The American Spectator

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(Page 5 of 13)

Mr. Van Os is not much of advertisement for either East Texas or Eagle Scouts. He reminds me of another Eagle Scout, Marian Barry. I have drawn several conclusions from reading with interest the various stories of this case:

1. There are no hand-written notes by Colonel Killian. If there were, that is what we would have seen. They could have easily been verified as accurate and would have been powerful evidence of an immature young man. I am not sure that it would have made much of difference in the election since many American young men have been immature. It is always more disturbing when they get into their fifties and sixties and are still immature. Using the Oval Office as a brothel, choosing sides in a political debate about war based on which side gives you more speaking time, looking back fondly about turning the Vietnamese and Cambodian peoples over to communist murderers as your peak accomplishment in life are examples of people's behaviors who can't seem to leave their adolescence behind. Maturity doesn't seem to be a problem for your average Democrat voter.

2. Colonel Burkett is the source of this story and the phony documents. He is crazier than a coot and had to be an anonymous source since close scrutiny of him would ruin the story. I wonder how many times anonymity is used this way? In a just society there would be a criminal investigation into this forgery and somebody would go to jail. The colonel would of course be able to make a credible insanity defense if this happens.

3. Mr. Van Os is a lawyer. He actually believes that his endorsement of his client is meaningful. That after all is what lawyers do. He is a Democrat hack that puts his party ahead of his country and the law. He could be a case study in a History Channel show called, "Eagle Scouts Gone Bad".

p>4. Newsman should avoid political functions. The fact that Dan Rather attended a Democrat fund raiser is just another demonstration of his arrogant bias. It is very hard to believe that Dan was not aware of the forgery. The only possible explanation is that he is not much of a journalist. I believe he could make this case without much trouble. br> -- Clif Briner /p>

Upon reading David Van Os's submission, I was struck by how clever an attorney he must be. I suppose it takes one to know one, and I think that I'm one. His words are a very good example of how to proceed from the plausible to the implausible without his reader seeing it happen.

Consider this: His first paragraph pretty much sums up his bona fides. He's an Eagle Scout, strictly schooled in Honor and Integrity and Universally Adored by his 'Band Of Brothers At The Bar.'

His second paragraph explains what he has to complain about: being misquoted (he was actually Dowdified) by the New York Times. Welcome to The Real World.

His third paragraph lays the groundwork for his penultimate conclusion. Bill Burkett 'is an honorable man.' He had nothing to do with 'the documents.'

His fourth paragraph, building on his previous ones as having established both his and Mr. Burkett's credibility, segues off into using a secretary's 'memories' as proof that George W. Bush was a rapscallion in the Air National Guard, and next suggesting that his declaration that he is not able to remember what Mrs. Knox 'remembers' is a lie. Perhaps President Bush cannot remember such "significant events in his life" because such events did not occur? Contrast that with Sen. Kerry's memories of spending Christmas in Cambodia being "seared" into his consciousness.

p>As any attorney who has ever cross-examined a witness knows, memory is unreliable, especially after the passage of 30-odd years. But in general, inability to remember something which did not occur is pretty darned reliable. Were Attorney Os to cross-examine President Bush with a question such as "Did you or did you not disobey a direct order to take a physical examination?" it would be immediately objected to as "Assuming Facts Not In Evidence." Let's first prove that 1st Lt Bush was ordered to take a physical before asking if he refused to do so. br> --

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