Posted on 02/13/2004 11:22:36 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
John Kerry, making campaign rounds Friday in Madison, Wis., denied having had an extramarital affair.
Asked about the report by Internet Web site operator Matt Drudge, Kerry told reporters on his campaign: "I just deny it categorically. It's rumor. It's untrue. Period."
After denying the report, Kerry added: "And that's the last time I intend to."
Drudge, who broke the Monica Lewinsky scandal involving President Clinton, on Thursday said Kerry had had a two-year relationship, beginning in early 2001, with an unidentified young woman who had since left the country.
Meanwhile, the Democratic presidential front-runner gained more ground Friday with the promise of an endorsement by the AFL-CIO, the support of a former rival and fresh polls pointing toward victory in next week's Wisconsin primary.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney scheduled a meeting of the federation's general board for Thursday "to officially endorse" Kerry, according to the memo obtained by The Associated Press.
AFL-CIO spokeswoman Lane Windham confirmed that Sweeney will recommend the move. "But we're a democratic organization, and it is ultimately up to the general board to decide who they will endorse," said Windham.
With the polls showing Kerry well ahead in Wisconsin, the Massachusetts senator flew to Madison after a two-day rest from personal campaigning.
Wesley Clark greeted him, and the retired four-star Army general bestowed his endorsement on a Vietnam War-era Navy lieutenant.
"Sir, request permission to come aboard. The Army's here," said Clark, an Arkansas native who quit the race Wednesday after winning only one primary and trailing badly in the delegate chase.
"This is the first time in my life I've ever had the privilege of saying welcome aboard to a four-star general," replied Kerry. "Normally, back when I was wearing a uniform, my knees would have been quaking around a four-star."
The Clark endorsement was a disappointment for Edwards, who had hoped to win the support of his fellow Southerner.
Next I'm going to post the two Bush hit pieces in this same paper and LINK them here.
There is only one star in the RAT Party now, and she is on the hunt...if the guy had a brain, his knees would be quaking...
"I have no doubt he is telling the truth," Adams said. "Bill is one of my heroes. He was trying to take on certain rotten SOBs inside the Guard."
Burkett and some friends from his Guard days have been involved in an ugly dispute with the Texas National Guard and officers appointed by then-Gov. Bush for several years.
One of those friends, Harvey Gough, said this week that he became so incensed at what he saw as malfeasance by the Guard's senior officers that he hired a private detective to delve into James' personal life. James is the son of former Gen. Chappy James, the first black four-star general.
Through a spokesman, James denied all of Burkett's charges.
Burkett, Gough, Adams and others have waged an ugly feud with the Guard over what they said was fraud, waste and corruption.
Burkett sued three officers in the Texas Guard in the late 1990s, claiming that they blocked him from receiving medical support after he went to Panama on a Guard-related mission and contracted a debilitating disease. Gough alleged in a lawsuit that he was subjected to anti-Semitic remarks from one of James' staffers, and when he complained, James retaliated by court-martialing him. Both lawsuits failed. [Much more second hand reporting in article]***
Some light shed on Bush Guard service -Hundreds of files released; Dems say questions remain***The documents provided no obvious explanation for why Bush neglected to take a physical examination in 1972, resulting in loss of his status as a pilot.
Democrats said Friday the issue of Bush's Guard service had not been laid to rest.
"Each revelation of material from the Bush White House has raised more questions than it has answered. It remains to be seen if these newest documents will provide any answers," said Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Debra DeShong.
After sputtering as a political issue in 2000, the questions about Bush's Guard duty were resurrected recently by harsh charges from political opponents like Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe. He accused Bush of being absent without leave from the Guard during the period when he transferred from Texas to Alabama.
The Vietnam War combat hero record of Bush's likely Democratic election rival, U.S. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, adds to the political mix.
The president's opponents focus on 1972, when Bush took a job with the campaign of Winton "Red" Blount.*** [and the article prceeds to go into great detail]
Red
If the liberal press doesn't report it and the tabloids do then the tabloids remain unrefuted and lamestream press looks stupid.
"He was very aggressive about doing his duty there. He never complained about it. ... He was very dedicated to what he was doing in the Guard. He showed up on time and he left at the end of the day."
Calhoun, whose name was supplied to the AP by a Republican close to Bush, is the first member of the 187th Tactical Reconnaissance Group to recall Bush distinctly at the Alabama base in the period of 1972-1973. He was the unit's flight safety officer.
The 69-year-old president of an Atlanta insulation company said Bush showed up for work at Dannelly Air National Guard Base for drills on at least six occasions. Bush and Calhoun had both been trained as fighter pilots, and Calhoun said the two would swap "war stories" and even eat lunch together on base.
Calhoun is named in 187th unit rosters obtained by the AP as serving under the deputy commander of operations plans. Bush was in Alabama on non-flying status.
"He sat in my office most of the time - he would read," Calhoun said. "He had your training manuals from your aircraft he was flying. He'd study those some. He'd read safety magazines, which is a common thing for pilots."
Democrats have asked for proof that Bush, then a 1st lieutenant with the Texas Air National Guard, turned up for duty in Alabama, where Bush had asked to be assigned while he worked on the U.S. Senate campaign of family friend Winton "Red" Blount.***
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