Alabama commander regrets Bush comments

MSNBC ^ | 02/11/04 | NBC News

[Pikamax]

Alabama commander regrets Bush comments National Guard boss says he couldn't recall if president attended meetingsBy Jim Cummins Correspondent NBC News Updated: 5:34 p.m. ET Feb. 11, 2004DALLAS - The flap over President Bush's military service in the Texas Air National Guard really comes down to what he says he did from May 1972 to May 1973 and evidence and recollection from that time. Now, the military officer at the center of the row regrets he ever got involved.

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Much of the controversy stems from an article in the "Boston Globe" during the 2000 election when the commander of the Alabama unit of the Air National Guard, Brigadier General William Turnipseed, said he doesn't remember seeing Bush at Air Guard meetings in Alabama at that time.

But, in an NBC News interview this week, the general expressed surprise that his remarks caused such consternation. "George Bush wasn't even famous back then, so why would I notice this outsider showing up at a couple of meetings. I just wouldn't."

[Jackson Brown]

Turnipseed also said, in another interview, that he doesn't recall that HE was there very much.

[texasflower]

Maybe this man will give interviews everywhere and finally put this thing to rest.

Freeper Hon spoke to him just a few days ago and this is the same thing he told him.

[optimistically_conservative]

Ping!!

[ThirstyMan]

I sure wish "W" would start to confidently defend himself. He's quietly taking all kinds of abusive accusations on the chin. When's he going to start fighting? He needs to make his case...and soon.

[Congressman Billybob]

The title and tenor of this MSNBC piece are lies. General Turnipseed (unfortunate name) does not regret what he said. He regrets that the Boston Globe quoted him falsely, and the American media then piled on that folsehood. The general told the truth. The American media are still lying.

Congressman Billybob

Click here, then click the blue CFR button, to join the anti-CFR effort (or visit the "Hugh & Series, Critical & Pulled by JimRob" thread). Don't delay. Do it now.

[Williams]

BUT a front page article in USA Today ends with a quote from this same officer supposedly made Tuesday, which is used to make it sound like Turnipseed is still claiming Bush wasn't there. I have been reading enough of Turnipseed's disclaimers all week to know that the quote is being misused. The press are pure scum.

[Carolinamom]

Perhaps Turnipseed should submit HIS attendance and pay records to show whether HE was there at the relevant times.

[Hon]

Already posted here:

Alabama commander [Brigadier Gen. Turnipseed] regrets Bush comments

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1076242/posts

[Ciexyz]

The quote showed up in my local paper, with disclaimers and corrections and additions, at which point the sheeple have stopped reading, and the damage is done.

[dalebert]

Maybe Bush knows Dems are liars and some people will say anything for a buck.

[SBprone]

Ever heard of rope-a-dope?

[pepsionice]

Opening up every Guard members attendance records would open a can of worms. Its the most dishonest and corrupt thing going on in the government today. I will bet that only 60 percent of Guard members actually show and spend the entire weekend at their site. I was told by one member of the Guard....who was called to work on a Super-bowl weekend...that they worked Saturday, but almost every single member left by 10AM on Sunday morning to watch the football game.

[KC Burke]

Having been in Bush's position in reporting to another reserve unit, in that era, while located 150 miles away from my home unit, I can tell you that a Staff Sgt showing up looking to take a place on the units manning board for a while is about a welcome as a skunk.

You were shuffled around, ignored and often almost unable to get to fulfill your drills. You weren't just unmemorable, you were invisible.

[Ann Archy]

Hey Idiot Turnipseed....the DAMAGE is DONE!!! What the hell tok you sooooo damn long to come out with the REAL story?? What a naive idiot.

[Dolphy]

I sure wish "W" would start to confidently defend himself. He's quietly taking all kinds of abusive accusations on the chin. When's he going to start fighting?

I believe he's fighting, it's just the ropa-dopa style. The Dems come out swinging, when they think they are connecting on a few punches they start talking trash. The media gets excited announcing but at the end of the round, when the facts come out, all you have is the Dems on tape, swinging and missing and telling outrageous lies.

[flying Elvis]

Makes sense after I read the story. From the title I thought Raphael Semmes had been drawn into this somehow.

[HP8753]

Float like a butterfly,Sting like a bee!
Damn,I'm old !!

[OneTimeLurker]

Is it true the GHWB was a Congressman at the time?

[M1911A1]

The Alabama sails on in memory!

This whole Guard flap is funny. As a reservists of over twenty years, I can tell you that there is flexibility built in to the drill schedule. There has to be or the system would not work. You can drill on other dates, drill more than once a month, have months at a time with no drills, and it is all authorized if you go through the proper channels.

No funny business here. If someone falsified a muster sheet, that would be an offense that you could go to jail for. Missing a drill with prior authorization? Happens all the time.