Momma Said There'd Be Days Like This

Not all of my fellow right wingers are as diligent about reading Andrew Sullivan as they once were. However, his posts today combine into a comedic classic that is reminiscent of a US Open tennis match - back and forth, back and forth. It's hard to do them justice, but here we go, excerpting cruelly:

THE GOODS ON BUSH: This isn't getting any prettier, is it? But it's always been obvious that, during Vietnam, George W. Bush benefited from the soft affirmative action of pedigreed privilege. The CBS-recovered forms are pretty devastating in this repsect, I'd say...

FORGERIES? Well, here's a strong reason not to take the Killian memos seriously. The pro-Bush blogosphere is claiming that they are obvious forgeries. I'm no expert in these matters and cannot tell if this analysis is sound. But we sure should find out, shouldn't we? Powerline has the most comprehensive treatment. The blogs prove one thing, though. If these documents are legit, they are devastating to Bush.

FORGERIES?? If the docs are forgeries, why would the White House have released two identical copies that it had in its possession after the CBS broadcast? Did the White House forge them as well? One more obvious question: how is it that this White House keeps "finding" new documents it previously claimed were lost? Did Hillary somehow get hired?

NOT THEIR OWN COPIES: The White House copies of the Killian memos turn out to be copies of CBS's.

THE MEMOS: To clarify something. When I said that the Killian memos were "devastating" to Bush, I should have been clearer. I didn't mean devastating to his re-election prospects. They're a blip on the radar screen of the campaign. Just devastating to the idea that he never got special treatment because of his privileged background during the Vietnam war...

Now I'm devastated.

But this new formulation, "when I said devastating, naturally I didn't mean devastating", suggests that Andrew may yet find a natural home in the Kerry Camp as one of his speechwriters.

Comments

[efglynn]

Andrew Sullivan has lost his focus. It's a shame because he used to have an important voice in the blogosphere.

[Jeff]

"Not all of my fellow right wingers are as diligent about reading Andrew Sullivan as they once were." I'm one of those who used to be diligent but I no longer bother. I think you may have put your finger on why.

[Roland Patrick]

Yeah, it's enough to make a guy want to change his name. Anyway, there are even more reasons to see they are forgeries (shameless self promotion alert):

http://flyunderthebridge.blogspot.com/

[russ]

The 32-year-old documents produced Wednesday by the CBS News program "60 Minutes," shedding a negative light on President Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard, may have been forged using a current word processing program, according to typography experts.
Three independent typography experts told CNSNews.com they were suspicious of the documents from 1972 and 1973 because they were typed using a proportional font, not common at that time, and they used a superscript font feature found in today's Microsoft Word program.

[capt joe]

There is a significant amout of kerning in the typography. Kerning is something that can only be done on a computer based system like a modern PC or an older specialized word processor. I am pretty sure that word processors were availabel at the time.

kerning definition: http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/K/kerning.html

[RW]

Give the guy credit....he made it through several consecutive posts without calling anyone who disagrees with him a bigot.

The glass is half full and today was a day of progress for Andrew-one-note.

[susan]

I'm a republican who greatly admired Andrew Sullivan's mind and writing.
However, he has rapidly turned into a single issue voter, and let that orientation color everything he writes. I stopped reading him altogether as a result.
It's a damn shame. I think his writing has changed into something aimed at assuaging and pleasing those in his particular peer community. Farewell.

[Matthew Cromer]

Yes Sully's credibility is floating in his PTown septic tank along with a few thousand used trojans. . .

[stevesturm]

IT's not just the fonts that look odd. Why would a TANG unit be using a PO Box? When I lived on a AFB, mail was addressed to the base. The blacked out address doesn't match the zip code. For more check out more info

[Jim Elrod]

Goddam it Cromer, now I gotta clean my monitor screen again. LOL.

[Raoul Ortega]

" I am pretty sure that word processors were availabel at the time."

In 1972 "word processing" was an electric typewriter that had an eraser key. And National Guard units in the 1960s-70s were not known for having modern, up-to date equipment.

The lesson here is that if you are going to produce forgeries supposedly from thirty years ago that can at least pass the smell test, you should spend some of Mr.Soros donated millions for a manual typewriter.

[Slartibartfast]

you should spend some of Mr.Soros donated millions for a manual typewriter.

Most importantly, go buy someone with a brain to do it.

[dawson22]

Far be it from me to rush to judgment, but it's beginning to look like little Danny may have stepped on his little dickie last night, doesn't it? And as they say, BIG TIME!

Bad enough that he put up that S&L crook and Kerry shill Barnes, but now we're learning that the documents so showily offered could not likely have been typed on any machine widely used by the military (or any other organization on the planet) at that time.

Wrong on the authenticity and credibility of Barnes. Wrong on the authenticity of the documents. And wrong on the presumption that, even if the aforesaid were not true, that the American people would give a rat's ass.

With apologies to Elmer Fudd, "w" stands for wascally weporters who can't weach even high school-level standards of wesearch and weasoning.

Time to say goodnight (and hopefully, goodbye), Dan.

[David]

I am aghast with admiration! I put this 60 Minutes episode up there with that other pinnacle of modern TV journalism - the opening of Al Capone's Vault. Yes, I believe Dan Blather will go down in media history with the journalism icon Geraldo.

A small, highly select group of hapless, inept reporters who have eviserated themselves before millions. Ain't TV Grand?

[David Thompson]

CBS News has CHANGED its memo authentication stance

From a recent Free Republic thread:

-begin--

Initially, CBS spokeswoman Kelli Edwards said:

As is standard practice at CBS News, each of the documents broadcast on '60 Minutes' was thoroughly investigated by independent experts, and we are convinced of their authenticity.

Later, however, Ms. Edwards sent out an email that appeared to revise the nature of the "authentication" process:

CBS verified the authenticity of the documents by talking to individuals who had seen the documents at the time they were written. These individuals were close associates of Colonel Jerry Killian and confirm that the documents reflect his opinions at the time the documents were written.

So what CBS is now saying is not that the documents are authentic, but that the opinions they express are authentic, based on the hearsay reports of anonymous persons alleged to be close associates of Col. Killian, who recall his views of thirty-two years ago. This is what passes for "authentication" in the mainstream media.

-end--

What, you don't accept hearsay about hearsay?

[Todd]

Andrew Sullivan is a fun guy. I'll leave it at that.

[jack]

You mean 'funny' as in ha ha, or 'funny' as in queer?

[MK]

Ain't TV grand? Nah. But if you watch it as a blogger would, your Cbs detector is going @p3s#1+. The deadtree dino media and their cohort can't succeed in controlling the newscycle, and they know it. In their haste, they opened the can of whupass that a lawyer had imprinted 'point away from user'. President Bush isn't going to have the black eye, fat lip, and missing teeth tomorrow. Heh. The blogs are kicking necromedia's ass something fierce right now. It feels good to have real Freedom of the Press. Great blog, well worth adding to the roll. This gives Kerry more time to continue his lurch to irrelevance. Hugh Hewitt counts 37 days since Kerry interviewed a 'serious' MSM type, whatever that means now, the last one being Russert I think. Kerry might have the guts to finally face a gruelling ordeal before Don Hewitt(no relation to Hugh, I don't think) and Dan Rather. In Cambodia. I'd actually watch that.

[jobob]

or as in "fungi"?

[BJ]

Deleted AS from my bookmarks. He's become a superb bore. I can't waste my time. Hell, and I even ponied up $25 to the 100 grand tally. What a bore. Thanks Tom for the catch-up.

[mikem]

How dare you question Andrew's patriotism!!

[Greg F]

WaPo is picking up the story!

Some Question Authenticity of Papers on Bush

Experts consulted by a range of news organizations pointed out typographical and formatting questions about four documents as they considered the possibility that they were forged. The widow of the National Guard officer whose signature is on the bottom of the documents also disputed their authenticity.

[Frank G]

also deleted AS from my bookmarks - if I wanted All Gay Marriage All The Time™, I'd read him...as it is, I certainly don't. Shame, he used to be thoughtful and interesting, as a gay conservative

[mikem]

Andrew Sullivan not only became a single issue voter and name caller. He also misled his readers for several months as he treated them to his "gradual transition" from Bush supporter to Kerry supporter. In fact, he had announced in a gay issues magazine that he would not vote for Bush months before he began his "second thoughts" commenting. Andrew is welcome to vote his heart, but his blatant dishonesty, spread out over months, must be taken into account when considering his commentating and "reporting".

[JoeInLA]

You asked why do these documents keep coming out of the White House. FYI: Long ag the White House told the defense department to release ALL of the President's military records.

Please note here. WHY WON"T MR. KERRY DO THE SAME. He won't sign the form to release them all. CHeck the AP.

Well the Defense Department keeps finding more and is releasing them in dribsnad drabs. THe White house is mad about this because you will ask those questions. But once again. Kerry is more guilty of of the disgressions of which the left accuses Bush. The lefties are either two faced or blind. In fact that is why I'm voting for Bush ... because upon examiniation of his record in and out of VIetnam, and in and out of the Senate, and on the campaign I find Mr. Kerry both two-faced AND blind

[America's Greatest War Hero!]

HOW DARE conservative cowards question Kerry's patriotism? Kerry is America's Greatest War Hero of all time... eclipsing the medals won by Sgt. Alvin York, Audie Murphy, and John McCain. How dare you American cowards question Hanoi John's PATRIOTISM in a time of WAR! I'm shocked and appalled! It's clear that Republicans don't care as much about National Security as Democrats. Everyone knows right-wingers are all chicken-hawks. Trust your fate to leftism, er, Democrats. Terrorists Hate America because gays can't marry... terror will strike Russia because of their support for Israel.... whatever reason we need to tell CBS and the media in America for killing little kids will suit us just fine. The overall objective is to make sure we can target and KILL your kids... But you never can be sure, CBS reports that Bush lied. People died. Abu Ghraib is America's Auschwitz! Therefore, it's acceptable to shoot little kids in the back as they're trying to run away. You Have To Accept This, or else you're just a jingoistic-pro-American moron! If you refuse to let jihadis kill your kids, it makes you a RACIST! Isn't that worse than sopping up the blood of dead kids? You must vote for Hanoi John Kerry, or betray your principles... deal...

[jen-giss John]

You in the heartland of America shouldn't have the disproportionate representation in the U.S. Congress that you do. If present trends continue, the Democrat party in both of the Houses of Congress stands to take a substantial beating in this election cycle. How Dare You Voters Judge the Candidates! I'm Offended! Don't you dare vote to re-elelect President Bush, or we'll sue! Like typical Leftists, when we lose at the polls, we'll defy the elected will of the people, and we sue. Just watch your TV and keep voting Democrat,dumbasshat.

[MMK]

Advantage: blogger.....

[rhodeymark]

Andrew "Brock" Sullivan made a tidy bundle off the right wing before he began to unmask. "Fooled me twice - shame on --." Take your single issue and Heinz it, Andy.