The Jig is Up

Dan Rather just reported that Bill Burkett provided CBS with the phoney documents and that he did so at the request of CBS. In other words, they were not engaged in a search for truth but a prosecution. They had already decided that Bush's NG service was dishonorable, and that it was a big story and they pressed Burkett for evidence. No thought about Burkett's obvious bias against Bush, no concern about the other side of the story. The story was written, they just needed some exhibits.

This really resembles is entrapment. The cops pressure some schmo into committing a crime and then charge him. If the pressure was such that it would cause an average innocent person to do something illegal, it gets bounced. Of course, if Burkett is charged with falsifying documents, entrapment by CBS is no defense.

Update: Ken Mehlman on Hugh Hewitt hadn't heard that CBS had admitted getting the documents from Burkett and having sought him out, but he is interested in the timing of the story and whether the Kerry Campaign is involved. Kerry wouldn't have wondered. He'd just go ahead and accuse Bush of being behind the story, another reason why Kerry is losing.