CBS arranged for meeting with Lockhart (from ATSNN), page 1

This could be the real "meat" of the Rathergate Memo fiasco. Far beyond liberal bias in the media, collusion between CBS and the Kerry campaign could have far reaching ramifications. A former stalwart of the U.S. media, CBS is clinging to the last shreds of Edward R. Murrow's credibility; likewise, a flailing Kerry/Edwards ticket cannot afford to be mired in controversy.

www.usatoday.com
WASHINGTON � CBS arranged for a confidential source to talk with Joe Lockhart, a top aide to Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, after the source provided the network with the now-disputed documents about President Bush's service in the Texas National Guard.

Lockhart, the former press secretary to President Clinton, said a female producer talked to him about the 60 Minutes program a few days before it aired on Sept. 8. She gave Lockhart a telephone number and asked him to call Bill Burkett, a former Texas National Guard officer who gave CBS the documents. Lockhart couldn't recall the producer's name. But CBS said Monday night that it would examine the role of producer Mary Mapes in passing the name to Lockhart.

Burkett told USA TODAY that he had agreed to turn over the documents to CBS if the network would help arrange a conversation with the Kerry campaign.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

An internal investigation by CBS to determine how they were "duped" will only address the journalistic ethics issue. The possibility that they may have actively engaged in manipulating evidence (forged) and covertly alerted the Kerry campaign to the existence of such information sinks Dan Rather and CBS well below the level of yellow journalism and into the realm of Nixonesque election subterfuge.

Related News Links:
www.cbsnews.com
news.yahoo.com
cbs.marketwatch.com www.washingtonpost.com

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TOP STORY: CBS Admits it Cannot Authenticate Bush "Memos"
Bush AWOL, Refused Direct Order, Suspended. (UPDATE: Documents may be forged)
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