Reply #59: "It verged on outright corruption"

[crickets]

- Robert Strong, admin officer

I went back and watched both programs again.

Barnes did call it "preferential treatment," on Wednesday night, but went no further than that.

All of Strong's interview segments were obviously taped at the same time, so this wasn't something new that he was asked about today. Strong's beginning comments are the same as they were on Wednesday, up to "...and what were the people that were involved." At that point on Wed, there was a cut to a question from Dan, "Was he (Killian), in your judgement, a straight shooter?" to which Strong replied, "He was a straight arrow guy," etc. Later in the program, Strong makes telling "power begets power" comments about preferential treatment.

Tonight included a different portion of the interview instead.

Strong: "They are compatible with the way business was done at that time, they are compatible with the man I remember Jerry Killian being, I don't see anything in the documents that are discordant with what were the times, what were the situation, and what were the people that were involved."

Rather (VO): "Strong says the highly charged political atmosphere of the Guard at the time was perfectly represented in the newly revealed documents." (This reflects two portions of the Strong interview shown Wednesday which were not shown tonight.)

Strong: "It verged on outright corruption in terms of the favors that were done, the power that was traded, and it was unconscionable. From a moral and ethical standpoint, it was unconscionable."

I don't think it was a new claim about corruption. It looks as though Strong's more emphatic comments just were not used until tonight. I'm still hoping for an expanded version of the whole thing this Sunday. *evilgrin*