Okay, since I'm mentioned three times in the report (twice, inaccurately labelled a blogger), and I even played a peripheral role in the verification of the Killian memos, I guess I can call myself an "insider" to some small degree.
(I'm Paul Lukasiak, and my website is called The AWOL Project. Its at http://www.glcq.com. As the report correctly notes, when CBS wanted to find more Killian signatures in the publicly released documents, they came to me---and although I didn't know why I was being asked at the time, I was asked a number of questions pertaining to the consistency of the memos with the rest of the documents.)
And from the facts of which I'm aware, the Memogate Report can be described in one word.
Bullshit.
The report is a complete smear job on Mary Mapes, and although Mapes made mistakes the manner in which the "facts" (and I use that term loosely) are presented are utterly biased.
I was rather surprised to see my name in the report, because "the Panel" made absolutely NO EFFORT to contact me at any point, despite the fact that, according to the panel, I was the person who lead 60 Minutes II to the Killian memos when I told Mapes about a rumor that someone had access to additional Bush documents---and I have spoken with Mapes on a number of occasions. But I guess that, because "he operates a website on which he posts disparaging analyses of President Bush's TexANG service" I'm not "credible" enough to contact (as opposed to being someone like Staudt or Hodges whom the public record shows are entirely compromised by their actions with regard to Bush's service.)
Instead, the "Panel" chose to write a report that is so factually inaccurate simply in terms of Bush's records themselves that it laughable. And unlike Mary Mapes, who was under competitive pressure and made some mistakes, "the Panel" had all the time in the world to get it right....
and the fact that they didn't even come CLOSE to the standards of "impartiality" and "accuracy" that they demanded of Mapes makes it clear that this report is worthless.
I'll just give a few examples for now from the "chronology" section.
May 3, 1972 The 90-day window for Lt Bush to take a physical examination begins on
this date. Lt Bush must take a physical before July 31, 1972 or he will lose
his flight status.
This is false. Bush was required to take a flight physical within three months prior to his birthday. Bush's birthday is July 6, thus Bush was required to get his physical between April 6 and July 6 of each year.
http://www.glcq.com/regs/afm160-1_a15-1.pdf
now, note that this document is posted on my website, and is referred to in a number of different articles---and is listed on the "source document" page under "Other Regulations: as AFM 160-1, Attachment 15-1 (medical examination schedule table)" But the above reference to May 6th is footnoted, and the footnote says "77 The Panel notes that this entry in the chronology is not a document, but rather is based on data provided by former
Guardsmen." In other words, rather than actually trying to determine the FACTS, "the Panel" relied on what BUSH SUPPORTERS like Hodges and Staudt had to say about the regulations---and they lied about them.
This pattern is repeated over and over again, throughout the document. Virtually the only person whose factual assertions are scrutinized are those of Mary Mapes---and much of the time unless a Bush supporter verified one of Mapes assertions, "the panel" did no further fact checking, and just said it could not verify that fact.
August 3, 1972 Maj Shoemake, acting for the Adjutant General of Texas, requests the 147th
Fighter Interceptor Group to explain what it plans to do in light of the
rejection of Lt Bush's transfer request.
This is just made up out of whole cloth. The document being referred to here is
http://www.glcq.com/docs/(72-08-03)trans_shoemake_memo.pdf .
The text of the memo, in its entirely reads
"Attention is invited to basic communication."
There is NOTHING about "what [the 147th] plans to do in light of the rejection of Bush's transfer request." Just six words. (When viewed within its proper context, these six words probably were meant as a rebuke to the 147th for submitting a transfer request that was completely outside of regulations. "The Panel" just makes up an interpretation of a phrase, based on absolutely nothing---certainly NOT on the other document on which the phrase "basic communication" appears.
September 5, 1972 Col Hodges executes an Order suspending Lt Bush from flying status,
effective August 1, 1972, for failure to accomplish his annual medical
examination. Maj Martin, Personnel Staff Officer, then sends the Order to
TexANG Headquarters.
under regulations, Bush was required to be suspended from flying ON August 1, 1972. And according to this document
http://www.glcq.com/docs/(72-09-29)flight_status_confirm.pdf
verbal orders were issued on August 1. In other words, the order was executed on August 1, but written orders were not promulgated until September 5. This is consistent with the regulations found in AFM 35-13, paragraph 2-29m
http://www.glcq.com/regs/35-13_1971.pdf
which is cited in the above confirming order, as well as in the September 5 order cited by "the panel".
http://www.glcq.com/docs/(72-09-05)flight_status_order.pdf
September 5, 1972 Lt Bush requests permission from Lt Col Killian to transfer to the 187th
Tac Recon Group in Alabama.
This is flat out false. Bush did not request a transfer to the 187th, he only requested permission to do equivalent training with that unit. "The Panel" never bothered to understand the difference between a "transfer" and permission to perform substitute training for the drills Bush was required to perform with his TXANG unit.
September 15, 1972 The Alabama Air National Guard approves Lt Bush for three months of
Equivalent Training with the 187th Tac Recon Group in Alabama.
Another flat out lie. The Alabama Air National Guard denied Bush's request to perform his substitute training for September (and only authorized Bush to show up on two specific weekends for his October and November training, neither of which Bush attended.) "The Panel" leaves the deliberate impression that Bush was authorized to train with the 187th whenever he felt like it----this is categorically false. The only periods that Bush was authorized to show up for training were those dates on which the 187th itself "assembled" for its monthly training.
Now, the above is just a compendium of the flat out lies being promulgated by "the Panel." There are numerous distortions and deletions of relevant information from the chronology as well--and these lies, deletions, and distortions are necessary in order for "the Panel" to argue that the Killian memos do not "mesh" with the rest of the documents in the Bush files.
One example will suffice..."the Panel" makes a big deal about the fact that the August 1 Killian memo says that the reason Bush was suspended from flight status was "due to failure to perform to USAF/TexANG standards / and failure to meet annual physical examination (flight) as ordered", while the reason cited on the written orders suspending Bush's flight status was only about his medical examination. "The Panel" claims that the lack of any reference to "failure to perform to USAF/TexANG standards" means that the memo does not "mesh" with the documents.
But the fact is that Bush had missed three straight months of required unit training (applying for a transfer to another unit did not relieve the requirement to perform that training)...and he was only permitted to miss one month per year. Perhaps more importantly, all pilots were required to fly a certain number of hours each quarter (I believe its 12 hours)---and Bush had failed to meet that requirement in the previous quarter. "The Panel" chose to ignore the fact that Bush was not "performing to standard" and that Hodges took no action regarding that failure, and instead claimed that the memo "did not mesh" with the flight status order because Hodges did not include all the examples of Bush's dereliction in his order.
When the facts support the Killian memos, and the "Bush documents" show that people like Bobby Hodges--whom they rely upon to question Mapes credibility---were providing Bush with favorable treatment rather than enforcing all Air Force regulations, "the Panel" simply ignored all of the facts supporting the Killian memos, and relied upon only what appears in the documents themselves.
Well, this is long and boring enough....but if people want more, just let me know. I could write for DAYS about this report, and the lies and distortions contained therein...