ABC News reports that Colonel Walter Staudt -- the gentleman Dan Rather's Fake Documents said was pressuring George W. Bush's commander to "sugarcoat" Bush's record -- declares he did nothing of the kind. Because he didn't need to.

"He was highly qualified," says Staudt. "He passed all the scrutiny and tests he was given."

And what's more, "He [Bush] didn't use political influence to get into the Air National Guard... No one called me about taking George Bush into the Air National Guard. It was my decision. I swore him in. I never heard anything from anybody.

"I asked him, 'Why do you want to be a fighter pilot?' " Staudt recalled. "He said, 'Because my daddy was one.' He was a well-educated, bright-eyed young man, just the kind of guy we were looking for.

"He presented himself well. I'd say he was in the upper 10 percent or 5 percent or whatever we ever talked to about going to pilot training. We were pretty particular because when he came back [from training], we had to fly with him."

Full Disclosure: Colonel Staudt says he plans to vote for Mr. Bush in November. Of course, unlike partisan democrats like Marion Knox, Ben Barnes, and Fake Document-maker Bill Burkett, this disqualifies Colonel Staudt for a slot on 60 Minutes II.