] The word is out and about now that the CBS Bush National
] Guard memos are not forgeries but rather recreations of
] actual documents authored by Lt. Col. Killian.
]
] That theory gains credence from the fact that Killian's
] secretary has now said that though she believes these
] memos are not real that their contents reflect real
] documents that once existed in Killian's personal file
] -- ones she herself typed.
]
] There's a word, though, for these sorts of recreations,
] if that's what they are: forgeries.
]
] There's no sense or possibility of getting around that.
]
] The late news that two of CBS's own experts had questions
] about the authenticity of these documents is really all
] you need to know to see that this piece never should have
] run as it did. At a minimum, when the original story ran,
] CBS should have shared with viewers the questions their
] own experts were apparently raising about the documents'
] authenticity.

[ Good job CBS. Really, fine job. Any vestige of actual utility that may have come out of Bush's still probable lack of service is gone now. This kills any attention people may have paid to a legitimate story.

And, on the record, i retract my criticism of Kerry's response to the initial stories on these documents. He either knew they were highly likely to be bullshit, or his play-it-safe tactic simply paid off, but either way he was right not to get himself tied into this debacle.

"Journalists." -k]