This is the 6th part of a continuing series on George W Bush's military service record and comments. The CBS papers are studied because of their relationship to the bush military documents.
In this part I am going to cover the mysterious handling of this story by CBS and Mary Mapes, They seemed unaware of the true nature of the relevance and relationship of the CBS Papers to George Bush's military documents. They seem blissfully unaware of the personalities involved and previous testimony. They seem blissfully unaware that Bush's response was NOT the response of a man looking at papers about himself that are alleged to be forged. They seemed blissfully unaware that they had the capacity to demand the federal government prove or disprove the papers, being as how they represent federal documents.
Instead they folded a winning hand. CBS took a dive. They put together a completely unofficial investigation that has NO standing legally at all although it has all the trappings of one. And the federal government pretended that it all ended there.
That's what we're going to talk about today.
The CBS Papers:
http://www.usatoday.com/...
Lets repeat one more time the most central fact about this: George Bush and his aides know right now--and always have--whether the CBS Papers are real or not. There is--and can be--no believable scenario in which they don't. We've covered why: Bush knows whether the order to take his physical is real because Bush and his aides know whether he was ordered to take his physical or not. There's no way they don't know this--yet they refused to answer when asked directly (see Pt 1) They've never answered this although it's a plain yes or no question and one they would answer immediately--if it wasn't true. And if it is true, it all falls apart for Bush. Bush also knows if the CBS suspension order is real or not because it represents his real suspension order that Col Killian DID write, DID read to Bush and DID send up the chain of command; that regulations and supporting documents confirm he did--and is MISSING from Bush's files. . (see: part 3 of this series )
Knowing that Bush and his aides knew whether the CBS Papers are real is critical in analyzing their response, or actually: non response. Especially as you now understand from the previous parts that they COULDN'T call for an official investigation because it would show all the falsifications Bush's superiors did for him.
Think about it: what would anybody do when confronted by allegedly forged federal documents that, if forged, LIBEL him or her? Documents about events in one's career about which one has certain, intimate knowledge? What would you do if you even SUSPECTED they were forged? You'd get a lawyer and go to the FBI and Pentagon and demand some justice! Investigation and prosecution of the forgers to say the least! And then you'd go to CBS with an injunction and commence the worlds most expensive libel/slander suit. If anyone ever showed those papers again, you'd sue the crap out of them! They can't do THAT: broadcast forged military orders showing your career in a bad light--that's LIBEL!! But they did---and Bush never said a peep about it, never had it investigated, never even mentioned it directly. And the media pretended it was normal.
ANYBODY in the world in that situation, in a close fought election race, would demand a federal investigation not only of the papers but of one's own career to clear one's name. Its what John Kerry did about his medals (hardly even mentioned by the media) and he was cleared by the Navy, also barely mentioned by the media. An innocent man would have denied the papers were real and then demanded an investigation and prosecution. You saw NONE of this from the White House OR the Republicans--and the media pretended it was OK--isn't that just a LITTLE suspicious?.
If these documents are forged, where was the outrage on the part of the White House? Forging federal documents about someone's military service, creating new and discreditable events (an order to take his physical) and falsifying his official suspension order is an outrageous crime: libel, in a Presidential election, using forged federal documents! Yet where was the outrage on the part of the president or his family? Not from his wife, not from his mom or dad, nor especially from the one man who HAS to know whether those orders are real or not: G Bush himself. Lots of outrage heard on the part of Bush's supporters--but never a call for investigation/prosecution of the forgers they all maintain blatantly forged the papers.
The White House's response was to stonewall entirely, never deny the papers were real, elevate Bush above the fray, send out their attack dogs and get it all proven false only in the media, using their "Bloggers Corps" which they had been setting up for some time. Bush and the media turned the story back on CBS in a coordinated way that said so plainly that they had been planning this for a long time, completely ignoring and diverting attention from the true facts (indisputable) and concentrating attention instead on the fonts (disputable). And CBS helped them out by never pursuing the most obvious elements of the story--like getting an answer as to whether Bush was ordered to take his physical or not. Or asking Bush directly if the papers were real or not. As part 1 of this series explains: they published a story stating that Bush had refused to answer whether he was ordered to take the physical--while they were under the greatest attack on a media outlet ever. How could they miss that implication/connection?
Mapes goes into great detail in her book about The Attack Of the Bloggers. Like the innocent little blue eyed Texas farm girl she claims to be, she just can't understand why the bloggers came on so strong. The answer is that while she was hippetyskipping, all blue-eyed and pony tailed, to work every day,pretending shw worked for a responsible news agency, Bush and the Republicans were playing for all the marbles in the world. She never understood why this was so important to Bush and STILL doesn't. It was a classic case of Bambi meets Godzilla where Bambi doesn't know Godzilla exists. Some investigative reporter!
Its hard to imagine anyone blowing a story this badly, especially when their lives and careers were on the line, but Mapes does a terrific job of it. CBS and Mapes went into this story completely unprepared. Mapes brags about all the work she did on this but she was led around by the nose. She missed the most important parts, the parts that would have proven her case and so did CBS. This was done so blatantly its hard to think it wasn't intentional.
Here's an example: Mapes says Killian was angry at Bush throughout for missing the physical, so do eyewitnesses like Hodges and Marian Knox, but either doesn't understand---or is intentionally ignoring--the reason why: the documents prove Killian was in a real bind, pressured to falsify Bush's documents. Killian obviously felt threatened enough by what was going on to keep a CYA file. Mapes doesn't understand this although its quite obvious: Killian committed crimes to sugarcoat Bush's OETR: fraud, falsification of documents. THAT is the meaing of the sentence "...I will backdate but I won't rate, " something else--critical---that Mapes leaves out of her "mesh" document. Killian kept these documents to cover his ass in case all the falsifications he did were to come back on him. Mapes never understands this, nor does she understand the crimes revealed by the CBS Papers.
Mapes also completely misunderstands Hodges part in this: Hodges KNOWS all about this, including the falsifications, and Hodges' career--pension, benefits, everything--are on the line over this. Hodges knows every detail of Bush's suspension--he is signed onto one of the confirmation documents, proving he saw Killian's original order. Conversely, if there was document falsification horseplay here--like 2 sets of orders, like Marian Knox states--Hodges knows that also. Mapes let Hodges pretend he knew nothing about this (pages 172-173 truth and Duty)when he HAS to--by his position as Bush and Killian's commander and all the documents he signed about the suspension. Hodges was Killian's--AND BUSH'S commander--something Mapes ignores also and, because of his involvement in Bush's career from the very beginning, knows all about the suspension and every other detail. He HAS to know yet Mapes and CBS enver followed this up at all..
The Hodges confirmation order, dated 5 Sep, 1972, is difficult to find on the net--amazingly it's not on Mapes website either NOR cited in her book. (Page 256 Unfit Commander) Amazing because it's a smoking gun for Hodges and (then-Major) Rufus Martin because, it proves they saw Killian's original order--its what they confirm and pass up the chain of command.
" In accordance with paragraph 2-29m, AFM 35-13, failure to accomplish annual medical examination 1st Lt George W. Bush is suspended from flying status effective date 1 Aug, 1972....."
Signed, Bobby Hodges dated 5 Sep 1972
Signed Rufus Martin (Personnel officer)
This document is signed proof that Bobby Hodges and Rufus Martin know what Killian's original suspension order looked like--the one the CBS order/memo purports to be. Hodges also has to know its missing from Bush's files.
When Hodges says on the confirmation document : "In accordance with para 2-29 m, AFM 35-13," he is saying "let it be so according to para 2-29m....." which if you remember from part 3 means an investigation/Flying Evaluation Board. Hodges is the "The local commander who has authority to convene a Flying Evaluation Board..." referred to in para 2-29m AFM 35-13. Hodges therefore KNOWS why no flight Evaluation Review Board was not convened--it was HIS responsibility to do so. Mapes covers none of this, has no understanding of it.
Hodges is implicated in the CYA document, and also in the "Sir We can't rate..." memo if he was the recipient, in a conspiracy to falsify ("backdate but not rate") Bush's documents--a falsification that WAS done on the OETR. If these documents are forged, then Hodges is as libeled as Bush is! And if they're real, he's more guilty than Bush is.
Yet CBS AND Mapes let him play the "I see NOTHINK" Sgt Schulz role.
Hodges refused to look at the documents! Truth And duty Page 173: "...I offered to show him the documents but he declined..." HUH??!! Someone else who HAS to know if the orders are real or not declined (refused!) to look at them??
Here we have a former commander of Killian and Bush refusing to look at documents about which he has certain knowledge, refusing to look at and identify them? Documents that implicate him in crimes?? When Bush's (and his) career hang in the balance??
Why in the world would he do this? And why does Mapes pretend it was a normal reaction and never mention it again? Why didn't she ask him then why he didn't want to look at them? He was Bush's commander, with certain knowledge of these events and papers and both Mapes AND CBS (in the whitewash investigation) remain blissfully unaware of this.
Why did they READ the documents to Hodges, and Bush's aides also, over the phone? Don't these people have fax machines? Why did they think that reading the memos over the phone would enable someone to identify them better than having a fax copy? Why didn't Bush and his aides demand to see the papers?
Bush and Hodges BOTH know the true story about these papers but only gave misleading answers--why would they do this if the papers were forged? Who should have more outrage about this than Bush and his commanders if someone forged documents concerning official business in which they were involved?
Yet nether Bush nor Hodges, nor Staudt either, ever even suggested a federal investigation. And CBS, Mapes and the rest of the media, pretended that this was a normal reaction from people looking at supposedly forged federal documents that, if forged, libel them.
Mapes says the documents were CALLED into the White House, read to them(Page184 T&D)--were the documents EVER faxed to the White House? Then how did the Bloggers allegedly get them to analyze them and have them analyzed in a few hours? They would have had to have copies to do this in ANY scenario. Mapes never questions this. Why did Mapes/CBS read documents to Hodges and Bush instead of faxing them and demanding they identify them?
For that matter, why did neither Mapes nor CBS ever call on the people whose responsibility it was to prove or disprove these documents--the federal government. One of the most amazing things of all about this complete amazing story is that no one involved has sued the federal government to make them prove or disprove these papers. When someone does, this story will be resolved.
The two orders constitute representations of lawful orders given by Bush's commander to Bush, they represent part of the public record. There is a legal and due process by which federal, military orders are proven or disproven: through usage of the federal investigative law enforcement agencies that have been tasked for the job and have been given forensic capacity and investigative powers (like subpoena, compulsion under oath, etc) to do this. It is their word that is final and nothing substitutes for it; not bloggers opinions or CBS "independent investigation." It is the rule of law, not the rule of the manipulators that is supposed to run this country but not in this case.
Mapes, Rather and the other people who lost their careers over this have the worlds best case for Denial of Due Process in history. The entire federal government stood by and watched them lose their careers and reputations when it was the federal government's DUTY to prove or disprove these papers--for which they have the easy capacity.
This Mapes also completely--amazingly--ignores. She somehow pretends like she's out there forever crying in the wilderness about these papers when the people who can solve this for her officially are just a simple lawsuit away.
What Mapes should do to get this solved is sue the federal government to solve this, especially the DoD IG, the USAF IG and their law enforcemenmt arms. If she ever figures this out her career will be completely turned around and she will become a very wealthy woman. And she can hand Bush his papers--the REAL ones.
Because she can call Bush, Hodges, Staudt and Rufus Martin as witnesses and demand that they identify these papers of which they have certain knowledge.
No "fonts experts," "spacing experts" nor "format experts" necessary, just the truth under oath from the participants in this scandal. Which we haven't gotten yet, nor will we until someone takes this to court--and who would have a better case than Mapes?
Tommorrows study will be a continuation of this topic