If GOP wants investigation they must be very sure they are fake.

[wurzel]

And the only way they could be this certain is if they faked them. I continue to believe those memos were plants to destroy the story. Those critics were just too ready with specific refutations. But it worked!

[hlthe2b]

1. Yup... I think Rove et al has the originals, so they knew how to fake em..

That's the only thing that makes sense if they are fake and it fits with Rove MO.

[HamdenRice]

17. That right -- Rove's MO

This is classic Rove strategy -- strike your opponent's strength from your own position of weakness. Many Kerry supporters like me believe after reviewing all the evidence and analysis that the documents are forgeries -- but this is not the thread to discuss that. Assuming they are forgeries, it was pure evil genius of the republicans to insert a few relatively unimportant documents into a cache of thousands that are forgeries to discredit CBS's story -- and worse to completely substitute one story with another.

Bush's position of weakness was that CBS presented unimpeachable proof that he was AWOL -- both documentary and living people. Now the story is that the "liberal media" or "unscrupulous Democrats" have stooped to fraud and forgeries.

Now Democrats and CBS need a really strategic response -- ditch these stupid, unimportant memos and get back to the substance of the stories.

There are extremely right wing, dogmatic people on these boards who can't see that and are going to go down with the memo ship. Their entire way of thinking about this is so dogmatic and simple minded that it's scary. The crowd that says, how dare you question the docs, you're either with us or against us, has adopted the dogmatism of the RW, the inability to discuss and sift empirical evidence, the namecalling and gradioisity of RW republicans. And that's the biggest shame of all on DU.

The whole point of liberalism, the difference between liberalism and RW conservatism is that liberals are empirical, open minded, flexible problem solvers. The RW relies on appeal to unchanging, unquestioned and infallible authority (God, president, flag). If we adopt their methods of thought, we're doomed, as a movement -- but even worse, we won't have the ability to think strategically to beat the Republicans.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Wednesdays]

28. These are the same people who had practically everyone

believing Anita Hill lied, and that she plagiarized "The Exorcist!"

Exact same tactics.

[shrike]

3. This is the party that investigated Filegate and Travelgate

They are more than ready to waste taxpayers money on investigations that go nowhere.

[bowens43]

4. There is no reason to think they are fake.

That is why they want an investigation. They want to cast doubt on the memos because they are quite certain that they are authentic. What better way to discredit them than to announce an investigation?

[wurzel]

10. The memos had nothing to do with the story.

I was OK when I heard that Dem say he had helped Bush get into the Guard. But when those memos suddenly turned up, having nothing to do with the story, I smelled a rat. And I still do. I would love nothing better than to find I am wrong.

[mourningdove92]

5. Asking Ain't Getting

Look, Just because GOPer Cox asks for an investigation, does not mean one is imminent. It does mean they will once again grab the headlines and continue the misdirection of the truth.

Hey America....look at HOW the memos came to be. Hey America, DON'T ask Bush to answer the questions.

[supercrash]

6. Well...

When Bush took office he smeared the outgoing President by saying his administration trashed the WH

This was a outright lie

Yet Barr demanded a investigation.......that found nothing

Somebody forgot to tell Barr

[wurzel]

15. Only the GOP had access to the WH when the charge was made.

And the "investigation" took months.

[Cocoa]

7. very bad reasoning

[wurzel]

11. No one in the GOP would go out on a limb like that. They must know!

If CBS has access to originals this will be enough to sink Bush.

[Cocoa]

18. that is contrary to the facts

there's been millions of bogus investigations.

[wurzel]

22. Rove will only have the investigations he wants.

Nothing would make me happier than to be wrong about this. Have to wait for the evening news to find out.

[aintitfunny]

8. They Don't have to be sure

They are simply punishing CBS and Dan Rather for speaking out. It kind of makes it all clear now why all the other networks and cable stations are so namby pamby about hitting the Bush Camp about anything with any force. CBS has broken out of the restrictions in place since the government takeover in 2000 by airing this story. The neo-cons must make them pay. They don't need evidence. They just need conjecture.

[papau]

9. Secr confirmed hand written memos said same thing - so a fake

would be easy to make look legit.

Bu that damn IBM Selectric Composer makes "not-fake" possible! - granted he typed up the memos between 79 and 81 since Retired Sec had wrong typewriters.

But how do you prove it fake - unless you faked them?

The Bush mafia is very very good at theft of elections. And our media is either no match for them, lazy, or on the paycheck at risk "take".

[forgethell]

12. I think that idea is

way too complex for the Republicans. They are stooooopid!!

Besides, it is way too risky, and the potential gain is too small. Very few Americans care if * went to the Guard because of his father's connections. Even fewer care if he missed a few drills. If the Guard didn't consider it a breach of discipline at the time, why should they?

Look, there's plenty of stuff to bash * with, stuff that can change minds. We ought to cut our losses on this on and address the issues, the economy, health care, and most importantly, how we will do better in Iraq and on the 'waar on terror'.

[truthspeaker]

13. RU kidding? They wanted to investigate the White House vandalism too

and that turned out to be completely fake.

You give these idiots too much credit.

[noiretextatique]

26. i'm with you

yep...giving them far too much credit. this is a smokescreen to cover junior's behind.

[kikiek]

14. I believe the secretary, but who is to say he didn't have her type them?

And like someone else says. The memos are irrelevent really. Their factual content is the real issue. I think it shows a pattern of not taking responsibility and serial lying.

[LisaLynne]

16. Nope.

I think they just are blowing a lot of smoke around, acting like they're going to do something, to discredit the memos. There will be no real investigation.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

19. No. They are just muddying the waters. . . nt

[in_cog_ni_to]

20. They spent 8 years and millions of $$$$ to investgate

Bill and Hillary Clinton. They don't need proof of ANYTHING to launch one of their investgations. 8 years and millions of taxpayer $$$$ and what did they find??? A BLOW JOB FROM AN INTERN!!!

Nope, this is BULLSHIT to take attention away from the CONTENT of the memos.

[KoKo]

21. You've got to be kidding? Remember Whitewater and Ken Starr?

They will go after anyone...that's the ploy. Get public to think they wouldn't go after someone if they didn't have the "goods on them." Create a big stink and then back down after the person has been discredited in the public mind which has a 2 second memory.

[Joanne98]

23. It's called Hubris. They'll say or do anything.

I don't know why CBS is taking so long to deal with it though.

[Iceburg]

24. GOP only wants a gag order on Rather

[KansDem]

25. Not really...

If GOP wants investigation they must be very sure they are fake.

An investigation would take months and "conclude" well past the November election. However, up to the day of the election, Republicans would be seen has hot and angry about the attack on their "God-fearing" President by "librul" CBS, and this would surely rile the GOP base of fundies and Talibornagains.

This is ALL political theater...

[TexasSissy]

27. Our tax dollars are better spent investigating the Plame outing and

other matters of national security. I will SCREAM if our tax dollars are used for this nonsense. The Repubs spent millions of tax dollars investigating Clinton for Whitewater and other things that turned up nothing! I'm sick of this organized crime family running this country.

[JNelson6563]

29. Oh nonsense!

They tried barking up tree after tree with Clinton. They spent over $50 million and all they could find was a stained dress. They do not hesitate to make baseless assertions and then put our money where their mouths are.

All they do is stuff like this. Note the contrast of the outrage on this in comparison to a CIA agent being outed. The epitome of "sharp contrast".

Julie