Evening Newscasts Wrap: ABC News Political Unit
W A S H I N G T O N, September 10, 2004 — <br> -- A product of Noted Now and The Note
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LEADS
All three networks lead with a Hurricane Ivan wrap.
CBS NEWS ON CHALLENGES TO THEIR STORY
Rather started by reviewing the questions his story raised. "They allege that the documents are fake, they have focused on something called superscript." Rather goes on to say that critics claim they did not have it at the time the memos were typed. But some models did and some previous records release from the White House show the same type of superscript.
A CBS examiner believes they are real but is concerned that those who are checking it outside of CBS are looking at photocopies and not the originals.
Marcel Matley, the CBS examiner, also says it is the signatures on the documents match Killian's. Matley says he is not surprised to those questioning it, but we seek the truth.
Robert Strong, stands by his judgment that the documents are real. Strong appears on camera and says they are compatible with how business was done at the time and how he remember Jerry Killian Strong also Notes that the Guard verged on outright corruption at the time.
Jim Moore, an author, also believes that the records are true. The White House has not discredited the documents, because they know they are real said Moore.
Rather noted in his close that if "definitive" evidence is found that proves their story to be false, they will report it.
THE OTHER NETS TAKE
ABC's Peter Jennings did a reader about CBS' statement today on authenticity of Killian memo.
In NBC's third story, David Gregory announced that the documents are the political story tonight. No news, but noted that President Bush ignored the issue in West Virginia and focused on Sen. Kerry's Iraq position, while Democrats privately enjoyed the flap. NBC consulted an expert who pointed to the address on the top of one of the memos being centered as irregular, the apostrophes, and the subscript "th" as examples that the documents are suspect. But the questioning of the documents has "sparked accusations of dirty politics."
