Source (60 Minutes Bush guard story) Was Disgruntled Former Guard Officer

[joefree1]

NEWSWEEK: A Principal Source for Network's Bush National Guard Story Was Disgruntled Former Guard Officer
Sunday September 12, 11:22 am ET
Kerry Campaign Setting Up 'Oppo' Squad Whose Mission Will Be 'Message, Debate Prep, Attack, Attack'

NEW YORK, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- A principal source for the CBS story about President Bush's National Guard duty 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 then Governor Bush ordered records sanitized to protect the Boss, Newsweek reports in the current issue. Typed memos from the early '70s suggesting officers were pressured to give Bush special treatment and "sugarcoat" increasingly negative evaluations were a central part of the CBS report.

edit ...
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," report Chief Political Correspondent Howard Fineman and Investigative Correspondent Michael Isikoff in the September 20 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, September 13). Fellow officers say Burkett 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. "There are only a couple of guys I would trust to be as perfectly honest and upfront as Bill," said Dennis Adams, a former Guard colleague. The White House, through Communications Director Dan Bartlett, called Burkett a "discredited source."

edit ...
Newsweek also reports that a hard-core group within the John Kerry campaign is setting up a new "oppo" squad aimed at countering what they perceive as Republican-backed smears against Kerry. Tentatively called Sealords II-Kerry's Mekong Delta mission in Vietnam was known as Sealords -- the group has a $1 million budget and will be housed at the Democratic National Committee, where, one of its members says, the mission will be "message, debate prep, attack, attack."

More ...
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040912/nysu007_1.html

* Didn't see this before. I'll try to find a direct link to the Newsweek press release. And what the hell is this doing on the financial section?



on edit: can't find the original article. Strange.

[AlCzervik]

1. Check out this interview of him from Feb 2004

http://www.calpundit.com/archives/003249.html

[Desron]

20. Problems with supposed source

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/02/13/doubts_raised_on_bush_accuser/

[johnfunk]

21. Newsweek article is up

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040912/nysu007_1.html

And frankly, I'd believe Burkett over Conn any day.

[koopie57]

22. don't bother folks

same old tired garbage - I meant this in reference to Desron post.

[Desron]

25. same old garbage?

Look at the title of the Newsweek article which johnfunk provided a link to:

"A Principal Source for Network's Bush National Guard Story Was Disgruntled Former Guard Officer"

That's how it's going to play in the media or much of it. With headliners like that, some or even many may get the idea that the guy had a score to settle. Add that to the buzz that the documents may be forged.

[speedoo]

2. Yeah, baby!!!

The collar gets tighter for the coWard, every day.

The death of a thousand cuts.......

[Protected]

3. So I guess I'll ask Dan Rather's question again:

What about the questions raised by the documents?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5974037/site/newsweek

It's very intersting that Newsweek has now decided to call everything "slime" and "mud slinging" now that Bush's record has also been called to question.

[AlCzervik]

5. Oh come now! Thay dont care that whats in the documents are true

they just care about tearing down the supplier of them.

[Protected]

7. Ah, that's true

I'm glad that in the interest of disclosure, they added "(NEWSWEEK has a strategic partnership with NBC and MSNBC, two of CBS's rivals.)"

[The Zanti Regent]

14. Whoreward Fineman and Spikey Mikey once again lie for Bush

Once again, they're actively covering up for their master...

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

4. About damn time, doncha think?

Newsweek also reports that a hard-core group within the John Kerry campaign is setting up a new "oppo" squad aimed at countering what they perceive as Republican-backed smears against Kerry. Tentatively called Sealords II-Kerry's Mekong Delta mission in Vietnam was known as Sealords -- the group has a $1 million budget and will be housed at the Democratic National Committee, where, one of its members says, the mission will be "message, debate prep, attack, attack."

Well..DUH!...should have been set up in August.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

6. Use of the word "disgruntled" is prejudicial and leads the reader

As usual, the media seeks to define a person or issue based upon what the Bush Administration says about the issue...nevermind the fact that more people and sources say otherwise.

The title could have been more accurately titled, "honest Guard member had problems with possible Bush document cover-up."

JB

[Catherine Vincent]

8. I agree. Why did they have to use disgruntled to describe him?

The media throws the bushies a bone in defining Burkett as disgruntled. Sheesh!

[w4rma]

9. Because the folks who own that media outlet want Bush to win, imho. (nt)

[yardwork]

10. But this is buried at the end of the article, and it sounds compelling....

Fellow officers say Burkett 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. "There are only a couple of guys I would trust to be as perfectly honest and upfront as Bill," said Dennis Adams, a former Guard colleague.

[joefree1]

11. An anti-Bush ad with all the folks who got slimed by Bushco?

Starting with Max Cleland. It's starting to be quite a list.

[rocktivity]

15. Disgruntled at who? The ANG in general or Bush in particular?

I thought you had to be fired by someone to become a disgruntled.

:headbang:
rocknation

[kskiska]

12. Yeah. Like Zell Miller

is a "disgruntled" Democrat.

[PurityOfEssence]

13. All treaties are "flawed", all regulation is "excessive" and all witnesses

are disgruntled losers with a bone to pick with the bonehead.

They're all jealous, discredited losers who must adhere to the most stringent standards of documentation ever devised, and even then are baseless and ungodly.

He thinks he's better than everyone, and Americans don't like that; with each of these revelations, more and more people will have their enthusiasm either dim or go out completely.

[johnfunk]

16. Not surprised in the least -- Burkett is a stand-up guy, a patriot...

... and one man who is not afraid to stand up to the Bush Boy.

[rocktivity]

17. Disgruntled at who? The ANG in general or Bush in particular

I thought you had to be fired by someone to qualify as disgruntled.

:headbang:
rocknation

[KittyWampus]

18. Bushes Seems To Attract Disgruntled Types, Don't They...

ex-wives, former Generals & diplomats etc.

[DBoon]

19. Amazing how so many people he hires

Turn out to be disgruntled losers with an axe to gind

[Doosh]

23. lol!

[LTRS]

24. Oppo squad just in time, huh?

The Bushies have had that since January. But what's the rush, eh? I mean, heck, it's only Sept. Why not wait until Oct 30th? Still, better late than never, I suppose. Heck, the Kerry campaign can't even seem to take advantage of the routinely negative news for Bush in the media. I hope this a real oppo squad, but I have my doubts.

[TahitiNut]

26. Does anyone know of a "Gruntled Former Guard Officer"?

:shrug: Bullshit propaganda adjective. Just who the fuck WOULDN'T be "disgruntled" if they saw fraud and corruption?

[LiberalFighter]

27. Didn't Hatfield have material about Hughes ordering the purge?

[bluedeminredstate]

28. Speechless...

The Swifties were treated like heros and given unlimited airtime with little to no questioning of their motives or who they were to Kerry(Tweetie excluded). This TANG story is out for one day and suddenly there are document experts, disgruntled witnesses, and silly questions having nothing to do with the issues.
I just want them to ask Bush why he disregarded a direct order and why he thought the million bucks they put into his training was so insignificant that HE could decide when to stop flying.
:grr:

[DeepModem Mom]

29. kick