Did CBS 60 Minutes II bother to check the validity of the “documents” it quoted claiming to question President Bush’s Vietnam service record? Many sources are now questioning the authenticity of the four documents CBS was so eager to publish. This hasn’t stopped Democratic attack dogs like DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe or Iowa Senator Tom Harkin from jumping all over Bush. New revelations may soon have these guys eating their own words.

According to the Drudge Report:

CBS NEWS executives have launched an internal investigation into whether its premiere news program 60 MINUTES aired fabricated documents relating to Bush's National Guard service, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

"The reputation and integrity of the entire news division is at stake, if we are in error, it will be corrected," a top CBS source explained late Thursday.

The source, who asked not to be named, described CBSNEWS anchor and 60 MINUTES correspondent Dan Rather as being privately "shell-shocked" by the increasing likelihood that the documents in question were fraudulent.

Rather, who anchored the segment presenting new information on the president's military service, will personally correct the record on-air, if need be, the source explained from New York.

The Washington Post shows a graphic explaining inconsistencies in the so-called “documents.” The Post goes on to say:

Experts consulted by a range of news organizations pointed out typographical and formatting questions about four documents as they considered the possibility that they were forged. The widow of the National Guard officer whose signature is on the bottom of the documents also disputed their authenticity.

From the Winnipeg Sun:

But the authenticity of the memos was questioned yesterday by the son of the late officer who reportedly wrote them. One of the writer's fellow officers and a document expert also said yesterday the documents appear to be forgeries.

Killan's son, Gary, who served in the National Guard with his father and retired as a captain in 1991, said one of the memos, signed by his father, appeared legitimate. But he doubted his father would have written another, unsigned memo that said there was pressure to "sugar coat" Bush's performance review.

Much ado about nothing? I still haven’t heard John Kerry explain why he claimed a Purple Heart for his first “injury” in Vietnam while his own diary day states, “we hadn't been shot at yet.” According to the Military Order of the Purple Heart, you have to be wounded to get the medal.