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My proud vanity post:

This just got published (very surprisingly) in the grossly misnamed Springfield (MA) Sunday Republican in response to an unsigned editorial on 7/18/04 attempting to revive the President's National Guard record debacle.

Kerry's military records

I read with some dismay your editorial resurrection of the old National Guard service story about President Bush ("Questions rightly linger about Bush's service," July 18).

Would that such attention was paid to Sen. John F. Kerry's military record. Where are the missing military medical records of Kerry's, that the Boston Globe and others have been unable to obtain? The circumstances surrounding the award of some of the medals you refer to are a topic of hot debate in some quarters. Clearly, some questions still rightly linger about Kerry's service as well.

Unlike Bush, where a handful of people have hazy recollections (at best) of his service, there are literally hundreds of Kerry's contemporaries comprising both the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the Vietnam Veterans for Truth that remember Kerry's military service all too well, and receive no attention from The Republican. These qualified and experienced individuals (including Kerry's immediate commanders) have firmly and publicly stated that Kerry's record, both during Vietnam and after, renders him, in their opinion, unfit to serve as commander in chief.

And the questions continue long after his military service, right to this day. Where is the reporting on Teresa Heinz-Kerry's finances, and how they are buoying Kerry's run for the presidency? Where is the outrage about Kerry's lack of participation in nearly all of his Senate responsibilities since his candidacy took off?

But no, The Republican sees fit to remind us that the president, who did a virtual document dump of his service record to the press, should continue to be questioned by an arguably hostile press about his 30-plus-year- old National Guard service.

For the record, Brig. Gen. William R. Turnipseed (ret.) has since said that the press and "Bush-haters" have constantly misrepresented what he said to make Bush look bad. Perhaps The Republican could take the time to actually interview Turnipseed. As for witnesses, at least two have come forward: Retired Lt. Col. John "Bill" Calhoun told The Associated Press he saw Bush on the post on at least six occasions, and Joe LeFevers, another member of the Alabama squadron where Bush pulled Guard drills, remembers seeing him. Apparently, only the people that didn't see him have credibility with The Republican.

The editorial staff is right, the press should ask for the pertinent records. But they should ask for all of the pertinent records of BOTH candidates.

SpinyNorman