This story is a pretty great example of non-CBS bias. At the Big Three of the American university system, the ratio of employee giving to political parties is about 95 to 5 in favor of Democrats. No surprise.

No surprise here, either: Says computer science professor Andrew Appel, “Does it surprise me that smart people should be supporting Kerry? No.”

Appel then quickly adds, “I do my best to make class be scholarship and learning, and not influenced by partisan ideas.”

I believe him!

One of the more awkward challenges facing political campaigns is finding the right song for the right candidate. Remember the main theme from Star Wars for John McCain’s 2000 presidential bid? How about when “La Bamba” was played as the balloons dropped at the end of the Republican convention in 1992? Or when Hillary Clinton’s announcement she would run for the Senate was followed by Billy Joel’s one-hander, “Captain Jack”? Sure, there have been some good ones: Clinton/Gore’s “Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow” may be the most effective campaign song since “I’m Just Wild About Harry.” But for John Kerry, it always seemed ironic that his theme was U2’s “Beautiful Day.” Despite the title, the actual lyrics stressed the need to be optimistic even though your world is falling apart–an ironic twist while Kerry was cruising through the primaries. But now that the senator finds himself floundering amid the latest polls, it seems the song is quite appropriate. Here are just a few of the lyrics:

…The traffic is stuck

And you’re not moving anywhere…

…You’re on the road

But you’ve got no destination

You’re in the mud…

…You love this town

Even if that doesn’t ring true

You’ve been all over

And it’s been all over you…

…I know I’m not a hopeless case…

No word as to whether the Kerry camp plans on changing their tune any time soon.

Speaking of Doublethink: I have to flack the new issue, which is now available online. Okay, it came out over a month ago, but since DT is a quarterly, last month’s issue is still new.

I am always on the lookout for young conservative and libertarian writing talent, and so far it hasn’t been hard to find. One of my “discoveries”—an old friend, actually—just won writer of the year from New Hampshire’s press association. His name’s Judah Pollack. We also have terrific articles from Sean Higgins of Investors Business Daily (on pro-life Dems), Shawn Macomber of American Spectator (on dating services for partisan singles), and Jeremy Lott, another AmSpec guy, (whose piece on Michael Kelly had been spiked, for political reasons apparently, by a well-known national magazine before it fell into my hands,) and much else.

I was particularly flattered by a contribution from Stephen G. Bloom, an actual professor of nonfiction writing at the University of Iowa, who’d caught wind of Doublethink from the Chronicle of Higher Education. This, after the Chronicle did a digest version of an important DT piece, from the Spring issue, on the demise of the short story by Kelly Jane Torrance, for its newsletter.

My review of Christopher Buckley’s latest, Florence of Arabia, was published yesterday. here

Also, coincidentally, I interviewed the author a few months ago for Doublethink.

In response to the earlier answer about PO Box 34567, another reader writes:

The PO Box checks out, indeed. However, if you look at the address, it is for the fighter group (147th Fighter Group) that was the “parent” of the fighter squadron to which Bush was assigned. The alleged documents’ return address is for the squadron. Did the squadron have the same post-office box as the group?

In the authentic records (page 3), Bush’s squadron is designated “111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron.” On the correspondence among the authentic documents, however, the address is “147th Fighter Group.” Interesting to note as well that the document (page 6)–official orders, in fact–are headed with “Department of the Air Force/Headquarters 147th Fighter Group (TNG)/Ellington Air Force Base, Texas 77030.” Are there any other authenticated correspondence/orders that show the squadron’s address as “111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron” or is headed “111th Fighter Squadron”?

Also, the home address for George Bush on the records shown on pages 7 and 11–and dated “1 Dec 69” and “9 Dec 68,” respectively–is “5000 Longmont, Apt. 8/Houston, Texas 77027;” the home address shown on page 8 on a document dated 15 September 1971 is “2039 One Half South Blvd/Houston TX 77086.” The alleged “memorandum” to George Bush dated 1 May 1972 lists the 1968 address as his home address. Did he move back to the Longmont address between September 1971 and May 1972?

Another good question.

Now this is just awesome.

Yesterday alert readers had two questions for CBS. One of them, at least, has been answered. As to the validity of the PO Box 34567, reader C.G. writes:

The address P.O. Box 34567 is, in fact, legitimate. It is also used on documents previously released. Check out 1stLt Bush’s two DD44, Record of Military Status of Registrant, dated 9 Dec 68, and 1 Dec 69. You can download these documents from USA Today’s website.

C.G. also helpfully includes the link and page numbers (see pages 10, 11, and 19).

The rapidity with which the blogosphere knocks down theories which turn out to be wrong–no matter who it benefits–is pretty impressive, no?

Now, any information about the date convention used in the memos?

It’s Monday, September 13, and the Columbia Journalism Review‘s Campaign Desk still hasn’t mentioned the CBS News story at all.

Meanwhile, Jim Romenesko makes his second mention of the story this morning by–wonder of wonders!–putting an item about it in his main column. His headline:

“CBS still insists Bush military record memos are authentic”

Seriously.