[Will]

Ok, I couldn't find the article in the Columbian, but the MSNBC article clarified a few things. After reading through it, I would say that the inconsistencies that were brought up are not covered by duplication, and it is probable that the memos are partially or entirely fake (ie, parts could be from actual memos, other parts "reconstructed" in a computer). However, that doesn't mean that the content was false, as a lot of people are trying to claim; "if pigs fly, then bacon comes from pigs". Conclusion can be (and in the example, is) true regardless of the premise.

So, journalists are now focusing on the accusations made by the memos, rather than the memos themselves, which should have been the focus all along. The forgery stuff is secondary, and only served as a distraction; in the end, it is irrelevent as long as it is clear that favourable treatment was given. Some of the things disputed in the documents, like the Col. that was supposedly putting pressure to gloss over negative details being hon. discharged a year earlier, don't even seem like valid arguements to me. If he's retired, he can still influence things that happen in the ranks, it's not like retirement means he cuts himself off from all ties to the Guard. And so on...

I guess we'll see as the week goes on how this affects things, but it looks like a (after a fashion) Bush supporter is starting to be convinced of a Kerry victory, and a (after a fashion) Kerry supporter is convinced of a Bush re-election... things are going to be confusing for a while.

This strict two-party business is starting to get to me even more now though. Things are so polarized, and there doesn't seem much hope of things getting better, that a civil war and/or hostile takeover to a single party system almost seems plausible in 25 years. Scary.