home

Rather to Air Burkett Interview Tonight

Dan Rather flew to Texas over the weekend to meet with Bill Burkett, and I assume, to convince him to allow CBS to name him as its source. On CBS Evening News tonight, Rather will air his interview of Burkett. The show doesn't air in Denver for another 45 minutes, so East Coasters, let us know what you thought. The rest of us will chime in later.

Update: Burkett said he did not forge or fake the documents. He only misled CBS about the source after he felt pressured. He said he thought CBS was going to authenticate them. Rather acknowledged that this is what CBS should have done but didn't. He also said that initially, it was CBS who contacted Burkett, and not the other way around.

Immediate reaction: Burkett was not particularly credible. He's got to realize he's a sitting duck for a lawsuit from Killian's family....and perhaps a criminal charge if he admits forging the documents. It should be also noted that no one at CBS, or Burkett, has said the documents were faked or forged. Only that they cannot be authenticated.

In other words, absent authentication, one can say the documents have not been proved to be real, but that doesn't mean they are fake. To anyone but a forensic document examiner or a lawyer, that might be a distinction without a difference. But it's classic forensic document examiner double-speak for you. Two documents may not be the same, but that does not mean they are different. There may only be a variation between the two and a variation is not a difference.

The point being, it's unlikely there ever will be scientific agreement as to whether the documents were authentic or forged. Time to move on.

< Presidential Debate Agreement Signed | Poll: Salazar Ahead of Coors in Colorado >
  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


  • Display: Sort: