It's really kind of funny that the latest Dem attack on Bush is based on the idea that he was a "fortunate son" with family connections. In contrast to John Kerry, who was born in a log cabin?

PapayaSF:

Consistent with OJs assertion that comedy is inherently conservative, irony is simply beyond the Left.

Well, I suppose the Democrats would say Kerry could have pulled wires but was too decent not to.

Republicans would say he was an opportunist who served just enough to punch his political ticket.

No doubt the Left is in deep denial. Don Gonyea of NPR led off his report today that "questions persist" about Bush's Guard service.

So they do, but only at NPR and CBS.

In this era of corporate watchdogging, the apparent delay by CBS in releasing its statement about the letters could be interesting.

A naive Rightwing blogger speculated that the delay was to get Viacom past the market bell, so the stock wouldn't take a hit.

Uh uh. That's Reaganite thinking. If you know something that is expected to materially affect the company, you've got to get it out promptly.

No doubt Rove has his henchmen already preparing the documents demanding an SEC investigation.

I particularly like the fact that Fogerty served in the National Guard. I nice example of the truth being neater than anyone would dare write in fiction.

I am watching this story in amazement, and checking to see if my drink has been spiked with mescaline. What could cause CBS to delay for so long, and what could cause them to not admit the obvious? It is really peculiar. The defense "the story is true even if the documents are false" is weird, too. Does CBS really think we're going to accept that?

Just what in the bleep is going on here?

Many have speculated, reasonably, that the source is someone so big, and the revelation so terrible, that the revelation cannot happen. I think the answer is likely simpler - CBS simply cannot accept they made a grave error and are digging an ever deeper hole.

What if the docs came from Rather's daughter who's active in the Texas Democrats. It would explain the reticence on his part to give up the forger.

FWIW, the Tradesports contract on the re-election of Bush just jumped to 66.1

Agree with Bruce - the "it's accurate because I say it is" is a really weird (and poor) defense. Also that since CBS won't divulge the source it must be an important one in some way.
Bruce - that 66.1 number - is that the percentage of people who think Bush will win or the projected share of the vote Bush will get?

CBS really wouldn't want to give up Chris Lehane (or Harold Ickes, or Howard Wolfson, or anyone else associated with the Clintons), now would they? That is even more plausible than one of Rather's Texas cronies.

Ok, maybe it's the five Newcastle's I've had tonight or maybe it's just the killer buzz one gets from a really good hit of schadenfreude, but I think I can reconstruct a chain of custody that explains Rather's behavior.

Remember March 21, 2001? Danny boy appears at the Travis County Democrats' Club as the main speaker at a $20,000 fund-raiser. Who hosted the event? His daughter Robin Rather, an environmental activist, marketing exec, and potential Austin Mayoral candidate. Who else was in attendance? Ben Barnes, former Lt. Governor and major fund raiser for the Kerry Campaign this year. So my theory goes like this - Barnes is in the tank for Kerry, but he doesn't know enough about the military to actually forge the memos. Enter former Lt. Col Bill Burkett, a 28 year veteran and longtime Bush critic who's past is so checkered even the MSM won't use him to attack Bush, but...

Burkett writes up the memos and delivers them to Barnes. Barnes gives a copy to Robin Rather who forwards them to the Kerry camp, The Kerry camp turns over the memos to CBS saying basically - "hey, check these out - we can't say where we got them from but may you can find someone to verify them." Ben Barnes contacts CBS at Robin's suggestion, and says, "hey, check out these memos I got from Jerry Killian's files." Dan says, "Wow. The exact same memos!" and the rest is history.

Of coure Dan can't drop the story now. When you factor in the size of Dan's ego and the degree to which he's devoted himself to building a journalistic "legacy" there's only only thing that makes sense, he's protecting his daughter.

The problem with your scenario is that a Lt.Col. should have gotten more of the details right. I suspect that there's some Moore-on who did these almost as a joke, passed them to a few friends and like some recombinant bacterial experiment gone bad, they escaped quarantine into the wild. (Then again, it would seem the forger didn't know much about Word, either.)

Having Robin involved would be a delicious irony, wouldn't it? Sure would explain why Kenneth is protecting the source.

Whoever they're trying to protect, it looks like Burkett is going to be the fall guy. The question is did he keep around evidence of his dealings with any DNC types?

Robert: not a bad bit of armchair detective work! Allow me to suggest this: the fact that Dan's bosses are still trying to back him up suggests to me that there's more. Why doesn't CBS or CBS News try to save their reputation and announce Dan's sudden retirement? This is certain to hurt them, badly, and the more they fight it, the worse it'll be. Does Dan have leverage with them? Or are the stakes bigger? What if part of the chain of custody includes some combination of a 527, a Democratic bigwig and a CBS executive? What if it turns out to be illegal coordination between a 527 and the Democrats, with CBS knowingly aiding this violation of campaign finance reform laws? Yup, the same laws pushed by Democrats, CBS, and various liberal groups. The Dems would have a Watergate on their hands, 527s could have their nonprofit status revoked, and the owners of the CBS News brand might start thinking about changing the name to improve their public image. Something like "Enron Asbestos" would probably test higher.

Maybe CBS is stonewalling to protect a lot more than Dan and his producers.

oj has written before of being on the wrong side of a 60-40 issue. If CBS has broadcast wrongful charges against a commander-in-chief in a time of war based upon forged documents, then that's an 85-15 issue (I'm ashamed to say that its not 100-0).

AWW -

It's a futures contract, and the price is roughly the percentage chance that Bush will win the election. Kerry's is at 32 this morning, and the remainder must be for a summation of 3rd party chances.

For Karl Rove it must be tough being an eeeeeeeeeeevil genius!! lol

If Rove really pulled this off, the word 'genius' is staggeringly inadequate as a description of his ability.

Bruce - thanks - that's what I figured.

Bruce:

If Rove did this, we should go ahead and create that office of National Intellegence Director and put him in it!

Harry:

How do you think Kerry got first the kushy Navy assignment and then the safe Swift Boat gig?

>In contrast to John Kerry, who was born in a
>log cabin?

remember your doubleplusgoodthink, comrade.
oceania has never been at war with eurasia.
oceania has never been at war with eurasia.
oceania has never been at war with eurasia.
...

Safe? Of the 3 jgs who went up the river,only 2 came back

Harry:

Yes, he's spoken of how angry he was when the Swift Boats were moved from coastal patrols to actual combat roles.

But he went.

That's what happens when you accept military discipline.

And?

He got shot at.

You could, and should, let it go there

So what? He tried avoiding getting shot at and he failed. Having been shot at he came home and disgraced himself. Millions of guys have been shot at and remained cretins.