« Polycarp's Faithfulness | Main | CBS Article Undermines Prior Assertions »

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 HQ reports a likely candidate [hat tip to JustOneMinute]:

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 [ed. Feb. 2004 CBS Story]. 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. Bill Burkett has been trying to sell his story to anyone who would listen for years. [source: Newsweek]

In one of the interviews quoted, rather than answering a direct question, Burkett suggests the interviewer talk to his representative, anti-Bush author Jim Moore.

BURKETT: Well, that's where you really need to get Jim [Moore] because we have made sure that the words, I'm not going to get messed up on that deal. We've tried to make sure that the words were exact. I wish that you could get at least that part of the book faxed to you or something, I think that's very important that the words are exactly right.

ACE: Does the name Jim Moore sound familiar? It should-- Jim Moore was Dan Rather's 'second source' on his Friday defense of his use of the forged documents, the author of Bush's Brain and other anti-Bush works.

Last Friday, the American Spectator linked the Guard Memos to the Democratic National Committee:

More than six weeks ago, an opposition research staffer for the Democratic National Committee received documents purportedly written by President George W. Bush's Texas Air National Guard squadron commander, the late Col. Jerry Killian.

The oppo researcher claimed the source was "a retired military officer." According to a DNC staffer, the documents were seen by both senior staff members at the DNC, as well as the Kerry campaign.

The Daily Pundit suggests [they are looking for a firm link] the retired officer was Bill Burkett.

Bill Burkett has previously criticized Pres. Bush's military record and more recently suggested that he and Vice President Chenney be jailed for white collar crimes (click here). Given his antagonistic predisposition and his vested interested in seeing the president convicted of a crime, Burkett is not a suitable source. IF he is the hidden source and IF the DNC was involved in the story’s genesis, CBS and Dan Rather will loose what’s left of a shaky foundation, unalterably affect the outcome of a United States Presidential election through a series of profound journalistic "mistakes", and change the public’s perception of prime time journalists.

I'm wondering why Burkett, if he did have the Bush Guard Memos, would not have come out with them earlier since he began speaking and writing against Bush's military record in 1997? Also, what happened to the CBS claim that these were found among Killian's personal files?

Update:

From the American Spectator (9/13)

"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."

"It was like they were placing an order for a ready-made product. That is the biggest problem I have with this. It's all too neat and perfect for what we needed. Without these exact pieces of paper, we don't have a story. Dan has as much as admitted that. Everyone knows it. We were at a standstill on this story until these memos showed up."

Update:

WizBangBlog presents an interesting case for a former Democratic political consultant named Marty Heldt. "It's a circumstantial case at this point, but Heldt (or someone known to him) is looking pretty good. There's more information on the way on this story, but new tips and leads are always welcome."

Update:

CrushKerry.com claims that an anonymous source inside the Kerry campaign is trying to hang the forged memos on MoveOn.org [from Little Green Footballs].

Our source assures us the Kerry campaign had nothing to do with the memo itself. But they strongly suggested that the pro-Kerry 527 group MoveOn.org is directly responsible for handing the document over to CBS.

Update:

According to the Washington Post the CBS Memos were faxed from a Kinko's in Abilene, TX. Ereblog was nice enough to inform me that this Kinko's is the cloeset one to Bill Burkett's residence. Probably a coincidence. Backcountry Conservative has more information along this line and INDC quotes radio show host Kevin McCullough who called Kinko's:

JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH ABILENE KINKOS: Bill Burkett has a standing account with the Kinkos in Abilene Texas, and while the lady who answered the phone would not be more specific she did say Burkett was in there last week - she waited on him on last (a week ago) Tuesday....

BlogsForBush provides a great map, Wizbangblog re-iterates the motive stating, "Just a thought-- Burkett has a decades old grudge against Bush and a history of mental illness. (That he blames on Bush)," while Outside the Beltway provides some interesting links while ruling "out the possibility that Dan Rather traveled back in time in a Delorean and faxed the memos to himself."

Update:

I know from your files that we have now reassembled, the fact that you did not fulfill your oath, taken when you were commissioned to "obey the orders of the officers appointed over you". - Bill Burkett, Online Journal, Aug. 25, 2004

I've continued to update the post, CBS Agaist the World, with additional materials.

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.

Posted by tim at September 12, 2004 10:28 PM

Articles Related to CBS Memos, News, Politics:

Shocked, Mapes Stands By Her Story - Jan 11, 2005
Rather Stands by His Claim that the Fake Story is Accurate - Jan 10, 2005
CBS Ousts 4 For Bush Guard Story, Mapes Terminated - Jan 10, 2005
Independent Review Panel Examining CBS Issues Report of Its Findings - Jan 10, 2005
Finding Courage in Rathergate - Jan 09, 2005
CBS Report on Fake Memos Set for Release - Jan 06, 2005
Ten Errors in One Paragraph by WaPo - Dec 28, 2004
Fake but True Alert - Dec 20, 2004
Rather Steps Down, Finally - Nov 23, 2004
CBS Credibility Continues Decline - Nov 16, 2004

Comments

The CBS documents are such an obvious forgery (SEE http://peterduncan.net/CBS_Documents.html if you still don't believe) that I wonder if Mc Awful himself (or someone connected with Hillary C.)is the source, in an attempt to derail Kerry (so Hillary will be in a better position to run in '08).

How stupid would you have to be to forge early 70's doc's with the DEFAULT FONT ON THE MOST USED PRESENT DAY WORD PROCESSOR?

Posted by: Bill Forbes at September 13, 2004 1:12 PM