Expanding on 'Expert' in CBS Memo Flap

The latest from the Political Grapevine:

Expanding on 'Expert'

It turns out that Marcel Matley, CBS' so-called "expert" who said the signatures on National Guard files obtained by the network are real, is not certified by the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners, has had no formal training in identifying either papers, inks, typewriters or photocopies, and has never been trained in a document lab or by any law enforcement entity.

So where does Matley derive his authority? Well, according to the New York Post, he began his career trying to predict character traits through handwriting.

In a 1988 piece titled "Spirituality in Handwriting," (search) Matley uses a woman's handwriting to conclude, "She has an excellent and rich animate nature with a healthy, instinctual libidinal energy which, when integrated, will propel her into dynamic and fruitful activity."

Accusations Totally False?

Speaking of CBS' experts, Bill Glennon,a "technical consultant" as CBS calls him, was on the network last night saying accusations that the documents are forged are, "totally false," and he insisted the superscripts and proportional spacing in the documents obtained by CBS did exist in the early 1970s.

Glennon, however, is not a certified document analyst either. His knowledge of the capabilities of IBM typewriters comes from his work in the 1970's when he was a typewriter repairman.

Incumbent Qualities

A new Gallup poll shows President Bush (search) now beating John Kerry (search) when it comes to who Americans believe has the personality and leadership qualities a president should have ... with 59 percent now saying that about President Bush, and 51 percent saying that about Kerry.

A month ago, Kerry was beating President Bush on that question. What's more, more Americans now say President Bush, rather than Kerry, is honest and trustworthy, has an optimistic vision for the nation's future, shares their values, and is a strong and decisive leader.

And while Kerry beats President Bush on who will unite the country and who cares more about the needs of average Americans, the president has picked up a little ground there, too.

"Courageous Legacy" of U.S. Draft Dodgers?

A group of residents in Nelson, British Columbia, has announced plans to build a big, bronze monument in their hometown honoring the, "courageous legacy" of U.S. draft-dodgers who fled to Canada during the Vietnam War and the current war in Iraq.

They say, "It would be nice to honor [the draft resisters] and all those that actually took a step towards peace." But first, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the group must find a site and raise money for the project.

– FOX News' Michael Levine contributed to this report