Bush and I were Lieutenants (Fellow Pilot Comes to Bush's Defense)

The Washington Times Letters to the Editor ^ | 2-11-4 | Col. William Campenni (ret.)

[Petronski]

'Bush and I were lieutenants'

George Bush and I were lieutenants and pilots in the 111th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS), Texas Air National Guard (ANG) from 1970 to 1971. We had the same flight and squadron commanders (Maj. William Harris and Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, both now deceased). While we were not part of the same social circle outside the base, we were in the same fraternity of fighter pilots, and proudly wore the same squadron patch.

[ChadGore]

[Fishtalk]

Bush abandoned his assignment as a jet fighter pilot without explanation or authorization and was AWOL from the Alabama Air Guard.

++++++++++ I've been thinking about all of this flap since it began. By me this has been a carefully orchestrated campaign by the Democratic party to lessen the impact of Kerry's checkered military background on the public.

Hear me out.

First it has all of the earmarks of Carville and Ickes on it but maybe that's just me. So First and a half I must point out that this national guard hoo-hah has been around since the last election. Thus it's been available since the beginning of the Dem primaries. So how comes it only hits the radar when it began to look seriously like Kerry might be the nominee?

I think Carville, Ickes, Kennedy and Clinton, or some combination or permutation thereof, had themselves a little confab. The basis of the confab was damage control for Kerry.

Sure, Kerry was a war hero so he does, at least in name, meet the Dem desire to get some sort of military guy on the ticket. But there's that problem with his protest activities. Which, frankly, during that controversial time was not all that odd. I'd certainly never hold it against a candidate for avoiding that dirty little war. I'd argue the American public didn't care either, witness Bill Clinton. Hey, they were challenging times, I remember it well.

At any rate, the only way to protect their candidate from his cloudy and confusing war record is to cast aspersions on the opponent. The hope being that with all the debate over Bush's service in the national guard hogging the air waves, comes the time when Kerry's cloudy past gets scrutiny, the public will have adapted a "been there, heard that" attitude.

And I hate to mention this for risk of wrath but I lived through the Vietnam era, a pretty little liberal girl in love with a man who wanted to move to Canada that he not die at the hands of politicians who valued power more than actually effectively resolving that conflict. Membership in the national guard was considered very much a way to avoid a trip to Vietnam. Guys lined up to join the guard and it was a heavy rumor of the era that the only way to get in the guard was to have a congressional sponsor. I hear the pundits tell us that the national guard was also subject to shipment to Vietnam but that was not the perception of that era and I'm sorry but that is how it was.

It's damn good manipulation of public opinion on the part of the Dems. They have every intention of letting it die down after their desired effect. Which is, I assert, to cover Kerry's military record and waffling with a cloud of ennui. Ideally, as Ickes and Carville see it, the public will demand that the candidates move on.

I can't stand Carville with a passion but that man is the most excellant administrator of public opinion that there is.

The Repubbies are awful at it.

[Krodg]

Someday, my son will do his thesis on these interesting times.

Make sure he gives Kerry all the credit he deserves....

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

BTTT, and e-mailed about 100 Guard and close personal friends. :o)

[BlessedByLiberty]

How do all of you think CNN dragging Hanoi Jane Fonda in for an interview today and her saying she supports Kerry will play with Viet Nam Vets?

Wonder what Kerry will think of that endorsement? Too bad no one in the mainstream media will ask him.

[cyncooper]

And no one has been paying attention to him for the last 9 months...seemingly not even the FreeRepublic...

Why should we? We know the president isn't a liar. We weren't out seeking verification he served when it's obvious he did.

but I am gaining more and more credibility with ever post...

Just saying so doesn't make it so.

[ChadGore]

Re: I can't stand Carville with a passion but that man is the most excellent administrator of public opinion that there is.

Good post ! . . With due respect, you are simply wrong on this point. He has led his party to complete defeat.

Carville, and the party he leads, lacks the White house, lost the Senate in 2000 and again in 2002, lost the house back in 1996 with no hope of retaking that majority in the next decade, lacks the majority of governorships across the 50 states, and also lacks a majority in the majority of state legislatures.

Put simply, todays democrat party lacks majority control across the state and federal level, and lacks a mandate from the people to lead, or set the terms of the debate.

I will give you one point Carville is good at. He looks like that little troll guy from Lord Of The Rings . . Gollum but an effective orator he ain't.

[BlessedByLiberty]

Too bad Moby let the cat out of the bag, isn't it?

[BlessedByLiberty]

Did you forget Jeb Bush is no longer Governor of FL? :)

[madison10]

Did you forget Jeb Bush is no longer Governor of FL? :)

Huh?

[BlessedByLiberty]

Remember Carville and McAwful handling the campaign to defeat Jeb Bush? It goes along with your spot-on analysis analogy of Carville's political skills.

Carville was successful prior to alternative media sources.

[New Horizon]

Most excellent. It's about damn time.

[MEG33]

Troll..you are dead in the water on this issue.

Perhaps Kerry can find another way to divert us from his Fonda association,his betrayal of his comrades in arms,his cozying up to the commie,Ortega,his saying the US military should always serve at the pleasure of the UN,his votes that out liberal the swimmer,Ted Kennedy,his voting against weapons we are using,intelligence funding and his flip flops.

He is not suitable to lead the most powerful nation in the world.He is an opportunist.

[Kaslin]

Who is the reporter from Talon News who asked that wonderful question yesterday at the WH briefing...he needs to see this.

The reporter is a fellow Freeper by the name of Jeff Gannon

White House Defends Bush Service Record; Kerry's Anti-War Past Recalled

[aruanan]

GREAT!

[proud American in Canada]

Thanks for posting this...

emailing the thread to everyone I know. :)

[visitor]

HJF will be on cnn at 8PM...rto

[proud American in Canada]

"How do all of you think CNN dragging Hanoi Jane Fonda in for an interview today and her saying she supports Kerry will play with Viet Nam Vets? "

Did CNN really do that!?

Wow... My mom has passed away (she would have been 68)... she was not very political, but she hated Jane Fonda with a passion--because of Jane's anti-American activities.

I think a lot of people will remember that...Jane's career as an aerobics instructor notwithstanding.

At least I hope so.....

[ChadGore]

bttt

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Problem with your theory is that Guardsmen DID go to Nam. Vets Husband served with em'.

And, President Bush could have been sent. Also, didn't you read his Commander say he vividly recalls a young LT. Bush ASKING to go to Nam? But he didn't have enough HOURS?

Not to mention that it took almost 2 and a half year of ACTIVE DUTY for Lt. Bush to BECOME a Pilot. Something that MOST young men didn't want to do.

Dang, are people even reading these articles?