He's also known as a "crusading voice against what is wrong with the Republican Party in general and with Bush in particular."

When the Bush Guard story resurfaced in February, the Taylor County Democratic Club invited Burkett to speak to its members about the "state of politics in America."

As part of his speech Burkett said he believed Bush aides ordered that the president's National Guard record be purged of any negative information.

Burkett has frequently posted notes to an Internet message group for Texas Democrats, the Post said.

His comments urged other members to work harder to defeat Bush in the election, and blasted John Kerry for presiding over "one of the worst run campaigns I've seen in my lifetime."

"Many of us have risked everything on this election," Burkett said in a message posted a week before the Rather report. "The disappointment is deep and difficult to manage. But we fight on, in spite of incompetence at the top."

Burkett also recently posted an analysis of the president's Guard record on Democrats.com under the headline "Study Proves Bush Was Legally AWOL."

Editor's note: