BACK TO THE CBS MEMOS
[09/11 02:32 PM] From: LindyBill
KERRYSPOT
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The only expert cited by CBS in this case, Marcel Matley, wrote in the September 27, 2002 issue of the journal, <font color=blue>"The Practical Litigator":
In fact, modern copiers and computer printers are so good that they permit easy fabrication of quality forgeries. From a copy, the document examiner cannot authenticate the unseen original but may well be able to determine that the unseen original is false. Further, a definite finding of authenticity for a signature is not possible from a photocopy, while a definite finding of falsity is possible.
Attempting to authenticate a signature from a photocopy is exactly what Matley did for CBS.<font color=red>
Game over.<font color=black>
UPDATE: A couple of readers question whether this really is <font color=red>"game over"<font color=black> - whether CBS can hunker down and wait for the storm to blow over.
Actually, it appears CBS no longer has any witnesses backing up its case.
RatherBiased.com notes that Robert Strong told the New York Times that he does not believe that his former associate [Jerry Killian] used a proportional font typewriter during his time in the Texas guard. <font color=purple>"'I'm skeptical that Killian was working on that,' Mr. Strong said."<font color=black>
Now we also hear that in an interview with The Los Angeles Times, Marcel B. Matley, CBS' document examiner <font color=blue>"said he had only judged a May 4, 1972, memo — in which Killian ordered Bush to take his physical — to be authentic. He said he did not form a judgment on the three other disputed memos because they only included Killian's initials and he did not have validated samples of the officer's initials to use for comparison."<font color=black>
The sole remaining individual cited in CBS's report is author Jim Moore, who Rather said, <font color=blue>"has written two books critical of President Bush and his service in the Guard."<font color=black> Moore, however, simply asserts that the documents are real and that the lack of a White House statement discrediting the documents (yet) shows that <font color=blue>"the White House probably knows that these documents are, in fact, real."<font color=black>
Uh, no. That statement is meaningless. By that standard, I can assert that the fact that Ed Bradley, Mike Wallace, Morley Safer and the rest of the Sunday 60 Minutes crew haven't come to defend Rather means they <font color=green>"probably know that these documents are, in fact, fake, and so badly done that a third-grader could recognize the differences between a document created with a typewriter and one created on a modern computer, and that Rather has gone cuckoo for cocoa puffs."<font color=black>
Right now, the camp that believes the documents are the real deal consists of Dan Rather, Jim Moore, Tom Harkin, and possibly Terry McAuliffe, although the DNC head also apparently thinks Karl Rove did it.
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IN NON-TYPEWRITER NEWS... [09/11 02:05 PM]
Back in the non-CBS memo world, we learn that Time magazine's latest poll, conducted Sept. 7 through 9, hasn't changed much.
Last week’s seismic voter shift to George W. Bush showed no signs of dwindling in this week’s Time Poll. Bush continues to lead Democratic challenger John Kerry among likely voters by double digits, 52% - 41%, in the three way race, with Nader at 3%, the same as last week.
Putting this into perspective, just a month ago, post-Democratic convention, the Time Poll had Kerry with a statistically significant lead over Bush, 48% - 43%...
Even more damaging to Kerry is that Bush now has a 6 point lead on handling of the economy, 50% - 44%. Just one month ago, Kerry had the edge, 51% - 42%.
Bush has also taken commanding leads over Kerry on handing of the following issues:
War on terrorism: Bush is up 23 percentage points over Kerry, 58% - 35%, compared to an 8 point lead in early August.
Situation in Iraq: Bush is up 20 points over Kerry, 57% - 37%, compared to a 2 point edge in early August.
Commander in Chief: Bush is up 20 points over Kerry, 57% - 37%, compared to a tie in early August.
Kerry now has only a small edge on health care, 47% - 42%, falling from an 18 point margin in early August. He’s now just even up with Bush, 47% Bush – 44% Kerry, on “understanding the needs of people like yourself,” after leading Bush by 15 points in early August.
It's good news for the Bush camp, even though these numbers are likely to get at least a bit closer between now and the debates.
UPDATE: Also worth noticing:
Job rating: Bush is now at 56% approve – 41% disapprove, solidly above the 50% historical threshold for re-electing incumbents. A month ago, he was up only 5 points, with his favorability just at 50%.
Deserves re-election?: Bush has cracked the 50% mark for the first time in recent Poll history, with 52% saying he deserves re-election, while 45% saying it’s time for someone new. Just a month ago, Bush was down by 12 points on deserving re-election.
UPDATE: Newsweek shows a tighter race, with Bush 49, Kerry 43, Nader 2. Without Nader, it's Bush 50, Kerry 45. |
