Here come the attempts to pin the CBS debacle on the Kerry campaign. As one would expect, via Drudge.
If the Kerry campaign were tied to the documents, that would be a problem. But the ties that are being, ahem, dr[e]dged up are just some short phone calls between Burkett and Kerry officials.
This has already been diaried as news; this diary is to provide some talking points on this. Talking points which boil down to,
OF COURSE THEY TALKED TO HIM. SO WHAT?
One job of campaign officials is to coordinate supporters. Burkett is a Kerry supporter, and one who's relationship to the TANG story is well known. So OF COURSE Cleland is going to take his call. But did Cleland or anyone else give Burkett documents or take documents from him to tout them? No!
Another job of campaign officals is to deal with the press. Mapes is a member of the press, and one who's work on the TANG story involved getting comments on it from not only the White House (interview with Dan Bartlett) but also from the Kerry campaign. So naturally she'd be talking to Lockhart.
It is good news for the Kerry campaign that they can say they heard about the documents from Mapes and not the other way around.
So OF COURSE Cleland and Lockhart would have chatted with Burkett. Good thing they did so responsibly, i.e. didn't get dragged into his shenanigans! Good thing Dan Rather isn't the Democratic nominee!
Other ideas for talking points? Over and beyond "of course they talked to him. So what?"