I don't see how your question follows from the text. It seems clear to me that Burkett DID NOT share the memos with ABC, NYT, and WaPo. For all we know, he never approached them, because CBS (and his fellow Texan Dan Blather) were first with an acceptable deal.

It isn't clear how USA Today got the memos though.

What I don't get is how can he sue anybody?? What a jerk.

everybody is lying and even the Democrats I had respect for are still questioning the President over his guard service. WHO GIVES A DAMN???

~C

You know what I mean. Last night they kept saying it was BLOGGERS who brought the truth and lies to light. So you should be proud. But geez, can't they end it?

No way, I want the lawsuit to go forward, for one reason: discovery.

Discovery won't even begin for six months to a year, if ever. In the meantime, it'll mean that CBS will have an excuse to clam up and not don any in-house investigating.

Dan Rather with his source Bill Burkett has followed in the tradition of Leslie Stahl and J. H. Hatfield who appeared on 60 Minutes in 2000 and had the same type of allegations against Bush - cocaine use made him miss his physical, special treatment getting in all documented in a book called "Fortunate Son". J. H. Hatfield, a felon convicted of attempted murder, committed suicide months after his interview with Leslie Stahl which mentions a Kinko's copy machine. The above link is the transcript of the interview. Below is a link which is an interview with J. H. Hatfield in which he mentions his publisher had received Bush Guard documents showing that Bush refused to take his physical and so he was grounded from flying.

It seems that history repeats itself so with such incredible detail. Rather using Burkett is channeling Hatfield so exactly that it is scary. Of course Karl Rove was blamed by the left for Hatfield's death (literally having him killed) and giving false information and memos to Hatfield. Karl Rove is some mythical figure to the Left. They think he is the antichrist but Marty Heldt has been peddling those false Guard documents for years to the crazy left and Rather and Crowd, not Karl Rove.

"Fortunate Son" is the name of Kerry's Campaign Ad not because of the song but because Hatfield's and his Book have become FACTS in the leftie world and in fact Michael Moore lifted most of his best stuff for 9/11 from Hatfield. 60 Minutes needs to get over its obsession with Bush's Guard Service and using attempted murderers and fake memos to further the gossip and slanders they want to think is journalism.

In the link below you have to read really far down to get to the Guard memo paragraph.
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/08/11/1447218

This is the link to the Leslie Stahl interview of Hatfield which sounds so much like the Rather/Burkett interview in the subject matter that is discussed.

CBS Motto - Any attention is good attention
http://sanderhicks.com/60min.html

I find it comical that Burkett, of all people, is blasting CBS for being unethical.

I think a reminder of something most of us know already is needed.
Drug tests were not a part of any military physicals at the time we're talking about. Dubya didn't skip any physicals because he was afraid that this alleged drug use would come out. They did not test for drugs.
Something so basic and easy to check as when the Armed Forces began routine drug testing and yet these lies continue to circulate. It's beyond me.

The best part about Van Os' statement is the assertion that CBS only spent three days on authentication, maybe less.

How long did it take Chuck to type the memo up in Microsoft Word? An hour? What would they need three days for?

Burkett will likely expedite things by suing before the election and the filing will get a lot of publicity. His complaint will be chock full of interesting allegations about CBS' behavior and motivations in running the piece. Even without discovery, CBS will have to make all sorts of public statements to preserve its name, especially with Bob Schieffer set to host the last debate. No doubt, to discredit Burkett, CBS will have to claim that they knew their "unimpeachable source" was crazy all along.

Man, this guy is bats&*t crazy, and who's this lawyer, Dr. Gonzo? ('As your attourney I advise you to buy a motorcycle'). CBS is on the horns of a dilemna, the crazier the guy looks the stupider CBS looks for listening to him. The saner he looks the more it looks like a conspiracy.

...and if that happens, it will continue to suck the media attention away from the man who needs it most...John Kerry.

Burkett says that he sent a copy of the documents to USA Today AFTER he gave the first set to CBS...

I can provide you with a link, if you want, but unfortunately, I believe it's from a USA Today news article from yesterday, if memory serves me right, but they DO make a quote or purported quote by Burkett himself as having said that he gave USA the second set after he gave the first set to CBS.

Another thing, however:

yesterday, on FOX -- Brit Hume said, quite smartly about the entire dance between CBS and Burkett, that:

"it was a shared-bone opinion."

Meaning, both Burkett and CBS/Rather/Mapes had a bone to pick with Bush and were picking away, looking for a means to access marrow.

They both knew what they wanted (marrow) so they then went about otherwise manufacturing the bone...neither/either took any time to examine whether or not the bone was real or imagined, just that it resembled a bone, so, hey, it's a bone.