Bush credited for Guard drills (Kapow!)

The Boston Globe ^ | 2/10/04 | Walter V. Robinson

[The G Man]

President Bush received credit for attending Air National Guard drills in the fall of 1972 and spring of 1973 -- a period when his commanders have said he did not appear for duty at bases in Montgomery, Ala., and Houston -- according to two new documents obtained by the Globe.

[GOPJ]

bump

[GOPJ]

Nah, the dems will move on to a new lie...

Wonder if Mccullif(sp) will appoligize?

[11th_VA]

Now that there appear to be actual days listed for GWB being at NG meetings in AL, it would be nice to have other NG members who were also present on those days come forward and verify attendance.

It doesn't even have to work that way. When I was in the reserves, I traveled ALOT. I once made an extended trip to the PI. My CO knew an active duty commander on the base, and cut me orders to do 12 drills for the three months I was going to be gone. I worked along side active duty people for 6 days to get my drills in. I have no recollection who they were, and I'm sure they don't remember me (and this only 20 years ago, not 30). GWB could have been in a similar circumstance. You don't have to drill with your unit to get credit.

[chiller]

I can't take 'em, without viewing through a filter like this, where we can at least talk back. I want these lying b*strds neutered. YYYEEEEAAAAAGGGGHHHHH !!!!!

[Peach]

You just wrote what I was thinking.

I absolutely CANNOT sit and watch the press. I can be on FR and listen, but can't just watch. It almost makes me ill.

When I lived in liberal land (Connecticut) and didn't have internet access (mid 90's), I used to think I was out of the mainstream. Yet another benefit of FR - we know we aren't nuts!

[familyofman]

"Let's see you produce testimony of people who remember where you were 30 years ago."

Easy, especially for the days I got paid for. It's really easier than you think. My wife knows where I was, so do my brothers.

[cake_crumb]

"If the records exonerate him, that leaves only questions on one issue outstanding: why was there no standard investigation for a pilot losing his flight status? Why didn't Bush take the physical?"

This has been addressed several times, just like the false service record accusations.

Because they were updating to a different type of plane, Bush was about to be discharged and it's not worth the money to train a pilot on a differnet type of plane if he's not going to be there to do more than train in it.

[optimistically_conservative]

I don't agree that his war record should be out of bounds given the fact that Kerry touts his war record as a major reason why he should be President.

Well, you've got a early retired General and Vietnam vet talking about how he outranks a Navy LT and is the only candidate to have talked to a real live dictator. You've got a Navy LT with a couple of months of heroic combat duty in Vietnam talking about how he's more heroic than the President.

And you have a 2 1/2 year war-time CINC/POTUS who only wants to clear up the fact that 30 years ago he did learn to fly F-102s, didn't go AWOL, and left the National Guard early to go to Harvard Business School.

It seems to me that Kerry looks petty without our help and swing voters could care less about Bush's National Guard service - anymore than they cared about Clinton's "I didn't inhale while avoiding the draft" history.

[familyofman]

"You don't have to drill with your unit to get credit."

And, according to todays article by Cohen - you don't even have to show up to get paid (30 years ago). He states the he was paid for days he didn't show up.

[optimistically_conservative]

Easy, especially for the days I got paid for. It's really easier than you think. My wife knows where I was, so do my brothers.

And the folks that knew Bush from the campaign in Alabama remember him going to drill on the weekends.

But I have to agree with the previous posts that I couldn't tell you any of the names of the reservists/guardsmen, or recognize them, that came out and trained with my unit once in a while.

[onehipdad]

The way they think:

a Yankees-Dodgers series is much better than a Twins-Astros series.

A 50-1 nag made to look like he's got a chance generates interest.

A weak offshore system draws viewers only if it's made out to be the Storm of the Century.

If it's not newsworthy, make it newsworthy.

[Milligan]

I clicked on documentation and no documentation.

[Miss Marple]

James Rosen, on Fox, discussing the press briefing now. He says that President Bush credits his air training in the National Guard for giving him the skills to land the Viking on the USS Abraham Lincoln, AND YHEN FOX SHOWS TH FLIGHT SUIT CLIP AGAIN!!!! Bwahahahahaha!!!

[Hon]

I just got an email from Brig Gen Turnipseed about this story. (He's now a lurker here and I sent him a link to this thread.) Here's what he wrote:

"Thank's for this copy of the Boston Globe story. IT appears from the statement in paragrafh 5 that he still thinks that Bush gave up his Texas AIR Guard membership and was assigned to the Alabama Air National Guard. Not true!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......wrt"

[concerned about politics]

The Democrat Party owes President Bush a very public apology. They've been lying (again) right to the face of the American people since before 2000.

[cyncooper]

Did Turnipseed catch his name being bandied about at that maniacal briefing, and does it bother him he is being used to call the president a liar?

And I see Miss Marple saw the flight suit on Fox. I have MSNBC on and they went to break promising to discuss this briefing/document production by showing young GWB in his uniform. The picture we've all seen many a time here. Very flattering photo.

Here comes Stepford Nora

[wewillnotfail]

bump for later

[ohioWfan]

The Democrat Party owes President Bush a very public apology.

Ah, but that would take CHARACTER......a quality which they lack........

It will never happen.

[kabar]

It seems to me that Kerry looks petty without our help and swing voters could care less about Bush's National Guard service - anymore than they cared about Clinton's "I didn't inhale while avoiding the draft" history.

You have an appropriate moniker. I don't know how the public will perceive Kerry and whether the GWB National Guard story will have legs. The feeding frenzy by the WH Press Corps is some indication as to what we are up against. My only point is that we should leave nothing to chance and every aspect of Kerry's record bears scrutiny including his war record. It need not be a frontal assault and the timing should be gauged to have the most effect. No need to shoot our wad before Kerry is even the nominee.

Perhaps, more effort should have been spent comparing Clinton's draft evasion with GHWB's military record. Too often the GOP lacks the instinct for the jugular and bareknuckled politics the way the Dems play it in the big cities. Anything goes. Gore was almost successful in dropping the DUI on GWB in the closing moments of the campaign. We need to attack Kerry's vulnerabilities and not trust the swing voters to come to their own conclusions.

[cake_crumb]

I thought the behavior of the press was absolutely AWFUL. I stopped posting and started just reading the replys because my fellow FREepers were debunking NICELY.

I missed the the posts by the banned trolls but see there are a couple of the more subtle type here. Noticed one of them had written the demand for witnesses who had served with Bush to come forward....apparently before the question was even SCREECHED at the press conference. Now the other saying that the White House prodocing pay stubs isn't enough because it's easy to get paid while ducking duty. **SIGH**... well, now we know how the Dems are simply going to change accusations to keep the lie going.

This won't go away. It might disappear from the media for 6 months until the public coold down, but then it'll be back.

Glad Fox played the flight suit video, LOL.