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September 09, 2004

Even AP Quotes an Expert Judging the Docs Forgeries

Independent document examiner Sandra Ramsey Lines said the memos looked like they had been produced on a computer using Microsoft Word software, which wasn't available when the documents were supposedly written in 1972 and 1973.

Lines, a document expert and fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, pointed to a superscript - a smaller, raised "th" in "111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron" - as evidence indicating forgery.

Microsoft Word automatically inserts superscripts in the same style as the two on the memos obtained by CBS, she said.

"I'm virtually certain these were computer-generated," Lines said after reviewing copies of the documents at her office in Paradise Valley, Ariz. She produced a nearly identical document using her computer's Microsoft Word software.

The AP report goes on to state that Lines "booed" when she was informed President Clinton was recovering nicely from his heart surgery.

Update: The Weekly Standard's expert says "fake," too.

I have yet to hear from a document-authentication expert stake his professional reputation on the proposition that these are real.

CBS claims it has an expert who authenticated them, but, oddly enough, that expert's name is kept secret. Expert opinion is not the sort of thing usually kept anonymous or off the record -- unless, of course, you request to be kept off the record, because you dare not pubicly claim that obvious forgeries are genuine.

And Even Peter Jennings' ABCNews:

More than half a dozen document experts contacted by ABC News said they had doubts about the memos' authenticity.

"These documents do not appear to have been the result of technology that was available in 1972 and 1973," said Bill Flynn, one of country's top authorities on document authentication. "The cumulative evidence that's available … indicates that these documents were produced on a computer, not a typewriter."

That quote from Instapundit, who really picked the wrong day to quit sniffing glue and/or blogging. Good to have him back.

Meanwhile... My very favorite blogger dismisses the clear evidence of forgery, hooting like Madeleine Kahn in Blazing Saddles-- "It's twue! It's twue!"

posted by Ace at 10:46 PM

Comments

I just posted on the aftermath of this. Over the next few days we will hear lots of spin on this and it will all go back to Karl Rove, Darth himself will have planted this blah blah blah.

They can sit and spin all they want, the shit has already hit the fan.

Posted by: Jennifer on September 9, 2004 11:07 PM

You'll pardon me if I sit back & enjoy this over the next few days.

We've been hearing for months about the differences between the old & new media, and the opportunity for transformation & change.

Well, it's finally happening. We're coming together.

Tommorrow, Dan Rather is going to look & feel just like Andrew Sullivan on a Friday night.

Posted by: Rob on September 9, 2004 11:10 PM

Ace-- I hope you don't mind, by I BLATANTLY RIPPED YOU OFF.

I put up full disclaimers to that effect on my site, but I figured what, with you being busy covering the BIGGEST BLOGGING STORY OF 2004 and all, I might take one for the team and do op research on our fearless friend.

Anyways: take a look, and if you don't want me *BLATANTLY RIPPING YOU OFF* like this, I'll remove it from my page immediately. Just say the word.

http://garfieldridge.blogspot.com/2004/09/be-not-afraid-andrew-sullivan.html

Cheers,
Dave
Garfield Ridge

Posted by: Dave on September 9, 2004 11:27 PM

Rob, it's worse than that

Tommorrow, Dan Rather and all of CBS News is going to look & feel just like Matthew Perry in The Whole Ten Yards, when he "fell down a flight of stairs".

Posted by: Rich on September 9, 2004 11:36 PM

At this hour, typography experts continue to argue over whether the typeface in the forged documents is Times Extremely New Roman, Fast-and-Lucida, or Alternate Univers 76.

Posted by: Paul Zrimsek on September 9, 2004 11:39 PM

Ace,

OK, I'll admit I'm weak from having what I thought was cholera and having had only Saltines and Gatorade for the last 72 hours, but...

How the Hell can anyone not say that these documents are 150% forgeries?!?!

Charles Johnson types out the content of one of the memos on Word and it matches the one provided by CBS exactly.

FUCKING EXACTLY!

Hell-o???

Earth to people.

Get.A.Clue.

There fake.

ROTFLMAO!

Posted by: MeTooThen on September 9, 2004 11:40 PM

Ace,

D'oh!

They're fake.

Sorry.

Cholera and stuff, you know.

Loose shit (literally).

Posted by: MeTooThen on September 9, 2004 11:42 PM

And at 11:55PM Eastern, CNN is STILL running the story they posted as of 6:40PM Eastern ... with no comment at all about the documents being forgeries ... Um, somebody out there wanna give them a call?

Posted by: Rich on September 9, 2004 11:57 PM

DRUDGE...NOW!

(www.drudgereport.com)

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX THU SEPT 09, 2004 22:45:32 ET XXXXX

CBSNEWS LAUNCHES INTERNAL INVESTIGATION AFTER SUSPICIOUS BUSH DOCS AIRED

**Exclusive**

CBS NEWS executives have launched an internal investigation into whether its premiere news program 60 MINUTES aired fabricated documents relating to Bush's National Guard service, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

"The reputation and integrity of the entire news division is at stake, if we are in error, it will be corrected," a top CBS source explained late Thursday.

The source, who asked not to be named, described CBSNEWS anchor and 60 MINUTES correspondent Dan Rather as being privately "shell-shocked" by the increasingly likelihood that the documents in question were fraudulent.

Rather, who anchored the segment presenting new information on the president's military service, will personally correct the record on-air, if need be, the source explained from New York.

Posted by: snarky on September 10, 2004 12:01 AM

OK...

It is now OBVIOUS that:

a) the documents are a forgery

-- and --
b) Dan Rather KNEW.

The big question is ... WHY????

The answer? Dan Rather is a CONSERVATIVE MOLE!!!!

Think about it! You poker players know it's true! (Tell the truth -- how many of you have never bluffed to get caught?) Rather KNEW that the forgeries would be quickly discovered, thus swaying public opinion against John "Flush-me" Kerry and assuring George W (is for Winner) Bush!

It is a brilliant plan, brilliantly executed by the brilliant Dan Rather!!!! We should all be sending him our heart-felt thanks -- and we can, too, since this "last hurrah" will most assuredly blow his cover.

Think I'm joking?

Remember when Bush 41 was way behind in the polls, and conventional wisdom held that he was just to "wimpy" to be president? Remember how My Man Dan fixed that?

Thought so.

Posted by: fretless on September 10, 2004 12:41 AM

Thanks for the tip, Snarkles.

Posted by: ace on September 10, 2004 12:57 AM