Posted on 05/16/2002 11:58:20 AM PDT by KQQL
In the course of virtually every major political campaign, candidates are asked about their military service.
Republican Rick Perry campaigns openly as a veteran.
But until recently, little was known about the military experience of Democratic candidate Tony Sanchez.
In 1968, the war in Vietnam was reaching its peak. That year, nearly 300,000 men were called to serve. Tony Sanchez was a law student at Saint Mary's University in San Antonio, and like many students, he had a deferment that protected him from being drafted.
When asked about his feelings regarding the war effort, Sanchez said recently that he couldn't even remember.
"I was so absorbed in law school so much that I didn't get involved with any movements or anything," Sanchez said. "I suppose maybe in the middle of those three years, the war was over."
In fact, the Vietnam War ended six years after he graduated.
During an interview with News 8 five weeks ago, Sanchez said he didn't recall details about that time in his life.
However, News 8 obtained Sanchez's selective service records, which show he was aware he was at risk for being drafted.
Six times during his college and law school years, he applied for, and received, deferments because he was a student with satisfactory grades.
Then, in November 1968 - his last year in law school - Sanchez lost his deferment and the government classified him 1-A, available for military service.
He was 25, a prime target for the draft.
With this new information, News 8 contacted the Sanchez campaign and interviewed the candidate a second time - five weeks after the first interview. Again, he couldn't seem to remember.
Sanchez was specifically asked if he remembered becoming eligible in 1968.
"No, I don't recall that," Sanchez said.
When asked if he remembered appealing that loss of a deferment, Sanchez said, "so I appealled to the board?"
After being told that records indicated he did indeed appeal, or someone appealed on his behalf, Sanchez again said, "I don't recall - I don't recall".
Sanchez also doesn't recall why, one month after becoming available for military service, a notation on his records showed his local draft board was changed from Laredo, where it had been for more than seven years, to San Antonio. It was the local board which chose the draftees.
Three months after Sanchez became eligible for Vietnam, he turned 26, which changed his status and made him less likely to be drafted. Sanchez did seem to clearly remember that detail.
"I was told I was too old," Sanchez said.
Sanchez insists he did nothing to avoid military service. One way he might clear up the mystery behind his loss of the deferment is to release his law school records.
Low grades - or dropping out - made students available for the draft. Sanchez has declined to release those transcripts.
His political opponent Rick Perry also had a student deferment for two years before he enlisted in the Air Force.
While he flew in many parts of the world, Perry was not sent to Vietnam.
Baselice and Associates Texas governor: Gov. Rick Perry (R) 58%, Tony Sanchez (D) 30%
Then, in November 1968 - his last year in law school - Sanchez lost his deferment and the government classified him 1-A, available for military service.
Same thing happened to me. Except I wasn't in law school and my grades the first year weren't so hot. So instead of being a senior I was classified a junior. Reclassified 1-A, eligible for the draft. But I showed them, I enlisted for Army Warrant Officer flight training in August 1968 and headed for VN, they weren't going to draft me. Don't know who got the best deal here me or Sanchez. I'm not running for governor and he is.
What this means is that Republicans can't sit back. Perry has to be aggressive. Sanchez's war record won't mean much - AMerica elected a PResident who said he despised the military, and basically dodged the draft.
Sanchez airs TV attack ad in governor's race
By R.G. RATCLIFFE
AUSTIN -- Democrat Tony Sanchez unleashed the first attack television advertising of the general election campaign Wednesday, blaming Republican Gov. Rick Perry for high consumer electric bills.
The ad also points out that Perry is an unelected governor. Perry, elected lieutenant governor in 1998, became governor when George W. Bush resigned from the office to become president.
"Rick Perry. We didn't elect him. We don't have to keep him," the Sanchez commercial says.
When asked about the ad during a news conference, Perry snapped back, "I have been elected more times statewide in Texas than Tony Sanchez has probably been to the polls in the last decade."
...But the most notable is the one attacking Perry. It is rare for general election negative advertising to begin before August. A multimillionaire who is largely self-financing his campaign, Sanchez appears to be trying to lure Perry into spending his donated political funds in a battle of financial attrition. The 15-second commercial claims Texas electric bills are excessive because Perry named former Enron executive Max Yzaguirre as chairman of the Texas Public Utility Commission. "Thanks to Rick Perry's hand-picked PUC chairman, we've been overcharged by millions," says the ad.
...Perry denounced the ad. "We're 25 weeks away from a general election, and we have seen the tone set by the Sanchez campaign," Perry said.
Bullsh!t
All of us who were eligable during the Vietnam War can remember every change in our status and every letter we got in excruciating detail. Even if we can't remember the wife's maiden name, we remember that.
So9
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