Burkett turns on CBS and Rather

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September 23, 2004

Burkett Turns on Kerry Campaign, Dan Rather

The San Jose Mercury News has a big scoop, namely Bill Burkett's first non-CBS interview since the scandal broke (registration required, and I had it before Drudge, so "nya").

The suddenly "impeachable source" warms up by taking a swipe at Rather:

"It caught CBS very flat-footed. They were not prepared. And I had warned them ... that this would probably be one of the most highly coordinated vicious attacks that they would ever have to face," Bill Burkett, a former Texas National Guardsman, said in an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Burkett said that he and CBS News anchor Dan Rather spoke "forcefully" after questions arose about dated Guard memos supposedly from Bush's commander and provided to the network by Burkett.

Burkett said he agreed to a taped interview with Rather on Monday as suspicion about the memos mounted, putting the network's reputation at stake. He said key portions of the interview were never aired.

"He snipped it apart to cover them," he said. "That's all that that evening news was - to find a fall guy. And it was me."

Like the appetizer? Good? Good. Now for the entree, baby:

He said, however, that during the meeting in which he gave the memos to CBS, he was also told by a producer that his phone number would be passed on to Kerry adviser Joe Lockhart.

"I was absolutely and clearly told that that was as far as anyone could go without crossing the line of (journalistic) ethics," Burkett said.

Are you ready? Are you ready for it?

During a single phone conversation with Lockhart, Burkett said he suggested a "couple of concepts on what I thought (Kerry) had to do" to beat Bush. In return, he said, Lockhart tried to "convince me as to why I should give them the documents."

Beautiful.

Let's review Lockhart's recollection of the phone call:

Lockhart said he phoned Burkett at the number provided by CBS. Lockhart also said that the documents never came up in his conversation with Burkett.

Who to believe?

Grab a seat, get comfortable, whip up some popcorn and savor the delicious irony as the Dems, CBS and the larger media descend like flesh-eating locusts on the reputation of this "well-regarded Texan."

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Mr. Burkett may have started the ball rolling, and CBS gave it viewing forum, but the Kerry campaign approved the entire ordeal. We know Lockhart and Cleland were involved. What we don't know with any certainty is who else knew. DNC chairman? Mary Beth Cahill? John Kerry?

Not for one minute do I think that Lockhart was the highest in the Kerry campaign to know about and endorse the CBS slander.