Wash Post: CBS Guard Documents Traced to Texas Kinko's

[Newsjock]

edit to add link
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24635-2004Sep15.html

CBS Guard Documents Traced to Tex. Kinko's
Records Reportedly Faxed From Abilene

By Michael Dobbs
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 16, 2004; Page A06

WASHINGTON--Documents allegedly written by a deceased officer that raised questions about President Bush's service with the Texas Air National Guard bore markings showing they had been faxed to CBS News from a Kinko's copy shop in Abilene, Texas, according to another former Guard officer who was shown the records by the network.

The markings provide one piece of evidence suggesting a source for the documents, whose authenticity has been hotly disputed since CBS aired them in a ``60 Minutes'' broadcast Sept. 8. The network has declined to name the person who provided them, saying the source was confidential, or to explain how the documents came to light after more than three decades.

There is only one Kinko's in Abilene, and it is 21 miles from the Baird, Texas, home of retired Texas National Guard officer Bill Burkett, who has been named by several news outlets as a possible source for the documents.

... Burkett, who has accused Bush aides of ordering the destruction of some portions of the president's National Guard record because they might have been politically embarrassing, did not return telephone calls to his home. His lawyer, David Van Os, issued a statement on Burkett's behalf saying he ``no longer trusts any possible outcome of speaking to the press on any issue regarding George W. Bush and does not choose to dignify recent spurious attacks upon his character with any comment.''

more

[UpInArms]

1. Burkett is a truthful, honorable man

n/t

[Hilary08]

23. I saw the CBS thing would only get worse by the day. No one listened.

I am not trying to insult anyone. But in the "let's email CBS and let 'em know we support them!" thread, I strongly disagreed while everyone else hit the Send button to Dan Rather.

The forgery issue NEEDS TO GO AWAY, it's distracting from the real issue. The longer this is dragged out, the worse it will become. Smear attacks on you are like an infection, you need to isolate it, disinfect it, and soon it'll be gone. Encouraging CBS that they are right (whether you think so or not) reaffirms Dan. Reaffirming Dan leads to more defiant "I stand by this" retorts. More retorts piss off Repugs, and gives them more reason to think back, "Gee, I saw Bill Burkett at a Kinko's last week..." or what have you, and call up some reporter with that tip.

And don't think this will fade away. It's going to get much worse, I think. And you know the Repugs will somehow connect it to Kerry. It will also give Bush blanket amnesty in the eyes of the gullible public. Unbelievable. Bush can't even spell "authentic," and yet, had only CBS immediately said they would look into concerns, then the documents would be a non-issue. Now, the only network with the guts to expose Bush is CBS, but a lot of help that is, with everyone call them "debunked." Instead of full on attack of CBS, it would've been Bush. So close.

Look at Clinton, the Repug Smear Machine was in full force, but Bob Dole still didn't stand a chance. Who here thinks a Paula Jones could come out now and Kerry would still stand a chance? Who here thinks it could be told that Kerry carried on with a young intern in his office, and it wouldn't hurt him? Clinton isolated and ended smear attemps, he apologized after Monica. After that, there's not much to work with; Repugs got their apology, now what? Impeach him? That made them look like overzealous fanatics. Clinton already told Kerry to let the past go. Clinton has the game figured out, why doesn't anyone else?

Over a thousand young men and women have died in Bush's human game of Capture the Flag. And it only cost us a gazillion dollars, plus our dignity in the eyes of the world. The economy is tanking, consumer confidence is at a record low, 45 million Americans don't have health insurance. 56% of Americans think this nation is on the wrong track. I could go on and on.

And what happens?

Kerry goes from 13pts ahead to only 4 ahead of Bush.

In Illinois. Not much surprises me anymore, but New Jersey, which Gore carried by 16pts, is a battleground state? The fact that New Jersey is even a possibility for Bush, says a lot. At this rate, Kerry deserves to lose; he should've committed every word of Clinton's advice to memory. Clinton's gone through the repug smear machine, survived it, and triumphed it. Twice. His advice should not have gone ignored. Here's an idea John Kerry, from now on, before you so much as blink, as yourself "What Would Clinton Do?"


Right now I think I would give both my arms, perhaps even a leg too, to have Clinton (Bill OR Hilary) running in this. I don't know if Kerry and the DNC are on a suicide mission or what - but it's beginning to get very, very bad.

[oldhat]

2. Heh

Last graf...

In a related development, White House press secretary Scott McClellan hinted that more documents regarding Bush's National Guard service may soon be released. Asked whether officials in the White House have seen unreleased documents, McClellan called that "a very real possibility." Other officials with knowledge of the situation said more documents had indeed been uncovered and would be released in the coming days.

[A_Possum]

5. So that's to be the defense

Now we'll see fake memo's showing glowing assessments of *'s performance, signed by Killian, and typed on aged paper on a real Selectric that they bought on ebay.

Let's hope it's a Selectic, cause maybe they didn't know that Mrs. Knox remembers her typewriter was an Olympia.

This could get good.

[dweller]

6. the ink is almost dry.....n/t

dp

[alittlelark]

3. Oh, my!

This fish is starting to stink of rove-rot!

[qanda]

4. What's this?

Way down at the end of the story....

In a related development, White House press secretary Scott McClellan hinted that more documents regarding Bush's National Guard service may soon be released.

Huh? Did I miss something? I thought all the documents had been released.

[Mojambo]

7. All of the documents have been released twice.

What a sham!

[kainah]

18. only twice?

I could swear they've been completely released at least three times already. :shrug:

[LisaL]

8. Well, they must have made more

real documents.

[alittlelark]

10. yeah, the really real GEN-u-ine sh*t.

They'll F*ck it up just like they did the Nigerian Sh*t.

[Eye and Monkey]

9. WH press secr't - "hinted that more documents...may soon be released"

from the cited article -

There's more docs, it's likely the WH has seen 'em. We'll see 'em soon.

Spinning will reach hurricane proportions. It's been a long, busy hurricane season already.

[dumpster_baby]

11. WH is afraid Burkett has some more documents; they wanna get out in front

The White House probably has some more docs undisclosed and they want to get out in front of any other documents that might be soon released by Burkett.

How damaging these extra docs might be, I have no idea. But I bet they aint real complimentary to Bush.

[Eye and Monkey]

13. that namebase-richnote link is truly great

compliments to the author

[truthisfreedom]

12. heh. watch the news at 5PM central time on friday. with baited breath.

it's the perfect storm week.

[Eye and Monkey]

21. Hurricanes are named in alphabetical order, next up - K.

Ivan for I. Jeanne for J.

K. Hmmm, K. Can you think of a good name that starts with a K? I can. Actually, I can think of two.

[shockingelk]

14. Shredding Services of Texas, Inc.

Shredding Services of Texas, Inc.
Abilene, Texas 79604

:tinfoil:

[Media_Lies_Daily]

15. And that has exactly WHAT to do with the factual nature of the docs?

[shockingelk]

17. Nothing

Just says where they were faxed from. People are interested in who they came from.

Even if the docs are forgeries, the information they reflect is accurate.

[MGKrebs]

16. So if these documents prove to be authentic,

who shall we demand be fired? Matt Lauer? Who has been the worst whores on this story?

[DBoon]

20. Impeach Chris Cox!

Now that would be justice!

[moondust]

19. Are they really the CBS originals?

These documents from Kinkos could be copies from CBS sent to Burkett or somebody else for verification and then returned to CBS by fax. Who knows?

[DeepModem Mom]

22. kick

[Judi Lynn]

24. So now the WaPo has fingered Burkett, is he safe?

You'd almost want to think they would have warned him they intended to "out" him, to allow him to put any papers he needs to save in a safe place, and to get some kind of security set up for himself.

It could become a real traffic jam in his home with updated versions of the "Watergate Burglars" or the Burglars who broke into Daniel Elsburg's psychiatrist's office all running through Burkett's house looking for the papers that could bring _Bush down.

I'll bet they'd use him to leave a message for others who would consider doing anything which would diminish _Bush's chances of keeping that job forever for which he was never elected.

I think they'd harm him happily. If something happens to Burkett, I'm blaming the Washington Post.