MEMOGATE : What just happened?

[hexola]

Why did CBS air these documents? WHY?

Forget the sourcing for a moment. Forget the bloggers.

There is no way these would ever pass legal muster. This was as true the first day as today.

I posted this example the other day:

If I Xerox my Pennsylvania Drivers License, you cannot prove that it is my Pennsylvania drivers license based soley on that Xerox. You cant do it.

Rather had to know this. He HAD to know. Authentication isn't some wishy washy legal area. The legal standards must be well known.

Buckhead certainly knew it...he could claim "forgery" forever.

Even with the best story from your source...Xeroxes wont cut it. I just can't see what Burkett could have said to gain their faith? They would still have only Xeroxes...

Why not just make a story out of the secretary's testimony?...that was good enough. That was the meat of the story...

Did cBS think they could just use the memos as "props" to hang the secreatary's testimony on?

She could have just said "I saw memos that..."

Was this controversy the first time anyone's talked to her?

I'm having a tough time understanding why CBS went with these documents in the first place...? What was the miscalculation?

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. In another era

Pentagon Papers, xeroxes were good enough for a story to fly

That was a time when we had a free press

Those were the rules Rather was operating under

[BlueEyedSon]

2. Here MY dream.....

They (CBS?) reveals the REAL documents which effectively have the same content as the forgeries, now that this story is so hot.

[Sparkly]

3. Good questions

And yes, the official national guard memos (+ secretary's statements, etc.) are PLENTY to show the WH is covering-up, but that's not going to be reported now, apparently.

I think the CBS statement said they were misled about Burkett's source; supposedly Burkett lied about the source of the documents to protect someone. How he provided enough 'proof' about this source to reassure CBS (or whether he did) is a question.

[BootinUp]

4. They believed Burkett's lie

Whatever he told them, they bought it. He is not going to be believed at this point. Best to focus on the facts already on record and forget these memos which didn't add much to the story anyways.

[Kierkegaard]

5. This is either

the biggest journalistic bungle in recent memory or Rather still has something up his sleeve. I've watched this guy off and on since I was in grade school, and I just can't imagine him being so irresponsible. I keep hoping he has an ace in there somewhere, but he is getting 'up there' in years and maybe he just got over zealous/confident about this story. Who knows?

[grasswire]

6. remember.....

....CBS gave the memos to the WH as the story was still being investigated. The WH gave its tacit stamp to the documents by never questioning the authenticity. The WH called CBS back some time later and urged CBS to get the story out that night. The timing is quite interesting.

I personally believe that the WH knew these were coming and already had a game plan in play.

[Sparkly]

7. The WH urged CBS to air the story?

I didn't realize that. Was that reported by CBS, or stated by McClellan or somebody?

[Blue_Roses]

8. yep

spot on!

[Catfight]

11. Well then, if that's the case, I say Rather's should resign, apply for

Fox news since that kind of journalism is the norm at Fox and maybe go report in Iraqi for Fox. Rather should never trust this administration and if he feel for an old trick like the old bait and switch, he deserves what he gets. I only support the truth and responsible journalism, if I want to hear news that is suspect and sloppy, I have a hundred other sources to tune into, but that is not what I watch, I watched CBS for responsible reporting. Rather is a professional, if he didn't do his job professionally, then sorry, time for him to go. If he did, then time for him to stand behind his reporting, he's either brilliant and this story will bring down the house, or he's an idiot and he'll bring down his own ego.

[SeekingTruth]

9. Here is what I think happened...

some of the news is coming forward about this now, but not all. One thing that is out there is that Burkett lied to CBS in some way about needing to protect a confidential source.

Next, I think the one officer Rather contacted, who later retracted what he said, probably believed Rather had handwritten memos and misunderstood the that they were typed, but did believe the content.

Additionally, when the Whitehouse was contacted, Dan Bartlett told CBS that they were not questioning the content of the memos.

I'll bet all along Rove and his people had copies of these memos and knew they could not be authenticated. Shit, they probably destroyed the original handwritten ones.

Folks, not to excuse Rather's behavior, but we have to remember, these are reporters, not document examiners. And I bet that the documents were given to a HANDWRITING examiner to examine the signature and less focus was given to the typeface.

[coalition_unwilling]

10. CBS got suckered twice

First time by the docs.

More important, it seems to me, is that WH refused comment on the docs, which CBS took as confirmation the docs were legit.

The reality is that the substance in the docs is legit and that's why the WH refused comment on them.