What Was It When Democrats Accused Karl Rove?

With absolutely no evidence, the Democrats immediately accused Karl Rove of planting the forged Texas Air National Guard memos that have caused CBS so much grief. Now that there is a clear record that CBS's source was in contact with at least two high level Kerry campaign officials, the Democrats are crying "smear" when Republicans point out the obvious.


"The coordination between the Kerry campaign and Burkett is highly troubling. . . . The idea that a top-level political operative like Mr. Lockhart had no conversation about the essence of the [Guard] story with either the producer or Bill Burkett is shocking to believe."

Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie raised similar questions, telling Fox News: "I think it is time Senator Kerry came clean about all the contacts between CBS and his campaign and Bill Burkett. What did they know and when did they know it?"

Lockhart said Bartlett and Gillespie have declined invitations to debate him on several cable and network morning shows. Instead, he said, they are "besmirching my reputation" and trying to deflect attention from the war in Iraq.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Terence R. McAuliffe, saying the DNC had no involvement with Burkett, said Republicans are finding it "a lot easier to talk about Dan Rather than to talk about George W. Bush and the persistent, unanswered questions surrounding the president's National Guard service." He added that Bush's "discharge seems less and less honorable with each passing day. . . . This goes to his character and his credibility and whether he's being honest with the American people."


The White House pounced yesterday on the disclosure that a CBS producer put the source of discredited documents about President Bush's National Guard service in touch with a senior adviser to John F. Kerry, saying this shows "coordination" between the Democratic nominee's campaign and the "60 Minutes" report.

Joe Lockhart, the Kerry aide who called CBS's source, former Texas Guardsman Bill Burkett, dismissed the charge as "a smear campaign" by Republicans. Another Kerry aide, Michael McCurry, said Kerry has been briefed and is "satisfied" with Lockhart's explanation that it was an innocuous conversation.