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, Tex., 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, Tex., home of retired Texas National Guard officer Bill Burkett, who has been named by several news outlets as a possible source for the documents.

<snip>

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."


Burkett's attorney David Van Os and James Carville



Burkett's attorney David Van Os and Bill Clinton

...and the plot thickens...

does not surprise me

From Ace of Spades HQ: David Van Os, Bill Burkett's lawyer. Now, get to work uncovering those shadowy links, New York Times! Thanks to Ted, who really kicked ass with that one. Shadowy Link Uncovered: Apparently the noted former-Bush-supporter Burkett served as head of the Steering Committee for David Van Os campaign for Texas Party Chair. Does this mean anything? Well, maybe not. But the New York Times thinks it's proof of conspiracy if two Republicans share the same bus locker. And it does mean that Burkett is and always has been a partisan Democrat-- so the New York Times and Boston Globe and CBS can knock it off with that "Bush supporter" bullshit straightaway. More Shadowy Links: See-Dubya sends this along, from the San Antonio Express News on May 27th. DEAN ENDORSES VAN OS FOR COURT David Van Os, a candidate for the Texas Supreme Court, was endorsed Wednesday by former Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean. "Besides our efforts to evict George W. Bush from the White House, we must expand the base of the Democratic Party by competing in tough races across the nation," Dean said Wednesday. Van Os, a San Antonio lawyer, is running for Place 9 on the state's highest court against Republican incumbent Scott Brister in November. Dean, a former Vermont governor, recently founded Democracy for America, a political action committee dedicated to building grass-roots support for "socially progressive, fiscally conservative candidates at all levels of government." Dean plans to endorse a dozen candidates every two weeks. The list can be found at www.democracyforamerica.com/DeanDozen. Look, seems to me we have a Democratic lawyer with not-so-shadowy links to a man who sent forged documents to Sixty Minutes in an effort to defraud the American public out of an election. I'm sure the New York Times will get right on the case. Right on it. The Times will be all over this like sweat on Oliver Willis' back.

It's a conspiracy, mah brutha...a C O N.....spiracy!!!

****BREAKING****SOURCE: BILL BURKETT USES ABILENE KINKOS

~10:41pm~ EST
JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH ABILENE KINKOS: Bill Burkett has a standing account with the Kinkos in Abilene Texas, and while the lady who answered the phone would not be more specific she did say Burkett was in there last week....


~10:58pm~ EST
CONCERNING BURKETT: How about an immediate search warrant for the original documents in his Baird Texas home? How about a screening of Burketts phone records to see if he did indeed call Kinkos on a regular basis? Are there any records in the books at Kinkos that link Burkett with any specific phone/fax calls to CBS? Don't you have to pay for your calls if they are long distance?

It seems to me that this looks almost too good to be true - but the real break was the Washington Post reporting that the copies came from Kinkos. And why didn't someone do that sooner...like me - duh, I could plainly see that the phone numbers were visible on the pages...

(link)

Quoted: It's a conspiracy, mah brutha...a C O N.....spiracy!!!

WIRE FRAUD - 18 USC 1343, makes it a Federal crime or offense for anyone to use interstate wire communications facilities in carrying out a scheme to defraud.

A person can be found guilty of that offense only if all of the following facts are proved beyond a reasonable doubt:

First: That the person knowingly and willfully devised a scheme to defraud, or for obtaining money or property by means of false pretenses, representations or promises; and

Second: That the person knowingly transmitted or caused to be transmitted by wire in interstate commerce some sound for the purpose of executing the scheme to defraud.

It is not necessary that the Government prove all of the details concerning the precise nature and purpose of the scheme; or that the material transmitted by wire was itself false or fraudulent; or that the alleged scheme actually succeeded in defrauding anyone; or that the use of interstate wire communications facilities was intended as the specific or exclusive means of accomplishing the alleged fraud.

What must be proved is that the person knowingly and willfully devised or intended to devise a scheme to defraud; and that the use of the interstate wire communications facilities was closely related to the scheme because the person either wired something or caused it to be wired in interstate commerce in an attempt to execute or carry out the scheme.

To "cause" interstate wire facilities to be used is to do an act with knowledge that the use of the wires will follow in the ordinary course of business or where such use can reasonably be foreseen.

Each separate use of the interstate wire facilities in furtherance of a scheme to defraud constitutes a separate offense.

bump

Boy I bet CBS is wishing like hell this story would just go away.  

I don't think even the destruction of Ivan can make the story disappear.  My guess is that Fox will cover Ivan for 24 hours and right back to hammering on CBS.

big surprise.....


BTW, just for the record....Carville is a nasty POS.

Burkett's attorney/spokesman hosted Kerry rallies in Texas
David Van Os, the spokesman for Bill Burkett of Memogate fame, addressing a major John Kerry for President rally in Austin last month.
This is the same rally that was headlined by HOWARD DEAN

Rentose, what page are you using for your source?  You cut all their identfiers off the parts you copied and you dont have links

This site has some of the above quotes ace.mu.nu/

Fixed that picture for you...



--Mike

Quoted: Rentose, what page are you using for your source?  You cut all their identfiers off the parts you copied and you dont have links

Most were from FreeRepublic threads. There is a ton of this stuff over there. FreeRepublic poster BuckHead was the first to raise the spector of FRAUD on the memos. Just go over there and browse the forums you will get all data you want on RAtherGate

Hmmmm. Interesting. While Burkett is a very little fish himself, it apears he may be sufficient bait to land the bigger fish I was hoping this would be traced to. Burkett's attorney can be traced to many high lecvel democrats, including that sleezy James Carville who happens to be a Kerry adviser.

Now, this is starting to go somewhere! Maybe they'll all drown together. At the very least, maybe enough people will be implicated to show voters all they need to see.

Heres where a great deal of the story was debunked - hotlink intentionally omitted

Interesting point about Dan Rathers daughter being involved in the Democratic Party in Texas- and Dan Rather attended a fundraiser there.

Sept 9 Archive

http://wizbangblog.com/archives/003613.php

Someone sent me to RatherBiased.com - interesting as well

Luck
Alac

I wonder how long Kinko's keeps video surveillance tape?
DOJ should subpoena right away.

Well, we're in Texas. GET A ROPE!!!!

Quoted: Well, we're in Texas. GET A ROPE!!!!

No more revilations on the trail of the Memo Maker?