RNC Chairman Implicates Kerry Campaign

Somebody at the Republican National Committee considers me “the press” because I was invited to listen in on a teleconference yesterday. Chairman Ed Gillespie spoke boldy about the Rathergate debacle and says he believes a crime was committed. From the after-conference press release:

“Many questions still remain. Was a crime committed? I believe so. Obviously, forgery is involved. But the Texas Legal Code also says it is a third degree felony if one ‘makes, presents, or uses any record, document, or thing with knowledge of its falsity and with intent that it be taken as a genuine governmental record’ or ‘makes, presents, or uses a governmental record with knowledge of its falsity.’”

“Did the Kerry campaign know about the existence of the documents in question in advance of the CBS report? A chronology of events indicates they did.”

“Bill Burkett says he made multiple contacts with the Kerry campaign in August, sending an e-mail newsletter on August 21 saying he talked to Kerry campaign seniors on Friday, August 20. The Kerry campaign told him they wanted to ‘counterattack,’ and he says he ‘gave them the information to do it with.’”

“Bill Burkett says he contacted the Democratic National Committee and laid out a rationale for using what he termed ‘down and dirty tactics against President Bush.’”

“We know that the Kerry campaign devised a strategy to attack the President’s National Guard service that began the same night the Republican National Convention ended, with Senator Kerry attacking the President’s guard service on the night of September 2.”

“CBS should act now to assure its viewers that it understands the gravity of its producer’s actions, and the Kerry campaign and the DNC should answer these questions, abandon its character assassination campaign and focus on the issues relevant to the American people in this election.”

“The centerpiece of the Kerry Campaign’s ‘character based critique,’ Boston-speak for character assassination, is based on a discredited news report that was based on the criminal activity of someone who mocked up and forged documents. What’s that say for the character of the Kerry campaign?

I like bold, non-nuanced, euphemism-free talk. See this CNSNews story. More CBS-related links…

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Karl Rove speaks. See Power Line. More on Karl Rove from Wizbang. Beldar says CBS admits it violated policy by contacting Lockhart. Astonishing.

Semi-related: Flying Space Monkey makes an interesting comparison. Allahpundit wants to know why CBS producer Mary Mapes hasn’t been fired.

Jayson Blair comments on Rathergate? Rathergate.com has an exclusive.

I’m waiting for the day my blog is mentioned in a newspaper, just like ProfessorBainbridge and the other big boys. See Blogs for Bush on character assassination.

The Associated Press Campaigns for Kerry, says Power Line.

Power Line has the latest on “fake but accurate.”