS has held firm (or spun hard) others are systematically undermining every aspect of the original story - engineers, handwriting experts, lawyers forensic scientists, journalists ... bloggers
National Women's Group Shares Pain, Regret Over Abortions
Previously I wrote about the pain children feel during abortions [here and here] - this should be obvious. A national women's group is now being vocal about the post-traumatic pain experienced by women who have had abortions....Political Strategy Backfires
A Proverb to consider during a time of political controversy: "He who digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him."
Study Shows the Decline of Marriage Among Christians
You can understand why atheists and agnostics might have a high rate of divorce, since they are less likely to believe in concepts such as sin, absolute moral truth and judgment. Yet the survey found that the percentage of atheists and agnostics who have been married and divorced is 37%...Islamic Scholars asked to Rule on Terrorism
Here is a surprising message from the Family Research Institute on a bizarre request by Islamic terrorists....September 9, 2004
A Rush to Judgement on the President's Military Records?
Proverbs 18:17 ¶ The first to plead his case [seems] right, [Until] another comes and examines him..
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