Guard Secretary Says Bush Memos Are Fakes

Pete Slover of the Dallas Morning News reports on an interview of the typist for Lt. George W. Bush's Air National Guard unit. Regarding the authenticity of the questionable CBS memos, 86-year-old Marian Carr Knox stated unequivocally that they are fake. She's certain she didn't type the documents and maintains that she did all the typing.

With respect to the content of the questionable memos, the article does loop-de-loops around Robin Hood's barn trying to establish a pedigree for the content of the memos even though the typist says they are phony. Check out this spin:

Mrs. Knox, 86, who spoke with precise recollection about dates, people and events, said, "I remember very vividly when Bush was there and all the yak-yak that was going on about it."

She precisely recalls dates, people, and events. Well, if so, what do we make of the following:

She said that although she did not recall typing the memos reported by CBS News, they accurately reflect the viewpoints of Col. Killian and documents that would have been in the personal file. Also, she said she didn't know whether the CBS documents corresponded memo for memo with that file.

[ ... ]

Mrs. Knox said that she didn't recall typing a Killian memo alleging that a commander, Col. Walter "Buck" Staudt, was pressuring officers to "sugar coat" Mr. Bush's record. But, she said, such a portrayal of Col. Staudt was consistent with his character and Col. Killian's opinion of his superior officer.

It seems that one doesn't have to remember everything to have a "precise" memory in the opinion of the DMN. To recap:

Mrs. Knox's 'precise' memory doesn't remember typing the documents but she vouches for the accuracy of the content.

Her 'precise' memory of events 30 years ago recalls substantive knowledge of Col. Staudt's character and Col. Killian's opinions which she uses as the basis for vouching for the content of documents she didn't type.

If you're confused, realize that's the purpose of the spin. Obfuscate the issue such that the content of the documents seems to have validity. Trouble is that the documents become more questionable as days go by. The only thing the spin does is make the DMN look incompetent or a de facto division of the Democratic Party.

To conclude, the DMN should have stopped the article after Mrs. Knox stated the documents were fake. Everything that follows is nonsensical.

Kevin Aylward also discusses Marian Carr Knox at Wizbang.