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.

[nicollo]

You dont get a honorable discharge if you go AWOL.

It's no more simple than that. No AWOL no complaint. All they have is that he "should have" been designated "AWOL," and all the associated implications that he recieved favorable treatment for being a Congressman's son.

As he said on FTN, he was discharged honorably. Period. End of story. All they can do is question it; they can not change it.

Nicollo unmasked: Bromleyisms here

[Fishtalk]

Powell did a great job on that dim. Whoever he was, Brit said he had no service record either.

Powell did a TERRIBLE job handling that Dem. Methinks Powell's response has been interpreted, at least on a limited basis on this thread, as a good one because he scolded that Demwit.

NOT!

First, that Dem idiot was definitely part of the Dem plot to keep this AWOL word out there in front of the public. This is also how they manipulate the media I might add. Some Dem congress critters received their talking point faxes this morning. They always use Dem congress critters from safe districts for this sort of thing. I don't recall who the Dem was but come one, the guy mentioned the AWOL word (pay attention to this word; in a world where your message has to be summed up in few syllables it would appear the Carvilles have focused on AWOL as their "word"), as all the spokesbumbles from safe districts have been instructed to do. This during a hearing about intelligence issues. I mean, it was just sooooooo obvious that the Dem congress critter wanted to say AWOL even if it had nothing to do with anything.

So what does Powell do? I'm smirking here guys. He responds EXACTLY as the Dems would have him do! He adopts a deep tone of chastisement and threatens Mr. Dem Congress Critter to "not go there". Sounding exactly like the big bad Republican giving friendly fatherly advice to the opposing party asking a simple innocent question about the AWOL president. (awol,awol,awol,awol....say it in your sleep, say it while you eat, if you're a Dem say it as often as you can and insert it into every conversation you have with the media and say it at all congressional hearings with a camera nearby). What Powell SHOULD have said, and I know it's easy to quarterback but I swear if the Repubs were doing it right they'd know intuitively how to react...Powell SHOULD have said "Mr. Dem Congress Critter, I fail to see why you even mention the word AWOL and the President's national guard record at this congressional hearing. It almost appears to me that you went out of your way to mention something so utterly unrelated to this hearing. You wouldn't be trying to use this very serious meeting to discuss intelligence matters to advance your party's political agenda, would you?"

Then Powell should have paused for effect and let the congress critter sputter away the accusation. Powell should then have moved on to the issues at hand.

Had Powell responded this way he would have inserted the idea, however slightly, into a listener's head, that maybe this was what the Dems are doing. Which, ahem, is what they actually ARE doing.

If all the Repubbies would confront this sort of childishness right at the start they would effectively be changing the PERCEPTION of what the audience hears.

As it was, Powell only emphasized the sound bite the Dem candidate wanted out there, and added to the Repub stereotype of the big, father shouting down anyone who would dare question our leader.

[Flora McDonald]

oorah

[notpoliticallycorewrecked]

Also, the formal drug testing program was not instituted by the Air Force until the 1980s and is done randomly by lot, not as a special part of a flight physical, when one easily could abstain from drug use because of its date certain. Blood work is done, but to ensure a healthy pilot, not confront a drug user.

This is the first time that I have heard about the "drug charges" against Bush. I will verify the about claim about drug testing in the USAF Reserves.

I was a Med Lab Tech in the USAF Reserves from 1975 until 1980. I performed hundreds if not thousands of pilot flight physicals in that time period. Drug Testing was not on the slate of annual testing for pilots and anyone else for that matter. The only time that drug testing was done was if a doctor or a commander was suspicious of drug abuse.

[notpoliticallycorewrecked]

about claim = above claim

[Flora McDonald]

Article in the Crimson Tide with some choice Kerry quotes:

http://www.thecrimson.com/today/article357339.html

[Mudboy Slim]

“I’m an internationalist,” Kerry told The Crimson in 1970. “I’d like to see our troops dispersed through the world only at the directive of the United Nations.” Kerry said he wanted “to almost eliminate CIA activity. The CIA is fighting its own war in Laos and nobody seems to care.”

This man is not fit to lead this Nation in a time of war...he may try to hide his true feelings about this Country's sovereignty, but the Bush Campaign must drive home the point that this guy trusts the UN more than he trusts America!!

FReegards...MUD

[american colleen]

Bump and thanks!

[Flora McDonald]

You are so right, Mud! I don't want to start hitting Kerry with everything we've got til he actually gets the nomination but just wait 'til his voting record on partial birth abortion hits the fan with pro-life folks, not to mention the Catholic Church.

Then there is the Chi-Com money and his Cousin Forbes Viet Nam connection and on and on.

He might actually turn out to be a bigger looser than Howard Dean when all is said and done.

[etabeta]

Rush was talking about this today, people not coming out because of being afraid of intense scrutiny on their life by the media and the obvious distortions.

[gooleyman]

That's an excellent strategy. One which I've been advocating, but didn't ever put a timetable together. Our system is a slow, slow process. The third partyers don't have the patience to do something like this. They want theirs NOW. And in the process they would wind up giving the DemocRATS theirs NOW instead.

I remember a song when I was a teenager that said, "10% of something, beats 100% of nothing at all." George Bush is certainly more than 10% Conservative, no where near 100%, but he beats the DemocRATS who definitely are the "NOTHING AT ALLs".

I stand by my principles too. My principle-principle is BEATING DEMOCRATS in elections!!!!!

[notpoliticallycorewrecked]

You might want to have a look at this thread. It will give you even more info to shove under those liberal noses.

[Lady In Blue]

ping

[Lady In Blue]

I can't thank you enough for posting this!

[billhilly]

" Sadly, few of today's partisan pundits know anything about the environment of service in the Reserves in the 1970s. The image of a reservist at that time is of one who joined, went off for six months' basic training, then came back and drilled weekly or monthly at home, with two weeks of "summer camp." With the knowledge that Mr. Johnson and Mr. McNamara were not going to call out the Reserves, it did become a place of refuge for many wanting to avoid Vietnam."

This is not gold, unfortunately. When the writer repeatedly cites President Johnson and Robert McNamara as the architects of the reserves in the 1970s he is ignoring the fact that President Johnson did not seek re-election in 1968, and was replaced by President Nixon, after a dismal showing by George McGovern in that election. Don't get me wrong. I still believe President Nixon was a great president, and I knew him during that period 1970-1974, but a good case can be made weak with bad information.

[Parmy]

Does anyone have a picture of an F102. I understand they were tricky to fly.

[Mudboy Slim]

"I don't want to start hitting Kerry with everything we've got til he actually gets the nomination..."

Yep, we went after Dean too early...let's be more patient with cutting Kerry off at the knees.

FReegards...MUD

[Petronski]

"Google Images" is your friend.

[Kaslin]

Powell did a great job on that dim. Whoever he was, Brit said he had no service record either.

That does not surprise me one bit. These hypocrites are all alike

[CyberAnt]

Yes it could .. Rush was talking about this today. Said he was going to look into it.