NYT: Ex-Guardsman Is Said to Be a CBS Source

[kskiska]

HOUSTON, Sept. 15 - Bill Burkett once said his job was to make Gov. George W. Bush a hero.

As a lieutenant colonel working on the readiness of the Texas National Guard, Mr. Burkett, a lay preacher's son from Portales, N.M., was brought in with a high commission in 1996 to work on mobilization plans that would make the Guard shine.

"I was very supportive of Bush," he said in an interview this year.

(snip)

This week, The Abilene Reporter-News identified Mr. Burkett as a suspected source of the CBS documents. At the Callahan County Farmers' Co-op in Baird, a gathering place where Mr. Burkett has been a frequent presence, his role as a public accuser of the president stirred strong emotions. Pete Mendez, a former firefighter who says he is one of the few open Democrats in the county as well as one of Mr. Burkett's few defenders, said the reports had made Mr. Burkett a pariah. Mr. Burkett has recently complained that when he sat down at the co-op table, all his neighbors rose and left, Mr. Mendez said.

"If you buck the system around here you are kind of an outcast or radical," he added. "A lot of people around here seem to think he was just upset because he was turned down for something or other."

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/16/politics/16burkett.html?adxnnl=0&adxnnlx=1095307392-QklQujqyJK4nhaFjJqpnEA&pagewanted=print&position=

[w4rma]

1. So, who is "said" to be Novak's source for Plame's outing? (nt)

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Scooter Libby or Karl Rove

Or both... these are said in true whispers though

[Rene]

3. Society

What the hell kind of Society do we live in where everybody has to skulk around and surreptiously tell what they know about shrub/cheney because they fear retribution by these creeps.? What happened to standing up like a man or woman and just flat out state what you know to be true.
The media shouldn't be allowed to state "unnamed sources" or "officials who don't wish to be identified". Put up or shut up.
No guts/no glory.....and God hates a coward.....and miserable slimeballs like the SWBFT'rs.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Police State, early stages.

That kind of a society...

By the way unamed sources do have a role even in our democracy, but so do strong whistle blower status, yep the same kind bush is weakening

[Eloriel]

5. Well, are you willing to put YOUR life on the line?

'cause that's what it's taken for some of the people who have dared to challenge the Bush Crime Family.

[Dem2theMax]

7. Hell, if an 86 year old woman can go on CBS and tell the truth

about *, why can't the media stand up and start doing their damned jobs? What are they? A bunch of cooters? (Thank you Daily Show.)
If ALL of them did, * and his mob couldn't do a thing. What are they going to do? Kill ALL of the media, literally?

[Eloriel]

24. Once you're able to go successfully REAL public,

you're much safer. It's that twilight time, when you have damaging info (or are doing damaging things, like bucking their system) that is dangerous. The more people who know about you and what you're doing AND the information you're privy to (and this one may be key), the better. "Safety in numbers (knowing)" and all that.

It's the getting there that's the sticking point.

[Bread and Circus]

6. Read Burkett's story.....that's movie material...

[sassy2u74]

8. CBS SCORES

Did ya'll watch Dan Rather tonite? He had the secretary on she's like 86 cute and feisty! And she say's she doesn't think that they are the documents she typed but that the content was correct! She speculates that someone saw the documents and copied them! She says GW was always a gentlemen and seemed to be raised right,but did not think he had to follow the same rules as everybody else and that the other Guardsmen talked about it! (bitched) that's my word! Anyway her boss wasn't happy and wrote memo's like this saying he was being pressured to sugar coat Bush's job performance or lack of, and that he did order Bush to have a physical, and Bush left for Alabama without following orders!! Do you think he was scared he couldn't pass a drug test! Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive!!!!!!!!

[Karenina]

10. Here's a bit of it.

What do you say?

By Bill Burkett
Online Journal Contributing Writer

March 19, 2003—I've sat in total grief for the past three years, watching the institutions of America being spent as if they were lottery winnings.

I don't want to say it, "But I told you so."

In January of 1998 and what seems like a full lifetime ago, I was stricken by a deadly case of meningoencephalitis. I was returning from a short duty trip to Panama as a team chief to inspect the hand over of Ft. Clayton to the Panamanians. I had been 'loaned' from the senior staff and state planning officer of the Texas National Guard to the Department of the Army for a series of these special projects after angering George W. Bush by refusing to falsify readiness information and reports; confronting a fraudulent funding scheme which kept 'ghost' soldiers on the books for additional funding, and refusing to alter official personnel records .

George W. Bush and his lieutenants were mad. They ordered that I not be accessed to emergency medical care services, healthcare benefits I earned by my official duty; and I was withheld from medical care for 154 days before I was withdrawn from Texas responsibility by the Department of the Army, by order of the White House.

I was a pawn then caught in a struggle for right and wrong, but also caught within a political struggle between a man who would do anything to be 'king' of America and an institution of laws that we knew as America.

For five years, I have fought my battles around two fronts; the personal retaliation that was waged against me and the individual organizational unlawful acts and practices waged against our institutions.

http://onlinejournal.com/Commentary/031903Burkett/031903burkett.html

[flamingpie2500]

15. link isn't working for me---is it complete?

[Karenina]

20. OH POOP!

I just searched and only articles from THIS YEAR are there. If you want the rest please pm. SORRY!

[Judi Lynn]

22. Flamingpie2500, here's the story.

Continuing:

For five years, I have fought my battles around two fronts; the personal retaliation that was waged against me and the individual organizational unlawful acts and practices waged against our institutions.

But I first had to survive. Without a single bit of help, contact and in spite of threats against my life and that of my family, I have had to relearn to walk and to live. My daily pain is far worse than anything I could have previously imagined. I suffer from extreme constant headaches, body pain and even my hair hurts. I now have a severe seizure disorder which we are starting to gain slight control over.

My mother faced her final four years guiding and supporting me through my struggle to live. My wife, Nicki, and our four wonderful children totally reshaped their lives in support of this struggle as well. But, only three dear friends from those military days dared to help me. CW3 George Conn gave up his career and was released from duty for his support. He is now a civilian personnel specialist in Europe for the US Army. CW4 Harvey Gough actively fought for medical care for me. He received a court martial and was kicked out of the Army after an illustrious 28-year career. He filed suit for some of the comments made within their retaliation at him; including calling him a "Goddamned Jew" and threatening him with actions by making comments such as "we're going to treat you worse than the Jews in Auschwitz".

LTC Dennis Adams tried to operate within the system to get me medical support. When he was deposed and served as a witness within the district court case; Dennis was retired from service.
(snip/...)

http://www.veteransforpeace.org/what_do_you_say_032203.htm

[flamingpie2500]

25. Awesome story thank you!

[WatchWhatISay]

9. I am familiar with this man, Bill Burkett

He was/is on an email list I used to belong to called Democrats of Texas, and it was said that he had knowledge about Bush's TANG record.

When all this started coming out, I looked for his name in news reports but didnt find it. Now he shows up after all.

I don't remember any more specific details of what he said about it though.

[DoYouEverWonder]

11. The Online Journal article came out over a year ago

and I have posted references to it ever since.

Burkett didn't just show up all of a sudden.

I think Pacifica Radio has an interview they did with him then, that you can listen to on line.

[LeftHander]

12. Bush Protectors have be intimidating this guy for years...

Snip

"In a book published this year, "Bush's War for Re-election" by James Moore, Mr. Burkett is quoted as reporting having received numerous death threats, including telephone messages and a bullet with his name on it that he says he found in his mailbox. More recently, he told people that his son's car had been burned."


I have no doubt in my mind that Bush has a cabal of Poppy's "extended" family who have been keeping Bush's image as polished as possible throughout the years...

Bush himself realized it many years ago figured out no matter how fucked up he was he could still come out ahead.

So many people have suffered from being exposed to him. Now that he is on a national stage it only has magnified that. Imagine what Paul Wellstone would be saying now...make you wonder...

[Just Me]

13. Hang tough, CBS!!! Your courage will eventually be acknowledged,...

,...along with the courage of all those willing to take a stand against this Machiavellian leadership and for the hope of continuing this great experiment called democracy.

[ElectroPrincess]

14. Here! Here!

Although I fully support the separation of Church and State, please know Mr. Dan Rather, I admire your courage and integrity ... and for that you will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Yes, I concur = hang tough CBS - May God bless true investigative journalists.

[leesa]

16. Ah yes, another "disgruntled" fan

I'll bet he's still on the GOP payroll.

[Corgigal]

17. Give the name an A for honesty

At least he confessed to the real reason everyone tried to join the guard. Bill Burkett said he joined the New Mexico National Guard in 1970 to avoid service in Vietnam.

That is more then Bush ever said.

[peacemeal]

18. Washington Post article/White House to release more TANG docs

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24635-2004Sep15.html

It says many of the same things as the NY Times article so I didn't start a new thread BUT the last paragraph is worth noting:

In a related development, White House press secretary Scott McClellan hinted that more documents regarding Bush's National Guard service may soon be released. Asked whether officials in the White House have seen unreleased documents, McClellan called that "a very real possibility." Other officials with knowledge of the situation said more documents had indeed been uncovered and would be released in the coming days.

How many times has the White House said they've found all the documents and then released even more? This should be the REAL story and unfortunately the CBS memo issue has completely drowned it out.

[newyawker99]

27. He peacemeal!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Lucille]

19. How easy it would be for Rove--or anyone else-- to frame this guy

Just fax the documents from Abilene.

Which is not to say that Rove did this. It could be someone else entirely who wanted to cover his trail by drawing attention to Burkett. But I find it interesting that all the papers cited the fact that the docs reference terms that would more likely be used by Army rather than AF as evidence of their inauthenticity, and then mentioned Burkett as fitting the profile of someone who was at the guard but w/an army background. I think some reports even stated definitively that Burkett was CBS source, although CBS has never identified their source.


But it is conveeeenient for the BFE if forged docs containing truthful information end up discreditng the AWOL story AND destroying the life of a man who had the courage to say what he knew about *.

I think in yesterday's interview with Rather, both the secretary and Rather alluded to the fact that the docs looked like someone copied the original docs and put in some changes in order to cover their tracks. And if Burkett was the one trying to cover his tracks, why would he use army terminology and send a FAX a couple miles from his home?

[maryallen]

21. Answer the questions, Bush!

That should be our battle cry.

[EndElectoral]

23. Repubs have already destroyed this man's life...He should move

[struggle4progress]

26. kick for speaking out in Texas (always hard on one's social life)

:kick:

[mirandapriestly]

28. buckhead revealed in LA times

I posted this in the discussion are I though it was kind of a big deal, but no one seems interested. I didn't want to start a new thread in case it has been discussed already, I'm new so forgive me if I'm doing something dumb
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/2004/la-091704buckhead_lat,1,494535.story?coll=la-home-headlines